 Get set for the Mollay Mystery Theater and details later on about Mollay's big $25,000 contest my closest shave first prize a $3,500 vacation trip other prizes five new Ford deluxe sedans 10 late model television sets and many other big cash prizes Good evening This is Jeffrey Barnes Welcoming you to the Mollay Mystery Theater and the program that presents the best in mystery and detective fiction Tonight's story by George and Gertrude Fass is entitled solo performance Our stars the very versatile Everett Sloan stage screen and radio actor currently appearing with Rita Hayworth in Orson Welles in the motion picture Lady from Shanghai Tonight mr. Sloan will play the part of Albert Perry an actor who's forced by circumstances To play the most difficult role of his career a role where in his life Depends upon his solo performance But first a short reminder friends the story of your closest shave your narrowest escape from danger of any kind May win a grand prize in Mollay's $25,000 contest my closest shave Listen for full details later This is Jeffrey Barnes again and act one of tonight's Mollay mystery solo performance starring Everett Sloan as Albert Perry Miss Johnson leave it on your desk before you go with you do something for me Phone the theater and ask Blaine to come over here and see me after rehearsal. I will wait for him No, good night miss Johnson. Good night. It was over The most difficult performance of my career. I Had played the part of Lee Hamill theatrical producer with Lee's body lying not 15 feet away. I Suppose I'd had better roles more artistic ones that is but never a tougher one This one had lasted five and a half hours and my life hanging on every minute of it Looking back I can see now how inevitable that performance was from that night two weeks before when I waited for else for this Luigi's a Mr. Perry you order dinner now. No, not yet Luigi. I'm still waiting for my wife. She's late for some reason Yes, I can see you wait for two hours and look what you do to the tablecloth mr. Perry writing all over it like that That's enough the nice the laundry. She complained is hard to get out. I'm sorry Luigi Bring me a glass of candy. We're yes, mr. Perry glass of candy. Oh Albert. I'm sorry. I'm late my poor star darling Oh, finally, I've kept you waiting. Have you ordered yet? Just a glass of wine one glass Luigi bring a whole bottle We're celebrating darling celebrating what your arrival. I got the part What do you think of that my sweet isn't it wonderful? Sure? That's great news But why did it take this long? Well, you know how Lee Hamill likes to talk and then after he decided to give Me the party had to go into a long discourse on how to interpret the role I'd have called if I could but I just couldn't interrupt him and when I finally did break away I didn't want to lose a minute the key auntie mr. Perry key auntie. It should be champagne You know as well as I do we can't even afford this I'll be getting 500 a week think of that. Oh darling. I didn't tell you I think there's a part for you the part of Tony. He's just your type when I see Lee tomorrow I'll talk to you about now save your breath. I saw him last week You did you didn't tell me. Well, it was nothing to tell but what did he say? He said there was nothing for me in the play Nothing, but that was last week darling now. He may feel different especially if I ask him if you ask him I'll turn on the fatal charm. Are you do nothing of the kind not with that wolf silly I'm kidding, but you just leave it to me darling. We'll be a husband and wife team yet I can see it now night cafe a Lee Hamel production starring Albert and Ellsworth Perry Albert well look at you. What's the occasion? I'm going downtown to meet Lee. Oh what for rehearsals aren't starting already Are they no, but he wants to discuss the play with me and that gives me just the opportunity I want you know to ask him about you look baby I just as soon you didn't any favor Hamel does for anyone has to be paid for What time you be home? Oh, I don't know but if I'm late you just go right ahead and eat. Don't wait for me Well, okay. Oh the script. I left it here on the desk. Oh, I was looking it over here It is you know, I guess I could handle that Tony roll. All right. Oh, I know you can dog. Oh Albert now. What is it look what you've done to this script? Why do you have to scribble on things? Well, if I didn't do that I'd probably bite my nails just nervousness Goodbye my pet and don't worry the parts as good as yours and Hamel won't eat me. You know, not unless I let him bye darling Well every day the following week she went down to see Lee to discuss interpretation. She said We'd meet at Luigi's every night at six She'd come in bubbling over with excitement and always with the assurance that she was on the point of landing the roll for me But Thursday morning. I found an item in variety. I Handed the paper to her to read Hamel signs Matt Blaine for featured role in night cafe Opposite Elspeth Perry. So you're still working on Lee to give me the part. Are you? Oh, but darling I knew about Matt Blaine as a matter of fact Lee signed him on Monday and today is Thursday Why didn't you tell me Monday that Blaine had the part because on Monday? I didn't want to make you feel bad and after what happened Tuesday. I wasn't so sure you couldn't still have the part Alright, what happened Tuesday? Well, we were all in Lee's outer office waiting for Lee