 Autolight and its 98,000 dealers bring you Mr. Richard Widmark in tonight's presentation of Suspense Tonight Autolight presents the true story of a world of the dead It's the documented account of one man left alone on a tiny Pacific Island a wasteland of no living thing an Island made of a three square miles of fear The story is called how long is the night our star Richard Widmark? Well frost my beard and call me winter if it's not Johnny plug check yep I'm here again, and you know what that means. I sure do Johnny It means I start reminding motorists to winterize get their cars tuned up get a change of oil and grease put in anti-freeze And check those spark plugs too right Johnny plug check because spark plugs are the very heart of the car's ignition system And when they're right your chances for starting even in the coldest weather are better than ever So with cold driving days ahead visit your nearest Autolight spark plug dealer if replacements are needed. He'll recommend those world famous Signition engineered Autolight spark plugs either standard or resistor type To quickly learn the location of your nearest Autolight spark plug dealer phone Western Union by number and ask for operator 25 and remember from bumper to tail light you're always right with Autolight And now Autolight presents transcribed How long is the night a true story starring mr. Richard Widmark and Hoping once again to keep you in suspense It was no different than any other night It was hot The same warm wind blew up from the south end of the island Along the west beach a line of dirty white foam spread out where the breakers came up on the sand The moon had already gone down Across the lagoon there was nothing no lights no sounds It was the same as the day before The same smell hanging over the water in the land The smell of a world gone dead They came and woke us up a few minutes before 3 a.m. The three of us got dressed and they gave us breakfast We checked our equipment and we took our positions with the other men We wore protective helmets with specially treated linings over the eyes a pair of heavy-duty goggles Jackets trousers gloves all specially treated for protection our boots was spread with linings of lead We waited The dawn came up fast. I think it was about 5 30. We kept watching the horizon over the east a faint outline of an island The warnings began to come in over the earphones I'm a boy one I'm a boy one two minutes before actual time mark two minutes before actual time But just all goggles but just all goggles stand by the month was May it was beautiful I Took one more look before I strapped on the goggles the blue water of the Pacific The green islands near and in the distance the islands of and a we talk The month was May a Piece of the earth was getting ready to die. I'm a boy one. I'm a boy one one minute before actual time mark One minute before actual time stand by a single bird passed overhead pointing for the horizon. There was the faint barking of a dog Then it was quiet. I'm a boy one 30 seconds before actual time mark 30 seconds before actual time We waited for the split second. We waited for the sound of it. I'm a boy one 15 seconds before actual time stand by 10 seconds 5 seconds Oh The huge body of the ocean heaved and shuddered The island shook The sky seemed to fill to the bursting point We knew what it was like The most powerful atomic bomb yet conceived The man next to me turned and stared his mouth was open There was only one thing to say He said it Warner Warner Yeah That was the first one but there were others our job was to photograph the results everything the tests ran into weeks months The islands of N a we talked became a chain of black ruins each of them festering with deadly radiation After each explosion we landed on the islands in the target area to photograph the remains We got a firsthand look it stayed with us on the last day I had two men working the cameras with me Joe Harrison Bert the celly both good men. I couldn't blame either one of them just happened Don't take any chances Warner. Be careful. Yes, sir. Goodbye sir. See you pearl Joe Bert all right. Yeah, I'm okay. All right. Let her go What's with the old man nothing Joe told me to remind you to be careful don't take any chance and not as long as I'm in this neighborhood Adam bombs who needs them quit moaning you got them you check our guy get counters this morning first Yeah, good shape brought the extra camera tool just the case Have a look but ship pulling out over there Kind of lonesome, huh? We'll be gone in the morning your water. Yeah What are they gonna do gonna leave anybody around at all after we take off? I suppose so the marine guard Why oh nothing just wondering even the water looks bad The hot stuff in it to bring it to a boil. Oh, what do you think Warner? You figure the natives will ever be able to come back. I suppose so 10 20 years, maybe what would they live on? I mean the islands we covered already couldn't even find one green plant left everything burn of the roots How would they live take it to the chaplain bird? I only work here dead land dead water Give it time probably wear off. That's the point What happens if it doesn't that's the last thing I can tell you from memory what was said what was done The rest of us just as I put it down in the log the last trip Island 27. It's a few minutes past 1200. We've just landed at transfer point C Most of the men have left here already skeleton crew standing by There's one LST left at the landing pier Harrison Pichelli and I move our camera equipment on board 1220 we clear the reef and head north for island 27 Where they're overcast Hey, that's it ahead isn't it 27. Uh-huh Joe want to take her a couple of points starboard We'll put her right up there ahead of the beach. Okay Top short take their time about the plane couldn't have brought us in closer Well, they still need landing strips brought us as far as it could a water. Yeah, this number 27 I thought it was on the fringe of the blast area. That's the way I get it. Why try your Geiger counter Kicking up give a listen. Ah about