 And now transcribe for tonight's presentation of radios outstanding theater of thrills Suspense Tonight the story of a dancer who's still in her dressing room after the theater is emptied spends the most terrifying moments of her life So now starring Shirley Mitchell and Vic Perrin here is tonight suspense play Blind date Marcos and Mamie had said goodbye. That left me alone backstage I'm always late anyway. Hey, that's on the bill and I'm always the last to leave the theater Hi, you're cutie coming into a ladies dressing room without knocking. I never heard of a call boy who didn't know how to say are you Relax, take it easy. We can't all be double-jointed. What do you want? He's outside. Who's outside some John? You won't like says he's got a date with you, baby You're closing tonight tomorrow. You'll be in far off Detroit And will you wish you'd done the loop with me one? I'll let you Have a date thank you go out and tell him to come in if you please can do better than him You got talent in those joints. You need something to watch out for you in the profession I mean, what's a cute little trick like you taking fourth billing to a lot of Stick to your call boy profession and I'll worry about my billing. Yeah Still mad because I tried to kiss you Gloria this is your last night. I told you before I don't like to be touched by you or anybody else I'm beginning to think you mean it get out of here. Okay, okay But your stage door Johnny ain't gonna be no improvement. Believe me The idea the very I put that I believe I'm on time the clock and the Wrigley Tower is just struck 11. I'm Vincent Hawthorne. Oh Yeah, I thought the day wonderful till I saw the night Come again, that's what you expected, of course not. Well, I won't you come in mr. Uh, mr. Hawthorne here. Let me take your hat. Mr. Hawthorne. Thank you. I'll only be a minute I'm leaving Chicago close tonight. You know Detroit tomorrow. I was delayed with talking and all There that's the process anyway a theatrical trunk. All this is a big thrill to me Gloria Lafay theater rush Gloria Lafay trends in bends. That's me Well, well This is my first experience meeting an artist. Oh Gloria a lovely name Gloria. It fits you. You're a very lovely girl What have you got there? It's a flower a rose for you here. Oh, well, thanks. I like rose I thought it would look nice in your hair, Gloria. Oh, yeah Thanks, thanks a lot. That's really nice For your hair. Yes, and this This is something for the two of us. Is that whiskey? Oh hardly Champagne Paul Roger 37 has a fine bouquet Should lend a note of cheer to our little dressing room. Hey See two glasses. I thought of everything Fine wines should always be sipped from crystal. Don't you agree? I planned on going out. Oh, certainly But I thought well, you thought wrong whatever you thought mr. Hawthorne. We aren't staying here now I'll only be a minute. I'll finish dressing behind the screen Say, um, mr. Hawthorne Yes, what's your first name Vincent my dear say Vincent Vincent just so we get everything clear on both sides This is a sort of a funny situation. I don't know quite how you can Concerned because we're having what is called a blind date. That's it I just wanted it to be understood on both sides that I am not in the habit But lately I've been thinking that after all I was an artist like myself who spent practically all her life training for a Procession never gonna meet people. You got the point? Certainly. I understand completely. We'll just have our little midnight supper I was coming to that. Oh, did you ever catch an act called Diane Diane now? I'm not exactly positive You'd hardly have forgotten her if you had Diane was my mother. Oh indeed. She was a contortionist It's almost entirely her act that I'm doing well when we were playing Chicago once when I was a little girl We went to a little restaurant off the Gold Coast, which enjoyed largely theatrical clientele. It's called Gregory's It's still there. I looked it up in the phone book. I thought we'd go there. It sounds delightful You say your mother is dead. Yes Diane died three months ago I'm terribly terribly sorry my dear You were very close to your mother, weren't you? She was an artist too and she taught you how to accomplish all of those Those remarkable feats you've been performing on the stage Diane taught me everything. I know That's really remarkable what you do at the end of your act When you stand on that chair and bend all the way back so slowly and then take the goblet of wine with your Teeth and drink it. Oh, thank you. I've worked hard. Of course, either you're double-jointed or you're not. Yes Where do you live? I was born in London. Oh gee, I'd like to get over to London is a very lonely place It's full of lonely people. Oh, no, the world is full of lonely people, Gloria That kind of talk and ruin an evening. You're gonna talk like that. I don't know about us Maybe this will cheer you up How do you like it? What are you doing with that knife? Just opening our bottle, Gloria. Well, I told you I didn't want to drink here. I want to go to Gregory's Let's put the show on the road. Well, here's one for the road. A little glass of wine will do us both good Nobody needs a knife that big to open a bottle It's a trick knife. See? See you press the little button and it's gone just like that Disappeared