 Suspense! Autolight and its 96,000 dealers present transcribed Mr. Dick Powell in Slow Burn, a suspense play produced and edited by William Spear. Fill her up, sir. Please do, my personable peddler of petroleum. How about your battery? Why lad, I've got an autolight-stay-full battery. The battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. An autolight-stay-full battery? Say! Say no more, my good fellow, for when you've said autolight-stay-full battery, you've said the ultimate. This demon-deliverer of starting stamina has over three times as much liquid reserve above the plates as batteries without stay-full features. You sound like Harlow Wilcox. I sound like every motorist in modern memory who's been moved to murderous fury by one of the major causes of battery failure, namely a thirsty battery, but who has discovered the delight of the autolight-stay-full battery. A battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. Sure, but you still sound like Harlow Wilcox to me. Well, by a curious coincidence, that couldn't happen again in a thousand years. I am Harlow Wilcox. Well, why didn't you say so? Because right now I'm too busy saying you're always right with autolight. And now with slow burn and with the performance of Dick Powell, autolight hopes once again to keep you in... Suspense! I'm standing here staring at a clock on a dresser in a crummy hotel room. I've been watching the men at hand drag itself up the face of the clock and I'm not going to pull my eyes away from that men at hand until it touches 12. Because at 12, the slow burn that started in my insides way back three months ago, the slow burn that built till my whole body was on fire is going to be soothed. Yeah, and another few seconds is going to be 12 midnight and I'll be able to breathe again. Then they can come get me. I won't care. There it is. I can make that call now. Good morning, Harold. Let me speak to Todd Sloan. What's the apartment? Todd Sloan speaking. This is Johnny Wilson. Johnny! Don't interrupt. This call is a sense to be traced. I got a lot to say. The cops have a tight circle around this town and I know I got no exit. But before they get me, I want to clear a few things up. Now listen to me. I did it. I'm not denying it. I'm telling you why I did it because you're a right guy. Well, Johnny, I... Shut up. I don't have much time. It all started the day I fought in Duvall, Pennsylvania. Daniel, my wife, didn't want me to fight, but to me it was the fastest way to make a buck. I was just beginning then right after the war and the cold town was the best I could do. I was fighting Tony Tadro, a good boxer and a puncher. And the second one was just straight off and the crowd pulled to its feet, roaring the guy's name. Not mine, not Tony's. Me, it didn't throw, but Tonya did. He dropped his guard just long enough. Tonya was flat on his back out cold. I let the referee raise my mitt, then I walked to Lefty Wilkins, my manager. Nice work, Johnny. Thanks, Lefty. What are you shouting about? Ain't you heard? The hometown kid who won that Medal of Honor blew into town today. Not only that, he blew into the arena just before you tagged Tony. Well, I'd have glad hand the kid myself then. He made it easy for me. You don't have time. We're to meet Courtney Barr at the club tree in on in 30 minutes. Okay, okay. And just this once, let your tongue lay flat inside your face. I'll do the talking. Okay, I said, okay. I have not got him the second round. Johnny wins. You saw Johnny fight tonight. Mr. Barr, he's good. It takes more than good these days. We know that, Mr. Barr. That's why I ask you win. All we need for him is the right build-up and the connection. Now, look. When I end in a show at a nightclub about a fighter, I want a reasonable chance to get my money back. Lefty, you never brought a fighter up to the top yet. But this time it's different. Johnny Wilson is the next champ. Oh, don't beg him, Lefty. If he's too blind or recognize a good thing when it's shoved in front of him, let him get a seeing-eye dog. Oh, I'd take a chance on Johnny if he had an exploitation angle. The way it is now, there's too many good boys bouncing around. Don't need the build-up. We'll have to go into him. No. I'm returning to New York tonight. Goodbye, gentlemen. Yeah, he's got nothing. Nothing but money. Someday I'm gonna walk into a bank and look at the stuff. You know, they keep the trap behind little cages? Uh-oh, there's that kid again. The metal boy. The name's Chuck Masters. They say he got 30 jabs. 30 jabs? Oh, they like to meet the hero. Well, it looks like maybe your Willy's coming right at us. Yeah, pardon me, but aren't you Johnny Wilson? Yeah, that's right. Well, I got to the stadium just in time for the knockout. Would you like to congratulate you? Oh, thanks, thanks. 