 And now, the Mollay Mystery Theater, presented by M-O-L-L-E. Mollay, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tender skins. Good evening. This is Jeffrey Barnes, welcoming you to the program that presents the best in mystery and detective fiction. Tonight's story is a modern, hard-boiled adventure, written by Ray Bradbury and entitled, Killer Come Back To Me. Richard Widmark, star of the recent Broadway hit Kiss Them For Me, will play the leading role. Alice Reinhardt, well-known radio star, plays Julie. Killer Come Back To Me is the story of Johnny Brogman, a killer who suffered delusions of grandeur who thought he was beyond the law. It is a story that demonstrates, once again, that a career in crime is bitter and short. Hey, Mr. Barnes, before we begin, I have some letters here I'd like to read. Oh, letters from some of our listeners, Dan? No, these are letters for some of our listeners, men who have tough whiskers or tender skin. And the letters I want to read to them are M-O-L-L-E. You bad men, shaving torture ends when you start shaving with Mollay, the heavier brushless shaving cream. Yes, sir, with Mollay, it's smooth, so smooth. It's slick. So slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-L-L-E. Mollay, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tender skins. Yes, Mollay is the cream that's heavier, the cream for a hard-to-cut beard or a tender skin. Because Mollay is heavier, it not only softens your whiskers, it stands them up straight and lets your razor sail right through them. So you shave faster, closer, easier, and you shave painlessly with Mollay, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tender skin. And now for tonight's Mollay mystery. Killer, come back to me. Got a match, kid? Huh? Oh, I don't know. Here, now beat it. Thanks. Keep your motor running, that's it. You nervous? What are you talking about? Who are you? Scram, sister. The first bank's always the hardest, kid. I've been watching your case that one across the street. Good luck, baby face. Yes, sir? Get him up. Hey, what's this? Hand over that money, this is stick up. All right, all right, don't check all of it or I'll blow your brains out. Get in the car, kid, quick. Hey, what the... Get in! Get out! Get out of the way! Get in with that rod and hang on. I'm driving. See, kid, wherever you want to go, I'm driving. I'm losing him at 80. You picked a good car for a hot... What's the matter, kid? Scared? Oh, that's all right. Go ahead, cry. You won't be green long. Shut up, shut up! Scared me? Move fast, that's all. Just move fast. Take highway 43. Don't be dumb. We'll go my way. I know these Colorado roads like a... What's wrong? They get you? No, keep going. I'm all right. I imagine things. Including that blood on your life. I'm all right. Keep going, I tell you. Just keep going. We've lost him. How much money? Seven hundred. Chicken feet. Punk stuff. Punk stuff? Stop the car. Who the devil are you running me around? This was my job. I'm cutting myself in. Oh, yeah? Put away the gun. You're no killer. Your eyes are too wide open. I said stop this car. Okay. I'll spill it. What's bothering you? Who are you? What's your angle? What do you want? I want to drive you to a saw bone's first thing. Then carry your leg. Then I've got other plans. What other plans? Build you up. Make you a big shot. You see, I've been outside a little while, but I'm coming back in now. With you. Why me? I still don't get it. Why me? Well, I'd say because I think you've got what it takes, and because... your face reminds me of a guy I used to know. Well, am I in? Huh. You're kind of pretty, sister, at that. Your hair's like fire. Your eyes... Never mind that. Am I in? You're done. Well, then come here. Give me a little... Don't do that! I'm the one who says when on that, too. Remember, from now on, I'm giving all the orders. Get going, Doc. Operate on his leg. Yes, yes, I will. But please stop waving that gun at me. It gets me nervous. Get started. Hey, what are you doing with that needle? Giving him an anaesthetic. It's just a superficial wound. You've got to learn how to take it, and he'll take his straight. Aren't you cute? Yeah, sure. Sure, I'll take my straight. But to get at that borderline... You heard him duck one more yap out of you and... Yes, yes, all right. What's your name, pal? Johnny. Mine's Julie. Hello, Julie. Want me to kiss you, Johnny? Yeah, I'd like that. How's the leg, Johnny? Swell. It's getting dark out. Where'd you say we was traveling to? California. First to San Francisco. Frisco, why there? Hey, who are you? Just what's your angle? Why'd you climb in my car this morning at the bank? Because you were headed for the morgue, and I put you on a detour. You need training. The way you walk, talk, hold a gun. Why, you look like a kid waiting for a ticket in front of a dime movie. Yeah, but you promised to tell me something else, too, about another guy that I reminded you of. Who? Okay. Do you remember Ricky Wolf? Ricky Wolf? The big-time Central City mobster? Oh, my gosh, yes. I was with him for five years. Well, you're Julie Parks. I used to read plenty