into the head. Well, I don't like it. People get hurt with knives. I don't like your knife and while we're at it I don't think I like you either. I'm sorry, Gloria. I'm sorry. My knife frightened you. I don't know I think you'd better go. Please, Gloria, don't be angry with me. I'm most anxious to take you to Gregory's Where you once went with your mother? Dear Diane, many years ago. I don't know. It will have something you didn't have at that time Cognac French cognac in a quiet corner by candlelight. There'll be music What does a girl do when she draws a fella like you why she has a little glass of wine to celebrate? Good here we go You haven't said anything about my dress one for you one for me. Oh, thanks Here's to a pleasant evening Vincent. No, Gloria. Here's to us. Okay. Here's to us. It's a little better Nice Vincent what is somebody like you do for a living? I was a part of Rembrandt and Morris wine merchants. Oh Gloria When you bend back like you do and you drink out of that glass is that wine you drink? Oh That's only colored water. Oh Did you know that the cork in the bottle is sometimes more expensive than the wine itself you don't say it's imported from Spain You know, that's what costs. Oh Another thing I've wondered about is it true. It's bad luck to whistle in the dressing room. Oh, that's silly That's a chorus girl superstition artists. Don't worry about that. I'm grateful you answered my note this afternoon Why did you send the note to me with those six beautiful Cardo's of sisters on the same bill I thought them very ordinary girls not in the least beautiful Not as you are beautiful. Oh What made you answer my note? I had three birds this morning birds tea leaves means good luck Then when I got your note naturally, I took it to Mamie. She does handwriting too She said you were a fine gentleman Otherwise, I wouldn't have answered you because I've never had a blind date before then I'm most grateful to Mamie Well, I think it's just about time we left. Oh, I don't know Gloria. I See you have a portable phonograph Travel with it. It's an old one. It doesn't work too. Well, I've got to have it fixed. I'm very fond of music Gloria What do you have here? It doesn't work this one? moonlight Madonna It's the music you use in your act. Let's play it. I told you the phonograph doesn't work all right now Come on. I think you're wrong Gloria You see It works fine. See I finished my drinks. Oh, come on. We have another one Listen to the record. No, I've had enough and you've had enough now Let's just you wear that fur piece Mr. Wise guy this fur piece was given to me by Mr. John Meston and is practically unattainable on today's market You just can't get it nowadays. I can wear this anywhere anywhere at all what I mean Gloria It doesn't do you justice Nothing is beautiful enough for a girl with lips Don't touch me Don't ever touch you shouldn't have done that Gloria when I was a little girl one night I was standing in the wings watching Diane and a stagehand kissed me on the cheek and I just Well, he's still carrying the scar on his forehead. I took the heel of my shoe and I hit and he Don't ever try to touch me Never We've had our wine and as a quarter after 11 and we're going we're going right now understand We didn't hear the rest of the record Gloria Get out Get out of my dressing. I don't want to leave yet. Gloria I'll show you No use. I have the key If that's the name of the stage dorm and I met coming in a Liberal gratuity a gentle hint and he obligingly left you and me alone There Now aren't you going to take the drink I fixed for you? I'm not afraid of you I'm not afraid of anybody. There's no reason to be afraid of me Take your wine and sit down Listen to the music Yeah, I don't want it Now why did you do that because I don't want to have another drink here? I want to leave. I'm locked the door. Don't be impatient We'll leave in a moment. I want to get out for Some fresh air. You said you weren't frightened. I'm not well then why do you want you? Promise to take me to Gregory's for supper. I've done four shows a day for six days, and I'd like to relax tomorrow Of course you would look I'll I'll even change my my fur piece. Mr. Hoth You know Gloria loneliness is a terrible thing Loneliness is awful You can wander in a city of a million people and yet have no one to speak with and you wonder and you think there is no cure for Loneliness, but as I watched you there dancing on the stage I knew that loneliness has a cure just a simple kiss will banish loneliness forever. Well, you're not gonna kiss me I'll tell you that I don't care how lonely you are Wish I'd never answered your note I'll tell you that but you did answer it and here we are a girl can make a mistake. No, Gloria You didn't make a mistake I'm a humble man. I apologize to you unlock that door. I've been studying you Gloria Ever since I came in the dressing room tonight. There's more to you than just a pretty face I kind of talk doesn't impress me. It'll get you exactly nowhere unlock that door What if I told you you'd successfully passed the test I really have been testing you oh, yeah When first I saw you six days ago I knew there was a lot more to you than just a pretty face and I came here tonight to To test you What do you mean when I tried to kiss you that was the test I had to find