 Suspense. Autolight and its 96,000 dealers present Miss Betty Davis in Good Night, Mrs. Russell. A suspense play, produced and edited by William Spear. Say, Harlow, what's the idea? Why do you stand there so stifly and keep banging your hand on your forehead? I'm saluting, Hap. Saluting? Yeah. Oh, I get it. Saluting Autolight-Resister spark plugs. No, no. Not that those wonder-working wide-gap whizzes don't warrant a whale of a whack on the welkin. They do, they do. But tonight, I'm saluting the truckers of America. The nifty nonpareil purveyors of conveyers who are holding their annual get-together and gabfest in Boston, Massachusetts starting tomorrow. Oh, you mean the American Trucking Association? The same. Why, they've got millions of accident-free miles to their credit. Sell them, if ever. Make a mistake on the road. How do they do it? I'm not sure, but I think Autolight-Resister spark plugs must be behind it. Because, well, because you're always right with Autolight. And now, with Good Night, Mrs. Russell starring Miss Betty Davis with Elliot Reed, Autolight hopes once again to keep you in suspense. There's no escaping now. He hasn't said a word for 10 minutes. I know he's turning over in his mind how he's going to kill me. Argument and reasoning are useless. It's almost dawn now. In a little while, the milkman and the paper boys will be making their rounds. I'll be dead. The cafe was just half a block away from where I worked. It was a small, pleasant little place, thoughtlessly clean, the large plate glass window in the sidewalk. And there was always a beautiful-looking roast turkey and a juicy baked ham in the window. And you could watch Henry carve off succulent pieces of meat and arrange them into neat sandwiches with an olive and a dab of potato salad on the plate. Every noon, all of us who worked in the Hilmar building would go there for lunch. We crowded in on the high stools and jambered, as women do, while Henry patiently served us and put up with our female chatter. He was always the only one there. How are you today, ma'am? Fine, thank you, Henry. How about some of your nice baked ham? Yes, ma'am. Coming up. Always especially nice to me. I suppose that was because I'm well a little older than the others. Other girls are all very young, very cute. Henry always seemed uncomfortable a little with them. Yes, ma'am. Coffee? Please. And I believe I'll have some of your cherry pie. You're an excellent cook, Henry. Well, thank you, ma'am. I'm glad you think so. Twenty and fifteen, thirty-five, and... Henry had been right in the middle of adding up my check, and he stopped and stood very still and looked out of the corner of his eye with his head cocked on one side as though he were listening to something. His expression was a little horrified. I thought maybe he'd heard a sound that meant something to him. You know, like the refrigerator out of water or something. Then all of a sudden he shook his head and brushed away whatever it was he'd heard. Twenty and fifteen, thirty-five, and forty-five. You should try one of my dinner sometime, ma'am. Yeah, Henry. Henry, how about some service? Oh, excuse me, ma'am. That was Henry. Oh, one other thing, funny, but Henry never smiled. Perhaps I should have realized about him because of that. But I didn't. He was so nice and clean and polite I rather liked him. As a rule, I make my own dinner in the apartment, but one night I had to work quite late at the office and I decided to stop by Henry's and get a little bite before catching the streetcar home. Ever since my husband's death, I've felt just a little uneasy on the streets alone at night. I was glad to see the bright light in Henry's little cafe down the block. Henry's alone inside and I could see him fussing around cleaning up the place. He didn't hear me approaching. What's that? Oh, you... you frightened me, ma'am. I didn't hear you coming. I just thought I'd try one of your dinners tonight, Henry. You mentioned it. Yes, I know. Sit down, won't you? Ma'am? You weren't closing or anything? No, no, not at all. What would you like? Oh, I'll try your number four dinner. Number four? Yes, ma'am. He seemed frightened about something or suspicious. Yes, that was that he seemed suspicious about something I thought. I wanted to help him somehow, but I didn't want to butt in. This is the first time you've ever been by here at night, ma'am. Yes, I had to work late tonight, Henry. Didn't want to go home without dinner, you know. I see. Is something wrong, Henry? No, no. I'll get the rest of your dinner. Delicious soup. Thank you, ma'am. You don't often work late, do you? No, I don't. This is the first time, in fact. My boss asked me to stay late to type some letters. I know. You work in the Hilmar building. Yes, I do. How do you...? I know lots of things, ma'am. This is a good dinner, Henry. I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought I was. I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave some of it. I thought you liked my cooking. You said so just the other day. I do. I think you're a fine cook, Henry. I'm just not hungry tonight. I waited too long to eat, I guess. You don't have to make excuses, ma'am. If you didn't like it, just say so. Oh, no. I mean it. Your food is wonderful, Henry. It weren't I wouldn't have come here. Wouldn't you? No. Now, could I have my check, please? 