 Now, Roma Wines, present. Suspense. Tonight, the Singing Wall, starring Van Johnson. Suspense is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines. That's R-O-M-A. Roma Wines. Those excellent California wines that can add so much pleasantness to the way you live. To your happiness and entertaining guests. To your enjoyment of everyday meals. Yes, right now a glass full would be very pleasant, as Roma Wines bring you... Suspense. This is the man in black here for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California, who tonight from Hollywood bring you a star, one of the screens most rapidly rising young personalities, Mr. Van Johnson, whom you've admired in Two Girls and a Sailor, and who will soon be seen in the Metro Golden Mail production 30 Seconds Over Tokyo. And so, with the Singing Walls, adapted from a short story of Cornel Woolrich, and with the performance of Van Johnson as a young man who will walk one morning to find himself in a very serious jam, we again hope to keep you in suspense. Have another cup. Another nice hot cup. Yeah, it's that special cream that makes it taste so good. So a guy named Joe brought you, huh? You come up here from Joe's Place. Joe's Place. Here it is. Ain't that pretty? Yeah, that's right. It comes right out of the walls. Singing Walls. We got hot and cold running water here in Singing Walls. Have another cup. And a little more of the extra heavy cream. Well, lie down. Take a little snooze. I'll be right back. Look at you. It's blood. Blood all over your shirt. Oh, him? Oh, he's all right. Just lock him in the closet. Put the key right in your pocket so you'll know just where to find him. Sure, I'll be back. I'll be back in just a minute. You've been knocking at your door the longest time. You've been making a dream or something. Yeah. Gee, what time is it? It's way afternoon. You came in pretty late. I did, huh? Toss me my bathrobe, will you, sis? Don't you know what time you got in? No, not exactly. Oh, Tommy, I know it's tough not having a job all these months, but the kind of people you're going... Oh, my head. You have anything to eat last night? Yeah, yeah. They bought me some coffee and... Coffee? Who did? Where was this? Oh, sis, it's no alibi, but I don't remember where I was. Only just now I seem to be dreaming about it. About what? About last night. I could hear you banging on the door all the time I was dreaming. And then it seemed as though I wasn't dreaming at all. I was remembering a lot of things. What sort of things? Well, I was all mixed up. There was a guy with a kind of frog voice that kept giving me eats and coffee. And I was sort of floating. And there was a place that music came out of the walls. And there was something about blood on my shirt Tommy, you're shaking like a leaf. Yeah, it was a pretty scary dream. If it was a dream. Well, you get dressed and come on downstairs. Here, I'll get you out a clean shirt. I'd better wear the old one. I've only worn it once. But it's all messy. Yeah, it does look kind of... Mildred. What? My shirt. Give me it. Now what's the matter? Look, Mildred, that's blood. Well, I guess it is. I know it is. Just like it was in the dream. Oh, Tommy, don't be silly. You must have hurt yourself somewhere. But I didn't. Look, there isn't a scratch on me. Well, then you got in a fight. Maybe. What else could it have been? That's what I'm trying to think. Well, stop thinking and hurry up and get dressed. Oh, my goodness. Look at the way you threw your clothes around here last night. Trousers on the floor here. Oh, dear, everything falling out of the pockets. I'll pick it up. You get dressed. Thanks. You didn't come home with much, did you? I didn't have much to start with. Well, I'll pull you all up here on the bureau. 25 cents in change in your keys. Now hurry, will you? What did you say? I said hurry. No. I said I put your change in your keys up on the bureau. Keys? Yeah. Mildred, I only have one key. Well, there are two there now. I know. Let me see them. Here. One's the key to the front door. But the other one? It doesn't belong to any door in this house. It's the key to the closet. What closet? It wasn't a dream. Tommy, what are you talking about? Mildred, you better call Denny right away. But he's on duty. I know, I know. But get him over here right away. Tommy, what is it? Last night. I think I killed a man. Tonight for Suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you a star, Mr. Van Johnson, whom you have heard in the prologue do the singing walls tonight's tale of suspense. In many foreign lands, wherever wine connoisseurs gather, they enthusiastically praise the distinguished character of Roma Wines. Such praise of Roma Wines in foreign lands can only mean that they are truly magnificent in quality. Roma Wines' excellence is due to a unique combination of California's perfect soil and climate, from whence come the choice Roma Wine grapes, plus age-old wine-making skill and modern knowledge. These combine to make Roma constant in quality, uniformly fine, unexcelled in value. Tomorrow, discover for yourself the delightful Roma taste and goodness enjoyed by more Americans than any other wine. Simply serve as an appetizer before dinner, a cool glass of golden nut-like Roma California sherry. Then, on the table, place a bottle of cool, hearty Roma Burgundy. