 This is, of course, Raymond, your host, please come in, won't you? Make yourself comfortable in a gloomy corner. We had intended to have a real surprise for you tonight. Instead of myself, we were going to have a guest-ghost to act as host. But, uh...unfortunately, we're not going to have a guest-ghost. We're going to have a guest-ghost to act as host. But, uh...unfortunately, this real ghost caught pneumonia and he's in a very grave condition. The doctors have given up all hope. He's, uh...going to become alive. Well, Mr. Raymond, I must admit, I'm glad that that ghost couldn't come. It's difficult enough to talk to you, but heavens, I wouldn't know what to say to a ghost. Oh, well, that's simple, Mary. All you have to do is find out whether it's a he-ghost or a she-ghost. And if it's a she? Oh, then you compliment her on her appearance. She said, darling, what a divine sheet you're wearing. That's right, Mr. Raymond. The ladies are always interested in something new to wear. And right now, I'm going to tell them about something they'll all want. It's a lovely piece of jewelry, a real sterling silver medallion, about an inch in diameter. It's the kind of jewelry you find at those smart shops on Fifth Avenue in New York. But the only way you can get it is from Lipton's. The medallion is decorated with a Chinese inscription, and it's hung on a narrow black ray on satin ribbon. That's the height of fashion this year, you know. And here's how you get the medallion. Just send 25 cents and the box top from a package of Lipton's, the tea with the brisk flavor, to the Lipton tea people, box 9-2, New York City. Yes, that's box 9-2 in New York City. And now it's time to begin. Our story is called The Black Art. It's an original tale by Milton Lewis, and our star tonight is that glamorous motion picture star, Simone Simone, who'll play the role of Claudine. So gather close and get ready to hear a sweet little tale that'll make you wake up screaming for at least the next two weeks. You all set? Now remember, if you don't want your hair to stand on end, get someone to sit on your head, okay? All right, now let's hear Larry Gifford tell you his story in his own words. We should never heard that scream. I wish I never saw a body lying there. Blood all over the room. The knife on the floor near our throat. I'll never forget it. I'll never forget how I picked up the knife. I'll never forget the sweat that came creeping out all over me when I heard the door slam. Stand where you are. You make a move, I'll blow your head off. Don't shoot, copper. Drop that knife. Okay. What's your name? Larry. Larry Gifford. Look, I'm from Chicago. Stranger, huh? Yeah, what of it? What's her name? Her? I, uh, I don't know. I never saw her before. Look, you don't have to fresk me. I haven't got a gun. Shut up. Listen, I know it looks bad, but you see my room's downstairs. I heard a scream and I... Give me back that wallet. Put your hands up. We're all papers. Whatever. So I'm an ex-con, so what? You don't know her, huh? No, I don't. I... What... What have you got there? Just a picture I found in your wallet, mister. Picture of her. Larry. Larry. Larry. Larry. Larry. Picture of her. Larry. Larry. Oh, my love, Nancy. I reckon you forgot about this, huh? Yeah, but look, I didn't kill her. I... Shut up. I think I heard that scream and came up here. Put out your hands. Sure. You can have them. Come back here. I didn't get far. Crowdless streets, Natalie. The guy that was when I heard the shots and screamed. I was dumped in jail. This was a little bird in the bio-country, not far from New Orleans. I was the biggest thing that hit the town since Ripley's, believe it or not. For them jerks, my trial was the biggest show than Carmen Miranda and Gypsy Rose Lee doing a trapeze act. In no time at all, they sentenced me to be hung. It was the night before they were going to take me to the state pen for the necktie party. I was sleeping, dreaming I was in Africa. They were beating them drums. Tom-toms. Suddenly, I woke up. Moonlight was shining through the bars of myself. Listen, someone was beating like a tom-tom on the wall of my jail. Were you beating on the wall? Yes. What are you doing? Yeah, yeah, I got it. Good job there, Gephard. Oh, nothing. Why? I heard talking. Oh, I... I was talking in my sleep. You never done that before. I never was going to be hung before. What are you holding there? Come here, I'll show you. What's that? A gun. Yeah, and it's got enough bullets to fill your head with lead. Let go of him. Open that door. Open that door. Give a tear between the eyes. Come on. Don't shoot. Okay. Okay, now I'll take your gun. Give me those keys. See how you like it there for a while. Come on. Stop him. He's near the stairs. Told me it was a good joint where they don't ask any questions. It was. I had a few drinks. I was leaning on the bar, looking at a paper. Are you drinking? Scotch. Buy me one. I gave her the one so far. I know something about Dave since she was dynamite with class. She was something. Well? Set up another, Charlie. Cigarette? Yeah. Thank you. It's a nice cigarette