 From Hollywood, the Screen Directors Playhouse. Screen Directors Playhouse star Jimmy Stewart, production called Northside 777, director Henry Hathaway. The Hollywood Screen Directors present the document on murder. The motion picture drama called Northside 777, starring Jimmy Stewart in his original role of McNeil. This is a true story. Its first chapter was written in blood in the turbulent Chicago of 1932, December 9th on South Ashland Avenue, in a place operated by a woman named Wanda Skutnik. The sign in front of her place said groceries and delicatessen, but that was just the front for a speakeasy. Wanda, you're looking at a cup of the cold coming in. Come in the back room, Bundy. I'll fix you up with a drink. That wind out there cuts like a knife. I can pour my own if you've got something to do, Wanda. You've got customers. Hey, two men. Yeah, they've got their faces covered. It's a stick up! Wanda! Officer Bundy lay dead. The eighth policeman killed that year. Several days later, the police received a tip that pointed suspicion toward a man named Tomek Zaleska. It was discovered that Zaleska had spent the night of the murder with a friend, Frank Wiecek. Both suspects, Wiecek and Zaleska, were swiftly brought to trial. Mrs. Skutnik, you have already identified Tomek Zaleska as one of the men who murdered policeman John Bundy. Do you see in this courtroom the other man who took part in the shooting? Yeah. Yeah, I do. Over there, him! No! Frank Wiecek! No, that's not true! Had you ever seen Wiecek prior to the shooting? No. Then the first time you saw him was at the time of the murder. Yeah. That's all. Your Honor, the people rest. Frank Wiecek and Tomek Zaleska were sentenced to 99 years in state-filled penitentiary. Our story now concerns only Frank Wiecek. His case was forgotten for 11 years, forgotten until October 10, 1944, when a small advertisement appeared in the Chicago Times and found its way to the desk of Brian Kelly, the city editor. Read this ad, McNeil. It appeared in our morning edition. $5,000 reward for the killers of Officer Bundy on December 9, 1932, called Northside 777. What do you make of it? I just want to know why it's worth 5,000 to somebody to find out who killed a cop 11 years ago? Well, 1932 was open season on cops, Kelly. On the Northside, they were shooting them in pairs like a brace of ducks. Well, it won't hurt to check it. I might even get your name in the papers. Oh, well, this is sucker bait, this ad. Every grifter in town will be out after that 5,000. Frame their brothers to get it. Wait a minute, no. Maybe this ad is a frame. Hey, there's a lot of angles to it. See what I mean? Just takes you longer to catch on. Follow that. I'm looking for Tilly Weechek. What you want? Well, I called Northside 777. They said I'd find her around the building somewhere. I'm Tilly. I scrub here nights. Oh, I see. Did you run this ad? Yeah. That's from me. You know something? No. No, I'm a reporter from the Chicago Times. We'd like to know why you're so anxious to find the killers of this cop. Frank Weechek is my son. I his mother. He's in prison for killing policemen. He didn't do it. My friends tell me if I offer big money, maybe somebody will tell who really killed policemen. Where'd you get the $5,000? For 11 years, I scrubbed floors. I never miss day's work. I earn it every penny. 11 years? Ah, that's a long time. You just say it. My boy. He'll leave it. Ah, you're just going to be wasting your money. No, not me. I get Frank out someday, somehow. First, I tried $3,000. Nothing. Now I try $5,000. Well, I suppose nothing happened. Then I work 11 more years. I get $10,000. But my boy Frank, someday, he get out. Ah, I... Ah, goodbye, Miss Weechek. That yarn you wrote on the Scrub Woman's a good one, Mac. It's got size. Scrub Woman's slaves to clear son of 11-year-old murder charge. I remember the story, Kelly. You don't have to read it to me. It's too good for a one-day story. Why don't you go up to Stateville and interview her son? Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute now. I didn't play up that angle just to glorify a cop killer. You got proof he is a cop killer? Well, they didn't send him to the penitentiary for 99 years for playing hooky. Look, I read the file on this case, Kelly. Now, the kid killed a cop and he got what was coming to him. Mac. Look, let's put it this way. I'm interested for personal reasons. My mother did the same thing. Scrubbed floors on hands and knees for more than 11 years to send me through school. Okay. I'll go up to the pen in the morning to see him. Good boy. Kelly. What? I happen to know that your mother had a small anointing. She never scrubbed a floor in her life, and you never got past the fifth grade. But I figured if you pull such a corny gag, you must want me to go up there pretty bad, so I'm going. I just don't want you to think you got away with anything. We checked. The Times is taking an interest in your case. I'd like more of your side of things. I need an angle to hit the public with. You understand? Yes. How about the agile mother around in the papers now? Do you know she was scrubbing floors to get the money? Yes, sir, I did. All she lives for is to get me out. I guess that's all I've got to live for, too. Well, that's a great angle. We'll play that up, your faith in each other. You know, if you're guilty, you're letting her slave away her life for nothing. She knows I'm not guilty. I read the transcript, the trial, you know. Yes, but you only read what convicted me. All the true facts didn't come out. Even Judge Molton said I wasn't guilty. What, the judge gave you 99 years? That's right. In his chambers after the trial. Oh, after the trial. Well, we'd better duck that angle. What else? Well, my lawyer was a drunk. He didn't even let me understand because he was afraid I'd get the chair. Go on. Well, when they question you hour after hour, you're bound to get mixed up on little things the way I did, but they wouldn't listen to me. That's another good angle. Rayl wrote it. Well, they took me from one police station to another every few hours, taking you around the horn, they call it, so my lawyer couldn't get me out. And this one, this scutnik, the first two times she saw me, she said I wasn't a guy. Then all of a sudden she said I was. Why? Finger woman. Well, play that up, too. Speaking of women, how about your wife? She visits you regularly? My wife? Yes. Yes, but we're divorced. Oh, I see. Well, maybe we'd better duck that angle, too. Are you duck so many things? You don't believe me, do you? And here's what we'll do. We'll play up the mother angle and this finger woman, maybe throw in some police and political corruption. I didn't say that. Oh, what difference does it make? Make a good story. And it could be true. You've got to have sock mass appeal, get public sympathy, public support. You leave it to me. I see. Well, thank you, Mr. McNeil. Thank you for coming to see me. It's a great story, Mac, but what are you going to use for a follow-up? Look, Kelly, I did what you told me. I interviewed Weechech. I wrote it up. Now let it drop. It's snowballing, Mac. They want more of it. Who does? The circulation department? We're selling lots of papers. Yeah, we might also be selling that dead cop short. Maybe he had a mother who scrubbed floors, too. Look, Mac, I... Yeah, yeah, and I'll tell you something else. That judge Weech said promised him a new trial. Yeah, well, he died three weeks before the case, after the case was closed. Pretty smart of that Weech to give me a lead he knew I could never check. Okay, Mac, okay. If you're so sure the guy's guilty, there's nothing more to the story than ended. Write a finished piece and kill it. I'll take that deal. I'll interview his wife. She believed in him so much she got a divorce. Yeah, I'll interview her. I'll write a story and that'll kill it for keeps, Mr. Kelly. You got any idea why Weech wanted to see me again, Warden? I think I'd better let him tell you that. Oh, Weech, what's on your mind? Mr. McNeil, you've been to see my wife and boy, haven't you? Yeah, that's right. I don't want you to write anymore about me or my family. Well, you want help, don't you? I made my wife divorce me and Mary again so my boy could have a new name. You've gone and printed his picture. You've spoiled everything for him. Now everyone knows his father's a convict. I don't know. I thought I was doing a good job. No, no. No, this is writing without heart and without truth. Mr. McNeil, I'll stay here a thousand years, but you will leave alone my mother and my wife and my boy. How about that? I've read all you've written and I think you've picked some pretty low curves. Oh, I wrote it the way I saw it. What's the matter? Everybody goes soft on this thing. McNeil, up here every man claims to be innocent, but