30 jabs, huh? You've been pretty busy. Me, I was in the medical corps. Walter Reed Hospital. Have a drink, Chuck? Oh, no, thanks. I can't stop my family's waiting. I really have a favor to ask, Mr. Wilson. I'm chairman of the juvenile delinquency committee. Oh, let me offer my congratulations. Thanks. Now, if you'll offer just one more thing, your service is in an exhibition. You mean a benefit? Yeah. Look, Sonny, you're a nice, clean, cut American boy, and I like your style, but the only benefit's I fight are for the Johnny Wilson fight. Now, wait a minute, Johnny. Wait a minute. After all, we don't want to see no kids go wrong, do we? Who are you figuring on Johnny fighting? Well, nobody yet. I just got the idea. Do you box, Chuck? Me? Well, I did a little boxing in the 39th Infantry, strictly amateur. Then it's a natural. You box, John. Now, wait a minute. I couldn't do it. Sure, sure you could. And you look like a welter, too. If you get into the ring with Johnny, it's a deal. Good idea. Good publicity. You don't understand. You can't ask a guy to fight unless you're willing in yourself. Well, especially for nothing. You do, we do. You don't, we don't. Wow. Okay, it's a deal. Thursday night at the stadium. Yeah, yeah. All right, let's see. What's the setup? In the ring, there's me. I want you to make him look good. I want the kid to think he's a wonder boy. I want to sign him. And then? Then I take him to Bar as my new fighter. Medal of Honor and all. Oh, Bar like that. Endorsed by Congress. Keep talking. We've got some of the exploitation Angle is talking about. And with the dough we make on Chucky Boy, we'll finance you to the title. The crowd. Any more people come in without the rest of the oxygen. That's what Bar means by exploitation. That Medal of Honor drags them in. There it is. Remember, Johnny, don't win. You don't have to lose, but don't win. That was a fair enough fight. Like Lefty wanted, I didn't lose it. I didn't win it. The kid was a cinch to sign. Lefty wired Bar to find out if he was interested. He was. And now we're in New York in the Copa Club signing the contracts. There's one thing, Lefty. Now that Chuck has signed, where does Johnny have fit in? Oh, Johnny's going to stop boxing for a while. He's going to groom Chuck. Me? I wasn't having any conversations just then. I was watching Chuck watch a long-haired slinky dame come towards our table. She had on a gown that had no straps and didn't need any. There was sweet rhythm in her walk and she wore a hands-off look that beat blood into a guy's head. She stopped at our table and Chuck's mouth flopped open. I said, Well, gentlemen, this is my wife. How long? Daniel, this is Chuck bastard. Sit down, baby. So you're the new fighter? Yeah. I hate fighters. Oh, you're frightened, the boy. And I hate the parasite to live on. Oh, I have a drink, baby. Why do you take that, Johnny? Shut up. Hey, new fighter, why don't you duck out before they knock that gentle look out of your eyes? I don't want to fight, Mrs. Wilson, but I need money. Johnny looked like you when he first started. And after only 4,000 push-ups a day, look at me now. Childhood sweetheart, sweetness and light. Now he's not happy unless I wear gowns like this. There's nothing wrong with that dress. Hey, baby, have you heard? I'm going to stay out of the ring for a bit. What? I want to teach Chuck here a thing or two. Who can tell? With me behind him, he may get to be our next champ. You've given it up, Johnny. What happened? He's just taken a rest, Daniel. That make you soar? Not me. It just sounds like Johnny's using his head. Oh, oh, oh. And that sounds so strange. It makes me suspicious. Ah, great little kid, ain't she, Chuck? Hey, Mr. Buyer. Come on, baby. Let's dance. Now the publicity buildup started. Chuck was a hero. The story of the signing hit the papers coast to coast, border to border. The Fighting Marine, they traced his medals every beachhead. I even came in for some publicity as Chuck's best friend, the guy who was sidetracking his own career to train him. And on the day Chuck signed for his first fight with Whitey Codds in the Bronx Coliseum it was, who should come in to give him his medical but my old CO from the Med Corps, Doc Peterson? Hey, Cobra Johnny Wilson. Don't make me say what are you doing here. Tell me. I'm a fighter, Captain. Well, that's a far cry from Walter Reed Hospital, Johnny. How you doing? So far, the Army paid off better. Doc, this is Chuck Masters. Oh, hiya, Chuck. Hey, according to all the publicity out here, you're going to be the next welder, champ. Yeah. With bars of money, we opened a training camp in the Berkshire. I taught Chuck to box and he learned fast. His left wasn't too good, but his right was okay and he was shifty. Three days before his fight with Karns, Chuck and me were in the ring, sparring. Hold it, Johnny. There's Anya. Hello, Anya. Hiya, chump. Well, baby, had any questions? All right, all right. What are we waiting for? Oh, it's you, eh? Hello, Leslie. Training camps is no place for dames. You know that. