 Now auto light and its 60,000 dealers and service stations present Suspense Auto light brings you miss Betty Grable in the copper tea strainer a Suspense play produced and directed by Anton M. Leader Friends even a camel can't compete with an auto light stay full battery because an auto light stay full battery needs water Only three times a year in normal car use Yes, sir that dandy dynamic dependable auto light stay full battery needs water only three times a year in normal car use an Auto light stay full battery has extra plates to for extra power Protected by fiberglass insulation for longer life and stronger life Why in recent tests conducted according to the Society of Automotive Engineers life cycle standards Auto light stay full batteries gave seventy percent longer average life than batteries without all these features So remember be battery right switch to auto light And now auto light presents Betty Grable in a tale well-calculated to keep you in Suspend I was in the two by four dressing room changing into my street clothes It was raining beating down on the low skylight like a fury It made such a racket that I didn't hear a thing Until a buzzer rang and the outer door closed open But first I heard your voice. I was sorry for you. You sounded tired and you had a cold You'd be surprised if I ever told you but I wasn't frightened at all when you spoke to Irwin You the photographer who runs this place. I'm James Irwin, and this is my photo agency. Yes You have some work to do I got work to do There are dame named genie done here Irwin When you said my name, I got a little scared without knowing why I'd been modeling a sun suit and I was cold anyway Irwin was never a guy to pay for decent heating Now I got cold way inside my fingers tremble as I tried to zip my dress I leaned against the partition to try and hear better, but the rain was too loud. I couldn't figure out why I was so jittery I I was blank. I couldn't remember what had happened all day or yesterday But I knew you were dangerous to me, and I had to find out why I Opened the door a crack to hear better. Oh She is old for me the past five years of an army Say why don't you wait until she gets dressed and ask yourself any pictures ever handy? Say you was easy easy. This is police business And that was all it took to make Irwin dangerous, too, then he was against me I stood there hidden by the door sick of you pawing through my pictures even sicker of Irwin fawning over you because you were a cop She's really stacked isn't she cat But if she's done anything wrong, don't worry. I'll tell you all I can't believe me. I'll cooperate I believe you you're the type I couldn't stay out of sight any longer I slipped into my shoes and stepped out from behind the door What do you want mister? I want to find out a few facts You live with your mother don't you sure the old lady's an invalid. Hey, what happened shut up? I'm talking to miss Dunn He's got a boyfriend, too. She might not tell you herself cat get out of the room Get out and stay out until I call you. Hey look miss. Get out Okay, all right Thanks for that anyhow, but look about Ted war if it's anything you're trying to pin on Ted then Irwin's right I won't talk I didn't mention that name did I Ted wouldn't do a thing nothing wrong What time do you usually leave home for work miss about eight if it's any of your affair? Yes, I'm afraid it is Could you be more specific? Describe your routine say this morning for example This morning. I I've had such a headache all day. I really don't know about this morning actually I Can't remember Most mornings. I get up about 6 30 and fix breakfast Does your mother eat with you my friend mr. Irwin told you my mother's not well She stays in bed until noon and you leave her breakfast ready for that's right Being sick your mother hasn't much appetite has she miss no I Leave her teak up on the kitchen table with the team measured out in a strainer ready to pour hot water through Now mister you'd better tell me what how long you've been going with this fellow What's his name Ted a year or so, but how old are you and beg your pardon miss 30 about 30 Plan to marry him. Why yes as soon as Well as soon as possible What with supporting your mother Excuse me prices nowadays a dollar don't go far. You'd better take care of that call mister. Thank you Are your mother and Ted walk friendly you better take care of that cold I Repeated that stupidly so as not to hear your questions Then I stared at something you fished out of your coat pocket I felt the arteries jumping on the sides of my neck. You were looking at my neck Maybe I could ask you some time if that was a tip-off you learn by studying people like me You toyed with the thing in your hand and it picked up a sliver of light from a flood lamp It's sparkle like a a jewel only it wasn't any more jewel and any of the junk on my bureau It was a common tea strainer made out of bright new copper You watched me and spun the thing by the handle between your finger and thumb I couldn't stop looking at the shiny wire mesh like a Net well miss. What do you say? Are your mother and Ted walk friendly? Suddenly my mind cleared everything. I've managed to block out came back everything There was no more escaping the past or you Stop playing with that tea strainer Put that thing away get it out of my sight Or suspense auto light is bringing you Betty Grable in radio's outstanding theater of thrills Suspend No, no hap I refuse to go on tonight. Why I'm hurt Auto light won't let me say what I want to say about auto light stay full