about you and Ricky Wolf. How is he? He's dead. Dead? What are you talking about? Ricky, why the papers that have been full of it? The papers didn't know anything about it. Nobody did. Not even his own mob in Central City. I'm the only one that knows. It happened six weeks ago in Iowa. What do you mean? Somebody killed him and threw his body in the river. They never had a print of his fingers. I was the only one who could identify him, so I hid for Denver and covered up. Then I came along, huh? Yeah. And I always wanted to see what I could do with a beginner. Kid. You're only as good as your woman is good. If she's a whiner and a baby and a cat, she'll be on a dead slab in no time. She won't let you think clear. But me? My fingernails are clipped pretty short. That means I'll never rip your back, get it? It's up to you. Well, what'll it be? You want to die tomorrow or four years from now? Is that the way? That's the way it is. Well? Julie, I'm glad you came. I wouldn't want to be alone tonight. I need somebody like you. I told you never to do that. I told you I'd say when. If you stick with me, don't you ever forget that you're not a kid anymore. You're not even Johnny Brogdon anymore. Not even J- Then who am I? After we hide out in Frisco for a while where I can teach you everything you gotta know, I'm bringing you back with me to your old gang. You're gonna take over again, get it? You're Ricky Wolf. Hey, you guys reach. This is a stick up. Oh, lousy Johnny. That's not the way Ricky do it. Talk fast and now try it again. All right, wait a minute. Okay, you guys reach. Bark it out, bark it out. Okay, you guys reach. This is a stick up. Okay Johnny, you're doing all right. You're a natural. Okay. Soon I almost won't tell you from Ricky. But you gotta learn how to walk tall and stiff with your guts tucked in. Oh, have a heart, Julie. What do you expect? Miracles? One thing more and you better listen. When you're on top, don't let it go to your head. Lay off the other women, you understand? Yes. That's one thing that got Ricky and that's one thing I'm not kidding about and won't stand for you. Get it? Yeah, sure, sure, sure, Julie. All right. Now it's time I showed you something. Lamp these pictures, Johnny. Take a good look. Oh my gosh, it's... Do you recognize yourself? That's me. Only it's not, it can't be. It's enough like it'll make it worth a hundred thousand if we work fast. Worth a million if we stick it a couple of years. These pictures were snapped when you were boss man of Central City. Well, Ricky Wolfe ain't dead anymore. He's back from the grave in this room now sitting right there and he's going back. Back to Central City to be boss man again. How does it feel being Ricky Wolfe? Being Ricky... Julie, you really meant that all along. I mean, Mike going back is him. But nobody believe it. Stuff like that happens in dreams and books but we never get away with it. It just don't happen. It happens to us, Ricky Wolfe. It happens to us. No, Julie, I don't even look like him when you come right down to it for a minute. Yeah, if you look quick at the lights bad if you're half blind. But to try to pull a gag like that on his old mob the guys who really know him are crazy, Julie. You want to get us both killed? Shut up or I'll do the killing now. It's going to work for us and work good because it happens to us. You get it? You get it, Ricky Wolfe? As the curtain falls on Act One of tonight's play Johnny Brockman finds that being made over into a real tough guy is not as easy as it looks. Hey, Dan? Well, that's right, Mr. Barnes, but you know it's easy enough to soften up a Tuffy. Oh, so, Dan? Well, for instance, when tough whiskers have a man writhing and groaning over his daily shave all he needs is mole, the heavier brushless shaving cream. Yes, sir, man, because mole is heavier it not only makes softies out of the toughest whiskers it stands them up straight while your razor mows them down one, two, three. So remember, if you have wiry, hard-to-cut whiskers or a tender skin, shaving needn't be painful. With mole, you get a smooth slick shave every time. With mole, you shave faster, closer, easier, and you shave painlessly. Try it. See if you don't say, it's smooth. So smooth. It's slick. So slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-L-L-E. Mole, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tender skins. This is Jeffrey Barnes returning you to act two of Killer Come Back To Me. Julie Parks, former sweetheart of a dead gangster named Ricky Wolfe, has found in youthful Johnny Brogman a double for Ricky, since Ricky's death is known only to Julie. She plans to present Johnny as Ricky to Ricky's former gang. Well, this is the big day. Central City, here we come. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everything depends on you now. Yeah, sure, okay. You know the setup? Sure, we've been over enough. We park on spring and third, walk the rest. Right. It's a bookie joint. The biggest horse racket in Central City. We go through it to the back room. Meet the boys. There's Merritt. He's the main guy to watch. Merritt. He used to be Ricky's right arm. And there's Kelly and Rhodes, and you're sure you remember what they look like. Sure. He described them all down at the last book. Okay, then you know what to do. Take over, Ricky Wolfe. Keep going straight ahead. The back room. Back room, huh? Keep going. I think some of the guys are spotted, but don't stop. Stop. Don't talk. Here's the door. This is it, Johnny. This is it. This is a real test inside. Open the door and take over. Put 10 on the nose. Hello, boys. Huh? It's Ricky. Ricky, well, I'll be honest. Ricky Wolfe. Well, what do you know? Hi, Kelly. But, uh, where you been all this time? Yeah, where you been? Heighten up Nile, uh, Rhodes. I'm hot, remember? Yeah, yeah, but... Well, when you didn't come back, you've kind of changed a little, Ricky. What's up, boys? Hey, Merritt, look. Look who's back. Hello, Merritt. Hello. Who are you? Don't be silly, medicine. Since when? Now, take a good look. I'll pull you in the redhead. No, you're right. I'm not Ricky Wolfe. Johnny. I'm not him at all. I don't have to be a hit. I'm me. I'm myself. Johnny! And you, Merritt, you don't count for a hill of beans. I'm taking over. Oh, yeah? Drop it, you're covered, Merritt. Drop it around Trillia. Why, you... Come on! Ricky! Shut up! Who's Ricky? Lucky, oh, you're... I said shut up! The name's Johnny Brodman. You hear that, fellas? And I'm taking over. Okay. Kelly. Yeah? You know what to do. Get moving with this body. Uh, sure, boss. New Rhodes. Yeah? Help him. Get your car around the alley on a double. Well, what you waiting for? Oh, sure, boss. Right away. Hey, Sammy, catch us, Rod. Get rid of it. Yeah, yeah, sure. Now, any of you want to pull out, pull out now. Any of you don't like me, say so. Oh, no, Johnny, you're okay. Okay, Julie, we're in. Everything's okay, Ricky. Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to call you Ricky. Okay, okay. If it makes you feel better, call me Ricky. Well, sure, boss. Sure. You know, I like that. Uh, what, what? What you just said, those last few words. I like it. You understand? Sure. Sure, boss, sure. Central City. The notorious gang leader Ricky Wolfe has suddenly spun to life again holding the city in a grip of terror. The entire police force has been alerted and is determined to close with one of the most vicious bad men in the history of organized crime. Well, Dave, how do you like us now, huh? We're sitting right on top of the world. What's the matter, Julie? What's wrong? Look at this millionaire dump we've moved in on. We hit the jackpot, ain't we? Maybe. What do you mean, maybe? From now on, you don't get me to go along on any more of your jobs, boss man. What? No, Julie, at the wheel. Why not? You got to. You're still my good luck piece. You remember what I once warned you when you were still a punk about chasing other women? Well, who is? You're throwing a big party here tonight. Sure. So? So you're not going to invite big Nick Vanning. Are you kidding? I got to meet him. He's the biggest of boys, tell me. Well, I hear he's my... I mean, he used to be Ricky's sponsor, sort of. And a double-crosser with crazy ideas. I know what's up his sleeve. Lay off him. He's poisoned, do you hear? You won't listen to me anymore. You swelled it. I warned you. Julie, what's gotten into you lately? Why don't you throw out those flowers I gave you this morning? Because I don't want flowers. And I don't want big Nick around here. Ah, go lay off fried eggs, sister. Who's taking orders from who? You're a smart boy, Ricky. I'd like to see you tomorrow night at my place. What about, Nick? Oh, forgotten? You shouldn't have stayed away so long, Ricky. We've been planning this thing for two months. The biggest job ever pulled. You were in on it. Remember, Ricky? Keep talking. A job too big for any one mob. So I got some smart boys in on it from Chicago, New York. 25 of them. For the fanciest days haul anyone ever heard of. And you're having that kid, you and your boys. It's a fortune for all of us. 10 million bucks. Remember, Ricky? 10 million. Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. Hey, let me keep talking. Keep talking. Old bullion. Coming in on a freighter from Japan. Government stuff. Hey, wait a minute. Government stuff. We're gonna tangle with them. Come over tomorrow night. Get all the dope. Come in if you don't want to... I like to... Pardon me. Oh, that's all right, Franny. Well, Ricky, since you've come back again, I suppose you'll be taking up with my secretary once more, huh? She'll be there tomorrow too, by the way. Remember, little Franny, you two are beginning to be great friends. Well, say hello. Ricky and I have already met again, Nick. A lot. Yeah, that's right, Nick. We'll say, Ricky, you don't let any grass grow, do you? Come over tomorrow, Ricky, won't you? I'd... I'd like to see you. Okay. If you say so, I'll be there. This is Jeffrey Barnes again. In just a moment, we'll bring you act three of killer comeback to me. Here's something for dandruff sufferers to keep in mind. Many ordinary hair preparations are no more effective for combating dandruff than plain water is. For they merely do what