holder. Must cost at least a sea. You know I love, don't you? Enough. I know you. Do you? Sure. There's something about. Wait a second. Here. Here in this evening's paper, your picture. It's not a very good picture, is it? After seeing you know. Claudine Lucerne. Recently returned from France. Elected head of art committee. Miss Lucerne, member of one of New Orleans' oldest and wealthiest families. I've read it. Turn the page. Why? I want to show you something. Okay. There. Larry Gissot of Chicago, wanted for murder, is shot by police after sensational Jane Bray. I don't read any more. Why? I feel something against your side. It's a gun. I'm holding it in my pocket. I'm afraid I won't give you away. Got a light? Yeah. What do you want? Listen to that music. That tapping. What about it? The way you're tapping your cigarette holder against your glass. I'm just keeping time to the music. I heard that tapping before. Yeah, sure in the cell. And I heard your voice before. Did you? You gave me the gun. What's that when they hear you? What's this all about? You'll find out. Relax. I can't. I guess I had a few too many. My head, I feel like I'm spinning around. Getting dizzy. Pink with blood around me. I just looked at me out of a queer furry head. It was the head of a bat. It smiled. It had sharp little bat teeth that had pink on them. There was an ache in my throat. I looked again. It wasn't a bat's face. It was hers. Claudine's. I was dreaming. Larry? Oh, well, where am I? My suite at the hotel. How'd I get here? You passed out at the blue bottle. I brought you here. When? Two hours ago. I must have been sleeping. I had the queerest dream. I thought... What's the matter? My throat. That pain. Like a knife. Those green eyes of yours. That red mouth. Those white teeth. Look, we're going to have a showdown right now. Where's my gun? I took it. Look, what do you want with me? Nothing. You don't want to do yourself. Don't talk in riddles. Have you ever been in love? Sure. Her dames are always forming for me. Why? I guess that's what happened to me. Are you kidding? No. Do you think I'd get you out of jail if I were? I never saw you before. I saw you at the trial. That's where it happened. How can a dame like you go for a guy like me? I don't know. But it happened. I don't believe it. I'm sorry. Come here. Yes? I'm going to kiss you, baby. Larry. Oh, Larry. It's a funny thing to do. Kiss a guy on the neck. Better wipe that lipstick off. Hey. What's the matter? My head shift. That ain't lip rouge on my neck. It's blood. No, you're making a mistake. My neck's bleeding. What kind of a dame are you, anyway? I'm getting off. No, don't. If you go, I'll tell him where you are. Oh, you will. Yes. You won't tell him for a while, baby. Margrady's joint in the old city of New Orleans was just a place. She'd never find me in that dump. Nobody'd ever find you there. I got a room. I went to sleep. I was safe. Then I heard it again. That same rhythm. It woke me up. I heard it, but I couldn't believe it. How could she know I was here? Oh, was it her? There was nobody in the room. I opened the door. Nobody outside. I slammed it. The meeting stopped. I turned around. I was looking into the muscle of a gun. Sit down, Larry. How'd you get here? Margrady ran to the room next to you. There's a connecting door. What's the idea of a gun? Can't you get it? Are you going to kill me? Maybe. Well, you're going to a lot of trouble to bump off a guy who's going to be hung anyway. Do you want to die? No. Am I coming with me? Yeah. What else have I got to do? Marry me. You're right of your head. You hate me? No. No, I don't. I don't hate you. I'm scared of you. Yeah, I've never been scared of anybody the way I'm scared of you. Scared enough to do as I say? Maybe. I had hoped you would love me. Maybe I do. You're lying. No. No, baby. It's no use. Look, what are you going to do? Kill you? No, put the gun down. Give me a break. Don't... Claudine's a kid of her words. When she tells someone she's going to kill him, she does it. She'd make a wonderful wife of some Frankenstein monster. She's attractive, a good killer, and she has a well-developed taste for blood. Why should I hand her over to some other guy? She's just a girl for me. Nonsense, Mr. Raymond. Why, Mary Bennett, I believe you're jealous. I am not. Yes, you are. You're thinking what a handsome couple you and I would make strolling down the avenue, me dressed in a shroud, and you wearing your new sterling silver medallion. Now, don't you go making fun of my lovely medallion because I want all the ladies to send in for one. I know they're going to enjoy wearing it because it's made of solid sterling silver, and it's really a fine piece of jewelry. There's a true story behind this medallion, an inspiring story. It seems that the original was given to an American flyer by Chinese gorillas who rescued him after he bailed out over enemy territory. The flyer was told that the Chinese characters on the medallion would identify him and bring him safely through the lines. Well, he did get through, and only then did he learn that the medallion said, good