the prisoners are the harshest judges of themselves and they believe we have only one man who doesn't belong here, Frank Wiecek. Okay. Okay, Warden. Oh, Wiecek. Would you come back here a minute? Look, Frank, I've decided to go on with your case and I'll slant the story your way. What? I still don't think you're innocent, but from here on out, I'm willing to dig. Get the facts. You're really on the level this time? Yeah. But that cuts both ways, so get this. If I ever catch you lying to me, I'll blast you so hard you won't even get your parole when your 35 years are up. Now, don't ever forget that. You are listening to the Screen Directors Playhouse production of Call Northside 777, starring Jimmy Stewart. Are you sure you want to go through with this lie detector test, Frank? Remember now, if it turns out bad, you're cooked. If it turns out good, it still isn't legal evidence. Mr. McNeil, for 11 years I've been waiting for a chance at that box. I'll take the test. Frank Wiecek passes lie test. Eh? Okay, Mac, what now? Well, now I start checking through old police records. That won't be easy. Yeah, you're telling me. Political corruption seen in Wiecek's case. The state's attorney's office today endeavored to stop this investigator from examining police records behind the conviction of Frank Wiecek. What about the boss that forced Kelly? Mr. Palmer? Yeah, I got a pretty good idea, Mac. This last article of yours on political corruption in the Wiecek case hit him pretty hard. Yeah, I haven't begun to swing yet. They've obstructed me all along the line, but I've finally found what I was looking for in the police records. Huh? Wiecek was arrested on December the 22nd, but he wasn't booked until the 23rd. Now, Wanda Scotton, it could have seen him a couple of times before she identified him on the 23rd. Oh, here we are. Kelly McNeil, you know my attorney Burns. How'd he do? Mr. Burns, how is it? I've just had a visit from a delegation, gentlemen. The commissioner, Mr. Faxton from the state attorney and Mr. Winston from the governor. They object to our handling of the Wiecek case. Well, Mr. Palmer, Wiecek is innocent. They say it's time for us to put up a shut-up. The governor's going to set up a special hearing of the pardon board next week. If we can prove Wiecek innocent, he'll get a part. If not, we're to drop this whole matter once and for all. I accepted the deal. My attorney Burns here thinks it was a bad one. McNeil, I'm an attorney. I know what it's like to go up before the pardon board. They're not interested in lie detector tests. They warn facts. Okay, I'll give you something better than facts. Here's a picture I dug out of our file. Picture? Yeah. Wanda Skutnik testified she didn't see Wiecek from the time of the murder until she identified him on December 23rd. But this picture shows a cop taking Wiecek into the new city station. And with them is Wanda Skutnik. When was this taken? Well, on the 22nd of December, obviously, that's the day they were taken Wiecek from station to station. Now, look, McNeil, you can't just say that obviously it was taken the 22nd. You have to prove it. But obviously it is. It could easily have been taken after she identified him on December 23rd. The law of the state of Illinois requires only one eyewitness for an identification and conviction. So far, that witness, Wanda Skutnik, has not retracted her testimony. And unless you can make a liar out of her, you've got no case. You mean we'd better get off the hook, Burns? Yes, I do. What about it, McNeil? Want to give up? No, I don't. Wiecek is innocent. Now, I know that beyond any doubt. It's true I haven't found any of the key witness, Wanda Skutnik. I haven't cracked her testimony. But I want a chance to find her. I want a chance to get Wiecek out. Now, if we call off this hearing, we'll never get another. The bargain stands. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Palmer. That gives me just one week to find Wanda Skutnik. I'll call in every day. Mr. Palmer? McNeil. No luck today. I'll call you tomorrow. I covered 34 bars today. I've got nothing. Still no sign of Wanda Skutnik. Never heard of Wanda Skutnik, huh? Thanks anyway, bartender. Hey, mister. Huh? Your name, McNeil? Yeah, why? I've been reading your story. I wondered when you'd hit this neighborhood. You know where Wanda Skutnik is? Wasn't it for me? What do you want? I owe the bartender a $0.75. Here, here, take it out of this. She had not thrown them bricks at me. Where is she? 3724 Honor Street. Only her name is Siskovich now. She married a big ape called Boris. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Who are you? I'm from the Times. My name is... Get out of here. You're Wanda Skutnik. Get out. You're wasting your time. The first two times you saw Weechek, you couldn't identify him. What made you change your mind? Get out. I'm not changing my testimony. Will you take a lie test? Do you think I'm crazy? I got no reason to help Weechek or you either. You're the one who wrote those lies about me. I've been thinking of suing you. Yeah, that's why I wrote them. I'd love to get you on the witness stand under oath. Get out of here. Boris, put down that gun. Now, look. Get out. I will never change my testimony. Never. Now, get out. Look. Okay. Okay, I'm going. Over to tell you. I didn't want you to have to read about it in the paper, Mrs. Weechek. Wanda Skutnik won't change your testimony. And that Lexus. You're having a chance in the world of getting Frank a pardon. No chance. But you have a lawyer. Yeah. Yeah, Mr. Burns. He's going before the pardon board in Springfield in a couple of hours to request that the petition be withdrawn. Oh, no. No, no. I'm sorry, Mrs. Weechek. I... I'm sorry. Where to, mister? Oh, the Chicago Times office driver. Okay. See you in the afternoon paper? No. Yeah, you are. Isn't there an article in there about a forgery? Yeah. A police break forgery case by enlarging, writing on check a thousand times. Yeah, that's right. Enlarging a thousand times. And like... Now, wait a minute. This picture I've got of Wanda and Frank together. Oh. Driver. Driver, get me to the police lab right away, will you? The special hearing of the board of pardons of the state of Illinois is now in session. Mr. Chairman, gentlemen, I originally came here to ask that the petition of Frank Weechek be withdrawn. But an hour ago, I received a call from McNeil of the Times. He informed me he's flying to Springfield with conclusive evidence in support of the petition of Frank Weechek. What is this evidence, Mr. Brown? Well, unfortunately, my telephone conversation with him was brief. I'm afraid I don't know. Mr. Chairman, representing the state's attorney's office, I object. If there is evidence, let it be presented at once. Why don't we ask that the petition of Frank Weechek be denied here and now? Gentlemen, here's McNeil. I'm sure I couldn't get her here any sooner. May I have permission to address the board, Mr. Chairman? Granted, Mr. McNeil. Gentlemen, you're only interested in facts. Well, I finally got them. Now, Wanda Skutnik is the only one responsible for Weechek's conviction. But she lied. Why should she lie, Mr. McNeil? I don't know, Mr. Faxon. Maybe prejudice, maybe a bribe. The point is, she lied. Can you prove that, Mr. McNeil? Weechek was arrested at 5 a.m. on December the 22nd. But he wasn't booked until 6 p.m. December 23rd, a day and a half later. Well, that's not a rare occurrence. No, I know, I know. But look at this picture. It shows Wanda and Weechek entering the new city station house together. Yes, but we have no way of knowing when this was taken. That's the point. Now, if I do prove it was taken on the 22nd of December, the day before Wanda Skutnik identified Weechek at the police line-up, what then? In that event, we might be obliged to render a favorable decision, but can you prove it? Well, the Chicago police are enlarging a section of this picture. It'll be transmitted by wire photo to the offices of the Springfield Journal, just a few blocks from here. And all I'm asking you is to step over there and wait for the picture to come in. Mr. Chairman, I object. This is an attempt to make journalistic capital of this hearing. Mr. Chairman, the governor ordered this hearing for the purpose of arriving at the truth. If you fail to consider every item of evidence, you have defeated the very purpose of this hearing. What is your decision? Gentlemen, we'll adjourn to the offices of the Springfield Journal. Now, what's coming in on that wire photo machine is a magnified enlargement of a small section of this picture I have in my hand. You mean a close-up of Wanda Skutnik? No, no, Mr. Chairman. What do you see on this picture? A policeman taking Wanda and we check into the station house. No, no, that's not what I mean. Look in the