85 cents, ma'am. All right. Here you are, Henry. You may keep the change. I'd rather not, ma'am. Here. Very well. Good night, Henry. Good night. Yes. Next time you come, I'll have something you like. But I did like... Oh, good night, Henry. Good night, Mrs. Russell. It was good food, but I... Oh, I felt ill at ease in there for some reason. That's why I couldn't eat. I decided not to go back there alone. Rather hard to talk to Henry. And I didn't go back alone. That is not for three weeks. Had to work late. And again, and for the last time, I went to Henry's. Hello, Henry. Wow. You decided to try me again, I see. Why, Henry, I've been eating here every day. Not at night. What's the difference? Well, in the daytime, you're always with your friends. I like to eat with my friends. Now come on, let's have no more of this silly talk. How about one of your wonderful dinners, Henry? I promise to eat all of it tonight. All right, ma'am. Which one? I'll try the number four again, please. I think that way I can convince you I really like it. Why? Why? Well, because I think four is lucky, don't you? All right, ma'am. It's all ready. You don't have many customers at night, do you, Henry? No, ma'am. Not many. I'm surprised you say open. Are you? There you are. I hope you... I hope... Henry, what is it? You seem to be listening for something. Is there... Are you enjoying your dinner? I hate to sound like I'm prying. I know it isn't my business at all, but I... I do think something's bothering you. Do you? Yes, isn't there some way I can help you? Nothing's bothering me, ma'am. Yes. You know, I had a son like you. Did you? He was in the army, killed in the war. He was very much like you. I see. That left me all alone in the world. My husband Leonard died four years ago. Yes. He was a wonderful man. Everyone admired him. A contractor, you know. I see. He didn't notice that I talked away about my family and everything. He became very quiet. He sat down on the cooler back of the counter and just watched me. His face absolutely blank. Couldn't tell what he was thinking. When I'd ask him a question, he'd just answer with I see, or yes, or no. Sometimes he wouldn't answer at all. Just stare at me. I was getting uneasy again. I just about decided to make up an excuse to pay my bill and leave. It was getting quite late when... when my head began to feel heavy. And I began to feel sick. Henry. Henry, I feel ill. Henry, I'm awfully dizzy. I don't think I can... Henry, can't you hear me? I believe I'm going to faint. Perhaps you'd better help. Did you do something? Good night, Mrs. Russell. The light is bringing you Miss Betty Davis in Good Night, Mrs. Russell. Tonight's production and radio's outstanding theater of thrills. Suspense. Harlow, how'd you stain your tie? Oh, that's from the alphabet soup we had at dinner. Boy, do I love that soup. Crazy about it, huh? We have a special alphabet, too. Only the letters A-L-R-S-P. A-L-R-S-P? Stand for Auto Light Resistor Spark Plugs. Oh, brother. Say, when you eat it, do you make noises that sound like A-L-R-S-P? Noise? No, sir. Everything's smooth with Auto Light Resistor Spark Plugs because only Auto Light Resistor Spark Plugs have the built-in 10,000 ohm resistor that makes practical their wider gap setting and results in... One. 200% longer electrode life. Two. Quicker starts in cold temperatures. Three. Better engine performance on leaner gas mixtures. Gas savings. Four. Less spark plug interference with radio and television from passing cars and trucks. Auto Light Resistor Spark Plugs are backed by the engineering know-how of Auto Light, leader in resistor spark plugs. Millions are in use today. So get yourself a set of Auto Light Resistor Spark Plugs. Remember, you're always right with Auto Light. And now Auto Light brings back to a Hollywood soundstage our star Betty Davis with Elliot Reed in Good Night, Mrs. Russell. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. I don't know how long I was unconscious. It seemed just for a moment, the moment crowded with horrible nightmares and dreadful sounds. I remember hearing a woman screaming. Screaming and crying horribly. It was ghastly. I must have been unconscious several hours. And when I opened my eyes, it was dark. Pitch dark. A clock was ticking somewhere, and I realized that the screaming woman had been me. Is anyone here? Where at? I'm tied up. Who's there? Can anyone hear me? Mrs. Russell? Henry, where was he? The room was black as night. I could see nothing. What was I doing here? Why was I tied up? How did I get here? I remembered nothing after... after feeling... it is it, English. So that was you. You put something in my food, didn't you, Henry? Yes, I did, Mrs. Russell. I didn't want to kill you at the cafe, you see. Yes, Mrs. Russell. Can you? Ben. Why, Henry? Why? Because you're my enemy, you and all the others. Your enemy? I like you, Henry. I've always liked you. I... I do... Don't lie, Mrs. Russell. You thought I didn't know, didn't you? You thought I didn't know what you were up to. What I was up to? Planning to kill me. Night after