batteries Sponsor won't let you talk about his product. I tell you have they inhibit my artistic expression I want to sling wonderful words about my personal experience with auto light stay full batteries And all they'll let me say is not all I'd stay full battery needs water only three times a year in normal car use Yep needs water only three times a year in normal car use. Well, that's important What's more happen auto light stay full battery has extra plates protected by fiberglass insulation for a stronger life Longer life folks want to know those things Harlow No, maybe so and in recent tests conducted according to the society of automotive engineers lifecycle standards Auto light stay full batteries did give seventy percent longer average life than batteries without all these features Well now Harlow folks should be told those facts. No, maybe you're right. Have maybe I shouldn't be angry Maybe I should put in a commercial right here, which too late Harlow here suspense And now auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Betty Grable as Genie in The copper tea strainer a tale well calculated to keep you in Suspend Can you faint dead away and keep sitting in the chair talking and acting normal? I did mr. Detective at the side of the tea strainer. You kept spinning between your fingers Cold blackness paralyzed me and our two voices seem to be coming from a great distance. I Stomach felt sick You hit at me with questions and I fought with all my will to keep from giving dangerous answers The rain bang louder on the skylight a flood lamp sputtered out And my breathing quite a down you said your mother and Ted walk our friendly Yes, yes, I told you where did you get that tea strainer five and dime store? Why miss nothing? You leave your mother's breakfast ready for her Haven't you asked me that before too? I wasn't sure but the word started memories flashing through my mind like jumping movie scenes You studied me with your tired expression massage But you couldn't see into my memory The nagging pattern of my alarm clock at home was waking me one morning any morning except today The others were all alike for the last ten years Right you devil get up Another day dear. Yes, mother sleep well. I'm always in pain. You know that dear If you're up you could rub my back a while before you have breakfast here. Yes, mother. Oh Oh My you're so fortunate to be able to eat a hearty meal and have a career that takes you out into the world Well, I lie here in pain. Oh, I'm not complaining. It's just mother Hadn't you better take your medicine before I rub your back my medicine Oh, yes indeed and Jean don't forget to have the prescription refilled. It's getting low and I can't bear I'm sure there's plenty mother. I'll get it for you now when I wish you would I don't know Went into the bathroom while mother kept droning on and on The bottle was almost empty Mother you haven't been taking more than you should have this have you don't be absurd You heard the doctor say that my medicine more than one capsule a day is poison She talked and talked accusing me of being careless with her medicine and neglecting her She said if it hadn't been for me she would still be on the stage and famous But I realized she was in pain and unhappy and some mornings I was afraid all of my strength would be drained before I could get away from her Especially when she harped on Ted and me getting married And dear don't be angry, but I simply must ask whether you're serious with your young man this time This time what after all Jean in the past years? There were several young men I certainly thought you were going to become engaged to and every single one lost interest. Oh mother Yes, they did you can't deny it at your age dear a good has to consider her future and now that young man William something he surely wanted to marry you and he had a bit of money too now Why did he stop coming to see you dear was it anything you might have told him? You're trying to use me to excuse your own shortcomings there, but on earth how could I scare away any of your young men? When I was on the stage young men used to flock around me like bees and now your Ted certainly thinks Well enough of me to bring me flowers and look at my scrapbooks Even if my own daughter I wonder how long that will go on When will you ask him whether he thinks the daughter has the right to let a helpless old invalid die alone? Horrible horrible girl. Have you asked him that already after the sacrifices I've made for you ruining my own health Destroying my youth and my career so that you would have the best from life. Oh mother Perhaps the easiest way for both of us would be for me to not try and Hang on to this mortal coil any longer Close my eyes and never wake up She used death as a weapon against me many times I felt weak and nauseated although I was certain she was bluffing And I would rush out with no breakfast and a panic to feel a healthy life of the city around me and lose myself in the traffic and crowds Rotten deal isn't it miss, huh? Honest, I'm interested in you and Ted walk you serious about each other. What are you getting at mister? What's happened? I have a right to know really in love He paid no attention to my panic you kept prodding me with that question and twirling the tea strainer Faster now it seemed to me Was I really in love with Ted? I Couldn't have answered even if I'd wanted to How can you tell a stranger your dreams? Miss tell me Exactly. What's the matter with your mother? What treatment is she getting? That was funny Ted asked almost the same question