 you are groping down a dark alleyway in the French Quarter of New Orleans driven by terror hounded by the curse of the papaloi a curse from which there is no escape escape produced by William N. Robeson and carefully contrived to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure today we escape into two worlds one of modern jazz the other of primitive voodoo and to a doomed man who brought them together as William Irish imagined it in his eerie story Papa Benjamin police Department 4th precinct sergeant Oliver speaking yeah yeah well pick him up on a drunk 723 right yes what can I do for you are you in charge here yeah hey aren't you Eddie block the band leader that's right hey Joe look who's here Eddie block well never thought we'd get a visit from a big celebrity like you mr. block in at four o'clock in the morning I suppose though this is just the shank of the evening for a big shot orchestra leader hell what could we do for you mr. block I've just killed a man you're kidding I tell you I've just killed a man I guess you've been working too hard mr. blocky imagine and think yeah it's the gun look at it sit down but I have drink of water you'll feel better no no no I'm all right so yeah this gun's been used all right smell hmm wasn't an accident mr. block no who'd you use it on who was it I don't know his name they call him Papa Benjamin sounds like yeah a white man no it was a Negro well now in all in no no no it was nothing like that what was he doing to you it was killing me killing it look at me I used to weigh 200 pounds I'm down to 102 but how was he killing you would you believe in anything you can't see can't hear can't touch well I've been to the biggest doctors in the world they don't believe me how can I expect you to simply say I'm cracked and let it go with that I don't want to spend the rest of my life in her asylum look mr. block you say he was a Negro named Papa Bench yes yes an old old man 80 maybe 90 skin and bones he could hardly walk and I shot him you sure you sure you killed him yes of course where I don't know exactly the middle back alley in the view carry your Congo square suppose you take us there can you do that then maybe we'll find out this is just a bad dream this is the alley to the right between the buildings all right let's go you pack sorry catch cold without it why at you nice neighborhood this is it in that door and up the stairs come on no no don't make me go up there again please better come mr. block you're showing us a flash of light somebody here on the stairs he won't bother dead drunk and step over him and let's go this ain't the most pleasant neighborhood to come calling this it yes in that door oh come on better call a commissioner mr. block wasn't kidding this man stayed but why why because he was killing me commissioner then it was self-defense he never came near me once I was the one I went to him I offered him three thousand ten thousand any amount and he refused I offered him my gun and asked him to shoot me whether to get it over with quickly enough to drag it out any longer then when he said no you shot him yeah so you can lock me up now mr. block do you think we want to hang a murder rap on you one of the most popular celebrities in the United States use your head I'm trying to find an out for you he was killing me look an 80-year-old colored man who's so feeble he can't even go upstairs by himself who has to have his food pull it up to him in a basket is killing who a stumble bum his own age no mr. Eddie block the top band leader of America who can name his own price anywhere who has about everything a man can want tell me just one thing mr. block how was he killing you by thinking thought waves of death that reached me through the air now mr. block you surely don't you want to hush the whole thing up don't you know mr. block no but I'm going to get the whole story so you might as well start telling me from the beginning all right it began one night about two years ago we were playing at maxims on Charles Street we were just another band small Dixieland outfit then Eddie blocking his chips Judy Jarvis my wife did the vocals but we weren't setting the world on fire business was so bad I know what to expect when I got a call from the manager one night after closing time thought we'd better have a little talk it's that bad huh they took in 4500 this week I see and you can cancel my contract anytime it falls under 5000 I get it anything get the same liquor and sandwiches anywhere but they'll go where the band has something tonight there were more waiters in the place and they were customers Judy didn't even get a hand it's not her fault I know it's not her fault she's okay but I'm asking you what's wrong I don't know I'm getting the latest arrangement sent to me from New York we sweat our heads bald off rehearsing well this is New Orleans practically the cradle of jazz you got to give them something new when do I leave well finish the week out see if you can do something about it by Monday if not I'll have to worse they lose to get Kruger's band I'm sorry Eddie but it's all right it's okay you're not running a charity bizarre but I didn't feel so cocky about it it looked like we were on the skids the band just didn't seem to have it and I wasn't good enough to figure out why and pull them out of it I was feeling pretty low when I went back to the dessert at bandstand to pick up some music the place was dark and empty except for a couple of scrub women cleaning up a dark nightclub can be an eerie place sometimes I got that feeling just before I saw it I saw it lying there on the floor between the stands it was a severed chicken claw with a red ribbon tied around it I almost laughed how did that thing get there then I picked it up and tossed it out on the floor where the scrub women were cleaning up it certainly wasn't expecting the reaction I got they took one look they turned and ran out I just recovered from that surprise and was bending down to pick up some music that had slipped to the floor when I heard someone come in I guess I was pretty well hidden from view anyway he didn't see me it was Johnny stats my drummer he was acting funny looking intently at the floor