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. You never watched me train before. What's the magnet? I got the day off and I wanted to watch the process whereby they turn a guy like him into a guy like you. I looked at her lips while she was talking and I thought that she might be hoping for somebody else's lips on hers. Chuck's may be tore at my inside. The gong sounded and I went for it. Take it easy. Take it easy. On and out. Well, I figured Chuck is about ready for anything. Come on, Chuckie boy. Put him up. Let's see if you can take it. I really cut loose then. I've been storing it for a long time. I belted him good. He went down and stayed there. Oh, now you've got it. When they carried him out, they opened his eyes. But he didn't look at me. He looked at Dania. She looked back at him with tears in her eyes. I should have killed him both then. Auto light is bringing you Dick Powell in slow burn. Tonight's production and radio's outstanding theater of thrills. Suspense. Make it full now, Mr. Wilcox. Let's see. 6 tenths of a gallon. That'll be 14 cents. Ah, now there's a car for economy. Like that auto light. Stay full battery. It really gives you a long run for your money. Did you know that in tests conducted according to SAE life cycle standards, auto light stay full batteries gave 70% longer average life than batteries without stay full features? Sure did. Oh. Well, did you know that auto light stay full batteries have fiberglass retaining mats at every positive plate to hold the power producing material in place? Oh, I sure did, Mr. Wilcox. Well, did you know that this powerful pusher offer of pulsating pistons has more than three times as much liquid reserve above the plate as batteries without stay full features? Sure. That's why it needs water only three times a year in normal car use. That does it. Give me that gas pump. From now on, you can sell auto light stay full batteries and I'll sell gas. Oh, but Mr. Wilcox, don't you see? I couldn't give you a wrong answer. Why not? Because you're always right with auto light. And now auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage, our star Dick Powell in slow burn. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Still on the phone, Todd? Yeah. Well, hold it a second. I want to gander out the window. The cops in large numbers, Todd, but they won't find me for a while and I only need a little more time to finish. Well, Chuck won his first fight naturally. He was getting the slow, careful buildup. He won a second fight over in Jersey. So then left, he began to book him. He said Courtney Barr wanted Chuck to go out and make a tour, get a list of knockouts so he'd have a record. Oh, I sat on my mitts. The day Chuck got back from his tour, he called and Daniel invited him to dinner. How was the tour, Chuck? Oh, fine. I had a couple of fights that were terrific. In Denver, I fought William Myers. What a boxer. But I found his weakness. See, when he was getting set to throw his right, he always flipped his elbow just a bit. From then on, he was my meat. You're beginning to enjoy fighting, Chuck. Oh, why shouldn't he enjoy it? There's money in it. Sure. Fifty percent of the purse and a bonus. Don't forget the bonus. Scramble brains, color flower ears, and the nose matted all over your face. A good fighter keeps his nose straight. Johnny was just like Chuck in the first sight. Fighting kills a man's better instinct. I'll get the dessert. I'll help you. Though I got no instincts. I'm just a bum, huh? Pack a pie, Johnny. Now, give me the knife. I'm not worth anything, huh? I stay with you because I'm trying to salvage what I think is still there. And that crack that I used to be like Chuck is now... Johnny, we can still save it. I want it to be the way it was. You stay away from him. What for you? Come in and finish him, Jimmy. You heard me. Stay away from Chuck or I'll finish him. Every sports writer was wondering who was going to fight Mike Gruen. Nobody got a crack at the chapel as he fought Gruen first. I knew who it was going to be. Me. And with the money left, he got out of Chuck's fights. That was the deal we'd made. But, well, I was getting itchy about it. All this time, I wasn't getting any particular build-up. We were on the lake cruising around relaxing after two weeks of hard training. Bar and Chuck were watching a kid horsing around doing handstands in a canoe. I took Lefty to the other end of the launch. Yeah? Yeah, look, Lefty. I know, Johnny, I know. Now, don't worry about the Gruen voucher. Maybe it would be smarter, Lefty, if you gave up my contract on the surface. Then you could hold off Chuck while my new manager signed me for that match. I... I can't, Johnny. No, I'm not. No, no, don't get mad. But I had to give Bar 50% of your contract or he wouldn't back Chuck originally. But I got it fixed... Are you dumb? Sir, back him! I spun around and saw a canoe floating bottoms up. Chuck was ripping off his clothes, but I got out of mine fast, too. Me and Chuck hit the water together. You see him, Johnny? Huh? No. Then I saw the kid, but I wasn't telling Chuck. He'd come up about 20 yards away and he went down in the same spot. This was going to be