luck in Chinese. Now, there's a story to tell your friends. And to get this good luck charm, just like the one the flyer carried, all you have to do is send 25 cents and the box top from a package of Lipton's, the tea with the brisk flavor, to the Lipton tea people, box 9-2. That's box 9-2, New York City. Now, let's get back to our star, Simone Simone, who seems to be making life hard for a guy named Larry. The last time we looked in, she had just shot him. But I've got a tip that that's only the beginning of his troubles. How about it, Larry? What happened then? I went down on a heap when she fired. The bullets caught me in a thigh. I lay there, I made out like I was dead. Larry, Larry. She fell for it. She bent over me. A gun in her hand. Larry, are you... Oh! Take it easy, kid. Let's go with my hands. How do I get that gun? Let's go, let's go! Get that gun if I have to break your arms! No, don't! Okay, I've got it now. You shot me in the leg, but I'm still strong enough to get rid of you. Larry! I know Angel, baby, but you're worse. It's something I heard about, but I never believed. How'd you know I'd be here? How'd you know I'd be in the blue bottle? Go on, answer me. I've got nothing to do with it. No, you don't have to. It was magic. Black magic. Somebody nobody'd believe if I ever told him. It's only one thing to do with you. Yes? Kill you. But I ain't taking any chances like you did with me. When I kill you, you're going to stay dead. Those tom-toms are going to stop forever. You think so, Larry? I know it. Come here. Larry. Shut up. No! I knocked her out cold. She lay on the floor. I put the muzzle of a gun to her temple. She was so beautiful, it made you shiver. I pulled the trigger. I looked, but I suddenly made me pass out. A little blue vein in her temple was beating. There wasn't a scratch on her. A little curl of red hair was twisted around her ear. As I see in things, I aimed the gun at her heart. Nothing but a speck of blood. I stuck the muzzle between her eyes. Shot till the gun caught empty. I looked. The white skin on her face looked more beautiful than ever. Had to get away. Had to the same city where she was. Had to the same state. The same world. The open country. To the bayonets on the river back in the war lanes. My wounds festered as I dragged myself through the swamps. And I got a fever. It was like a nightmare. In my head, I kept shooting with tom-toms. I couldn't take a train or a bus or go to a doctor. I'd be caught. One night, I saw a big house shining in the moonlight. I decided to take a chance. I knocked at the door. What is it? Sorry, miss. I was hunting. I had an accident in my leg. Oh. If you let me come in and call a doctor, I'd be very grateful. You don't want to come into this house. Can't you see I need help? You'll never be helped here. There's nothing good here. Only evil and fear. So go away, please. I'm warning you. Go away before my sister comes out. The matter with you. Don't you see, I can hardly move. Go away while you still have the strength to crawl away. Now, believe me. Come, missy. That voice. That's my sister. Yes, your sister. Claudine, the son. Good evening, Larry. I was wondering when you'd get here. You know him? Yes. Mr. Gifford and I are old friends. Old friends. How can you have a friend? No, Cassie. She's someone like you. You must mind her, Larry. Cassie isn't quite well. I don't know who you are, Mr. Gifford. But I do know that she's brought you here to kill me. Cassie? I knew it would happen on a night like this when the moon was full. She's been preparing for us for months. I've told everyone about it, but no one will believe me. I've told them again and again and they say I'm insane. They think I've lost my mind. But she is going to murder me tonight while the moon is full. She's going to murder me. She's going to murder me. Go to your room, Cassie, immediately. We live here. Come, Larry. You must know by this time that you cannot fight me. Yes, sir. I thought I'd never see you again. I'm not well. I've got a fever. Hey, let Tom Tom be in my brain. I can't stop it. I'm getting louder and louder. I blacked out. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a soft bed with clean sheets. Someone addressed my wounds. The moonlight came into my room like a living yellow ghost. Then I heard it. Just like the one Nancy made when she was killed. I lived out of bed, went to the room next door on the floor, murdered. The knife was still in the neck. Then I heard it again. The Tom Tom. Queer sounding this time. I thought myself beginning to sway to the rhythm like a dancer. Then I did something I couldn't stop myself from doing. I put my hands down throughout the knife. I wiped my bloody hand on my shirt. Suddenly I looked up. She was there. Claudine. Drop the knife, Larry. What? Why have you got your hands? These? These came from the skeleton of someone who was once alive. You're not a woman. You're a devil. I'm going to kill you. Don't come any closer, Larry. I don't want to kill you just yet. Just yet? So we're close to the pay-off? Yes. You're trembling, Larry. Who are you? There's