night, I've heard you. All of you were outside my window whispering. And how you were going to kill me. Didn't you know I could hear you? I'm saying... Oh, no, I'm smart, Mrs. Russell. And you know it. That's why all of you planned to kill me. Get rid of me. Oh, it's just lucky I found out you were one of them. You'll be the first to die, Mrs. Russell. And you're going to die slowly in the dark. How do you like that, Mrs. Russell? Be quiet, Mrs. Russell. Or I'll have to beat you up before I kill you. I tried to make myself think. I remembered you're supposed to humor people like Henry. I tried to control myself. No one can hear you. No one even knows you're here. And I'm not going to untie you either. Not until you're dead. Henry. Henry, I'm just... I'm only informed... You'll lie here in the dark and listen to the clock. For half an hour. Just half an hour, Mrs. Russell. And then I'll kill you. You see, I want you to suffer like you've made me suffer. Henry, I'm just an ordinary woman. Oh, I'm smart enough to see through those remarks you made. Remarks? Always talking about what a good cook I was. As if you felt I wasn't a man. I know what you were thinking. Henry, I didn't mean anything of the sort. I really... And then rubbing it in about your precious son in the army. Rubbing it in, torturing him. Henry, that's wrong. And always ordering number four dinner. Oh, I'm smart. You see, Mrs. Russell, I can figure things out. Number four is lucky, you said. Four for four F you meant. Henry, Henry, all those things they were your imagination. I didn't mean them that way at all. I didn't know about the army. Weak excuses, Mrs. Russell. Oh, you're like all the rest. I'm too smart for you and you know it. So you want to kill me. I'm a dangerous enemy, Mrs. Russell. Oh, how long have I got to live, Henry? Oh, a half hour. I don't know. The alarm will ring. And then I'll kill you. I was resigned to it then. It seemed so hopeless. But then I thought if I could just get him to turn on the light, I might see a way out. It was a forlorn hope, but I tried it. Henry, you know you set the clock right. Henry! I heard you. No, you didn't. Answer I thought. You thought you could get me to turn on the light. Sorry, Mrs. Russell. Henry, you're torturing yourself more than you are me, Henry. Do you know that? What do you mean? Well, you don't know when the alarm's going to ring either. You must be sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to hear it. Aren't you? You see, when it rings, I know that I'll have to die. But you know that you'll have to commit a terrible crime. Murder, Henry. Shut up! It is true then, isn't it? You can't trick me into turning on the light. I'm too smart for that. Oh, you're going to suffer in the dark. As I have. I decided to turn on the light, Mrs. Russell. At first I was blinded in being the dark so long. Then I saw his hands. They were long and slim and brown. Blue veins stood out on the backs of her. I looked up at him. He was glaring at me from beneath his, bulging for it. Then he picked up the alarm clock and looked at it. Henry, I see it's ten minutes to three. Yes, Mrs. Russell. You have ten minutes to live. Can you wait? It was a tiny, neat living room. I was on a couch. The shades were down. There was no foaming. Well, the front door might be unlocked, it might. I can wait, Henry. Eight minutes now. Somehow with the lights on, I felt more optimistic, though. The hands were racing each other around the face of the clock. If I could just get untied now, there'd be a chance. I'd have to be careful, but quick, quick. Five minutes, Mrs. Russell. Henry, what? Are those things strapped to that board over there on the wall? Huh? Oh, that's my collection. A collection? Match folders. Oh, do you collect match folders? Oh, yes. I'll show them to you. Oh, hell, my brothers. He took them down off the wall. That clock would only stand still for five minutes. Here. See? I have folders from all the famous night spots. Here's Siro's, and the Stork Club, and 21. I bet you didn't think I'd been to all those places, did you? Oh, I know. Have you, Henry? Oh, sure, lots of times. People would never believe me. That's why I have these. Well, lovely, Henry. Henry, my arms and legs are numb from being tied up like this. Could you? No! I warned you not to get tricky, Mrs. Russell. I just wanted you to loosen my hand, so I could look at your collection. Just your hands. His collection for the moment. But that alarm would go any second and I would remind him. As he untied my hands, my eyes fell on a large jade bookend beside the couch. There. Now, be careful, Mrs. Russell. You just wanted to see my collection, remember? Yes, Henry, show it to me. Now, oh, see this one? That's from the Coconut Grove. Yes, yes, Henry. I let my hands steal along the couch toward the bookend. Isn't that beautiful? Yes, yes, it is, Henry. I had it in my hands. You're not paying attention. Oh, yes, I am! Henry! When I was some hour, I'd gotten the bindings off my feet and I was outside in the night. He'd been telling the truth. His house was completely isolated on one block. I ran down the block as hard as I could. I didn't even think about direction just ran. I knew he'd come to in a