 Boris Karloff on Inner Sanctum Mystery brought to you by the makers of Carter's Hills Good evening friend Let me welcome you once more to the inner sanctum. This is Raymond your host Tell me won't you and sit down? No, no, I'm not being polite I'd prefer you to say today Because within the next five minutes you're going to be so weak in the knees that you won't be able to stand Inner sanctum mysteries again has the pleasure of bringing you the famous star of radio screen and stage Now featured in the current Broadway success arsenic and old lace Boris Karloff This evening mr. Karloff appears in Robert Newman's dramatization of Edgar Allan Poe's famous story the telltale heart presented for your entertainment by the makers of Carter's little liver pill the best friend to your sunny disposition Now our story Sorry based on the tale by the greatest master of the macabre that ever lives at grail and pole The story of a man who could hear not only every sound on earth That's even things that don't exist So turn down the lights All in a friend or neighbor to keep you company and listen to Boris Karloff as Simon in a telltale heart It's early evening The Sun is just setting behind a range of low heels On top of the nearest hill is a huge rambling building Surrounded by park like grounds a road winds from its gates down to the little village below Down this road comes a man He's tall, gaunt, his hair is snow white He's so busy with his spot that he doesn't see the snow dark man who sits by the roadside, but just as he is about to pass him Good evening. Huh? Oh Why good evening. Nice evening, isn't it? Nice Why it's the most wonderful perfect evening. I'll ever know this side of heaven You don't say and you can't know what it's like to feel as if you've just risen from the dead As if your tomb was open And you were told that you could return to the world that you knew and love Can't I? You can't. You see My name is Simon. I was a musician Two years ago. I went stone death suddenly completely Do you know what death means to a musician? It's like dying or worse Like dying and knowing that you're dead Why went to doctors, but they could do nothing for me and But finally one of them sent me to see the doctor who has the place up on the hill here. Dr. Adair? Yes Dr. Adair He kept him with him for six months and now Now I'm going home again. He cured you? You can hear? Hear? Listen. Listen hard and tell me what you can hear right now Nothing very much The wind Cricket? Cricket and the wind Do you know what I can hear? I can hear the grass growing, the sap rising in the trees. I Can hear the stars moving in their courses. I Can hear things that no man ever heard before Now do you know why I said that this was the most wonderful evening that ever was? Yes, Simon But I knew why before You see, I just left the place up on the hill myself. You left there You mean when I was taken there. I was blind. Oh Your eyes. Yes, sir. I haven't noted before that they are Shall we walk on together, Simon? I Just where did you plan to go? Well, I've been thinking about that for weeks now All the weeks when I couldn't leave my room. I must get used to being able to hear again Gradually From my window. I could see an old mill just this side of the village It's deep in the woods, desert it. There's moss on the water wheel and the door hangs open by one hinge You mean that and you can see it from here? My eyes have become as good as your hearing You thought of going there, living there for a while Until I was ready to return to the world Oliver, why don't you come with me? Then when we are both ready We can go back together to the world I Could do that think of what it's going to mean how much we're going to be able to help people you with your sight and I with my hearing Yes, yes, of course All right, Simon Will go to your old mill way Oliver up this part Oh What's coming the farmer he seems to be looking for something I'm looking for my cow. Have you seen her for what kind of a cow is she a brown and a white one with a crooked horn wait I Hear her She's grazing in the field on the other side of the woods here That's almost a mile from here. I have good ears good Must have ears like a fox But that's you that's the squares. How did you get there? You think someone took her who would? Well, it's the square's land, but he's the richest man around here Why should he have taken my cow wait a minute? All right, let me see Yes Yes, I do see someone with your cow He's just leaving her so You can see that Right through the woods I have good eyes Who is it? What's he like? Is he tall wearing a brown jacket? Yes? I knew it. It's the square He's trying to steal my cow. I'd better go get it. Thank you very much perhaps. I'll see you both again Perhaps we'll both be staying around here for a while there in the old mill Why did you tell him that Oliver did you really see the squire taking his cow? I saw what he wanted me to see what do you mean? He hates the squire because the squire's rich and he's poor, but never mind Simon Shall we go on to the mill? Here we are and it's just the way I knew it would be The quiet, peaceful, no noises Just sound and even those are dulled by the waterfall. Yes, it's just the way I knew it would be too Dark dank the home of the rats and spiders We'll be happy living here with them happy with rats and spiders. Why? Because they're like me Rats see in the dark Spiders then when I don't understand you Oliver Must you all be see the worst the most evil side of everything always, but why? Don't you love