out what you were like a Man has to be careful too about a girl. I mean and when you wouldn't let me kiss you I knew you were someone I No, Gloria, I don't get you at all Scaring a girl have to death one minute. No, you're almost as if you were gonna cry. I have a confession Gloria I've cried a great deal in my life Really? Have you really a very great deal? Well, um Well, then now that I've passed your test you you know what kind of a girl I am, don't you? I know exactly what kind of a girl you are Gloria, and we understand each other perfectly I know you and you know me well, then let's Let's put the show on the road. There's just one thing. Oh what before we go out I'd like to see you For the last time in the costume you wore for your act The green one I like that one best the golden spotlight. It's not here I've already sent the trunk. I keep it into the station. I don't believe that What's this thing? That's my other trunk. Give me the key. Glory. I will not all right, then I'll open it my own way Put that knife away Gloria a knife is a very handy instrument Very handy instrument to have with stop that stop that you're gonna break the lock That trunk Don't do that. Don't ever try to take my knife away from me. Don't ever try to take my knife away from me I asked you to do a simple little thing I asked you to wear your costume for me because you look very lovely in it a Simple little thing that would take only a minute of your time But you say it's packed and chipped, but I don't think it is and I'm going to find out Yes, I'm going to find out There I have it and here's the dress on top Your lovely green costume. I won't put it on. Do you hear me? I won't put it on for you or anybody else now on top of everything else. You're broken my trunk, and I just don't Go behind the screen and put it on Now that's a good girl. You know Gloria. I didn't mean anything by showing you my knife Just that I want to see you exactly as you look for when you're performing on the stage You're so very lovely Gloria You're so lovely For what you've done. I'm just a humble man a human being same as you But I'm lonely Gloria Terribly unendurably lonely. Have you put on the costume, Gloria? All right. Take your look, Mr. Hawthorne Well lovely Lovely all right then now I How can you perform without music? Why else would I ask you to put on your costume you're going to perform for me I'm not putting on a special art for anybody. You can't imagine Gloria the effect it has on me Where you twist and turn? slowly silently so slow so lovely So alone So very much alone alone How can I be alone in a theater full of people you can be alone in a city of a million people? You had no one in the theater. Gloria even though it was crowded Now here in your dressing room. You have me to watch And you can perform for me alone. Hey, what's the idea turning off the lights all but the ones around your mirror That's your spotlight Gloria You're on stage Only it's all for me and no one else Don't scream again. Don't scream whatever you do. It upsets me If I do my act for you if if I do it just the way I do it on stage only only just for you If I do it for you like that. Will you go away? Yes, Gloria That's all I want you to do Just as if you were on stage All right All right sure That's right, Gloria graceful Very graceful Slowly Why can't you do it for me why why you weren't clumsy in the theater when all those other people were watching Never mind. Never mind. Go on. Go on. Oh, yes, that's right, Gloria Easy Slowly remember Slowly Tell you something Every girl with a nice dress and pretty face hates me Gloria. I don't care anymore. I Was lonely and I went to the theater and I saw you there on stage and I thought you were beautiful I thought if I could see you alone in that same old costume If you wore it just for me and performed just for me then I wouldn't be lonely anymore That would be enough, but it isn't enough Don't come near me Don't touch me kiss is the cheapest thing in the world. No, no stay away. Kiss means nothing to you But to me it means everything. No stay away. I kiss would cure my loneliness. I'll never kiss you. Oh, I think you will I Think you will why'd you say that? What what would you say if if I really kissed you? What do you mean? You you said a kiss means everything Do you want me to really kiss you? I? I Can't believe it kiss you. I I really would but but what? Gloria I'm afraid of your knife Do you actually want to kiss me but the knife scares me I? Never meant to use it Gloria here You take it they'd been looking for him ever since he left London they knew all about him So they let me go self-defense Loneliness is a terrible thing. He said Well, no matter how lonesome I get I'll never have another blind date As long as I live suspense In which Shirley Mitchell starred as Gloria and Vic Perrin as Vincent with Lee Millar as Bill Next week 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 We call it shooting star That's next week on Suspense suspense is produced and transcribed by Norman McDonald with music composed by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Wilbur hatch Line date was specially written for suspense by E. Jack Newman and Harrison a glee Listen while you work enjoy the second mrs. Burton Monday through Friday in the daytime on the CBS radio network