 presents Gig Young and Rita Johnson. From Hollywood, the Mutual Network and Cooperation with the Family Theater presents Restitution, starring Gig Young. And now, here is your hostess, Rita Johnson. Thank you, Toni LaFranco. Family's theater only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families and peace for the world. Family theater urges you to pray. Pray together is a family. And now to our transcribed drama, Restitution, starring Gig Young as Frank. Let's face it, boys. We've got the hottest car in the medium price field. Detroit knows it. The trade journals say the same thing. So don't talk the big three to me. The only reason they are the big three is because salesmen put them there. Ordinary guys like us, the men in the showroom, men who know how to dig in, bear down and turn on the steam. We've got the car, the buying power is there. So what's to stop us from getting our share of it? You're right, sir. All right, nine a.m. now. Let's go out on that floor and sell. Oh, Frank, could I see you for a minute? You bet. How's that Whitley fellow doing? I think he's got the makings. Sold anything yet? No, Joe, he's only been here four days. I know, I know. He's a low pressure man, though. Those low pressure men always worry me. Well, if you've got serious doubts about him. No, no, you're my sales manager. I didn't think Johnson would work out either, and he's at the top of the chart every month. I'd like to give Whitley a few weeks anyway. You're the doctor. See, what's the word from that godson of mine? We got a card from yesterday. I guess he's recovered from Thanksgiving. Still like military school? Eats it up. Oh, incidentally, Sally wants you folks to come over and watch the fight tonight. Fine. I think Gene Vivi can make a pizza or something, I think. Oh, just a minute. Yes? Sure, right here. So you're Genie on the switchboard. Yeah, Gene. Mr. Who? I don't recall him. Any idea what he wants? Well, if he wants to buy a car, I don't have to recall him. Sure, I'll be right up. Customer? I think so, man named Lindsay. He asked for me personally. Go, my boy, go. Anything else you wanted to discuss? Not while as a customer waiting. Good enough. Now call Sally and tell her it's set for tonight. So well, oh, you might have her give Vivi a ring and make it official. We'll do. Now, get out there and sell. What else? So, Lindsay? That's right. I'm Frank Grant. Yes, yes, I recognize you. From your picture in the paper yesterday, the rotary luncheon, it was a good speech you gave, at least what I read of it was. Glad you liked it. I'm new here in town, and I figured anyone as sold as you are on the business outlook for the future must have a lot of faith in his product. I plead guilty. Well, I'm in the market for a car. Now you've come to the right place, Mr. Lindsay. Did you have any particular model in mind? Oh, something in a four-door sedan. I'm not too picky about color. Well, I've got to demonstrate it out in a lot that maybe just what you're looking for. Come on, I want you to drive it. Does she handle or does she handle? She handles. Yes, sir. Hey, do you mind if I ask you a personal question? No, go right ahead. How long have you been selling cars? Almost nine years. Right here in Ludwig? That's right. Same agency, too. Tell me, what did you do before that, army? Yes. You sound like you're from the East, like New York, maybe. Look, Mr. Lindsay, I'm perfectly willing to talk about me all you want. I used to live in the East myself, Long Island, Queens. That was 12, 15 years ago. Haven't been back since. Is that right? Yeah. Oh, I miss it sometimes. What I miss most are the seasons. You just don't get them out here. I've got a confession to make, Mr. Grant. Confession? I'm not really in the market for a car. I just came in from Santa Fe. I work out of there for a collection agency. I'm a skip tracer. Oh, I see. People skip out on a bill. I trace them down. You looking for someone here in Ludwig? Yes. A fellow named Stack. He skipped out on a $300 clothing bill in Santa Fe last summer. I'm afraid I don't know anybody by that name, Mr. Lindsay. I'll find him. He's a construction worker, a lot of building going on around here. Well, I wish you luck. That's how I happened to run across your picture in the paper. I bought it for the Wadads to see where the contractors are hiring. It'll be easy. A fellow like this Stack, he'll be working under his real name. Just for $300, he wouldn't bother to change it. More trouble than it's worth. I suppose it is. You learn tricks like that in this business. People don't start changing their names until it gets around 1,000. It's the same looking for anybody. What do you mean? Tricks of the trade. Take me, I used to be a cop back in New York 15 years ago. Would you believe