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the extra delight it adds to your meal, how it will win new compliments from family or guests. Yet the cost is only pennies a glassful. Get Roma Wines tomorrow. If your dealer is temporarily out of Roma, please try again soon. Ask for R-O-M-A, Roma Wines. Remember, more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine. And now it is with pleasure that we bring back to our soundstage Van Johnson as Young Tom Cochrum in the Singing Walls, a tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense. Let me look at your eyes. Listen, Denny. Uh-huh. Uh-huh, you were doped all right. I didn't know what it was. Never mind that now, kid. How much do you remember? Oh, Denny, I hate to bring you in on this. But I didn't know who else to go to. Skip it, skip it. What's the use of having a brother-in-law who's a cop if he can't help you once in a while? Now, come on, how much do you remember? Just what I've told you. Just like it wasn't a dream. Only it wasn't a dream. There was this guy, Joe, just some guy I'd known from someplace out on a way that I met on the street and he took me to the party. And the guy with the frog voice began giving me eats and coffee, had a lot of coffee, and then everything got confused. I was in some place with the Singing Walls, some harmonica playing or something. That's where the closet was. What about the guy you... the dead guy? All right, first he wasn't there, and then he was. We sort of slumped over in a big armchair. And then frog voice put him in the closet? That's what I remember. And then he left. Then I suddenly seemed to realize that the guy in the closet was dead. That's when I get out of there. I don't know how, I don't know how. You don't have any idea where it was? No, I don't even remember where the party was. And you've never seen any of these people before? Except this guy, Joe, who took me to the party. And that's all I know about him. Just a guy named Joe that I knew by sight from someplace. But I don't know where or his last name or anything. Whew, that's not much to go on, is that kid? Not much. A guy named Joe singing walls in a closet. And another guy with a froggy voice. Oh, I'd recognize him or his voice if I ever saw him again. Tommy, you're in a jam, kid. The way it looks now, there's a dead man in the closet somewhere in this town, and you killed him. Maybe you didn't. And if we find him before somebody else does, maybe we can figure out what did happen. But the way it stands now, kid, you're it. Yeah, I know. We haven't got much time, either. If the place is an apartment, they've probably already found the body, and I'd know about it. If it's a hotel, they check the guest out at six o'clock. That gives us about four hours. Four hours for the murderer to find the guy he murdered. It's kind of crazy, isn't it? Tommy, Tommy, you know how I feel about Melrod. And you know I don't exactly hate you either. You know I'll do everything in the world I possibly can to clear you. Sure, Danny, I know, I know. But I'm a cop, Tommy. If you did do it, you know I'm gonna turn you in, don't you? Sure, I know that, too. Okay, kid, okay, now let's start from the beginning. What about this guy, Joe? But I don't know anything about him. You know his name, you know his face. Now come on, think, Tommy, think. Trying to. Oh, if I could only remember. If I could only remember. Yeah, you come up here from Joe's place. Joe's place. There, you see, Tommy, when you remember that, you told me where Joe is. I did. Yes, sure, you see that sign over the restaurant? Yeah, Joe's place. Joe's place, Tommy. You were playing with bad boys last night, and this is where bad boys hang out. So? It all clicked when I remembered you said that the guy with the frog voice asked you if you came up there from Joe's place. He didn't mean where Joe lived or anything. He meant this place. He thought maybe you were one of the boys. How did I ever meet this Joe? I've never been here in my life. He runs another place, more respectable, kid. That sort of cover about three blocks from our house. The grotto. Hey, that's right. Remember now, if my hunch is right, Joe's going to be plenty surprised when he sees you walk in there. Me? Walk in there? Now don't worry, kid, don't worry. You just walk in and sit down at the table. If you're