searching for something suddenly he spotted this chicken claw on the floor and grabbed it up with a terrific sigh of relief stuffed it into his pocket and walked out what I did then I did on a strange impulse and it changed the whole course of my life I followed Johnny stats I suppose I just meant to catch up with him and have a cup of coffee with him somewhere and ask him about the chicken claw but as I followed him farther and farther down into the view carry down the Congo Square it was a growing curiosity that kept me on his trail when he turned into that dark alley way I stopped and debated I felt like an eavesdropper and yet something drew me on I walked up that dark alley I passed that one lighted wind I told you before don't go back there honey but I went on throw a sort of tunnel into another alleyway then I stopped ahead of me Johnny stats stood before a dark dismal looking old wreck of a building suddenly he whistled a gigantic man appeared from out of the shadows Johnny handed in the chicken claw and he was motioned into the building and then I heard sounds coming from the upstairs of that building a throbbing drum a wailing an unearthly sound and yet wonderful an exotic fascinating rhythm this was music something new something sensational something that would set New Orleans on its ear and put Eddie block in the big time I had to get in there and hear it I was mighty busy for the next five minutes I ran back down the alley over turning five or six garbage cans before I found what I needed then back to that lighted window in the alley and a five spot in exchange for a red ribbon then I was back at the dark building walking up to that menacing shadow let me see your face okay easy with that knife my ribs are tender your face never been here before my friend Johnny stats up there he'll tell you miss Johnny your friend he asked you come here this chicken claw told me to come Papa Benchman send you down certainly you'll make me late Papa Benjamin wouldn't like that all right go along here first thing in all New Orleans I groped up the stairs half expecting to feel his knife in my back but I got to the top safely cautiously I opened the door was full of people they were in such a state of frenzy I wasn't even noticed I slipped into a corner and slipped down by the wall sitting on the floor it was a sight I'll never forget why fantastic hideous revolt fascinating the center of the room was an incredibly old man naked to the waist wearing a hideous mask and holding a live chicken while gestures weird incantations frantic dancing shouting and rolling of eyes and there was blood and always there was the chance nobody noticed me after a moment I took a piece of paper out of my pocket and again putting down the notes it was fantastic in 10 minutes I had it and I'd seen enough enough for a lifetime of life I began to feel sick and I wanted to get out I started to stand up suddenly the room went dead stranger is here his bony arms stretched out straight from the shoulder pointing at me like a narrow and there was blood on it what you do I know this man let me find out no one moved there was no sound in the room as Johnny stats came over and squatted beside me you're in terrible trouble honey I don't know if I can get out of it what is this stats and what are you doing here there's no time to talk now you've got to do something quicker you'll be a dead man why I'm in a very hard of New Orleans they wouldn't do listen you've seen enough tonight you know better it is only one way what join become one no it's the only way I can't save you and you'd better hurry up unless you do you'll never get out of here alive you you know what this is don't you this is voodoo okay sure I'll join up when I wait a minute Eddie there's a lot more to it than you think unless you're serious it'd be better to get cut to pieces right now don't worry I'm serious all right papaloi his spirit wishes to join our spirits the old man burns some feathers while the others watch silently came out all right he reads them the spirits of willow there were other things ritual ceremonies another sacrifice then after the chanting started again they brought me the sacrificial bowl I didn't have to be told what was in it I started to draw back drink any drink with a killer on the spot late next morning the band assembled at Maxim's for a rehearsal when Johnny Stats got there he found another drummer sitting in his place naturally he came to me what's all this about Eddie I don't want any voodoo lover in my band that's all Stats has a check for two weeks salary so you're crossing them are you brother I wouldn't want to be in your shoes for all the golden Fort Knox hell if you mean that bad dream last night I haven't told anybody and I won't have a laughter I'm only remembering what I can use of it the jungle is just trees to me the Congo or river and nighttime just time for electric lights but this new number you're gonna rehearse this morning I said I'd remember what I can use listen Eddie that Chad is sacred secret it was secret Eddie don't do it look here's a couple of sea notes hand them these that ought to pay my dues up from now to doomsday and I don't want to receive and if they try putting poison in my orange juice they'll end up on a chain it's not that easy Eddie you're one of us now get out goodbye dead man the manager of the club changed his mind about canceling our contract when he heard us rehearse the chant instead he spent five G's in publicity and Saturday night was set for the big unveiling seemed like all New Orleans tried to jam at the Maxons came to hear the voodoo chant a real thing just before we were ready to hit it Judy came up to me Eddie listen let's not do it what do you mean baby not do it well this is it this is our ticket to the big time it'll be a sensation I know but I got a funny feeling Eddie and look I found this under your dressing room door just a little while ago it sounds like a warning somebody doesn't want you to play that number let's see you can summon the spirits but can you dismiss them again think well forget it baby stats is trying to scare me because I fired him come on let's go this is the real thing ladies and gentlemen