 Autolight and its 96,000 dealers bring you Mr. John Hodiak in a story taken from life tonight's presentation of Souspens Tonight Autolight presents a dramatic report from the roaring 20s about a man whose way of life destroyed him a factual document we call the case history of a gambler starring mr. John Hodiak Hello, Harlow, well, it's Oscar the low-quacious limousine Why so down in the dumps Oscar my battery went dry and I can't get started Well, you ought to have an auto light stay full battery the famous battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use only Three times Harlow right my quarelless car the auto light stay full has over three times the liquid reserve of batteries without stay full features And it gives longer life too has proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards So friends visit your nearest auto light battery dealer He's equipped to service all makes of batteries and if a replacement is needed He has an auto light stay full to quickly learn his location Just call Western Union by number and ask for me operator 25 I'll gladly tell you the location of your nearest auto light battery dealer and remember from bumper to tail light You're always right with auto light and now with the case history of a gambler and the performance of mr. John Hodiak Auto light hopes once again to keep you in so spend It's not easy to walk when you're weighted down with a bullet in your body But keep walking because six blocks away less than half a mile as a hospital think Think about something anything Anything to get your mind off the pain Think about the beginning the beginning of this When was it? thousand years ago a hundred No No, it's closer than that three years three years ago In the kids dressing room at the arena It began with a fight a prize fight Look Matt when you called me and asked for 10,000 I sent it over and didn't ask any question Why start now? I think I got a right to know why you wanted the dough. I'll tell you when the fight's over fight You mean you put my 10 grand on a fighter. Yes. Give me back my dough. I'll wait up. Give it back But you don't know what I don't want to know I want my money Relax for a couple of minutes Frank. Don't get cute with me angle boy Tell me the score or give me ten thousand dollars now. You won't wait, huh? No You should know me better than I think I'm gonna throw away your ten grand Thought I did I've been booking bets long enough to know that you can't beat the fight Well, and why I know you can beat one fight. How do you figure because the boy I bet on is my fighter I? Planned this match a year ago and when I win, I'm through with prize fighting He's got to be an angle there is I bought a fighter last year a kid So I saw this boy and some amateur bouts and I bought him and trained him and booked fights for him What's he done since lost 12 fights for by knockouts 3 by TKO's and 5 by unanimous decisions And how do you know he can win tonight up to now? I've had him fighting pretty good not the way he can I've had him training at a little private camp up in the mountains going five six rounds with the best boys I could find he's knocked them all out. That's all you mean you took my ten grand and put on it this Wonder boy just because he's been knocking out bums and training camps Are you kidding me Matt you got the other boy to take a fall You think I'd stick my neck out and try to fix a fight you would if you thought you could do it Well, even if I could there'd be too many people taking a cut of the pie my pie Better to take a piece and try for it all and get none not me Frank. I'll roll for the bundle When you loan me 10,000 it made an even hundred grand. I've spread all over the country Why the big deal all of a sudden I want money real money. I'm tired of nickel and dime operations What are you gonna do if you win when I win? I'm gonna open up the biggest safest gambling casino this side of the Mississippi. Oh, we did it. We did it At the door Lou, but I shut the door Okay, okay What round knock out the fifth at 20 to 1 that's right two million bucks Matt you just won two million bucks get in touch with the boys Do I want Al to pick up the dough and Frisco Seattle, Los Angeles and San Diego tell Willie to cover Phoenix Tucson, Albuquerque and El Paso 63rd Street five blocks to go walk keep walking and think That was the beginning What came after the beginning? the casino the suburban gambling casino My reward for fixing one fight Then came the friends Matthew Miller is giving money away get some of it But be sure you give it back when you're through Then always the gratitude Always the benediction Much obliged Matt. I was real short on operating capital. That's all right Charlie glad I could help I'll see you on the 15th the next month to get my IOU back see that you do Charlie You know how I feel about Welshes Yeah, yeah, I know Well, good night Matt. Thanks again. Good night, Charlie Maybe you know what you're doing Matt, but sometimes I think you're too loose with your dough You mean Charlie? Oh him for one another guys. I've seen you lend money to what's wrong with lending now and then Oh, nothing only any grifter a hood that runs out of money in this town knows they can get to you for a touch All right bookkeeper How much money have I lost since I started helping the less fortunate of my fraternity? Well, there was Richie follow from Detroit. He nicked you for 80 grand. Where's he now? And