Suspense.
This is the Man in Black, here again to introduce Columbia's program, Suspense.
Our starring Hollywood cast of characters reads as follows for tonight.
As Aunt Julie, one of those stark, severe and terrifying women who is encountered ever so often along the grimmer outposts of the American countryside.
Miss Agnes Moorhead.
As Carol Linden, the girl who returned to a scene of childhood happiness and found terror living in the house.
Miss Ellen Drew.
As Paul Carroll's husband who had his own ideas as to the explanation of these strange events.
Mr. Ted Reed.
A first radio play by Larry Roman called Uncle Henry's Rosebush is tonight's tale of suspense.
If you have been with us before, you will know that suspense is compounded of mystery and suspicion and dangerous adventure.
In this series our tales calculated to intrigue, to stir your nerves, to offer you a precarious situation and then withhold a solution until the last possible moment.
And so it is with Uncle Henry's Rosebush and the performances of Agnes Moorhead as Aunt Julie, Ellen Drew as Carol and Ted Reed as Paul.
We again hope to keep you in Suspense.
Suspense
I shall tell you the story exactly as it happened.
There's no use pretending.
I'll never forget and I know I'll not awake and find it all a dream.
It's real and for the rest of my life I shall know it's real.
Paul's Rosebush
Paul was to have his first vacation since we were married.
I suggested we visit my Aunt Julie and Uncle Henry who had a small farm upstate.
They had always been very kind to me.
When I was a child I used to spend my summer vacations with them.
They loved children.
I've often wondered why they never had any of their own.
Some time ago I'd lost track of them.
They'd never seen Paul and I was certain they'd like to.
Paul said it would be fine.
We'll surprise them I thought.
We were the ones who were surprised.
Paul's Rosebush
Just a few more miles Paul.
I remember this road.
We used to hike along it going to the village.
Ah, this country air is wonderful.
Two weeks of green grass and wicker chairs.
I can't think of anything better.
You'll love Aunt Julie and Uncle Henry.
They live alone, quiet and peaceful.
It'll be quite a change from the city.
Yeah, they must be happy together.
Oh they are but they're lonely.
Smooth lawns and orchards.
Flowers.
Uncle Henry planted huge rose bushes around the porch.
Every night as I crawled in the bed he used to bring me a rose.
They're his favorite flowers.
Ah, vacation here we come.
Come on Carl let's go.
Just around the bend.
Here we go.
There it is.
Carl, look.
Why Paul.
Are you sure this is the place?
Yes but all the weeds and the broken shutters.
Looks as though it's been neglected for months.
I don't understand.
Perhaps it's deserted.
It can't be. It's their home.
Oh come on let's go up and see.
The dirt on this porch must be an inch thick.
No answer.
Nobody here.
Look Paul over there at the end of the porch.
The rose bush.
Uncle Henry's rose bush.
Why it's trimmed and neat.
It's the only thing that seems to be taken care of.
Well then somebody must be here.
Maybe they can tell us what happened to Aunt Julie and Uncle Henry.
Knock again.
Someone's coming.
Well?
We're looking for a Mr. and Mrs. Connors.
They used to live...
Why Aunt Julie?
I didn't recognize you.
It's me Aunt Julie. It's Carol.
I wasn't expecting you.
Paul's vacation. We thought we'd spend it here.
Well you've been asking for us for years.
This is Paul, my husband.
Carol's told me so much about you.
Why did you come?
What?
I said why did you come?
Aren't you glad to see us?
Aunt Julie something's happened.
Nothing's happened.
Oh but it did. Tell me Aunt Julie we'll help.
Of course we will.
You shouldn't have come.
Carol if she doesn't want us let's go.
No Paul. This isn't like you Aunt Julie.
Something dreadful has happened. I know it.
Go Carol. Please go.
Listen if it's money Aunt Julie, well we haven't got too much but you're welcome to it.
I tell you nothing's wrong.
But there must be. This house...
You're her husband. I'm asking you to take her and go away.
Come on Carol. We're not wanted. Let's go.
We're going to stay.
Well there you are. She's your niece and you know how stubborn she can be.
We're going to stay.
Where's Uncle Henry?
I say where's Uncle Henry?
He's... he's not here.
But where is he?
He's not here. Isn't that enough?
Well he'll be back.
He won't be.
Oh but Aunt Julie...
He won't ever be back.
They stood there bewildered.
Aunt Julie had run out of the room.
Perhaps she was crying. I don't know.
I just knew that Uncle Henry was gone.
He had left her.
It seemed strangely impossible.
They'd always been so happy.
So supremely happy that it seemed that the only thing that could separate them on this earth was...
Death.
And now this. I couldn't believe it.
Paul and I walked into the living room. It was almost as dusty as the outside.
The curtains were dirty. The floor littered with old newspapers.
The entire room showed the same signs of neglect as the outside.
And when I recalled how neat Aunt Julie had always been with her housework...
All that feeling of apprehension crawled up my back.
Frankly I was frightfully worried and...
And I could tell by the look on Paul's face that he was worried too.
I don't like it, Paul. There's something strange here.
Yeah. I never saw a house in such a mess.
It's not just the house. It's more than that.
Something much more. I'm sure of it.
