 And now, transcribed for tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theatre of thrills, Suspense. Tonight, the story of a motion picture producer and a young actress who finds to her dismay that she has rather more dramatic talent than even she ever hoped for. So now, starring Virginia Christine with Joseph Kearns, here is tonight's suspense play, Shooting Star. These contract players, Dave, Martin Richards, Drake, cancel. Tab Richards? But I thought... Oh, I played gin with him and he goes with my daughter. I don't do business that way. I just meant... I thought the boy was pretty good. I can't use him. That's all, Dave. Yes. Yes? Goodbye, J.D. Well, offer what you have to, but get her. Oh, and bring the papers to my place at Palm Desert. I'll sign them there. All right, goodbye. Yes? Benjamin Kahn to see you, Mr. Zimmer. Oh, all right, send him in. Oh, and Miss Davis. Yes, Mr. Zimmer. Have my car sent around. Good afternoon, J.D. Oh, hello, Ben. How's the arthritis? Not so good. Oh, it's too bad. Going to the desert for the weekend. That's the place. Bake it out. Yeah. Say, J.D., I want to talk to you about Gay Lansing. You thought about her for a dark lady? No. It would be novel casting and she wants to try something different, J.D. Now, the way I see it after this music was over, we could have something really big in Gay. Go for the Italian type. Went to my dressing room where I can sit down and take my shoes off. Never been so tired. It's harder every time, Benny. Thank heavens this dance marathon is nearly over, and thank heavens it's my last. I've just seen Zimmer. Benny, what did he say about dark lady? He said no, Gay. No. They're signing Laura Bevin. Laura Bevin? Look, did you tell him? I'm sorry, Gay. That's the way it is. I see. Well, took off my dancing shoes too soon. So it's to be another super-multicolored musical mishmash. Gay, they're not renewing. Not what? They're dropping your option. That can't be right. Well, J.D. thinks the musical cycle is over. He thinks that the new... He thinks my cycle is over, is that it? No, he didn't say that, Gay. Just like that. Now, Gay, listen, just this morning I was talking with Harry out of modern pictures, and he... Give me my coat. Where are you going? Does it matter? Oh, now, Gay, take it easy. Look, you go change and I'll drive you home. You'll feel better. Feel? Funny how I feel. I'm all numb and far away like I'm somewhere else. Gay, I'll figure something. I'll call J.D. at Palm Desert over the weekend. All numb and far away. It's like I was somewhere else. Yeah, I just got here. It's a patio now, enjoying the hot sun and a long, tall cold one. I'll let Haynes go back. I'll have my meal sent in. Is the clan still at the house? Well, you let me know when they go, huh? All right. Why, Gay, I didn't hear you when you... Well, here, sit down. I understand you're dropping my contract. Well, uh, Benny, uh, told you already, huh? I'm sorry about that, Gay, but, uh... Well, the stock holder's for you. I want a new contract, J.D. I want it for 2,500 a week, seven years, no options, and I want the lead in Dark Lady. Well, now, look... I want you to call the studio now and arrange it. Well, you're being ridiculous. After all, in today's market, it's the exhibitors who... I mean what I say, J.D. It's almost like an ornament, isn't it? It's not too small in the pearl handle, but it shoots real bullets. I advise you to respect it. Well, you're not yourself, Gay. Perhaps you just don't know me very well. Get on that phone, J.D., and be careful. Operator, get me Hollywood 1429. You know how foolish you're being, Gay. If I even hint at the Screen Act, it's gilded. Legal department, Mr. Mitchell, please. If I tell Owen to go ahead with this, legal is going to have a mess on their hands with Laura Bevan. Oh, Owen, this is J.D. I want you to draw up a new contract for Gay Lansing for seven years. No, that's right, seven. 2,500 a week, no options. The part. Put it in the contract. That's all right. She's to star in Dark Lady. Put that in the contract. That's right. Well, you worked that out. Goodbye. How far do you think you can go with this, Gay? Monday morning, I'll cancel that contract and you'll be black-balled by every studio in town. No. Oh, no. Because now, J.D., I'm going to kill you. Give me that! You have yourself to thank for that, J.D. You had me taught Judo by an expert. Remember for that whack musical? Get up! Look, why don't we sit down? Let's talk this over. You think I'm unbalanced? No, no. I think you're tired. I'm quite sane, J.D. I want you to understand that. Gay. Last year you used a folding wheelchair when your knee was bad. Where is it? I don't know. Back hall, maybe. We'll have a look then. Go on, J.D. Walk. Open the door. What a remarkable memory, J.D. All right? Open it. Now sit down. Go ahead. Now look. Sit! The belt off of this trench coat should do nicely. Now this should hold you and if I need you in another room, I can wheel you there. I won't have to keep the gun pointed. That's rude. I know. Are you comfortable? You know, this is a very poor joke. I don't like to do this, J.D. I'm not a criminal. I made the phone call. Your contract is being drawn up. What more... You remember the first time you saw me? Yes. You were in the chorus at one of Daly's reviews. Not the chorus. I had a specialty. Even at the first I had a