to call us in But you know how Blaine is always doing takeoffs on people to prove what a good mimic he is No, he thinks he's good. Well this time he decided he'd give an imitation of Lee interpreting roles for us Now my dears pay close attention to script Let me do it. Here's the way Lee sounds Now my tears my darling this wonderful script demands stark realism life in the law is Stripping down to essential Oh, that's lead of the life of it. Well Blaine did it fairly well, too He was going great guns when Lee opened the door of his private office and stood there taking it all in Sore as a boil rough break for Blaine Lee didn't speak to him all that day Blaine is so unnerved that I'm sure he'll mangle his part I see so now I'm supposed to sit around and pray that Blaine gets the sack Oh, don't feel that way about it. He's just not right for the part anyway to keep your chin up sweet What about dinner tonight? Oh, oh, I forgot to tell you Lee asked me to have dinner with him Well, you're not going to are you? Oh, I never would only He's asked the cast up to his apartment after dinner for the first reading and since I'll be in the city anyway I I thought it might be just as well to accept his invitation Well, I'll go along downtown with you. I'll eat at the lambs and pick you up after your reading Oh, but Albert, I don't know how soon we'll finish. All right, so I won't pick you up At least you don't mind my coming downtown with you. Oh, not at all, but hurry and dress. I don't want to be late I'd had dinner at the lambs club and was knocking some balls around in the billiard room when I saw Matt Blaine Hi, Albert. Oh, hello, Matt. What are you doing here? All the same thing you are wasting time won a game Well, don't you have a reading tonight at Lee Hamilton reading? Oh, no, we don't begin until Friday first rehearsal Well, rack them up. Let's go The next day I didn't mention to else with my meeting Blaine at the lambs But when she told me she was going to visit her mother that night. I simply said I'd go along But Albert what why spoil your evening, you know, you win mother never get along All right, if that's the way you want it. Why why don't you go to a movie or something? That's an idea. You'll have a much better time there than at mother's And so will I I got my hat and left But instead of going to the movies I waited in the shadows near the subway entrance when else but came out I followed her into the subway unseen She got off at 59th street And the sense of shame I had at following her was replaced by a feeling of rage and frustration When she went into lee hamill's hotel on central park south I waited outside the hotel until midnight When she didn't come out I left At that moment I felt I could kill lee hamill This is jeffrey barnes again in just a moment act two But first here's dan seamore with an important announcement friends Here's your chance to get that luxurious vacation trip you and your family have been waiting for all expenses paid That's right a $3,500 vacation trip or cash is the grand prize in moley's fascinating contest my closest shave And there are 106 other prizes five new ford sedans 10 of amerson's latest table model television sets installed or radio phonographs and also 75 cash prizes totaling five thousand dollars Now that's 25 thousand dollars worth of prizes in all tell us more denny. How do you enter the contest? Well, it's easy. It's fun. Get the printed rules and suggestions from your druggist Then write the story of your closest shave your narrowest escape from danger embarrassment or failure Your most exciting experience of any kind the story not the writing is what counts Send your entry with two end flaps bearing the name moley from any moley carton mail to moley post office box 49 new york 8 new york, that's moley box 49 new york 8 new york the whole family can get in this grand contest Send as many entries as you wish but include two moley end flaps from the carton with each entry Remember 107 prizes worth 25 thousand dollars including trade prizes are waiting to be won So get your close shave entry in soon This is jeffrey barnes again returning you to the mystery theater and act two of solo performance Starring everett slone as albert perry What would you like for breakfast dear? Just coffee You came in pretty late last night Oh You know how mother is She kept me at jen rummy. It'll pass midnight elsworth That movie last night started wheels turning in my brain. I got an idea an idea Why don't we go out to hollywood and have a try at pictures? You seem to forget. I have a contract in a darn good one. You seem to forget. I have no darn good contract I've made up my mind else, but we're going albert. I can't break my contract with lee the devil with lee This part will make me albert. It's practically a starring role lee means more to you than i do doesn't he? What Now I begin to see You're not crazy. You're only jealous. I'm not jealous. Oh, yes, you are Well, believe it or not. I'm relieved. That's a normal reaction anyway After all, I guess I have been spending quite a bit of time with lee But just let me assure you you don't have to bother albert wait wait. We begin rehearsals on friday Blame will be fired then i'm sure of it lee didn't exactly promise me, but you're almost certain to get the part Won't you wait until friday dear? All right I'll wait until friday Friday afternoon. I went downtown and waited outside the theater At one