that warmth goes for a fringe area Well, you got fair warning soon as we land keep moving. Don't waste any time make it go as fast as you can How about your side arms you can't eat all okay? I'm set. Yeah, same here with any kind of luck We'll be back to base the supper. All right, Joe hold it steady right What's the matter you look worried? I'm not worried just another island Feel better when we're leaving. Hey, take it easy won't hurt a bit. That's what they told him at Hiroshima 1335 we've landed on Island 27. It's about a mile wide two and a half three miles long It's like a dozen other islands. We've covered in the test area the same smell of death and dying As usual our lives depend on our Geiger counters They measure the radio activity bombarding us as we move through the contaminated area When the clicking sound is slow the location is fairly safe when it speeds up. It means the radiation is getting intense Soon as we landed on the beach my counters started turning over We keep moving The beach is littered with the remains of birds and fish the life scorched out of them the sand has burned jet black There's no breeze The sky is still overcast We stop moving only once to lay out a plan of operation. What do you think? How do you want to cover it? Well, Joe you take the upper end of the island huh cover everything down to that first inlet there. You see what I mean? Yeah, okay, and Bert you cover from the inlet down to here. Okay, right? I'll work everything from here down to the lower end now keep moving But don't rush it and try and keep in sight as much as possible Anything happens if you need help fire your sidearms two shots got it sure right okay. Let's move Team 40 we've started photographing the island each of us carry three cameras 35 millimeter black and white 16 millimeter for color a four by five graphics for the still shots It's getting warmer. The overcast is starting to lift in the sunlight. The island looks even worse. What's left of it? Far as I can see every last bit of vegetation is dead scorched out a hundred yards back I came across the remains of a wild pig Must have been caught in a bomb flash It's impossible to give you a description 1415 The sky is clear no wind It's quiet except for the ticking of my Geiger County. I Keep moving. There's not a breath wind. I have to keep moving There's plenty to photograph good specimens. I've just taken some color film of a piece of coral look like portions of it We're melted by the heat of the blast 1520 I Heard the prearranged signal and I hustled down to the beach Harrison and Pachele were coming toward me waving their arms. Yeah, what's the matter? What's the matter now we're short on film got any despair now I'm in the same spot more stuff to shoot and we figured I guess You didn't leave any supplies in the boat. Did you Joe? No already checked it I want to get something to eat get a little hungry. Guess we should have brought along some rations I didn't figure to take this long Well, all right the two of you better take the boat and hustle back to the transfer point pick up some food some more film Okay, any special you want couple extra rolls of 16 color if they got it better make it fast if we're gonna finish up today Right, come on Joe. Yeah. Oh, hey, you sure you know the way back to our transfer point I think so we go do South Island 20 down the east side the second inlet you got it meet you right here about 1700 1730 yeah, and don't worry if we're a little late. We'll make it I watched the two of them climb in the boat start up the engines and head south for the transfer point the boat gets small in the distance In a few minutes outside 1540 I'm alone on the island. I'm alone 1545 I found out a couple of minutes ago that there's something else alive on this island besides me I spotted it moving in a charred tangled brush about 50 yards inland from the beach. I took a look It was a small bird dark color Apparently he'd been exposed in one of the test blasts One whole side of him was a bright red burn He had one leg and one wing He floundered helpless on the ground the one wing kept flapping the first impulse was to pick him up I reached over and held my Geiger counter directly above him wasn't anything else. I could do I killed him 1630 I've just shot the last of the film and I'm back at our rendezvous point on the beach Harrison and Pichelli haven't shown yet. I keep watching the horizon in the south No sign of me yet 1700 1730 still no sign 1830 It's practically dark just a glimmer of light over in the West 1845 It's dark No light, no sound Only the Geiger counter I keep looking out in the darkness across the water No sign of the boat. I Can feel the panic starting in Where are they? When are they coming back for me are they coming back at all auto light is bringing you mr. Richard Woodmark in How long is the night tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills Suspense you want your car to last you better hurry right Johnny plug check It's time for a change of oil and grease and he frees and check those important Spark plugs too because they're the heart of your car's ignition system And when they're right your chances of starting even in the coldest weather are better than ever if Replacements are needed your auto light spark plug dealer will recommend auto light resistor or standard type spark plugs Both are ignition engineered and both are original equipment on many makes of our finest cars By the way the auto light resistor spark plug with its exclusive built-in resistor permits a wider gap setting Which makes possible advantages such as smoother engine performance quick starts and double spark plug life So winterize right now, please do and check those important spark plugs too at your nearest auto light spark plug dealers And remember from bumper to tail light. You're always right with auto light And now auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage. Mr. Richard Woodmark in Elliot Lewis's production of how long is the night a true story well calculated to keep you in suspense It's been over five hours maybe more I