people? Don't you think that this is a good world a good world when I was blind for more than two years But who's thought was that what difference does that make I was blind and did anyone care that I was no Love people. I hate the but Oliver that's wrong. You've no right to hate anyone or anything Sounds like wings like Yes, there it is there a swallow boy. It's right trying to get up Why it's beating itself against the wall and all poor thing is it hurt itself Fall into the ground. I better catch it Is it badly hurt? No, I I don't think so Just this one way there. Let's see perhaps we can put a splint on it. He let you think so here Here on but be gentle It's still terribly frightened I will Oliver What are you doing to my bird doing glad you? Why you crushed the swallow killed it you? You killed it deliberately You think so I Told you we all have some badness deep inside it even you Here you are ready to believe the worst of me that I'd want only crush a Harmless little star of the death and I'm a what is it? I I don't know but Something in your face Something that wasn't bad. I don't know what you're talking about I'm going up to bed Simon Simon wait It wasn't he that was blind. It was our eyes or he's bad even clean through Like one of the spiders he loves so much Lurking here and spinning cunning web to catch innocent people in What he saw in my face just now There was something there Something that wasn't there before There why did this have to happen to me? I was so happy just a little while ago. I loved everyone the whole world And now I have to kill him Here I am friend Raymond you're hosting the inner sanctum. Oh, so love everyone so Simon has decided he must murder his companions Not because he wants to but in order to keep him from spreading the hate and evil he seems to love That's a charming idea But if Oliver's eyes are as good as he says they are good enough to see death in Simon's face How will he be able to do it? Hmm? Quite a problem, isn't it? Well Raymond everyone has problem. It's the answer that can't it certainly does Mr. Hurley he in a mystery drama. Yes, and in a domestic drama, too If you don't believe it listen to what Agnes Vail says to her husband at the dinner table Bob You haven't said a word about the case and I'd make it especially for your business after 30 No one wants to be reminded of birthday. That's silly. It's eyes a person only as old as they seem Well, if that was the case I'd be about 60 you mean 90 No one could save up the grouch you've gotten only 60 years if you fell as irritable low and out of sort as I have lately You'd be grouchy too, of course I would anybody would do the thing to do without to feel that way. What can anyone do about it? Very simple my dear try causes little liver pills, right? And when you don't feel good try Carter's little liver pills They do the work of Calamol, but have no Calamol in them for they are simple pills made of vegetable drugs They wake up the flow of one of our most vital digestive juices When this vital juice flows at the rate of two points a day It helps to digest our food and bring back the glorious feeling that goes with regularity Then most folks feel like happy days are here again, but be sure you get the genuine Carter's little liver pill Well friends are you sorry I advised you to sit down before I thought not You still want me to go on with a story of the tell-tale heart very well It's a little later that same evening Simon is sitting in the upper story of the old deserted mill waiting listening Leap Oliver's leap aren't you ever going to sleep? Oh, I know you're lying down I heard you getting undressed. I even heard the thread snap when you pull that button off your shirt Which are not asleep yet. I can tell be your breathing the way your heart's beating And that's what I must wait for The time when you're really asleep When you close those hawk eyes that can see even in the dark That could read murder in my face when I didn't know it was there myself Wait a minute. Oh, you're asleep. Oh now I Must go easy with the door Careful you won't wake up. He can't even if he does come out and held them over his face and smothered him That's it. Yes, sir. No, I wouldn't have to touch him. I would Who's there? There is someone there. I can see you Simon yes, it's Simon. What do you want? What are you doing here? I know you've come to kill me. Yes, Oliver. I've come to kill you Look, you can't do that. You can't yes, Oliver. I can and I have to Please don't tackle like that. I'm stronger than you are Come get away from me pounding driving the blood through your veins slowly now slower and painter Running down like a tired clock I'm not going to let you go until it's stopped me interested in hurting people That's why I had to do it and that's why I'm not going to give myself up or confess that I killed you because I could still help people You understand, don't you? That's why I must get rid of your body hide it somewhere. Oh What am I to do with you? I know Keep you here tear up the floor and hide you underneath it What here and there should be big enough and now Build them down again with the same rusty nails, and it's done Spread this dust over the cracks. No one will be able to tell what I've done. No, not even with your eyes If you could still use them a light Lantern outside. Who is it? Trent the time to work the concept of over What do you want? Oh, nothing much what I dropped in hello Come in constable Come right in Thanks We're a time of nights to be visiting but rather with strangers living