specialty. $40 a week. And I thought I'd arrived. I was 16. Then Zimmer Productions signed you up at ten times that figure. And I made the Sunshine Girl. Do you remember how things were with ZSP in those days? The studio was bankrupt. But I saved you. They liked the Sunshine Girl. And little by little I climbed to success with Zimmer Star Productions on my shoulders. All right, but the favor worked both ways, gay. How many even talented girls attend premieres of their own pictures before they're 17? And did you know how I worked for those lights and premieres and contracts? I danced my heart out. I even risked my life for you. You were asked to do that. But when you had the bright idea of a dance routine atop a 30-foot globe, I did it. I still have nightmares about that day. Lights in my eyes, I whirl, I smile. The music goes faster and faster. I look down, I fall. It was eight months before I ever danced again. I know, I know. But you've always been our most reliable star. I have, haven't I? No undo husbands or scandals or temples. All right, then. Why break your record? Well, use me up and throw me out. Enough to me of my career. Tomorrow you will be the headlines, JD. An unfortunate accident. What are you talking about? You don't swim, do you, JD? A villa in Palm Desert with a pool, a cottage at Carmel with a private beach, a ranch in Oregon with a private lake, but you don't swim, do you, JD? Not yet. Tonight I'm going to set the time. Say, oh, nine o'clock. That will give you three hours and 40-odd minutes to think about it. Okay, they'll arrest you. You'll go to jail. Who's that? I don't know. I thought you weren't expecting anyone. I'm not. Who is it, JD? Let's not play games. Maybe it's the delivery boy. I ordered some liquor. I'll handle him. How? Never mind. Now I'm going to put you in the den and gag you. If I were you, JD, I'd be very, very cooperative. It wouldn't bother me in the least to kill the delivery boy and then make it look as though you did it. You are listening to Shooting Star, tonight's presentation in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrill's Suspense. Oh, this is Marvin Miller. We'll return to our program in a moment, but first hear something to think about. You probably remember these words from your school days. We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. They're the final words of our Declaration of Independence. Following them are the signatures of 56 men, men of many types, but to each of them one thing was important, freedom, with a passionate faith they believed in it and worked to bring it about. The freedoms which they declared have been endangered many times, but there have always been those with steady hearts and willing hands to defend and support the principles that free men live by. The American citizen recognizes his two responsibilities. First to know what his rights are and second to defend those rights. And now we bring back to our Hollywood soundstage Virginia Christine with Joseph Kearns starring in tonight's production of Shooting Star, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Delivery for Mr. Zimmer. Bring him in. Yes. Yes, come in. Where do you want this stuff? Well, over here in the bar. Do you mind? No. It's hot for this late in the afternoon. Could you use a drink? Well, uh... Well, sure, why not? I'll get the glasses. You open the bottle. Which one? Bourbon. Ancient age, okay? Fine. Go ahead. Pour. Say, uh... I thought Mr. Zimmer was here alone this time. Well, he is technically. I'm his secretary. Well, you don't say. Mm-hmm. There you are. Thanks. Well, bottoms up. Why not? You know... you're awful cute. I get around. I'll bet you do. Come here. You, uh... you're gonna be here alone? Well... What's that? Nothing. I'm defrosting the refrigerator. Maybe you'd better go now. Go? No? You'd better. Well, that's a quick switch. Uh, well, uh... I'll see you again, maybe? Yeah, well, uh... Bye. And, uh... give my compliments to the old man. I should be very angry with you, JD, for knocking over that vase. I'll remember that at nine o'clock. Meanwhile, I guess we can take this out. You wits! That delivery boy. You not only want to kill me, but my reputation as well. Your reputation? Shall I tell you something about your reputation, JD? You're known as a heartless, grasping, slave-driving tyrant. That's a bunch of rubbish. I'm a hard-working man who got ahead by my own efforts. How about that brother of yours who lent you $400 to get started? The rather small time, brother, that you don't even talk about now. I paid him back a hundred times. And then there was the time when you took your own partner's wife away from him. He was making her life miserable. And what are you making it? A desert. You left her alone on your honeymoon, and she's hardly seen you since. That's not true. I'm a busy man, but I'm a family man, and I won't have you... You won't be considered a family man after the publicity you're going to get. But then you always taught me. Any publicity is good publicity. Even when Eric Allen eloped with someone else on the eve of our wedding, you had the publicity make a front-page ball of it. You can't keep down a story like that. You could have tried. You could have tried. All right, Kay. All right. Look, let's say you win. Let's say I've made mistakes, but I can always do better. Right now, I'm tired. I'm