 For the last time, Walt, please let me go. Nuts! Then it has to be this way. Pat, no, drop that gun! I'm sorry, Walt. Very sorry. I've known all along you had to die tonight. But I didn't know. I killed you. MUSIC Midnight, the witching hour when the night is darkest. Our fears the strongest and our strength at its lowest ebb. Midnight, when the graves gape open and deaths. How? You'll learn the answer in just a minute in The Man Who Died Yesterday. MUSIC And now, murder at midnight. Tales of mystery and terror by radio's masters of the Macabre. Our story by William Morwood is The Man Who Died Yesterday. MUSIC Afternoon on a little traveled highway. Strange-looking man, threadbare clothes. Stands hopefully by the roadside. A car comes around a curve. Slows up. Looking for a lift? Are you headed for New York? That's me. I've been...it's very good of you. I'm in a hurry to reach New York. I haven't much time, you see. Yeah, sure. I picked you right off for a big executive on his way to avoid me. Nothing like that. It's just that there's something terribly important I've got to do. Emissioned. Oh, Salvation Army, huh? No, United Nations. I have to see the Secretary General before midnight tonight. That leaves me only eight hours. The United... Are you feeling all right, pal? Yes. I was sick, but I'm feeling fine now. You don't look so good to me. Why does it go so... Of course you could do with a haircut, too. I suppose so. I'm afraid I've been out of touch with civilization a long while. By the way, my name is... rather was David Hepgood. I'm...I'm Walt Griggs. Can't you drive any faster, Walt? We've still got a long way to go, and... well, I'm worried about this part of the road. There's going to be a rock slide. Rock slide? Oh, you mean those signs? Ah, it's nothing to worry about. They put them up on... What the...? All right, keep going, Walt. We got through safely. Yeah, but... there was a rock slide, just like you said. Of course, but... I said, you know... I can see your head, Walt. See him to the future... for 24 hours. That's of course, but... still, what are the odds against calling a long shot like that? A million to one? A billion? I gave up trying to figure it. We drove along for about an hour and then stopped for gas. There was this hamburger joint right by. Where are we going, Walt? Grab a bite. Oh, but there isn't time. I've less than seven hours now, and by midnight I... I've got a gas up anyway, and I'm hungry. Come on, Ed. Hello, Sugar. Sit on it. Hamburger for me, sweetheart, with onions. What's yours, Ed? I... I'm not hungry. Oh, busy with your speech for the United Nations, huh? Well, I'll just read this... racing form while you're thinking. Racing form? Sure, I play the Gs all the time. Got some important dough on today's meat. 50 bucks on Alastair to win in the sixth. Alastair. Yep. I'm afraid you'll lose your money, Walt. What? Don't get me. Alastair's a hot favorite. It's going to be a walk away. Marble the third won that race. Marble? How do you not see the rank outside? Or a hundred... What do you mean, won the race? It hasn't been run yet, hasn't it? I didn't know. Look, I'll... Wait a minute, sweetheart. Yeah? You think you can get the races in the radio? Oh, sure. It's all tuned in. A lot of our customers like to listen. Oh, if we can't waste time like this. Who can think about a whole straight line? I can. Remember my 50 bucks? What? It's a great race. The crowd is going wild with excitement. They're around the bend now, coming to the straight. Alastair is out in front by two lanes. The rest of the horses bunched. Alastair's going strong. Oh, boy, where's your marble half-weight? Entering the last stretch now. It's a walk away for Alastair. Nice. Four lanes ahead and no challenger. You knew it all the time, Ed. You knew Marble had to win. Of course. Walt, we've got to go. Sure. Sure, have anything you say. You're the guy I've been waiting for all my life. I didn't need no more figure and to tell me hapless or gold mine. And I had them first before anybody else could get their hooks into them. The only thing that worried me was the way he talked. All this about midnight, not having much time. I had to use them while I had them, even if it meant taking chances. So while we drove, I worked on a plan. Walt, we've left the New York road. The signs are pointing the other way. I know. I'm taking a shortcut through a town called Hassek. Hassek? Yeah. That name, mean anything to you, Hassek? Hassek? Think hard. Let me see. There's going to be a hold up there tonight at the factory. Two men involved. They're still the week's payroll, $10,000. $10,000, huh? They get away with it? There's a chase, but they take off the police. Great. Couldn't be better. Why? Where the two men have you and me? What? No, Walt. No, I've got to go. No, Walt. No, I'm not a criminal. And I've something else to do with what little time I have left. You're coming with me, Hap. Maybe this will convince you. The gun doesn't frighten me. Stop the car and let me out. I've got to get to New York. All right, look. I'll make a deal with you. You come with me on the stick up, and I'll drive you straight through to New York without stopping. Ian? But I can't, Walt. My message concerns the whole world. The only way you'll get to deliver it? Well, if it is the only way. All right. There's something more I've got to tell you, Walt. What's that? We leave a dead man behind. It was getting dark when we hit town. I drove down the main street and under the factory building beyond. It was all dark except for a light and a cashier's office. Hap and I went in with the guy sitting at a desk. Who? Who