out here, and I thought I might boy Of course it's part of your job to investigate strangers, isn't it? Yeah, no way It's your stranger exactly. What do you mean? Been around here for some time, haven't you about dr. Dair's place nail. I mean, oh, yes Yes, of course. I I just left there this afternoon. Uh-huh a new friend. Where's he sleeping friend? There's no one here with me. I'm all alone The doctor said You mind about ground no, of course not today. Don't you word or anything like that? Oh, no, don't apologize comfortable go right ahead Well, constable There'd be no sign of anyone else. I told you so man. She did Now I'll just sit down here for a minute My pipe boy. No, no, not that I don't sit there Yeah Well, it was just that the floor looked a little rotten right there, and and I was afraid that Why I guess it's all right. Oh, I'm gonna have to hold me anyway I've had you that noise Beating away like I don't hear any noise, but you must you those ears of mine Sometimes that too good. It's just your watch ticking watch I haven't got a watch on me You you're happy, but then what? I could use a bit of exercise Suppose I walk you back to the village. Well, it's mighty nice of you Land of your company No worries, then let's sit here for a while. I don't want to sit Constable will you come now now this minute if you don't have button yourself into a state Anything the matter and oh, no, of course not it's Just that I get nervous restless and you won't mind if I If I walk up and down right here, will you? It'll make you feel any better. Well, thank you This floor it It is noisy No, he's enough Constable this Leaver here. I've been wondering about it. What's it for? You know, yes I think it opens the sluice starts the Millwood and it does then and it's tried See if it still works Works all right Comfortable Need to get so excited if I'm not excited I perfectly calm and quiet Will you come now right away? Don't you I know what you're doing? Sitting there pretending you haven't heard making me stay here and listen to it beating louder and louder If I leave you under the floor, I kill you and that noise you hear is it hot? Oh Did you find them yes, doctor I'm good at some of my boys will be bringing the other one Oliver along in a little while Him is not a bit him. Well the old male by the river I'm in it evidently tried to kill Oliver, but he hadn't done a good job of it He nailed him up underneath the floor and When we got him out he was unconscious. He's still pretty weak See it brings Simon in will you sure all right, Simon in here Now turn him around so that he's facing me Well, hello Simon. Hello doctor Simon Why did you run away from here this afternoon run away? I didn't run away. I left What need was there for me to stay when I was cured? Oh and what you did or Rather tried to do to Oliver. Ah, that was wrong. I know it was wrong, but but I had to do it He was bad doctor bad. He hated everyone wanted to hurt them and I couldn't let him You know, it's strange constable two men both mental cases because of a sudden affliction But while Oliver's blindness made him hate Salmon's deafness filled him with love for all mankind Deafness you mean he's deaf But but when you talk to me answers you yes, he reads lips That's why I had you turn him around so he was facing me, but he's stoned deaf He will never hear again. What's that? You'll say death But I'm not deaf. Well, there's no one can hear better than I know one I Heard everything when I left here Things no man has ever heard before Song of the swan The breathing of the fish while I even heard the beating of Oliver's heart After I'd killed him. Yes, Simon. Of course. I'm not deaf. I tell you I'm not Simon did hear all the things he said he did Even the beating of the tell-tale heart and not with his ears, but with something else deep inside his poor thick brain Speaking of tell-tale heart. Oh, I thought it's not hard at all. It's just mr. However, he's knees knocking together and if you think you're kidding Raymond, you're crazy I'm not kidding Ed and mr. Carlos audiences. That's the equivalent of applause Since everyone is generally much too scared to sell the usual approval with a hand So we won't take any chances. We'll just use words and say Thanks for a call out for your splendid performance of tonight's tramitization of pose the tell-tale heart It's a pleasure Raymond to be able to bring our friends one of the world's most famous stories And I'm very grateful to Everett Sloan as Oliver and Santas or tiata who played Christie for the help they gave me So now I suggest that you listen to Ed Hurley who has some helpful advice for which you may be very grateful This is Raymond again your host getting ready to close that door to the inner sanctum and say good night Until the same time next week In the meantime if you care to do a little blood thirsty reading try this month's inner sanctum novel I'll eat you last Hi, it's the Brandon In case you've already read that why not try some of the other stories by the author of tonight's mystery drama Edgar Allen Paul According to all critics this writer has quite a future Have a good night Inner sanctum mysteries will be on the air again next Sunday night same station same time with another chiller For thriller fans. They'll be with us then This is Ed Hurley speaking for the makers of Carter's little liver pills and reminding you when you don't feel good Try Carter's little liver pills the best friend to your sunny disposition This is the blue network of the national broadcasting company