incidentally, where's anyone who ever welched on a loan or a gambling debt? So they're not around anymore cancels out doesn't it just because a guy knows better than to try to welch on you There's no excuse to be mr. Soft touch. Why not? It's not business. I'm not in the lending business Well, if the amount of dough you got spread around you might just as well be I Supposing Charlie goes out of here and gets knocked off. Where's your dough then? It's a chance I have to take you shouldn't have to take chances Charlie's wife isn't taking a chance if Charlie gets knocked off tonight She's rich tomorrow. He's got enough insurance. They've had again about Charlie's wife. Why what'd I say? What happens if Charlie gets knocked off tonight? I said she'd be rich tomorrow. Why? That's what I thought you said. Hey Matt. What are you gonna do? Lou call my lawyer. Yeah, what are you gonna do? I'm about to become an actuary a what an actuary According to Webster one who is skilled in life assurance I'll match you're out of your mind. You'll never get away with it The state would be on your neck so fast the stock issue would never clear the broker's office. Stay down counselor You're wearing the nap off my carpeting. Oh, all right First of all, is it possible to form a dummy corporation for the purpose of floating a stock issue? Well, yes, it is answer with a yes or no. Don't embellish your sentence. Oh, sorry to go on Since the stock issue will be thrown open to the public There'll be no necessity for me to control more than 25% of the issue, right, right? When I sell a policy to a client the majority of the first premium will go to me as the selling agent, right? Now we come to the important point Is it perfectly legal for me to be named a beneficiary of any policy? I may issue well in the event legal Yes, or no Yes, yes, it's legal. Why are you fighting me? What can the state possibly do to me? Now since that question can't be answered by a yes or no. Have I your permission to elaborate? Sure, go ahead. All right Now what guarantee have you that these men to whom you lend money will continue to pay the premiums after they have repaid the loan? Why none, of course I don't care if they keep up the policy or not all I'm interested in is protection for myself and With that protection if I can make an extra dollar by issuing the policy I don't see how that can be construed as fraud or any other illegal practice You know what happens to the company in the long run. Frankly, I don't care by that time I expect to have gotten what I wanted out of it the stockholders. It caused you trouble if they got together If Chris People don't help each other. They're too busy helping themselves. Yeah, like you maybe The difference is most of them don't know what they want. Do you map? Of course I do That's why I don't need any help. I'm just gonna do it all by myself Anymore question. Oh, no, I suppose not then how about a drink I can use one Lou Don't pout Chris losing this decision to me won't hurt your reputation. It's not me. I'm thinking about it's you me me You're reaching One of these days you'll reach out too far and it'll be a long long fall to the bottom It'll break every bone in your body dramatic, but unnecessary No matter what happens people will gamble and the only safe place in the state is right here This casino is my bumper and it can cushion any fall I may take Well, Chris, let's drink to our new venture a toast if I may you may to Matt They've a long fall never come a man 64th Street four blocks in the hospital Why am I trying? Why do I want to live? There must be a reason Ellen I Want to live for Ellen. I want to kiss her and be kissed. I want to give her all the things I promised her So I'll keep walking and keep walking You look tired mad anything wrong. No, no, I just trying to get Chris back in line Sometimes I wonder if he's really on my side. You don't mean it. Do you he's a fine lawyer, Ellen? I have to admit he's gotten me out of a couple of tight spots, but I Wonder sometimes if he's interested in me or the retainer. I pay him Matt, what's wrong? Chris is your friend. You don't think about friends that way. I know but tonight was different Tonight I felt that Chris wasn't on my side that Forget it. I'm here with you and that's all I care about right now Matt When are you going to quit quit quit what all this figuring and scheming and gambling Well, you know No, I don't know tell me Matt. You've got enough money to have a safe wonderful life away from here Away from all the hoodlums and sharpies and thieves and murderers Why don't we just pack up and go? I'm so afraid I Love you too much to worry about you from day to day You know you can't live the kind of life you're living without making enemies One of these days somebody's gonna hate you enough to Oh, Matt Don't you understand that it's because of you that I don't quit because of me. Yes, I Promised myself. I'd give you the city for a wedding present and I'm not going to Welsh on a promise But I don't want the city. I want you I Want to forget that there are fighters and cards and dice and roulette and all the other things you can't depend on But I can depend on them. I can depend on them because I know the weaknesses of people Mass man is the biggest sucker in the world and the only way to punish him for it is to take his money And that's what I'm doing. How long come with me and I'll show you What do you see? City, that's right the city