last night You'd give a lot to know about last night, but you'll never get a word out of me If you had seen Ted and me last night, you wouldn't have had to ask if we were in love Last night was one of those miserably few times I found a neighbor to come sit with mother and Ted took me to a little neighborhood bar where they have a jukebox and postage Stamp dance floor. We were dancing crowded in like cigarettes in a pack How about a kiss baby Ted not right here in public Nobody here but us genie us in the mob Anyway, it's just as crowded at zeroes. They tell me well, we'll get to the ritzy places someday baby We got it coming to us darling. You make it sound real sometimes You stick it out a little longer, baby, and it will be real just trust me. There's always ways sure a million bucks Million would help and I'll forget the gloom honey. Uh, your feet had enough of my dancing You want another beer you mean? Well, there is a booth. Hey, watch where you're going. You're big Don't start a fight. Come on. Yeah, I should have poked them Maybe you'll tame me down baby Here sit next to me, huh? I don't want to reform you darling. It's not that But if anything happened to you, I'd die inside of me. Oh, baby. I I don't know the words like you do How can I tell you you don't have to tell me in words, darling? I want to those somehow I want you to know I I Love you genie more than at first and I was crazy about you there We could be so happy together together Yeah, that's what we both want more than anything else in the world. Isn't it baby Ted? What's the matter? Huh matter. Oh, there's nothing a matter. I just figuring things out. What are you folks have fun? Oh? What'd it be honey beer's fine to be it? Then we'll have to be leaving I promise Mrs. Grogan. I'd get home by midnight. Oh, baby You promised me would make a night of it. I'm sorry Ted, but mother was worse this evening before I left Jeannie, what really ails your mother the doctor has a long list. She's pretty bad off Nothing's bad enough for her to keep you chained on like a slave Ted. Tell me the truth Has she gotten to you with her her talk? Oh, honey, don't please I want the truth Well, I bring her flowers and try to win her over Jeannie, but it's no soap She says what do I want to do kill her by taking you away from her? She said that huh? She did I'm glad I know that I'm glad I know that for sure. Look, maybe it's because she's sick. Maybe maybe she's not getting the right treatment Say, what is the doctor giving her some stuff and capsules mixed with strictening strictening Fine That's poison. Yes. She has to be very careful You were Need a prescription for that. Don't you uh-huh here? I'll show you the prescription. I have it somewhere in my handbag Oh here Yeah, my Latin soda rusty. Excuse me Ted. I'll freshen up and we'll go be right back. Okay, baby The mirror and that dingy little powder room was cracked and clouded, but I could see my own face all too clear as I tried to dab on some rouge My face was an old face the thin cruel mouth. I Tried to remember how I looked ten years ago when I had the screen test. I was Garbo and Dietrich only younger the director said It was then my mother started getting sick and needing me I looked into the mirror and saw my strange pinched face That was when the whole plan formed in my mind as I stared into that cloudy mirror Excuse me, you better take care of that cold. Yeah, thanks Now tell me did Ted walk ever blame your mother? Did he ever say that she stood in the way of your marriage? I never told you any such thing Ted wouldn't have done what miss Mother's dad isn't she you're not very subtle. Why else would the police persecute me? She's dead You believe your mother was killed miss. No, no, you keep putting words into my mouth Maybe she was worried about being in the way. Would your mother have been likely to have mother suffered night and day I I suppose that's why she acted so depressed the tea what tea? Leave me alone, please believe your mother took her own life by making herself a poisoned cup of tea Because she didn't want to be a burden any longer Yes Yes, that's what must have happened But I lied you led me into that lie And then because I couldn't help myself I relived the most terrible day of my life A day I'll never confess to you or to anyone on earth I woke up this morning with a headache The pain running deep back of my eyes I had a feeling of dread with the thought of last night in the mirror Are you awake dear? Yes Then did you get my prescription filled as I asked you to? No, but there's plenty Without later than usual last night weren't you there? I don't mind for myself, but it isn't imposition on mrs. Brogan Oh your young man says She must have gone on complaining as usual, but I didn't hear I seem to be moving in a strange world all my own as I dressed and went into the kitchen Sounds lost their familiar proportions and the sharp tinkle of table where hurt my ears as I went about setting the table When I put a teacup in its regular place in the center of the faded blue cloth The spoon fell against the saucer. It was like a fire rasping the slate in my ears I ran from the kitchen to get the medicine bottle from the cabinet There were only two capsules left My heart was pounding Only enough for two normal doses Not enough for I yanked my coat on and ran out the front door I hadn't planned on this. I ran all the way to the corner drugstore. I never do hear that door open What what gene is your marbad off? No Well, yes Her prescription has run out I was shaking all over having this