no reason why I cannot tell you now. You don't believe, do you, that there are unseen powers that can be controlled by someone who knows how? I can believe anything about you. Thank you, Larry. Your heart is pounding like a throbbing drum, isn't it, Larry? You can feel death close, can't you? What have you got to say to me? I'm going to tell you a story, Larry. A story of a child who was brought up on this estate by a strange old woman, a conjure woman. In her head were all the black hearts of the world. She taught me. Why are you telling me this? What amuses me to watch you murder help us and terrify it. So terrified you can hardly breathe. I find it very exciting. Then it was what I found in my hatchet. Yes. It is one of the ways to gain complete power over a person. In a town town. Not a town to make you do what I want. In the murder of your sister, you want me to be the patsy for that? You're beginning to understand. You see, Cassie and I inherited the estate. That is really not enough for both of us. You tell him I did it. Yes. And then I killed you in self-defense. What are you looking at me that way for? I was remembering something. Remembering? Oh, that kiss, baby, wasn't it? You're a devil, but still a woman, aren't you? You didn't forget that kiss, did you? No. Well, what are you going to do? Come here. Closer. Don't move. There. You can let me live. Live? Well, it's my life against you, you fool. I'll put that gun down. I'm finished. Please, give me a break. I'm begging you. Begging you? I'll do anything you say. Come, Larry, between your eyes. How do you feel today, Gifford? Much better, officer. The leg's healing fine. We checked that crazy story, you told us. It's all true. Tell me something. How'd you know to come to the Lucerne place when you're dead? You arrived just in time. A second later and she would have killed me. Kathy, her sister phoned us, told us to come out. I came in the room and saw her threatening you with a gun. I shot at her. I had to. Got her in the shoulder. She should have killed her. The state will take care of that. Did you believe the story she told you at first? That I killed her sister and she was killing me in self-defense? No. You see, Gifford, we'd found out that you weren't a murderer. You didn't kill Nancy Warren. The man who did that confessed. That made her whole story false. How did she do it, Captain? How did she find out where I always went? Police psychiatrist did it by post-typnotic suggestion. She told you where to go while you were asleep and you never realized that you were always doing just what you wanted. But the bullets, when I shot at her and tried to kill her, how'd she do that? It was all carefully planned. The first shot she fired at you were real bullets. The others in the gun were blanks. She wanted to get you so thoroughly under her power that you think she couldn't be killed. You see, all this so-called black magic has an explanation. That's it. I wonder. Black magic. I tell you what I'm going to do. Step right this way, friends, and get yourself a post-typnotic suggestion. Spell it backwards and you get murder. What then? You can't spell, ain't you lucky? Talking of luck, Mr. Raymond, I think Larry Gifford was mighty lucky to escape that awful woman. Oh, will you see, ma'am, it's very simple. You probably wore one of your good luck medallions. Oh, now that's plain silly. A man wouldn't wear a medallion on a black ray on satin ribbon. It's the ladies who like jewelry. Yes, that's why I know that they'll appreciate this solid sterling silver medallion that the Lipton people want to send them. And ladies, here's how you get it. Send just 25 cents, which includes tax and postage, with a box top from a package of Lipton's, the tea with the brisk flavor, to the Lipton tea people, box 9-2 in New York City. The moral for tonight's assault on your nerves is never marry a dame who sucks blood out of your throat. Such dames give you a pain in the neck. By the way, this month's Innocent Mystery Novel is the Red Right Hand by Joel Townsley Rogers. Yes, and don't you dare miss next week's story directed by Hyman Brown and brought to you by Lipton Tea and Lipton Soup. Next week's story is about a pair of murderers who get scared to death. They're more frightened than the guy they're murdering. So if you hear some static on your radio next Tuesday, it'll just be their knees knocking together. Well, now I guess it's really time to close that squeaking door, so good night for real pleasant dreams. Folks, the next time you send a box of food to your boy overseas, be sure to include a package or two of Lipton's noodle soup mix. You see, Lipton's is just like a taste of home. It has the same homemade chickeny taste as the soup you make yourself. The soup your boy's always been so fond of. That's why it's such a thoughtful, welcome little gift to send Lipton's. And as you know yourself, Lipton's noodle soup makes a grand snack. So remember, send a package or two to your boy. And remember to tune in next Tuesday night for another Inner Sanctum Mystery. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.