I'm going to take suckers money until I have enough to buy it Auto light is bringing you mr. John Hodiak in the case history of a gambler Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills Suspends Well said my orating auto starting is a real fast pleasure with an auto light stay full the power-packed battery That needs water only three times a year in normal car use and what's more the auto light stay full gives longer life as Proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards So visit your nearest auto light battery dealer soon to quickly learn his location call Western Union by number And ask for me operator 25 I'll gladly tell you the location of your nearest auto light battery dealer who services all makes of batteries And in case you need a new battery to give your car dependable starts in this cold weather He has an auto light stay full battery the battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use Remember from bumper to tail light. You're always right with auto light And now auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage mr. John Hodiak in Elliot Lewis's production of the case history of a gambler a story of the roaring 20s Well calculated to keep you in 65th Street How long can it take a man to walk six blocks? How heavy can announce of let it be two more blocks to the hospital And when I get there what then is all this worth the gamble the gamble Matt Hugh Miller the gambler the man who lived for the gamble The good loser the gracious winner a man who hated a well sure a good gambler a gambler I Think I'll stretch my legs for a second. What do you know daylight again? Let's be Monday Send out for some more food Not for me. How about you guys? I've had it two days of poker just about my limit Let's make this the last hand, huh? All right from me Any up Jacks are better to open Any limit on this last hand Matt? No, why? But it's pretty hard this session Afraid of your money. I know you're better than that We think the same about bad losers. Don't we Matt so I'm noticed Open for five thousand As my mother would say a stranger from every village Matt Five and up ten Me I'm up Call you Matt Cards to Never keep a kicker Take one up 25 Call Kings fool No kicker. I Guess my flesh isn't good enough. It's not what's the damage Including the 66,000 on this hand it comes to 483,000 That's a little more than you lost to me last month isn't it? Uh-huh? I'll have Lou drop the dough off tomorrow. Okay. Fine. How do you want to check the cash cash? Checks don't feel like money. All right, I'll send Lou over with cash It'll be on your desk at exactly noon tomorrow in bills of small denomination. I Like the bulge it makes in my tailored suit Anybody else know about this game? Chris Lou, what are you Matt? We're didn't know you had company. It's a friendly little game I think you know most of boys. Oh, Matt Matt. We got a talk private. What's the matter? Get rid of the boys so we can talk sure Sure, we just finished anyway. It's a long fellas. Thanks for the game. So long Matt remember Okay, what's on your mind the casino was raided Saturday night Saturday This is Monday where you guys been I got picked up when the joint was raided. I was out of town for the weekend I got Lou out on a habeas corpus as soon as I returned this morning How do the cops find out about the location what happened to the alarm system the grapevine has it that somebody in The organization tipped off the police There's more than one man in this town that doesn't like you met. What about the books the cops got them, too They were in the joints of fast. I didn't have a chance to dump them They got me nailed Okay, I'm getting out Chris don't mind sure and stuck on the market. I can get enough. No Matt. What do you mean? No? I'm telling you to get rid of my start There is no insurance company Are you crazy the company is in receivership and the state is conducting an investigation, but how why? Oh, one of the stockholders thought enough of his investment to go around gathering up enough proxies to vote you out of control And to have the books checked so what so this? Every diamond the company is frozen and I doubt that you'll ever get to see any of it again What about the courts? Well intent to defraud is pretty tough to prove in a court. I think I can beat the rap on that count But that's all I can promise you. Oh, I'm sorry Matt, but if you say I told you so I'll kill you right now Oh That's not what I was gonna say at all I'm your friend even though. I haven't very much to give I don't want your money Chris. I Don't need it. You see I have expected this to happen. I guess so I planned for it I have a key ring in my office on this key ring I have ten keys and these keys open ten safety deposit boxes with about a hundred grand in Lou Are you looking at me like that for Come on speak up Matt I Yeah, they they got the key ring, too Chris you once told me I'd reach out too far Well, I did It looks as if the fall broke every bone in my body Sadder to come yourself instead of sending Lou huh come on in lay the door right here. This is a pretty big desk I don't have a dough Gus Don't play games with me. I Don't have any sense of humor when somebody owes me money. This isn't a game. I'm broke I'll broke I'm not going to be able to pay you what I owe you right now You're gonna have to wait a little while. What do you mean? I'm gonna have to wait That's what I said. I haven't got the money