not out in a couple of minutes, I'll know that you recognize the guy and we're on the right track. I'll come in as though I didn't see you and go into the phone booth. Then what? Then we'll see, kid. Okay? Okay. Oh, oh, one thing more. If he offers you anything to eat or drink, take it. Sure. Well, here goes. What'll it be, Mac? Iron's juice. Hi, Joe. Hey, what are you doing down in this part of town, huh, kid? Oh, I had to come down and see a guy. I didn't know you had this place. Just a little sideline. It's where I first started you, now. Sure. One orange juice. That'll be 10 cents. Oh, no. You got to have a little something to eat on me, kid. What do you have? Coffee, at least, huh? Well... Nice hot cup? Yeah, okay. Coffee for the gentleman, Larry, with the extra heavy cream. Understand? The extra heavy? Sure. I'll take tea with lemon. Hey, Tommy, that was some fun last night, huh? Yeah. Yeah. Where'd you disappear to? I was looking all over for you. Well, that's the funny thing. I don't even remember. You don't, huh? Well, well. Here you are. One coffee with extra heavy cream. One tea. Ah, this'll warm you up. Wait a minute. Who are you? Oh, this is my brother-in-law, Denny. This is Joe. Say, you must have got these mixed up. You never drink coffee, Tommy. You only drink tea. Yeah, that's right. Here. Here, you take the tea, give Joe the coffee, and I'll take the orange juice, huh? I don't like coffee. Never touch it. Okay, swell. I'll take it. Thanks. By the way, Joe, you haven't got a little bottle that I could pour this into, have you? Hey, who do you think you're kidding, bud? I'm from headquarters. Here's a badge. Now, wait a minute. I didn't know that... I suppose you don't know what I'd find in this coffee if I took it down to be analyzed, either. Now, look, I don't want any trouble. I've never had any. They'll tell you at headquarters. Now, if it's a matter of those... You can't buy your way out of this when Chum, I want talk and I want it quick. What kind of talk? Where did you take Tommy last night? Oh, it was just a little party. A card party. A card party? Just coffee and cake? Yeah. And they slipped things in people's coffee there, too, huh? Well, I don't know anything about that, honest. Why, I hardly know the people. Who's the guy with the frog boys? Boys? I don't know any guy with a frog boys. Now, look, I don't want no trouble. They'll tell you at headquarters. Listen, there's a narcotics wrap on this for somebody, and it could be you. Come on! Come on! Where was the party? Courtney Square West. Number 75. Some people named Sorrell. Come on, Tommy. You're coming too, Joe, just in case. Sorrell. AJ. Does this look like the place, Tommy? Yeah, it looks like it. Could be. Everything's been so confused since last night. This is it. It better be. Oh, Mrs. Sorrell. Yes? I'm from police headquarters. Oh? You mind if we come in and look around? Why, no. Come on, Tommy. You too, Joe. Oh, by the way, you two know each other? He... Well, his face is familiar. I think he's been here a couple of times. We play a lot of cards. All kinds of people wander in and out. Is that what the trouble is? It might be. You know anyone with a froggy voice? No. Not that I can remember. Okay, let's look at the apartment. Well, this is the hall, of course. And here is the living room. Joe, you stay there in the hall. And you better be there when I get back. I'll be here. So, this is the living room. This is the bedroom. It looks kind of messy now. See anything? No. And over here is the kitchenette. I see. And that's about all the rooms to it. Denny, that closet. Oh, there's nothing in there. It's just a lot of odds and ends. Open it. Well, it's locked. All right, unlock it. I'm not sure where the key is. Then, lady, you'd better find it. Well, I'll try. Is this it, Tommy? There was a closet like that. And a window just over there where that one is. And the armchair and bed. Don't you remember? I can't, Denny. Give me that key. Give me that key. Wait a minute. Here she comes. I think this is it. Try it. It sort of sticks sometimes. I'll help you. There it comes. See? Just a lot of old junk. Mm-hmm. Come on, Denny. You sure? Sure. Come on. Well, I guess that's all, Mrs. Harrell. Thanks for showing us around. That's all right. Hello, Joe. You're here. You don't mind if I stay here and visit a while, do you? No, I guess not. Well, goodbye. Bye. Thanks again. Goodbye. Good luck. Copper. Oh, I'm sorry, Denny. Well, it was a try. What do we do now? I don't know, Tommy. We found Joe. Now, what about those singing walls? Come on. Think, Tommy. Think. Pretty music. Do you hear it? That's right. It comes right out of the walls. We got hot and cold running water here and singing walls here. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Yeah? Listen. What? That's it. The singing walls. The music I heard last night. You sure? Sure. I remember the piece and the harmonica and everything. It's coming from right around here someplace. Denny, it's coming from their apartment. The one we just left. Come on. This must be the place, Tommy. The closet, now the music. They must have been pulling a fast one on us. Well... All right, all right. Quit stalling. Come on, Tommy. Stalling. You heard me. You two brushed us off pretty slick, didn't you? Listen, I don't know what this is all about. Where's that music coming from? Well, from the radio. The radio? Yes. I turned it on to the kitchen just now when I started to fix dinner. It's a little portable. In here. See? Okay. I don't get it. What do you mean by bussing? Oh, skip it, skip it. Well, Tommy, here we go again. I don't care. That was the music I heard. And that's the same number. It sounds like the same band. Hey, wait a minute. Now what? Where's your phone? On the desk. Denny, look and see what stations that's coming over. It's WBTA. Thanks. Hello, operator. Get me station WBTA, a radio station. I don't know what number it is. Tell her it's a police call. Yeah, it's a police call. Thanks. I may be wrong, Denny, but I got a hunch. Hello? WBTA? What's that band you've got on now? I don't care if it's an electrical transcription. What's the guy's name? What? Turn off that radio. And what was that name? Yeah. Oh, where can he get hold of this guy? Where does he hang out? I see. Five nights a week. That include tonight? Thanks. Well, he's a small-time band leader. Harmonica Hallen is harmonious, he calls himself. And he plays at a place called the Silver Slip right on the concourse. Come on. You better get on that phone, Joe. Ah, yeah, dumb. You would have to turn on that radio. There's the Silver Slip right over there. OK, let us out here. Right. Here, here you are. Hey, look familiar to you around here, Tommy? I'm afraid it's a bum steer, Denny. Look, kid, do you know what time it was when you heard the music? It was just night. That's all I know. All right, all right. They don't play recording so much at night, but they're all bands. And the Silver Slipper isn't on the air. So maybe you were out here some place and heard the band itself. Yeah, maybe. I know it's kind of a long shot, kid, but right now it's the best we got. Come on, let's case the joint. OK. Well, it don't look like there were any rooms with closets in the Silver Slipper. Denny, look, right next to it. Yeah, a hotel. That would make sense. And the shape you were in, you probably would have signed your own name, too. Come on. By the way, by the way, what time have you got? 10 to 6. 10 to 6? Our bed line's getting pretty close, kid. Yeah. This better be right. Please. If I could only remember. Well, there's the clerk, Lucy. Say, lady, you got a guy named Tom Cochran here. Tom Cochran? I don't know. Oh, it's all right. It's all right. We're friends of his. I'll see. When do you register? Last night. Oh. Oh, yeah. Sure, here he is. Tom Cochran and Ben's oil. Yeah, yeah. Room 209. I don't think they're in, though. Oh, no? No, I've been ringing them to see if they were going to check out by 6. I was just going to send somebody up. Shall I ring again? Oh, no, no. We'll sort of surprise them. OK, write up those stairs. They've got to be out by 6 and pay for another night. Yeah, yeah. We'll take care of it. Let's go, Tom. Denny, did you see that handwriting on the register? Yeah. It was mine, all right, Denny? This is it. Tell me one way or another. Yeah. Here we are, 209. Don't put your hand on that doorknob. Fingerprints. Use your handkerchief. Locked. I got some keys. It's an easy lock. Here we go, kid. Denny, this is it. Close that door. That's the closet. Now, give me your key. Here. You better hold my gun on that door. Just in case. All right. Denny, look out. He was just falling. He's dead. Oh, gee. This is... You remember now? Yeah. Yeah. Let's have a look at him. Stabbed. And here's his driver's license. Benjamin Doyle. Denny, give me it. Hello? Yeah, yeah, we found them all right. No, no, they're going to keep the room for another night. No, there's nothing we want. Well, we're in for it now, kid. Denny, look at the floor over there. A clasp knife. Covered with blood. That's what did it, all right? Yeah. Hey, I know, I know. It's mine. Tom, why didn't you tell me? Honest, Denny. I didn't even remember. I'd lost it until I saw it. They just now... Fingerprints all over it. As clear as they... as though they'd been made in sealing wax. Right-handed, aren't you, Tommy? Uh-huh. Let me see your right hand. Well, it doesn't take an expert to read these. Those prints are yours, all right? Yeah, I guess they are. And you still don't remember? Honest, Denny, I don't. Can you think of any other explanation? No. There's the guy with the frog voice, but I must have just