it? I believe it. I got tossed off the force just before the war. They didn't know it, but they did me a favor. Do me a favor, will you, Mr. Lindsay? Sure. Pull over. We've got to have a little talk. And please try to eat something. We're due over Joe's. I know, I know, I know. Now let me pass this one. Sal is going to make pizza after the fight anyway. Honey, maybe you're making too much of this. I don't think so. Lindsay's kind are the worst. She said he didn't ask for anything. If he wanted to blackmail you. Believe me, Vivi, he's just trying to decide what to ask for, how much the traffic will bear. And he knows he can take his time. Drink some coffee anyhow. Cop gone sour. They're the worst. They know every trick in the book. Have you thought of just going to Joe and telling him the whole thing? Forget it. But Frank. Forget it. That's out. Honey, give yourself a break. That's just what I'm doing. For nine years, he's been your best friend. In the nine minutes, it could be over. I know in my work form, he's a nervous guy. How about your army record? Sure. Frank Granada Silverstone. But my name isn't Granada anymore. I knew it. I always knew it. A picture in the paper, a thumb print on a license. Anything can blow it open. I'll get it. Hello? Yes? Look, Lindsay, why don't you lay it on the line? What? All right. Sure. What else can I do? Yeah, 10 minutes. OK. Frank? Didn't take him long. What does he want? I don't know. He wants me to pick him up in front of his hotel. Look, you better call Joe and tell him we can't make it. Tell him it's a customer. That's what he thinks Lindsay is anyhow. Frank, I know how you feel about this man, but. Don't worry, honey. Nothing's going to happen like that. But I've heard you say it a thousand times at this. Only one way to handle a black man. OK. So I've changed my mind. Now tune in on the fight, and I'll be back as soon as I can. Well, I see it, Granada. You've had a bad enough time already. I just wanted to put your mind at ease. You had me fooled, Lindsay. I was a cop a long time, maybe not a good cop. But I learned as much as the rest of them. You push a man into a corner, he can get very tough. Besides, I don't see any real percentage in pushing you. You mean no profit? Maybe. Or maybe I'm just getting soft in my old age. You sure it's OK about borrowing the car? It's little enough. I hope you'll find your man. Well, the foreman over at Bennett told me on the phone that one of the new carpenters was named Stack. What do you do, slap a garnish man on him? That's it. All right. Here we are. That's my house right across the street. When you get back, just leave the car out in front. How about the keys? I'll put them under the visor. I appreciate this very much, Mr. Grant. Don't mention it. White Canyon's about 10 miles out. Take the main road to Bennett and then turn right. You bet. Good luck, and thanks. Same to you. What happened? You'll never believe it. All he wanted to do was borrow the car. The car? Yeah, he's a skip tracer for their collection agency in Santa Fe. He's looking for a man over in Bennett. I wanted to drive up there tonight. Do you think you can trust him to bring it back? Yeah. And I think maybe we've heard the last of them too. Oh, really, Frank? Well, he had a chance to put the squeeze on me, and he didn't. Guess he figures I'm not worth the trouble. Did you call, Joe? Right after you left. Well, that's him again, Sam. I'm not back yet. He might ask us to come overnight. I don't want to talk about the car. Oh, yes, yes, Joe. Oh, no, he's not back yet. He must be selling like mad. No, I didn't. Who won? Wonderful. I'll tell him as soon as he gets in. Yes, I'm sorry. We couldn't make it, Joe. Yes, night. Close all that. Joe says your man won by a TKO on the seventh, and he owes you $5. That's what he does, the big windbag. So this is turning out to be a pretty good evening after all. I'm so glad there wasn't any trouble, Frank. Didn't I tell you not to worry? That's what you told me. Come on, let's live a little at Saturday night. Live a little? Yeah, make me a ham and cheese sandwich. We'll watch the late show. We'll be phoning at this hour. Right? I'll get it. I'll get it. It's almost three in the morning. Two in the lights, will you? Hello? Yeah, Joe, what's the matter? Robbed? What do you mean? Sure, I'll meet you down in 10 minutes. So long. Frank, what's happened? Somebody busted into the agency last night and cleaned up the safe. Slugged the watchman, too. Do they know who it was? Not yet. Give me your shirt, will you? Was it much taken? All Saturday's receipts, a couple of thousand, anyhow. Do you think it might have been that man who came to see you? That's just what I think. Well, he couldn't have gotten far. He can go as far as he wants, and the