right now better get it where that's your problem All I know is you're half an hour overdue and I don't like to be kept waiting, but I've got to have a little time All right I'll give you into midnight tonight If I don't have it by then I'll send one of my boys to see you are you trying to do frighten me No, just letting you know where I stand like you once told me If you can't pay don't play Well, I'm telling you that now You shouldn't play with that door to back you up, but this is different I had the money when I started to play and I won it off. I don't think you like to lose Matt Are you two-bit pitch-pity hold it? I Don't like to see blood on my carpet You're gonna be sorry you pulled that gun on me The time I get through with you you'll be back peddling punch boards for a nickel of crack as long as you don't forget You got till midnight to pay me the 483 grand after that you can start breaking me But I got a hunch you're not gonna do very much breaking in this town You stepped on too many hands on your way up and there are a lot of guys really eager to give you a push on the way down Get out of here I'm tired so tired 66th Street One more block. I know I'm gonna make it because of Ellen Ellen would want me to Ellen would help me But she isn't here now And I don't want to be alone. I Won't be alone. Ellen will be there. She's always there Then I want to keep her waiting. I miss her walk walk Walk It's midnight. Yes, I know What are you going to do? What is there to do? Wait for guys I suppose I'm afraid I have to welsh in another promise One I made to myself to give you the city. Oh, man darling, I don't care I told you once before I didn't want anything but you and now I oh man, I Wish there was some way of starting all over again Do you really mean that Matt? Of course I do wait here Here What's this? I had my praise today. They're worth almost a hundred and seventy five thousand dollars With these we can go to Mexico South America where they never even heard of you or Gus or any of the whole rotten mess in this town You mean you want me to run away The class myself with all the cheap welshers. I hate. Do you know what you're asking? Yes? I know what I'm asking Matt I love you. I want you alive with me Been afraid all this time. I'm tired of being afraid. Oh, please Matt before it's too late Ellen where we go? Mexico or South America South America it's further South America it is I'll go down and get your car, but then I don't worry. I'll be safe. Nobody knows where I am. I Want you to wait here for about eight minutes then leave and meet me in the garage And we're off for the west coast in South America. Oh, man. I'm so happy. Yes. I Think I'm going to like South America. It's the welshers Hospital I've made it It's cold now So cold a few more steps got to hurry Ellen has been waiting so long for me Don't want to keep her waiting When I get there she'll take me in her arms I'll feel the strength of her love Chris will be there too and Lou I Want to tell him that I didn't break every bone in my body nurse yes my My name is Matthew Miller and I guess Didn't make it After all spins presented by Autolight tonight star mr. John Hodiak and here once again is our personable young star John Hodiak Thanks, hollow John It's always a treat having you on suspense and tonight was no exception We all enjoyed your performance as Matt very much That's very nice. Hello, and if I may I'd like to urge everybody in our audience to be sure and hear next week's unusual show The night before Christmas a great suspense story starring Miss Greer-Garson That's my good advice for the night and I'll join you John with good advice for motorists everywhere I know hollow. You're always right with auto light Correct You're always right because auto light is the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment Auto light makes over 400 products for cars trucks tractors planes and boats These include auto light batteries such as the famous auto lights stay full Electrical systems used as original factory equipment on many leading makes of cars a complete line of ignition engineered auto light spark plugs Both standard and resistor types All are backed by constant auto light research and are precision built to highest standards of quality and performance No wonder from bumper to tail light. You're always right with auto light Next week on suspense our star will be Miss Greer-Garson in a special Christmas program the unusual dramatization of Twas the night before Christmas in weeks to come we shall also present mr. Herbert Marshall Mr. Jeff Chandler and the first lady of suspense miss Agnes Moorhead all on so spend Suspense is produced and directed by Elliott Lewis with music composed by Lucian Moroak from a New York theme by Fred Steiner and Conducted by Lut Glushkin the case history of a gambler was written for suspense by Ross Murray Featured in tonight's cast was Lillian by F. Bill Boucher Joseph Kearns Lou Merrill Herb Bygren Martha Wentworth Charles Calvert and Clayton Post John Hodyak can be seen in the soon-to-be-released the sellout and remember next week on suspense miss Greer-Garson in a special Christmas broadcast towards the night before Christmas For the location of your nearest auto light battery or spark plug dealer or your nearest authorized auto light service station Phone Western Union by number and ask for operator 25 switch to auto light. Good night. This is the CBS radio network