are you? What do you want? The 10 grand in that safe. This is a stick up, brother. You're crazy. There's no 10. Open up. I'll do the talking. I warn you, men. You'll be caught for that. Shut up and start 10 in that dial. All right. I guess you win. Come on, come on. Snap into it. I'm doing the best I can. Hand out those greenbacks. Come on. Get a move on. Watch out, Walt. He's turning in an alarm. Why, you double-crossing rat. Ah, it's the guy that had to be killed, Hap. Yes. Okay, then step on it. The cops will be swarming around like flies. Down to the floor, boys, already. They'll start shooting soon. Are you sure we get away? There's no slip up? No. We get away all right. Good. Where did they get you, Walt? I am. What do we do, Hap? Keep driving till we hit that bend in the road. Yeah? There's a clump of willows around the corner. Pull in there. Okay. Here goes. That's the light. Off to the New York Road. I've less than three hours left. Okay, but I gotta stop and see a doctor. Hey, doctor. Sure, my arm. Oh, it's a matter of time. Oh, I'm afraid of that doctor. Something happens there that I don't understand. What is it? I don't know. It's something I should have explained before. I can see into the future for you, Walt. And for everyone else. But not for myself. What can I do for you? Oh, my arm. I had a little accident. I was clinging my gun and it went off. Come into my office. Okay. And this man? I did the friend of mine. Nothing to do with him. I don't agree. It looks much sicker than you do. No, Doctor, really. Your face is the color of... No, I'm all right. Believe me. Please hurry with my friend. I'll only take a second. Just get my status note. Let's quit kiddin' around, Doc. I'm the one that... All right. Good Lord. What's the matter, Doc? Why are you looking at him like that? But it's impossible, of course, but... There's no heartbeat. No, but... But that's impossible if your heart wasn't beating, you'd be... Dead? Yes. I've been dead since yesterday, at midnight. Moving corpse of the man who died yesterday. Walt and the Doctor draw back in horror. Just who is David Hapgood? Perhaps we'll know when the clock strikes 12 for... Murder! And now, back to murder at midnight and the man who died yesterday. I'd found the guy. I'd been with him for hours through a hole up in a kiln. And now I was hearin' from his own lips that he was dead. Gave me the creeps. I wanted to take it on the land, but instead I was froze to the floor. I heard the Doc saying... You've been dead since yesterday? Yes, Doctor. But that's impossible. There must be some explanation, some obscure heart condition. There is an explanation, but not that kind. You see, I was cheated out of 24 hours at the time of my birth, and I'm just speaking up for it now. How do you mean? This will sound fantastic to you, but nevertheless, it's true. I was born on a ship crossing the International Date Line. I started coming into the world during the last moments of a Friday and finished up early on Sunday. So I skipped a whole day of my life. I've always been living 24 hours ahead of myself. But that's sheer... Gospel, Doc. He can call the turn on anything like he was reading Tamara's paper. I told you it would sound fantastic, Doctor, but it is true. When I realized it, I... Well, I tried not to use it for selfish ends. I wanted to help people, but I never could. People would never listen to me believe me. Finally, I realized that there was no place for me in the world, but man wasn't meant to know the future. So I went away, up into the woods. How long ago? About 10 years ago. Away from civilization, it was easier. I still knew what was going to happen, of course, but with no way to communicate my knowledge, my conscience was at rest. That is, until last night. Last night? I had caught a cold. It developed into pneumonia. I was deathly sick. It couldn't breathe and lost consciousness. Then suddenly, at midnight, I was well, quite well. But a trace of my illness. I knew what had happened, of course. I was dead. But I still had my missing day to live. I knew I must use it for the benefit of mankind. How? There's something I know. Something that involves the fate of millions of people. Unless some action is taken within the next few hours. What action? What is it? I'm sorry, but I can't tell you, Doctor. I can't tell anyone except the Secretary General of the United Nations. And I must reach him before midnight, before I'm really dead. It's getting on at 10 o'clock. Now do you understand why I'm in such a hurry? I'll say let's get going. Never mind about my arm. That can wait. No, listen to me, Hap. You can't leave. What? As far as you're being able to read the future is concerned. Well, it doesn't matter whether I believe it or not. But that heart condition of yours, that's something unique in medical history. Now you've got to let me take you to a hospital, where it can be studied properly. Lay off that stuff. I'll phone for an ambulance. Stay away from that phone. He's mine. Yours? But do you realize what this can mean to science? Don't give me that talk. You just want to grab Martha yourself. And now stop it. Stop it, both of you. I don't belong to anyone. I'm not a specimen to be examined. I've got a mission to perform for all of civilization. I've got to get to the United Nations before. No, no, no. No matter how you've been deluding yourself, young man, you're terribly sick. I'm going to phone the hospital. OK, you asked for it. Oh, you. I must get away from here. Hap, Hap, come back here. Come back here. OK, if you're dead, it won't hurt you. And if you're not, that bullet went right through you