background. There's just a news boy on the sidewalk with some papers under his arm. Yeah, that's the part we're enlarging. What do you expect to find in the enlargement? The date on the newspaper in the news boy's hand. Is that possible? I don't know. I don't know. It depends on a lot of things. It depends on the condition of the original negative and the light and shading and the paper and the density of the print. And I've been saying a few prayers, too. Here it is. Let's see it. Now, it has to be developed. Now, if you'll just follow the technician into the dark room, you'll be able to see by the red light. I know he's putting it into the suit now. Now, watch that picture. Just what do you expect to establish by this hocus pocus, McNeil? If the date on the newspaper is December 23rd, we've got no case. But if it's December 22nd, then it means Wanda Skutnik lied about not seeing Frank before the 23rd. It means Frank Wiecek was convicted on perjured testimony. Right. The picture's starting to appear. Yeah. Yeah, there it's coming through. Now, watch that date. Watch that date. December 2. There it is. There it is. December 22nd. That's a date I've been hoping for. December 22nd. There it is, Frank. The outside. You're free. Yeah. Yeah, I got a new suit and 10 bucks. That's almost a dollar a year, huh? But it's a big thing when a sovereign state admits an error, Frank. There aren't many governments in the world that would do it. No. No, I guess not. How about your boy? Oh, Helen and her husband came to see me. He said I could have the boy with me whenever I want. Good. Good. That's good. So there'll be the boy and I'll be my mother. Yeah, it's a good world. Outside. Next week, a brilliant actress recreates one of her most charming roles on Screen Directors Playhouse. Our story is The Affairs of Susan and our star, Joan Fontaine, with Screen Director William Citer. Now here again is tonight's star, Jimmy Stewart. As you heard the beginning of Call Northside 777, the story is a true one. And for us on the set in Hollywood, the attempt to recreate reality was focused on our director, whose fine talent has brought you such films as The House on 92nd Street, Kiss of Death. No man is more fit to answer the one question which our story at the time it was filmed did not answer. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Henry Hathaway. Thank you, Jimmy. As for the question, it's what happened to Tomek Zaleska, the man who was arrested with Frank Wechek. Well, he was sentenced to 99 years too, wasn't he, Henry? He was. And McNeil, the reporter and his newspaper never gave up the fight to have Zaleska's case reviewed also. Yeah, I knew they were working on it. Well, McNeil has wired me that after five years they have finally secured enough evidence to reopen the case. And right now the fight for Zaleska's freedom is taking place in the Chicago courtroom. So that answers the question of what happened to the other man. Yeah, I think there might be another story in it, Henry. We'll have to wait and see. Well, if there is, and you need a reporter, I know an actor who's mighty anxious to work under your direction again. A fellow named Stewart. Okay, Jimmy, you're the first on my list. Good night. Good night, Henry. Good night, everybody. And good night to you, Jimmy Stewart and Henry Hathaway. Remember, next week, Joan Fontaine and screen director, William Seiden. Call Northside 777 was presented through the courtesy of 20th Century Fox, currently releasing the Darrell-Effsatic production, 12 O'Clock High, starring Gregory Peck. Jimmy Stewart is currently seen starring in the title role of the MGM picture, The Straton Story. Henry Hathaway also appeared through the courtesy of 20th Century Fox, producers of Prince of Foxes, starring Tyrone Power. Included in tonight's cast were Bill Conrad, Sacey Harris, Peggy Weber, Anne Stone, Rita Lynn, Ken Christie, Jim Nusser, Ted Von Elts, Tyler McVeigh, Paul Freese and Dan Riss. Call Northside 777 was adapted for radio by Bob Wright. And original music was composed and conducted by Henry Russell. Screen Directors Playhouse is produced by Howard Wiley with dramatic direction by Bill Karn. This is Jimmy Wallington speaking and inviting you to listen again next week when we present... Screen Directors Playhouse star Joan Fontaine, production, the affairs of Susan, director, William Citer. Next, it's Bill Stern on the sports newsrail on NBC.