farther the better. What? I guess wrong on him. But he brought the car back by midnight. That's enough for me. Oh, but Frank! Honey, use your head. If I drag him in, I drag me in. He knows it. Where's the shirt? Come on, I've got to get out of here. Well, let's see. Now, you say you were out in the used car a lot when you got hit. That's right, Ty. It just came from nowhere. And he dragged you in here and tied you up. And blindfolded me. Mr. Waldo, anyone else besides you have a key to this office? Yes, Frank has got one. That's right. Lou Woodson, my service manager. Oh, I know. He could have used my key, Mr. Waldo. I was out like a light when he put me in here. How's your head, Jim? Still ringin' pretty hard, Mr. Grant. Well, they're probably 8,000 bucks. I didn't know there was that much in the safe. Five of it was for Johnson to go use car shopping in Phoenix tomorrow. Tough luck, Joe. Then you never did see his face. Nope. I could hear him workin' though on the safe. Sure took his time, too. About how long would you say it took him to crack into it? Well, I figure it was about 9.30 when I got slugged. He didn't leave here until almost 12. I worked the blindfold off soon as I heard him drive away. I think he swiped into something, too. I heard a kind of a grinding sound while he was pulling out the lot. Well, we've got out of bulletin'. There's not much to go on, though. Could have been anybody. Sergeant, isn't there some way you can check on known criminals in the area, safe crackers, guys with records? Sure, Mr. Waldo. We'll do that as a matter of routine. But it's pretty slim. There must be something you can do. This doesn't look like the work of an amateur. Well, it does, and then it doesn't. How do you mean, Sergeant? I'm no expert, Mr. Grant. But I've seen a few of these jobs. I'd say this safe was cracked by a fellow who knew the theory pretty well, but never did much practicing. Not kind of a thief as that. Your guess is as good as mine. What makes you think so, Sergeant? For one thing, these bit marks. He knew where to work, but he was clumsy with the tools. See how that's all chewed up? Yeah. A real professional wouldn't do that. I guess he wouldn't. OK, but this isn't getting as any closer. They're catching the guy. Like I say, Mr. Waldo, there's a bulletin out and how much more you can do with what we've got to go on. Jim, can I give you a lift to him? No, thanks, Mr. Grant. My car's out in a lot. Anybody feel like a cup of coffee or some breakfast? Not me. I'm going to bed and dream about the insurance company. Mr. Grant. No thanks, Sergeant. I could use a little shut-eye myself. Vivy, did I wake you up? I'm calling from down at the train depot. I think we're out of the woods. Lindsay checked out of his hotel at 9.30 tonight, and the only train he could have taken out of here was the 12.40. Yeah. Well, Joe's covered for theft. It could have been worse. Now, honey, there's no other way to do it. Now, look, I'm coming home. We'll have breakfast. And by the day after tomorrow, you'll have forgotten it ever happened. Is Mr. Frank Grant the service department, please? Frank, you're watered on the intercom. I got to go. Yes, Gene? Mr. Waldo would like to see you in his office, Mr. Grant. Right away, thanks. Boy, some excitement over the weekend, huh? Yeah. You think they'll catch a guy? Well, the police don't seem very hopeful. That'll teach Joe to close up on Saturday nights. Yeah, you've got to sleep sometime. Not in this business. Wheel and deal, night and day, 24 hours. Doesn't he watch television? I think so. If he don't hurry, he won't be the richest man in the cemetery. Yeah, I'll tell him you said so. You do that. Oh, by the way, when you want that fender retouched. Fender? The right front. It's got some kind of scrape on it. You get clipped in the parking lot. I don't know. I hadn't noticed it. It's fresh. You didn't have it Saturday. No, I don't think I did. Give me your keys. I'll have one of the boys fix it up. Sure. Here. Oh, and thanks a lot, Lou. Good morning, Frank. Good morning, Mr. Grant. Sergeant? Sit down, Frank. The sergeants come up with some ideas about what happens Saturday night. Sure. Well, to begin with, Mr. Grant. Frank, excuse me, Sergeant. Frank, I just want to say I think this is a lot of foolishness. I just want to say that. You're the best friend I've got in the world. Sure, what's this all about? It's not a my doing. I want that straight. But the sergeant here is the law, and I'm going to let him play it his way. But I want to be on record with you. I think it's stupid. You think what's stupid? Well, maybe I better explain, Mr. Grant. Well, maybe you're better. In a case like this, you can't overlook anything, no matter how small, if it seems suspicious. I'll go along with