the cast began to leave by the stage door Then lee and elspeth came out together and hopped into lee's car I knew where they were going Elspeth said very little to me that weekend Maybe she knew I wouldn't take anymore of that line about trying to get me blames part Monday's rehearsal was called for 2 30 I figured lee hamill would be in his office all morning preparing for it at 11 30. I entered his reception Oh, good morning, mr. Perry. Good morning, mr. Johnson. Will you tell mr. Hamill? I'd like to see him. Of course sit down, won't you? Elspeth Perry's husband is here Yes, sir, I Yes, mr. Hamill I'm sorry mr. Perry, but he's just too busy to speak to anyone. He's not casting, you know But this is important. It's something personal. I'm really sorry mr. Perry, but you can't see mr. Hamill today Well Okay, I uh, I'll drop in again tomorrow mr. Johnson do that mr. Perry But I didn't take the elevator down Instead I slipped into an alcove at one end of the corridor It was close to 12 and I knew the girl would soon be going to lunch At about 10 to 12 I heard the door open and the girl's footsteps going off toward the ladies room I walked quickly back to hamill's office across the reception room and entered his private office Yes Oh, it's you Perry. Ms. Johnson told you I was busy. Did she not? She did But you're going to listen to me whether you can spare a moment of your precious time or not Before you begin, mr. Perry, please understand. I have no work for you I know that then we have nothing to say to each other. I ask you to leave my office And not leaving Mr. Perry immediately because I have engaged your wife to act in my play is no excuse for you to force yourself on me Then I have no time for you You've got plenty of time for my wife, haven't you now? Listen to me hamill no louse of a producer is going to live to brag that he walked off with my wife. See Oh, this is too much get out of my office. Take your hands off me hamill. I want you get out Get out or I will brain you A hysterical fool picked up a paperweight and came at me I grappled with him and then suddenly the hatred I felt for him swept over me in a blind rage My groping right hand seized an object on his desk and I plunged my fist into his chest He was on the floor dead And in my hand, I held a silver letter open a dripping blood I dropped it and made for the door. I had to get out before the girl came back But just as my hand gripped the knob. I heard the outer door open. I was trapped and then The enter office phone If it wasn't answered she'd come in here Acting almost on reflex. I walked over and picked it up Yes No, no, thank you miss johnson I'd carried it off Now she'd have a lunch in the office and then go out to shop probably all I had to do was wait My eye fell on the body Quietly, I pulled it to the closet and pushed it in Then I wiped the handle of the letter opener and threw that into the closet too The telephone the door knob and the key I had to get my fingerprints off them My handkerchief did it quickly. I pulled on my gloves I'd take no further chances of leaving a print behind Half an hour to wait and to think things over in comfort I sat down at Lee's desk And lit a cigarette clock had ticked away the minutes five 10 15 20 when I cannot talk to him now, but he says he must discuss a very important problem of direction Very well put him on Yes, yes the entrance. I leave it all to you. You are the director do it however you think best But you said yes, yes, I was wrong. You are right What? Yes. Yes, just as you said it should be A man can change his mind. No, I I have thought it over. You are right, and I am wrong. That is all For the next two hours nothing happened and then I was startled by the ringing of the phone I realized it was a call on Lee's private wire Now I really began to sweat Could I possibly fool my own wife? Especially since she had already heard my impersonation of Lee Else but darling What is it my dear? Uh What uh, what would you like me to say? Oh, so you want an answer? Yes, please Let me hear you say them first those three little words you want He has it Is this why you have been so nice to me? And break your contract in that case. I have no alternative my dear the job is his Why not wait and tell him personally tonight? The pleasure would perhaps be greater Was just discovered that the wife he suspected was never anything but loyal to him That the man he has just murdered in a jealous rage was never anything more to her than a business acquaintance I'll tell you how he feels It may surprise you by its very simplicity He wants to escape the consequences of his crime Yes, that's all He just wants to escape This is Jeffrey Barnes again in just a moment. We'll bring you act three of solo performance Now a word from George Putnam Thousands of dandruff sufferers who've been ready to give up and despair after trying other methods without success Have found that double dandereen gives them real relief You see outstanding authorities point out that a germ pity ross poromo valley Is the cause of the most common kind of dandruff methods that simply wash away loose dandruff are ineffective Because they don't destroy this germ for real relief It must be destroyed and double dandereen does that it actually kills this germ on contact Even in many severe cases double dandereen has given remarkable results Now the reason for double dandereen's amazing efficiency is a special ingredient an