an accurate transcription not a notice been changed so now any block in his chips present for the first time anywhere the voodoo was a sensation they went crazy for a screen for more but we were playing a cage once a night that pack them in after it was over I went back to our dressing room Judy got there before me she was reading a newspaper somebody had brought in oh baby you were wonderful we wowed him we're in the money now yeah Eddie but boy boy am I tired I feel more tired than I've ever felt in my life nervous train I guess huh let down Eddie look here in the paper oh who cares about the paper now Eddie it's Johnny stats he's dead he drowned himself and like Porsche train this afternoon hey this afternoon well then that note it wasn't Johnny all Eddie look you can't blame yourself me oh no no no of course not but I think I know who to blame what do you mean nothing nothing Eddie why don't you lie down and rest for a few minutes you look worn out yes I am I I feel dead here let me take off your coat oh be careful what's new I don't know a funny thing what I was waving the baton in the chat I felt something a sharp pain and my back like a pin or something stuck me I don't feel anything there now maybe it slipped down I don't know couldn't have been much there now you just lie down you feel better in a few minutes you've been working too hard Eddie you should relax now and maybe take a few days off hey Eddie look here where'd this come from what it's a little doll it was lying on the dressing table quite Eddie it looks just like you let me see now that's funny look there in the bag there's a little pin sticking in the bag yes that's right where I felt the pain that started it next day I had a backache later there was a numbness that spread to my shoulders arms and legs I felt tired all the time listless dead I began to lose weight I couldn't get Johnny Stats out of my mind he'd introduced me to them vouched for me and he'd committed suicide he knew he hadn't waited I decided to get out of New Orleans I went to New York playing the chant of course I had to it was my biggest asset now but nothing changed I was losing weight from a husky 200 down to 160 I couldn't sleep maybe if I put a notion between I took an offer in London toured the continent away a year I was an international hit now the biggest attraction in music but I was down to 110 dying on my feet the doctors couldn't figure it out Reynolds in London told me you're as normal Mr. Block as anyone I ever examined you're so well balanced that you haven't even got that extra little touch of imagination most actors and musicians have I guess that's true doctor I'm just mediocre and yet you might say my success is killing me and so after two years I finally realized it was no use I came back back to New Orleans back to the dark alleyway down there Congo Square I could just barely drag myself along but I had to see Papa Benjamin I slowly climbed the stairs up to that loathsome door and went in there he was Papa Benjamin staring at me from the bed as if he'd been expecting me take that curse off me give me my life back I'll do anything anything you say what has been done cannot be undone you think the spirits of earth air fire water know what forgiveness means hit a seed for me then you brought it about here's money I'll give you twice as much all I earn all I ever hope to learn you have found the Obiah death has been on you from that night all over the world and in the air above you have marked the spirits with a chant that summons them and please here's a gun kill me now and be done with it I can't stand anymore all you have to do is shoot I'll write a note sign and say I did it myself but different slow oh slow no no no I can't stand that I won't I won't maybe if I kill you maybe then the spell will be broke no that's it kill you no no no and that's all commissioner then I came here the police station you know the rest well all right mr. black you don't believe me yes I believe him not about the curse of course I was your own mind they planted the suggestion in your mind you did the rest but it's playing that you killed in self-defense crazy kind of self-defense but I think we can manage it we'll try the commissioner managed it all right how is almost a story in itself our detective with a moulash false-face posed his Papa Benjamin and called the voodoo planned together and into a trap how they collected the evidence that proved my story and how they sent most of that voodoo bunch to jail my name wasn't even connected with the case so now I'm free I'm living again I've gained weight tiredness the numbness is gone I took a nice vacation went to Bermuda relaxed and had fun now I'm back in New Orleans at Maxims the whole thing is forgotten we're opening tonight and the place is packed everybody's come to hear the chant Eddie block and the chant we're on our way now nothing can stop us look at him Judy they're eating it up I was hoping I'd never hear this thing again what do you mean it's your trademark yours net is I tried to persuade him not to do it he wouldn't listen why you want imagining all that voodoo I don't know it was all in his mind that it nearly killed him I don't think you can put it out of your mind forget so easy when Eddie plays on sense hey wait a minute look at Eddie there's something wrong well he's staggering now let me pick him up he's probably just fainted no no leave him alone I guess Papa Benjamin one after all escape produced by William M. Robeson and directed by Norman McDonald today brought you Papa Benjamin by William Irish adapted for radio by John Dunkel with Frank Lovejoy as Eddie block Louis Van Rootman as Papa Benjamin Harry Bartell as the police commissioner and Joan Banks as Judy music was conducted by Eddie Dunstetter next week you are speeding through the night on the Eastern Bull Express you were alone and unarmed and suddenly you realize that your life is in danger but somewhere on the train are deadly killers from whom you must escape next week we escape with Harold Lam's exciting adventure story three good witnesses goodbye then until the same time next week when again we offer you escape this is CBS Columbia broadcasting system