hungry. And if you'll just take off these confounded robes, I'll agree to forget all about tonight. I don't know what you're saying. And have you swear out a complaint the moment you're free? No, no, I won't. You have my word. Look, I'll even put it in writing. Hmm. I'll think it over. I'll let you know at nine o'clock. But you do have a point, JD. Of course. About being hungry. I am too. Starved. All right. We'll have some dinner and send over from the hotel. No. No, that's not it. They'd send a waiter and I hate crowds. Don't you, JD? Let's see if you don't have a well-stocked larder to match that well-stocked bar. Won't you join me? Artichoke hearts and branded peaches. Quite a snack. And it's only $7.24. You have plenty of time to enjoy it. Shall I untie you so you can eat? I'm not hungry now. Oh, but you must eat something. You were going to consider my offer. Oh, yes. But, um, I wouldn't count on it, JD. I'm afraid it's too late for mercy. Coffee? No. Let me slice you some of this, Edam. I have a nice shop. What is it? There's a cartoning. Who do you know who drives a pale blue-cad convertible? It's my wife. It's Iris. So? She must have driven down and Iris knows you, Gay. You might just as well give up this game right now. Not necessarily. It's twilight. It's dim in the front room. What are you going to do? First, gag you again. I regret the necessity, JD. Don't lay a finger on my wife. Don't touch her. I swear, Gay. I swear. One, two, three, four. Yeah? Oh, who are you? I'm the maid here from the hotel. Mr. Zimmer, he wanted some cleaning up, Don. Oh, I see. Well, I'm... I'm Mrs. Zimmer. I'll come in if you don't mind. I forgot my key. Where's Mr. Zimmer? Oh, he's out. Out? Yeah, to dinner. Well, I thought... Where was he going, did he say? I don't know. Some club somewhere. The Palm Club? Tennis Club? Yeah. Yeah, that might be it. The Tennis Club. Oh. Well, I'll drive over and join him. That drive through the desert has simply prashed me. I think I'll get a drink of water. Oh, I'll get it for you. No. No, don't bother. I'll just run out to the kitchen and... I was so, so worried about him. About his going out. I tell you, he had the mark of the dead on him. What are you talking about? Well, I tell you, he had shadows in his eyes. It was just about ten minutes after the pain was gone from his heart. I told him to go to bed and let me bring him something. But he wouldn't do it. A telephone call and off he goes. Are you trying to say my husband had a heart attack? Yeah, it was slight, perhaps. When did this happen? Well, not ten minutes after I got here. Oh, I knew it this morning. The minute I opened my eyes, I said, there's going to be trouble today. I said, there's going to be trouble today. Oh, do be quiet. I better get over there. Just leave the latch off the door. We won't be late. I hope you're not too late. Yeah, goodbye. I'm back, JD. You can talk again now. She's gone. Where is she? I sent her off to Palm Springs to search for you. She thinks I'm the maid and she thinks I'm a little odd. The maid? With an afghan around my head and my lipstick wiped off. You know, lipstick makes a remarkable difference to a woman. She'll be back. When she can't find me, she'll be back. Not in your lifetime, JD. Shall we go into the living room? Allow me. The clock must have been a little slow. It's 22 minutes till 9. 22 minutes, JD. You want anything special to pass the time? Gay. Gay. Look, I... No little enthusiasm, JD. Then how about the radio? Then I'll sit down. We shall have 21 minutes to wait and I'm really very tired. Odd how much planning a murder takes out of one. I was asleep, but I wasn't. You might say I was acting. It's 9 o'clock, JD. No. Get up and walk towards the pool, JD. No, Gay. Don't make me shoot you here, JD. Get out of that wheelchair. Gay, please, you can't do this. You wouldn't get away with it. Now listen to me, Gay. I've been wrong. I'll make it up to you. You can have anything. You want money, parts, anything. No, Gay, don't. Not my life. Don't take my life. Please, I beg you. I beg you. All right, JD. The audition's over. It was rather drastic, but it was the only way I knew was all in act, JD. After all, I had to prove to you that I could be something more than a song-and-dance girl. I'll see who's at the door. One miles. Benny. Hello, Gay. Good evening, Gay. Say, what is all this about? I was all set with Laura Bevin for Dark Lady when I got word you were to do it and came down to learn what goes. JD's right in there. You can ask him. Well, good evening, JD. Now, what's this about? What's the matter with him? Conscious. But he was all right a minute ago. I'll get some brandy. Don't. Don't bother. He can't be. He can't. Look at the expression on his face. Yes. Virginia Christine starred as Gay with Joseph Kearns as JD. Next week, the story of a duel, an incomplete duel, since one of its participants chooses to wait and owe his adversary. We call it The Shot. That's next week on Suspense. This is produced and transcribed by Norman McDonald, with music composed by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Wilbur Hatch. Shooting Star was specially written for Suspense by Ruth Bourne, featured in the cast were Sam Edwards, John Daenerer, Michael Ann Barrett, John Jarman, and John Large. Suspense is another worldwide presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.