that. Well, last Saturday night, actually, Sunday morning, after we were all left here, you said you were going home to get some sleep. That's right. That's not exactly what you did. You stopped at the Fraser Hotel and made some inquiries about a gentleman named Lindsay, who was registered there. Am I wrong? No, you're right. What about it? Would you say five in the mornings and appropriate time to go calling? Well, that depends on what you mean by calling. This man was a prospective customer, and he said you'd leave a note for me at the hotel if he decided to buy. I thought he might have made up his mind before he went to sleep that night. He said anytime Sunday. What'd I tell you, Sergeant? A simple explanation, maybe. And tell me, Mr. Grant, why did you next go to the train station? Well, because the clerk told me he'd checked out, and I couldn't believe it. I spent half Saturday night putting him on the hook. You were with him Saturday night? Yes. Where'd you go? Look, Sergeant, maybe we could clear this up a lot faster if you'd tell me just what it is you're trying to find out. I'm trying to find out where you went Saturday night with this Mr. Lindsay. What's he got to do with it? He was in town. He left town. All in 24 hours, and $8,000 has been stolen. You think he might be your man? It's possible. Now, where did you go with him? If we can fix where he was, maybe we can roll him out. You're his alibi, Frank. Vivi told me on the phone you were out with him. Well, as a matter of fact, I just drove him around and took him back to his hotel. When was that? About 11. The clerk says he checked out at 9.30. He could have gone and sat in the lobby. The clerk says he never saw him again. Did you see him go into the hotel, Frank, when you dropped him off? Well, no, I just drove away, but I figured he went in. I could be wrong. Well, maybe he even got something, Sergeant. Lindsay might be the man after all. I don't think so. Now, if Mr. Grant was driving around with him until almost 11, the man who broke in here started at 9.30. Say, that's right. And Hill, the watchman, says that he swiped his car getting away from here, so it couldn't have been Lindsay. He didn't own a car. Well, I guess that kills it, Frank. Sorry for all this district attorney stuff. Maybe not, Mr. Wall. What? Has Mr. Grant told you about the scratch on his front fender? Look, Sergeant. You bang up your car? Lou just noticed that I must have picked it up in the parking lot. Frank, maybe you better tell us what happened, Mr. Grant. Well, all right. First of all, I wasn't with Lindsay Saturday night. He wanted to borrow my car, and I let him use it. You lent your car to a total stranger? A prospective customer, Joe. Then you weren't with him at any time Saturday night? Just for about a half an hour. He dropped me back at my house around 9 o'clock. Frank, I called myself at 9.30, and Vivy said you were still out. Well, I told her to say that, Joe. I was kind of tired when I got home. I didn't feel like talking. Frank, I don't get this at all. There's nothing to get. Two minutes ago, you say you were out with this Lindsay guy all night. Now you say you were home from 9 o'clock. How about you think it was funny lending him the car? I think it's very funny. Just for the record, Mr. Grant, why did you lend him the car? Well, he's a skip tracer from Santa Fe. He was looking for a fellow named Stack over at Bennett, who had run out on a clothing bill. Do you generally consider such a man a likely sales prospect? Well, he seemed very interested. Oh, Frank. He said he was in the market. Frank, what's going on here? What are you hiding? Nothing. Who was this guy? I never saw him before in my life. That's the truth. I never laid eyes on him. Then why do you keep changing your story? I told you, Lindsay, borrowed the car. I stayed home. That's all there is to it. Do you know you're one of the few people in the world I really trust? Do you know that? I trust you with my life with anything I got. Joe. Tell me, Frank. Tell me, what is this about? All right. This Lindsay was an ex-policeman from New York. Yeah? There's a call for Sergeant Keith. Oh, I'll take it out the switchboard. I'll be right back. Go on. You recognized my picture from the paper 15 years ago. I was sent to jail. I held up a grocery store in Brooklyn with two other kids. My real name is Frank Granada. I served about a year, and then I got parole to join the Army. They needed people who could speak Italian. I did pretty well in the Army. It knocked most of the meanness out of me. Where'd you fight? Anzio, Salerno. Get hurt? Yeah. A few times, not very bad. I always thought you were a forerunner. So I wanted you to think, well, anyway, when I got out, I married Vivi, and we came west. This was my first stab. You