don't know my watch stopped half an hour ago with the radiation I think I haven't drunk any of the water from my canteen yet. I decided to go slower than I haven't got any idea How long I'll be here. I keep walking There's not much feeling left in my legs If I could only sit down just for a minute But I can't gotta keep walking The Geiger counters the only thing that keeps me awake that in the motion of walking The moon's been up for about two hours now. It throws enough light to give me some idea where I'm going. I Don't know how long it's gonna last as a high bank of clouds drifting taught it. I Only had a light If the boat had only come back for me What could have happened? Why would they do something like this to me? I Keep walking. There's nothing alive We've been over the whole island. It's it's burned out. It's dead Couldn't have been the wind there isn't even breathing. It's hiding in the brush something alive An animal, a man, but my mountain three in the morning. I don't know Hunger pains is getting to my stomach. I got the worst thing is My mouth and my throat. This is my legs getting numb. They're inland now north end of the island While back there. I thought of starvation sets in I could always find something to eat along the beach a dead bird or dead fish That illusion didn't last very long They'd all be the same Radioactive grab the gun flat in my hand Sound came closer. I brought the gun back and I'd shoot with all my might And I missed I turned I ran I stopped only once about 20 minutes ago Drought was so dry couldn't get my breath. I Reach for my I reached for my Geiger counter a minute ago. Maybe it happened when I was trying to get away It doesn't make much difference anyway Anyway, it's done The counter smashed I'm here finally. I'm at the beach. No just in time to the moon's gone down stark again pitch dark. I Don't care There's nothing There's no water food The gun's gone Geiger counter smashed It's gone It's gone everything. I would be back Still still there. It's right up there in the brush Right at the edge of the brush. It's waiting for me. It's waiting for me, but jelly Ericsson, why don't you come? What happened why don't you come for me? What time is it? Still dark how long's the night How long? What time times four o'clock? five o'clock Just no use prayer Yeah Say a prayer which one our father who art in heaven? Hail Mary I don't know how long it's been. I'm not sure Edge of the sky looks gray. Maybe getting light I've gone down to the very rim of the beach. I'm facing inland my back to the water. I Haven't heard the sound lately Last half hour anyway And I don't care over there Over in the east it's getting light Harrison come for me. I Wasn't thirsty anymore. I I wasn't hungry. I was alive It was more than enough. Hey, you all right. Yeah Yeah, I'm all right Lousy boat conk out on its Warner half a mile from transfer point and had it fixed it was dark Wouldn't stand a chance of finding the island at night Hey, what's the matter? You sure you're all right? You got your side arms with you. Yeah, why up there? Straight ahead of you patch of brush Want to take a look why what's the matter? I don't know I'll give it a look. Hey, what's it all about? I wish I could tell you What do you mean? Hey want to come here? Give a look come on Yeah, what you find nothing just this wild pig here wild Pig yeah, you're full of me. I can still alive see Barely alive. Look at the flash burns the skin pretty horrible Wild pigs yeah You want to take care of it Joe? Okay Warner you sure everything's all right. It's been a long night Bert. Let's go home Anything we can do for you know anything you want Yeah, I Want to sit down. I just Want to sit down the Spence a True story presented by auto light tonight star mr. Richard with mark will return in just a moment This is Harlow Wilcox speaking for auto light world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment Auto light is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry They are members of the auto light family as are the 98,000 auto light distributors and dealers in the United States and Thousands more in Canada and throughout the world Our family also includes the nearly 30,000 men and women in 28 great auto light plants from coast to coast And in auto light plants in many foreign countries as well as the 18,000 people who have invested a portion of their savings in auto light Every auto light product is backed by constant research and precision built to the highest standards of quality and performance So remember from bumper to tail light. You're always right with auto light now I'd like to present our producer director Elliot Lewis Thank you Harlow dick I'm very happy to announce that a poll of the regular radio performers who support our guest stars each week on suspense has named you as The winner of the first annual Golden Mike Award as best actor of the year 1951 on our theater of thrill series and Here's something for the mantle over the Widmark fireplace our Golden Mike trophy Well, Elliot, this is one of the nicest things that ever happened to me in radio and I well I just can't tell you how grateful I am But I think a great deal of the success of all your fine suspense shows should go to the players who took part in this poll Anyway, thanks a lot Next week the winner of the suspense Golden Mike Award for best actress miss Anne Baxter Who with song and story will tell of the death of Barbara Allen the dramatization will be heard on Suspense suspense was transcribed and directed by Elliot Lewis With music written by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Lud Bluskin How long is the night was written for suspense by James Moser from a true report by Warner Tove, Jr. Featured in the cast for Jack Prussian Joseph Kearns and her Butterfield Richard Widmark's next starring release for 20th century Fox will be my pal Gus You can buy auto light resistor or standard type spark plugs auto light staple batteries and auto light electrical part at your neighborhood auto light dealers Which to auto light? Good night. This is the CBS radio network