dreamed him up. I don't know, I don't know. Well, kid, I hit it all you could, Denny, but don't feel bad. We can plead insanity or something. Maybe we can prove you were doped. Maybe. You better call headquarters, Denny. Let's get it over. All right. Where are you going? I don't want a phone from here. That clerk will listen in. There's no use getting all the wolves on us before we have to. Aren't you afraid I'll... No, no. I won't. I'll, uh... I'll just have him send a detective car, kid. You won't have to go in the wagon. Thanks. Oh. You better let me have my gun, huh? Oh, yeah, sure. I'll be back. Lie down for a couple of minutes, kid. You look kind of sick. I am. Remember. That's the idea. Take your little snooze. I'll be right back. Look at you. Blood. Blood all over your shirt. Him? Oh-ho-ho. He's all right. Put him in the closet. Lock the door. He right in your pocket. Sure, I'll be right back. Be right back. Be right... You! Yeah, yeah, me. What are you gonna do to him, Froggy? Get him in the other room until his copper friend misses him and starts looking. Listen, I don't want to be in on anything like this. Shut up. You're in it up to your neck already. Come on, you. Come on, get up. Okay. And get going. Get going up the hall. Open the other door, Joe. Yeah, sure. All right, get in there. That the guy, Froggy? Yeah. Listen, Froggy, this don't look so good. There were people who knew you were getting ready to give it to Doyle. Sure, sure. That's why I framed this guy. All that trouble I went to doped him and brought Doyle in there while he was out trying to decay and bloodied him up with a knife in his hand. Heh. I still don't see how he ever come to one time. Yeah, but he did. Yeah, so what? So we frame him again. The music. The music. You like music, don't you? You're pretty sweet about music, ain't you? Well, for your information, that's harmonica hell rehearsing for the night. And in this room, it comes through the window on account of the riser window. But in the other room, it comes through the walls on account of the rain, no window. Catch on. Better close the window, Joe. Wait a minute. I do like music. Do you mind if a guy in a spot like I am hears a little music? What about it, Froggy? Sure, sure. Leave it open. Let's have music while we work. It'll cover up the noise if he makes any fuss. Oh, what's the new angle? Knock him off, dump him in the park, dead by his own hand. Yeah. Hmm. Remorse. We'll leave the gun beside him and plant some of Doyle's stuff on him. I got it. Well, get going, get going. Tie him up with a handkerchief and he's out in the corner on him. He's sick. See, he's sick and we're taking care of him. Okay. Hey, where's the car? It's around the back. Around the back. Nobody will see us going out that way. Are you ready? Yeah. Okay, take a look at the door. Okay. Hold clear. Yeah. Well, let's go and lock the door after we go out. Okay. Down the hall to the back stairs. All right. Hey, hey, what the? Drop those guns and put them up. Cover them, you guys. I got them. Hey, what is this? You'll find out. Get that gag out of the kid's mouth an entire mic. Sure. Oh, Denny. I heard the music, kid. I hoped you would. I asked him to leave the window open. I heard the conversation too. Enough. Okay, boys, okay. Go on, take him down. All right, come on. All right, don't shout about taking all right out. Who are they? Graziani's a mobster, kid. Doyle was one of his boys who double-crossed him. How are you feeling? Okay, I guess. It was kind of close. Yeah. All the way around. Yeah. Look, kid, I... Oh, skip it. I'm sorry, Tommy. Honest, I am. I thought you did it. Denny, up until just now. So did I. And so closes the singing wall starring Van Johnson. Tonight's study in suspense. Suspense is produced and directed by William Spear. Have you discovered how much good wine adds to the enjoyment of food? How Roma wine makes even the simplest, most inexpensive meals really exciting events? All you need to do is place on the table with the meal a cool bottle of hearty Roma California burgundy. Serve it in any kind of glass. You will find it delicious with any food. And if you are entertaining guests, you will find Roma wine just the gracious festive note that makes any dinner party or get together a happy, compliment-arousing occasion. And remember, Roma wines cost you only pennies a glassful. So any home can afford the pleasure they add to everyday living, to entertaining. Ask for R-O-M-A, Roma wines. Remember, more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine. Appearing with Van Johnson tonight in the role of Detective Denny Sullivan was Wally Mayer. Next Thursday, same time, the remarkable American singing actress Miss Lena Horne will be your star of... Suspense! Presented by Roma Wines, R-O-M-A. Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.