know the rest of it firsthand. Did Lindsay try to extort money from you? Nope. I thought he would, but he just borrowed the car. I honestly thought he just wanted to trace that bird over and bend it. I'm sorry, Joe. I made a clear start of it here, didn't I? Yeah? Sergeant Keith would like to speak to you, Mr. Waldo. And put him on. Mr. Waldo? Yes, Sergeant. I just had a call from the sheriff over in Valencia. They've got the bird who robbed your place. They've got him? Yeah, they picked him up in a bank this morning. He was trying to change $100 bill. They found the rest of the money in the trunk of his car in a pillowcase. His car, Lindsay didn't have a car. Did they get his name? Yeah, it's Graham, Mike Graham. He's the next ranch hand. Got a record as long as your arm. Well, that's wonderful, Sergeant. I'm going to drive over there and pick him up. If you want, I can bring the money back with me, too. Fine, fine, Sergeant. I'd appreciate that very much. OK, Mr. Waldo, you'll be hearing from him. Well, how do you like that? Joe, come in. Yes, Lou? Oh, Mr. Grant, Willie found this sealed envelope with your name on it. Thought it might be important. Where was it? In your car, clipped down to the back of the sun visor. We got it in the paint shed now. It ought to be drying a couple hours. Thanks very much, Lou. That guy, Willie, is a Michelangelo when it comes to matching paint. I'll see you. It's a note from Lindsay, the $10 bill attached. Dear Mr. Grant, sorry about the scratched fender. Hope the enclosed will cover it. These new models are wider than the kind I'm used to. Incidentally, I found stack and he's agreed to make full restitution. He almost seemed relieved to see me. People are funny. Thanks again for the loan of the car. Sincerely, our Lindsay. Well, Joe, did I ever tell you why I had a nephew at Anzio? No. My sister's boy. He was killed. Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. It was rough there, wasn't it? Yeah. Very rough. You'll have to tell me about it sometime. Maybe next Saturday after the fight? Joe, I'll never forget this. You speak Italian, huh? All sorts of it. My folks came from Naples. Yeah. And I'll explain to them. What? I've been trying to figure out for years who taught Vivi so much about making pizza. We are pleased to announce that on December 13th, the Family Theater series was voted the Thomas Elva Edison Foundation's first annual National Mass Media Award as the radio program best portraying America. We of the Mutual Network and Family Theater wish at this time to express our gratitude to the stars, the supporting actors, the writers, the musicians, the technicians, and to you, our listeners for helping to make this honor possible. And now, here again is Rita Johnson. What is your favorite word in the English language? Of course, many of you will say your favorite word is mother. Others will choose home. I'm sure still others will declare that the most powerful word in the language is peace. Each of these favorite words is beautiful indeed. But there is another word that appears again and again on every list. The word is prayer. And note how the word prayer is linked closely with the other favorites. It's linked to mother, for it is she who first teaches us to pray. It is linked to home, for the home is the first classroom of prayer. And it is connected by an equally powerful link to peace. For peace is the fruit of prayer among men of goodwill. These favorite words put us all in mind of another word, family. It is a family prayer that brings the family to God to ask His help and blessings. Yes, it is family prayer that brings unity and happiness to the home. The family that prays together stays together. More things are rocked by prayer than this world dreams of. Family Theater has brought you transcribed Rastitution, starring Guy Guillaume. Rita Johnson was your hostess. Others in our cast were Herb Butterfield, Vic Perrin, Jean Bates, Jack Krushen, and Jim Nussar. The script was written and directed for Family Theater by John T. Kelly, with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman. This series of Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program. By the Mutual Network, which has responded to this need. And by the hundreds of stars of state screen and radio who give so unselfishly of their time and talent to appear on our Family Theater stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Tony LaFranco expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home. And inviting you to be with us next week when Family Theater will present the Juggler of Our Lady, starring Maureen O'Sullivan and Jack Haley. Join us, won't you? Family Theater is broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is Mutual, the radio network for all America.