active antiseptic That's used by many hospitals because of its astonishing effectiveness In double dandereen. We call it alzan So try double dandereen and see if you don't agree that it really does more than many dandruff fighting methods Methods that actually are no better than plain water Get double dandereen tomorrow your money back if not satisfied At last it was 5 30 and the secretary left 10 minutes later I walked down the stairs unseen mingled with the crowds leaving the building and took the subway In 40 minutes. I was home And now the clincher Still impersonating lee hamill and pretending to be at the office I phoned van dyke at the theater and told him I was dismissing blaine from the cast My alibi was complete Since elspeth had dutifully reported to me that I was to replace blaine in the cast of night cafe I attended the rehearsal the next day I wasn't very surprised when the police walked in but the rest of the cast were electrified Quiet quiet, please Mr. Hamill was murdered Just one minute, please was murdered sometime between 6 20 last night and midnight He was alive at 6 20 according to his director who spoke to him on the phone Now I want you all to understand that none of you is under suspicion But I am asking you to come down to headquarters with me so we can round up some facts At headquarters we found blaine looking like a ghost He'd been questioned already and he showed it We were all separated and put into individual rooms I sat down at an old battered desk and had myself a cigarette There was a pad of yellow ruled paper and a pen and ink well there It made me smile If I had wanted to write my confession all I had to do was pick up the pen and start All afternoon the questioning went on while I waited alone in the room I ran out of cigarettes at about 7 and they wouldn't let me send for any Finally at 10 loman opened my door and came in You're Perry aren't you? Yes. No, no don't get up. Just stay where you are. I'll use the corner of the desk Uh I understand you were up to see hamill yesterday morning Yes, I heard there might be a chance for me to take blaine's place in the place So I went to speak to mr. Hamill about it and he wouldn't see it. Well, his secretary said he was busy He told you there was no casting, didn't he? No, he didn't tell me anything. Miss johnson told me but not mr. Hamill himself What made you think he'd give you blaine's place? My wife told me there was that possibility And as a matter of fact when she called him later that afternoon he did tell her that I had the part It's sort of tough on blaine, wasn't it? Well, you know how those things are fortunes of war I suppose blaine was plenty sore about it. Uh Sore at hamill, I mean Yes, I suppose Uh Does he have an alibi for last night? I suppose you leave the questions to meet barry What about your own alibi? That's easy From about six 30 to eight. I was at louis g's a little italian restaurant uptown. You can check with louis g After that my wife can alibi me if you'll accept her word And before six 30 Well, does that matter if hamill was alive until six 20 and i swears he was he talked to him on the phone but Somehow our medical examiner has other ideas He thinks hamill was killed earlier in the afternoon. Well, but how could that be? Where were you yesterday afternoon? Why home? Any witnesses No, do I need any Tell me barry when you came to see hamill yesterday morning Did you go into hamill's private office at all? No, the girl must have told you And you weren't in that private office at any time during the afternoon? I was not I was at home. I give you my word Uh Mind if I take that pad on the desk? Certainly not You do this What? Oh, oh, yes Bad habit of mine. I scrolled cats all over everything bad habit is right barry So bad, it's going to send you to the chair What do you mean we found cats just like these doodled on hamill's blotter pad But my wife spoke to hamill van dyke spoke to him later in the afternoon. He was alive. You're an actor parry Tell me you're pretty good at imitations That's to been hard at it all afternoon on the phone and uh between times scrawled cats all over the nice clean blotter That's why we kept all you folks waiting in separate rooms A new parry game we thought up We call it find the doodler It did an actor's heart good to hear them at the trial right down the line elspeth van dyke and hamill secretary Each one swore it was hamill's voice and not mine that came through the telephone that afternoon Yes, their testimony added up to a rave notice from george gene nathan I'd have gone free too if it hadn't been for the cats But then there's always an if isn't there This is jeffrey barnes again inviting you to be with us next week when our star will be the Glamorous stage and screen actress virginia gilmore who is currently appearing in the motion picture close-up Miss gilmore played the leading role in a story by paul monash entitled Deadly nuisance The original music for the moley mystery theater is composed and conducted by alexander semler Everett slone was starred and elisabeth morgan featured in tonight's performance Any resemblance between the names and characters used on this show and any actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental And now this is dan seamore saying good night until next week at this same time when the mystery theater presents Deadly nuisance Starring virginia gilmore. This is nbc the national broadcasting company