plain water does. That is, remove loose dandruff. But a scientific product called double dandering does more. It actually works where most ordinary hair preparations fail. For double dandering kills the germ that many outstanding authorities contend is a cause of a common type of dandruff. Yes, and it actually kills this germ on contact. Even in the most stubborn cases, double dandering is given remarkable results. Now, the amazing effectiveness of double dandering is due to a special ingredient called alzan, an active antiseptic so highly efficient that many hospitals use it. And among hair preparations, double dandering and double dandering alone has it. So try double dandering and see if you don't agree that most ordinary hair preparations can't compare with its dandruff combating effectiveness. If you're not completely satisfied, return the empty bottle and get your money back. Buy double dandering at your druggist. Well, Nick, is he trying to sell you that crazy scheme too like he did, Ricky? Are you gonna see Nick? Yeah. And his Franny? You're not going down to Nick's tonight. Get away from that door, Julie. Staying here. This is one job you're not handling, see? He'll realize what you're up against. It's the FBI you're tangling with this time, and that's a sure ticket to a slab. And so is that Franny, Dame. That's my business. You might as well know this. She came between us before me and Ricky, and now it's all started all over again. Don't go, don't go. Please don't go. I want you to stay with me, Johnny. Julie, you mean that? Maybe that other Dame wouldn't mean a thing to me. Come here, Julie. Come on, come on, come closer. Let me kiss you. You haven't let me kiss you tonight. Oh, Ricky. Ricky. What did you say? I didn't mean it. You said Ricky. No. I'm Johnny. You're in my arms and you cry, Ricky. You love him, you love a dead man. Sure, I should have guessed. You made me over. You made me look, walk, talk like him so you could have him again. No, no, no, please, Johnny. You don't love me. You tried to dig up Ricky from the grave. Sure, sure, it all adds up. No. Johnny, Johnny, think anything you want to, but don't go out that door tonight. You'll get killed. You're afraid I'll get killed or that Ricky will die all over again. You couldn't stand that, could you? No. No, no, no, I couldn't stand it. Don't you see, Johnny, we're both the same. You don't want me. You know what you want. You want somebody you can cling to, somebody to take care of you, and I... I want Ricky! Don't say that! We met in front of a bank, Johnny, you and I, and we both wanted something. And we tried to get it, and it fell apart in our hands. Take me in your arms. Hold on to me. Hold on to me, Johnny. Be Ricky. Oh, John. I'm Johnny Broadman. I'm myself, you got that? The whole world, you got that? I don't need a woman to lean on, not my mother, not Julie, not anybody. Get away from that door. I'm going. No, I won't let you have her. Where are you going, Julie? What are you doing at that window? Leave that state alone. Keep away from there. Who are you signaling? Listen to me. I killed you once before, Ricky, and now you're going to die all over again. How are you? Too late. There was a tip-off down the road. Here, see. I would have given you one last chance. I was trying to. We could have both taken a powder, but that shade means you're here right now. Are you loud? Think your way out of this, Ricky. You're going to die all over again. This ain't Ricky. This is Johnny Broadman. Julie, Julie, what's his light? What's his search light they've thrown in here? Who is that? That's light out of my eyes. What do you want with me? Julie, Julie, honey, tell me what to do. I-I don't know what to do, Julie. Roll out your gun and come out with your hands up. Oh, Ricky, I'm not Ricky. I'm Johnny. I'm Johnny Broadman. Come on, Julie, tell him. Tell him who I am. Please. Julie, what do I do? Julie, honey, don't die. Please help me. Help me like you used to, Julie. Then, technically, he left me. No, don't. Don't shoot. Julie. Julie, please tell me the word. Get the chair. I know I'll get the chair, and I don't want to die, Julie. Baby, I don't want to die. I'm not- And now this is Jeffrey Barnes again, inviting you to be with us next week. When the Mystery Theatre presents Goodbye, Darling, by Hench Warner. Goodbye, Darling concerns a woman's cold-blooded scheme to murder her husband. It's a story full of action, suspense, and the breathtaking kind of quiet horror. It'll keep you on the edge of your chair every minute. So, be sure to join us next week when we present Goodbye, Darling. The original music for the Mystery Theatre is composed and conducted by Alexander Sammler. Killer Come Back to Me was written by Ray Bradbury and adapted for radio by Joseph Rutskull. Richard Widmark and Alice Reinhardt were featured in tonight's program. This is Dan Seymour saying goodnight until next Friday at the same time when the Mystery Theatre presents Goodbye, Darling. Tonight's Radio Theatre presentation came to you from our RCA building studios in New York. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.