publicity for me. I dove to the kid, grabbed his hair, and pulled him up. When the boat came up alongside, Lefty hauled him in. That's it, come on, Johnny. When he pulled me into the boat, I saw Lefty point to the landing. Oh, look at that car load of reporters that just drove up, Chuck. You and Johnny get all of those wet clothes. I'll take care of the reporters. Reporters? Well, send them along, boys. Patongavers, bring on. That evening I was sparring with Chuck sharpening his footwork when Dania came up with the New York papers. Don't you two ever get out of that ring? Oh, and by the way, congratulations. Huh? Oh, you hear all about the hero stuff on the lake? Yeah. Congratulations. I bet she wasn't looking at me. She was looking at Chuck. I hopped out of the ring, grabbed the newspapers out of her hand. The story was there all right in big block headlines. Chuck Masters saves boy from drowning. Medal of Honor winner does it again. Me? I wasn't even in the comic section. This is all wrong, Dania. Johnny saved that kid. Yeah, Johnny saved that kid. Now, Johnny's gonna save himself. Where's that lefty Wilkin? Oh, that's a dirty trick, Johnny. Chuck, you're trying to tell me you knew nothing of this. Your picture and life history on the front page. I swear. Now your eyes open, Johnny. Look what they've done to Chuck. How they made him lie. Just for the sake of publicity. I didn't lie. And what publicity? Your fight with Mike Gruen on the sports page. Double cross opened up like a filthy sunflower. I was the patsy, the fall guy, the jerk, the dummy. I was gonna be the next champ. Yeah, the next champ under the dunce cap. I wanted to pound someone, something, anything. My eyes focused on Dania. I'm glad this has happened. Maybe, Johnny, now you'll give up. We'll have a chance to live decent, normal lives. I'm glad this has happened. I spark plugged this whole thing so I could get that Gruen bar. I fixed it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Shut up! You will get me. You miserable scum. Come back here. Let her alone. Oh, I've been waiting for this, Chuckie boy. Oh, Johnny, take it easy. Wait a minute. Oh, shut up. Johnny, shut up. Take it, boy. What's going on here? Come on. Take it easy. All right, now. Throw Wilson off the grunge. Yeah. Yeah. Throw the bum out. Throw him out. Get out of here. Not all right. While they were doing it, I was thinking I was gonna kill Lefty Wilkins. That was definite. And I remembered that all Daniel worried about was Chuck. Chuck's character. Chuck's gentle look. Yeah. I was gonna kill Lefty. And for Chuckie boy, I was gonna think of something special. Very special. Day after day, I'd wake up with a new idea. But none good enough. Then one night I walked into a bar and saw someone. Someone who was gonna give me the answer. It was my old CO, Doc Peterson. Warped road, Johnny Wilson. Come on over and bring a drink with you. Thanks, Captain. Still medicking for the boxing commission? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Still fighting? Off and on, off and on. Glad to see you, Johnny. Hey, you're the second guy I've seen from our old outfit recently. Yeah. You remember that lieutenant in the chemical corps who nearly lost his eyes? I saw him. I met his new wife. A real mess. I guess we didn't do such a good job on his eyes. Eyes? What do you mean, Captain? You remember, the fool got by a chloride of mercury in him. Severe corneal lacerations. The lucky thing we caught him when we did is he'd have gone permanently blind. Ah, it's a terrible thing when a man loses his eyesight. Yep. Of course it was a man in your profession, huh, Johnny? Ah, yeah, yeah. A good thing a guy can tell when that stuff gets in his eyes. And a guy can always tell. Burns like mad. Yeah, I guess it would. Well, I gotta be on my way, Johnny. Captain, how long would that stuff have to be in a guy's eyes to blind him permanently? Oh, 26 hours about if he's in top condition. The captain left, and me, I walked the streets all night most of the next morning until the 42nd Street Library opened. I went through five medical books before I found what I wanted. Eye anesthesia. Ponteche. Causes loss of sensation in the eye without affecting the eyesight. I went up to the training camp. We grew in bottles in three days. I had to get back in favor, and I piled it on good. I played it with hearts and flowers. Everything. Oh, Johnny, I'm really sorry. That's the way it is, Chuck. I'm sorry for the hassle I caused. I'd sure like to be with you the night of the fight. Well... Okay, Johnny. It'd be funny fighting a local match without you in my corner. Don's fishy to me. You ain't the kind to forgive. Well, it ain't fishy, Lefty. Since Daniel left, things have been lousy with me. I'm out of door. I gotta eat. I need the job. He gets the job, Lefty. He writes it. He taught me everything I know. I want him in my corner. When we walked down the aisle in the garden for the ring, I had three things in my bag. A long, sharp knife for Lefty Wilkins, and the