unexpected job to do I knew the medicine bottle had plenty the day before I thought of them. I thought I must be going crazy I'd known mr. Harmon since I was a kid his Patient wise and face and celluloid eye shade But I found no comfort in him now Young lady. I asked you twice for your prescription Gene oh my sakes are are you well? No, no I'm sorry, mr. Harmon. I I can't find it. Oh You you sit down at the fountain my dear I'm not supposed to of course without a prescription, but I'll make up those capsules anyway In the meantime Lemon syrup and soda remember how you love that when you were a little pigtail type I think I cried then I scarcely was conscious as I hurried home I took a drink of whiskey in the kitchen gagging on it gene. Where did you rush out to? I answered her while I struggled to unscrew the cap from the medicine bottle I took four capsules and emptied them into the tea strainer I emptied two more to be positive On the bottles label it said Warning no more than one capsule on any one 24 hour period Be careful And put two spoons of sugar in my cup dear. It was too bitter yesterday Did you hear me gene? I hear you I was careful all right Three heaping spoons instead of two to hide the bitterness A double measure of black tea carefully Very carefully over the white pottery stuff in the strainer And it was hidden completely I left the tea kettle whistling on the electric plate Ready for mother I didn't see mother again I left the apartment half running all the way downtown of the studio in the rain Everyone was crabbing as soon as I walked in oh good morning duchess All right hop in your sun suit now and make it snappy hand make up for black and white What's the excuse today have to go to a funeral or something? I did it. He said I did it. He said silently and got through a series of poses My mind had gone blank and I struggled to keep that way numb All I knew was I must have left myself remember Keep busy and blank And that's the way it was when you came in and asked me questions You spun that ugly little tea strainer till my eyes ain't watching it And you tore the protective blanket from over my head He released my memories, but I told you nothing of the scenes you conjured up in my mind I told you nothing But still you knew that I lied When I agreed that my mother must have killed herself You're not telling the truth miss But the odd thing is you're closer to the truth than you realize I didn't kill my mother. I didn't did you know your mother had enough lethal medicine under her pillow to kill a dozen people What she'd been hoarding them perhaps because she brooded she was a burden. No, but miss Your mother never would have taken those capsules the hard way in a cup of tea There was the flaw in your life. Wasn't it now What your friend Ted work got a hold of your mother's prescription Maybe he took it from your purse. That doesn't matter. Oh, no No, no, no, I'm afraid I must place you under arrest miss Dunn But I didn't kill my mother You said you said no. No, you didn't kill your mother miss Your mother had a caller this morning after you left He brought her flowers and some more medicine. Oh, no Not Ted He couldn't have done No No, you lie. So your mother never had a chance to use the overdose she had hidden No You you lie and your mother's caller never had the chance to feed her the poison he brought with him either Because as soon as he arrived he made the mistake of accepting your mother's hospitality He drank a special cup of tea half of it anyhow enough Your mother is still alive miss I'm arresting you for the murder Of Ted work Thank you, Betty Grable for a wonderful performance Well, hono All over you're mad at the sponsor. No half, you know, I never hold a grudge In fact, I like to talk about auto light stay full batteries I like to tell people an auto light stay full battery needs water only three times a year in normal car use I like people to know auto light stay full batteries are made by auto light which makes more than 400 products For cars trucks airplanes and boats in 28 auto light plants from coast to coast Yes, and auto light also makes complete electrical systems for many makes 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 auto light original factory parts at your neighborhood service station car dealer garage or repair shop Remember you're always right with auto light here again as our star miss betty grable I want to thank tony leader and his wonderful cast of actors for helping me to make my first suspense visit It's so pleasant I'm a suspense fan from way back and I'm sure all of you are as anxious as I am to hear next week's show When mickey rooney appears in the cornell wool rich story the lie It's another truly gripping study and suspense Betty grable appeared through the courtesy of 20th century fox film corporation and will soon be seen in the Technicolor picture the beautiful blonde from bashful bend Tonight suspense play was written by john t copeland with music composed by lucian morroweck and conducted by lud bluskin The entire production was under the direction of anton m leader In the coming weeks suspense will present such stars as bob hope claire trevor james steward and many others So make it a point to listen each thursday to suspense radio's outstanding theater of thrills And next thursday same time here mickey rooney in The lie You can buy auto light stay full batteries auto light resistor spark plugs auto light electrical parts at your neighborhood auto light dealers Switch to auto light. Good night. This is cbs. The columbia broadcasting system