minute and I had to get out of sight. I'm not used to such exercise and my heart was pounding so hard it ached. In the middle of the next block, I stopped for a moment and leaned against a tree to breathe and I looked back and I saw him. I could see him beneath the street lamp. He'd stopped not knowing which way I'd gone. He was wild, his mouth was hanging open loosely. I shrank back further in the shadows and prayed he'd go the other way. He didn't. He started walking rapidly again in my direction. There was a house on this block, a big rambling place. It was after 3 a.m. and the people would be asleep but I knew I could run no further. Help! A note pinned to the door. It said no milk for 10 days. I could hear Henry's footsteps down the street and I knew he must have heard me. It would burst. The street was deserted. And then I heard a car approaching. He was a block away. We're going home again, Mrs. Russell. Now escaping now. He hasn't said a word for 10 minutes. I know he's turning over in his mind how he's going to kill me. It's almost dawn now in a little while the milk man and paper boys will be making their rounds. I'll be dead. You shouldn't have tried to get away, Mrs. Russell. You made me very mad. I know. You shouldn't have hit me either. You were even smarter than I thought, Mrs. Russell. You almost made it. But you weren't smart enough. Were you? If you're going to kill me, Henry, please do it. Haven't you tortured me enough? You see, it just didn't do you any good to be my enemy, did it? I don't like to kill you, but I have to. It's the only way I can protect myself. Don't you see you're not well, Henry? Please try to listen to me. You'll have to kill all the others, too. If I don't, they'll kill me. The others. Oh, don't pretend you don't know, Mrs. Russell. Oh, I've heard them whispering about me. You must have heard them, too. The voices. The voices. All the time, just like I told you. When I'm at work and even here at home, I hear them plotting. I don't know. I know. Henry, there's no one. It's all in illusion. Don't you see? Just like you are. They're afraid of me because they know I can outsmart them. I'm too clever for them, and they know it. That's why they want to kill me. That's why you want to kill me, isn't it, Mrs. Russell? I don't want to kill you, Henry, if only then... Oh, I sort of got to like you, Mrs. Russell. If you weren't dangerous to me, I might let you live. I'm not dangerous to you, Henry. Oh, yes, you are. I've decided to choke you. If you close your eyes, it will happen very quickly. You'll hardly know it. Are you ready, Mrs. Russell? Please don't struggle. It'll be much easier for both of us. Aren't you going to close your eyes? No. What's that? What? Listen, you can hear them. Don't you hear them? The voices. The voices. The voices. Don't you hear them? Yes, I hear them, Henry. See? Now you believe me, don't you? You hear what they're saying? Yes. Yes, it's just as you said, Henry. They must be right near. Yes, right near. There are a lot of them. Too many. You'd better hide, Henry. Yes, but where? They sound louder all the time. They're getting closer. Have you a closet? Yes, that's it. The closet. Over here. Shall I help you, Henry? Yes. Yes. But be quick. This closet. I'll hide in here. All right, Henry. I'll protect you. There. A good place to hide. What if they find me here? I'll lock the door, Henry. No. I don't want to be locked in. They're getting closer, Henry. You'll unlock the door when they're gone? Yes, Henry. Suspense presented by Autolite. Tonight's star is Betty Davis with Elliott Reed. You know, Harlow, it's really marvelous how safely and courteously American truckmen drive. You said it happened. Autolite cooperates regularly with the American Trucking Associations in their excellent highway safety programs. Say that swell, Harlow. Swell? Say that reminds me. We haven't said anything about the more than 400 products Autolite makes for cars, trucks, planes, and boats in 28 plants, coast to coast. They're swell, too. And Autolite makes complete electrical systems for many of America's finest cars. Batteries, spark plugs, generators, starting motors, coils, distributors, all engineered to fit together perfectly, work together perfectly because they're a perfect team. So, folks, don't accept electrical parts that are supposed to be as good. Ask for and insist on Autolite, original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage or repair shop. Remember, you're always right with Autolite. Next Thursday for Suspense, Victor Mature will be our star. The play is called Momentum. And it is, as we say... A tale well calculated to keep you in... Suspense. Tonight's Suspense play was produced and edited by William Speer and directed by Norman MacDonald. Music for Suspense is composed by Lucian Moraweck and conducted by Lud Bluskin. Good night, Mrs. Russell was an original radio play written by Ben S. Hunter. Betty Davis will soon be seen in the Warner Brothers production Beyond the Forest. You can buy Autolite resistor spark plugs, Autolite staple batteries, Autolite electrical parts at your neighborhood Autolite dealers. Switch to Autolite. Good night. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.