ponticane and bichlorated mercury for Chucky Boy. At the end of the fourth round, Chuck was way out in front, and Lefty was beaming all over. Well, nice going, Chuck. That's a cinch. Then I reached for the Vaseline that every fighter has smeared over his eyebrows to keep his eyes from getting cut. I had the Vaseline loaded with ponticane. I smeared it all around those eyes at his. Now all I had to do was wait until the ponticane took effect. The next three rounds were a night there. Chuck seemed as good as ever, and Jordan was weakening fast. Suppose he got knocked out before I got the bichlorate in Chuck's eyes. Well, everything's still okay, Chuck, eh? Hey, sure must be pooped, Johnny. He hit me in the eye three times that round. I didn't even feel it. Yeah? That's all? Ah, come on, dummy. Swim my face. We'll all call water, boy. Let's run or I'll kill him. He leaned back. I picked up a sapping sponge from the outer bucket. The one with the bichlorate now swabbed his face and kept swabbing it while the liquid ran over his forehead and down in his eyes. Man, it was such... He didn't even wince as the poison drained under his lids into his eyes and over his eyeballs. He started the ace round strong and cocky. He pushed through all over that ring, and then all of a sudden this happened. He stopped and put his gloves through his eyes, trying to rub away the creeping blindness, growing plain and cagey. He thought it was a trick, but his chuck desperately hutted for him, growing caught-wise and he piled in the chuck. Growing Torey's head off of you, chucked with everything but the ring post. Kept going down and coming up from where it was beautiful. I picked up my bag and left the corner. On the way out I stopped for a moment where lefty Wilkins bent forward, agonizing in his seat as he watched the championship go out the window. He didn't even move when I shoved that knife into his back. The crowd was screaming for the kill as I walked out. The law is going to be in in a second. The reason I couldn't call you in time for your bulldog additions, I have to be sure the 26 hours is up. Otherwise you could have warned Chuck and his eyesight could have been saved. I want him to stay blind. All right, grab it! Take it easy, take it easy. You can have me. I got what I wanted. You admit you killed lefty Wilkins. Sure, and it was a pleasure. And Chuck, the champ, how does he like it? Got any jobs from fighters you can't see? Why don't you ask him? What? Hello, Johnny. Chuck, what are you? Yes, Johnny, he can see. He's not blind. But you can't see. I don't believe it, you can't. Your old CEO was at the ringside, Johnny, Doc Peterson. He knew what it was a minute had happened. He fixed up my eyes. You can't see. You're the one who's blind, Johnny. Suspense, presented by Autolight, tonight's star, Dick Powell. Thanks, Mr. Wilcox. Come back again. I'll do that, son. I'll be back not only for gasoline, but anytime I need ignition engineer at Autolight Sparkplugs or any one of the more than 400 other products made by Autolight for cars, trucks, planes and boats in 28 plants coast to coast. These include complete electrical systems used as original equipment on many makes of America's finest cars and trucks. Sparkplugs, batteries, generators, coils, distributors, starting motors, bullseye-sealed beam headlights. All engineered to fit together perfectly, work together perfectly, because they're a perfect team. So don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good. Ask for and insist on Autolight original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage or repair shop. Remember, you're always right with Autolight. Next Thursday for Suspense, Loretta Young will be our star. The play is called Lady Killer, and it is, as we say, A Tale Well Calculated to Keep You in Suspense. Tonight's transcribed suspense play was produced and edited by William Spear and directed by Norman MacDonald. Music for Suspense is composed by Lucian Moraweck and conducted by Lud Bluskin. Slow Burn is an original play for radio by Fred Freiberger. Dick Fowl may currently be seen in the motion picture version of the best-selling novel, Mrs. Mike. He'll be heard each week in his own radio show, Richard Diamond, Private Detective. In the coming weeks, you will hear such stars as James Mason, Ronald Reagan and Ginger Rogers. And don't forget, next Thursday, same time, Autolight will present Suspense, starring Loretta Young. You can buy Autolight Stafel batteries, Autolight resistor or regular spark plugs, Autolight electrical parts at your neighborhood Autolight dealers. Switch to Autolight. Good night. Would you intentionally weaken your country? No. So don't do it unintentionally. Don't listen to or spread rumors against any race or religion. Speak up against prejudice for unity and understanding. Strengthen America at home and abroad. Accept or reject people on their individual worth. Let's make Brotherhood Week last throughout the year. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.