and only knocked you down. Let go of me, Walt. Try to run away, huh? I've got to get to New York. Nothing can stop me. You're coming with me, Hap. I've got plans for it, as long as you last. You've got your 10,000. I've got a chance to run it up to 100,000 and we can do it. I know the place and you can call the card. But there's no time. I'm figuring out only a couple of hours. That's plenty. Listen, Walt, I'm asking you for the last time. Let go. Do a decent thing for once in your life. And that's what I'm trying to do. It's for you as much for millions of others. I never gave a cuss about the others, and I'm not starting now. All right, Walt. Then there's to be this way. Hap, drop that gun. I've known all along that you had to die tonight. But I didn't know that I'd kill you. I bane you. Sorry? Oh, that's all right. I don't like fellas that gad too much. You know, it was nice of you to pick me up back there on the road. I was lonely. Besides, I, uh, well, I needed to reassurance. How's that? You see, I've been out of touch with civilization for some time, and the people I've met today weren't inspiring. You're a strange guy, do you know it? Am I? Yeah, I mean the way you talk and look. You don't look quite real. Oh, no, no, don't get me wrong. I like you a lot. Oh, I'm glad. Well, for instance, we've been driving for nearly an hour now, and you haven't even made a pass at me one. I'm afraid that wouldn't do either of us much good. Yeah, but just the same, a girl appreciates a little thing like that. Instead, well, what's your name? You can call me Hap. Hi, Hap, I'm Hazel. How do you do? Well, I guess I ought to tell you something about myself. Well, I know a little already. Huh? You're going to New York to find your fiance, aren't you? Yeah, a guy called. Hey, how'd you know that? You're going to look him up in the phone book and call. Then you're going to find out that he's married. Oh, you're kidding me. Jim wouldn't do a thing like that. He'd wait for me forever. He said he would. And hey, why are we stopping? Almost out of gas. Howdy, folks. Fill her up as quickly as possible. OK. How far to New York from here? Well, you ought to be in George Washington Bridge in about 10 minutes. Fine. You folks hear about all the excitement on the highway. No, what happened? Well, the cops are looking for a crazy killer. Murdered three people. One was a stick up. The other two was a doctor and his own sidekick. Oh, what's he look like? Well, according to the radio, he's got a chalk white face with mop of hair that looks like it hasn't been cut in weeks. No hat and, uh, and. What's the matter, bud? What are you staring at? Your friend. I got to get something out of the office. I'll be back in a minute. He's going to phone the police. This is your chance to get out, Hazel. Oh, no, I'm staying with you, Hep. Now, you better get moving and keep moving. No sign will be unfollowed. We may make it yet. Are you frightened, Hazel, being with me? I guess I should be, but I'm not. Thank you. Somehow, I can't believe you're crazy. If you killed anyone, you knew what you were doing and you had a good reason. Thank you again. You don't know what that means to me. Have people always been scared of you, Hep? Most people, till I met you. Why couldn't I have met you sooner, Hazel? Well, what's wrong with now? It's a little late. Not for me. You honestly mean that? Sure. Well, then perhaps it's going to be all right after all. Perhaps we'll meet again. What do you mean? I didn't mean to tell you this. I shouldn't now. It may cause you pain. Go ahead. I can stand it. After you call Jim your fiancee and find that he's married, start across the street. In a day's, a taxi is driving too fast and... Got my number on it, huh? Yes, I'm sorry. And yet, in a way, what did that sign say, Hazel? Uh, George Washington Bridge, Tumor. Oh, I'm going to make it. There's still time. The Secretary General is in his home. But let me in when they hear my message. I'll have most of a now with him. It's not quite 11 yet. 11? Hey, your watch must have stopped. What? Look, look, there's a clock in the building. Where? Up to the right there. Wait a minute. It's a 12. Oh. Well, what's the matter, half? Oh, I can't make it. Oh, I've lost. Unless, a telephone. There's still time for that. Well, why are you talking in a cell phone? In that house. The family's all in bed upstairs. There's a telephone in the parlor. But the door is sure to be locked. It's forgotten to latch the parlor window. Hey, how do you know all these things? Never mind now. Goodbye, Hazel. But I'll be waiting here. No, you'd better start down the road. The police mustn't find you. But when you come back, I'll be here. I won't be back, Hazel. This is goodbye. For keeps. Operator, get me the Secretary General of the United Nations at his home. Hurry, please. It's urgent. Hello? The Secretary General, please. It's terribly important. No, I've got to speak to him personally. I've... Midnight. Will you get him for me? There's no time left. And... Never mind. I'll tell you. It's... It's about... Annie, look at that wholeness chest. It's never blood. Huh? What could happen is... He was dead before the bullet hit him. So the man who died yesterday, while outside, somewhere in the night, the restless spirit keeps a rendezvous that none can avoid. And the distant clocks chime the last note in epilogue four. Murder! Remember to be with us again when death brings time to a full stop. And the clocks strike 12 for... Murder! David Hapgood was played by Stuart Brody. Bandel Kramer was Walt. With music by Charles Paul, Murder at Midnight was directed by Anton M. Leder.