Well really, Carol, it's none of our business, don't you?
Well, perhaps not, but you don't know Aunt Julie like I do.
She'd never ask for help. No matter how much she needed it.
I'm just not trying, Paul. It's...
I suppose you're right.
They've always been so kind to me. I've got to help them.
But how can we, Carol? We don't even know what's wrong.
They were always so happy together.
Somehow I can't believe they've broken up.
Something else has happened. Something terrible.
And I'm going to stand till I find out what.
Well, in that case we'd better find a place to sleep.
All the bedrooms are upstairs. Come on.
Right.
Wow. Look at the dust on the banister.
I bet this place hasn't been cleaned in a month.
Paul. Huh?
Did you see the way she looks?
Yeah.
Gee, her face seems completely wrinkled with worry.
No wonder I didn't recognize her.
She seems much older and frightened.
Well, do you think she's ill?
I don't know. I wish I did.
Wow, look at that hall. Gloomy and dirty.
Where do these doors go to?
That one's to Aunt Julie's room, and this one's Uncle Henry's.
The one across the way is a spare. I guess that's ours.
Well, let's go in.
Wow. What a mess.
Well, might as well get busy cleaning.
Yeah. There's nothing like a good round of house cleaning before supper.
Paul, so long as Uncle Henry's not here, maybe we can take his room.
It's got an adjoining door to Aunt Julie's, and then in case she needs it, we'll be near.
Okay. It doesn't matter to me which room we clean. Let's go.
Yeah. This one over here.
Well, this is... Paul, look. It's all clean and neat.
Well, I'll be darned. It's the only clean place in the whole house.
I don't understand. Every room is inches in dirt, except this one.
The outside is completely neglected.
Except the rose bush.
Uncle Henry's room and Uncle Henry's rose bush. I don't get it.
Well, look on the dresser there. Aunt Julie's picture and a pipe and tobacco.
Why, that's Uncle Henry's favorite pipe.
Drawers full of shirts, socks, underwear.
Carol, if your uncle went away, why did he leave this?
I don't know.
Strange, but...
What's that paper, Paul?
Why, it looks like... It is an insurance policy for $30,000 payable to your Aunt Julie in case Uncle Henry dies.
Carol, this is...
What are you two doing here?
Aunt Julie, I...
What are you doing here?
Well, we thought that we...
What's that in your hand?
An insurance.
Give it to me.
And keep out of this room.
We didn't look at it hard.
I didn't know how to take this.
Uncle Henry's pipe and all his clothes were still in his room.
And yet, Uncle Henry was gone.
I couldn't understand why Aunt Julie got so angry.
I looked to Paul for an explanation.
I could tell he had something on his mind, but I didn't dare ask him what it was.
And he didn't say.
After Aunt Julie's outburst, we went back to the spare room and cleaned it.
Then we washed and started downstairs for supper.
Watch your step, Carol.
These aren't the strongest looking stairs.
It'll be all right.
Paul, what do you make of Aunt Julie's behavior?
Frankly, Carol, I'm worried.
I'm frightened.
May as well admit it.
There's something stranger that frightens me to death.
I don't think there's anything to be frightened of.
It's just that...
There, that's the last step.
This way to the kitchen.
All right.
Oh, as I was saying, I don't think there's...
Look out, Carol!
That was close.
That vase just missed you.
Vase?
Yes, and it was a heavy one.
The one at the top of the stairway.
It would have hit me.
Yeah.
Oh, Paul, I'm frightened.
Look, coming down the stairs.
What happened?
The vase fell.
Just missed Carol.
Well, don't worry about it.
I didn't like the vase anyway.
The vase?
What about Carol?
She almost got killed.
Never mind, Paul.
It was an accident.
An accident?
We were just going in for supper, Aunt Julie.
Care to join us?
Well, I...
Come on, Aunt Julie.
It'll do you good.
Oh, all right.
Here.
You two sit right down.
I'll have something prepared in a minute.
I'm not very hungry.
Oh, nonsense, Aunt Julie.
I'll fix something that'll make your mouth water.
You know, when Carol and I get through cleaning this place up,
it'll look just like new.
Yeah?
Sure.
I think when Carol and I have a family,
we'll take them to a farm.
Really?
Yes, yes.
You know, this place would be swell for children.
Oh, what do you mean?
Oh.
What did I say?
What's the matter?
What's the matter with Aunt Julie?
Where is she going?
I don't know.
I was just trying to make conversation.
Just talked about children on a farm.
That's all.
Oh, Paul, unfightfully word.
Do you think we ought to call a doctor for her?
I don't know.
We have to do something.
She certainly doesn't look too well.
But maybe she isn't really sick.
What do you mean?
Well, maybe if your Uncle Henry did leave her,
well, then maybe...
You mean, you mean she still loves him?
It's possible, but...
Oh, but you don't really believe it.
Oh, Carol, I don't know what to believe.
I just know something's wrong.
Uh-huh.
I'm not hungry, Paul.
Me either.
Let's go for a walk.
Maybe we can figure something out.
The country's so peaceful and beautiful in the night.
Yes, it is.
I wish you could enjoy it.
But I can.
Don't try to fool me.
Your first vacation in years, and you run into this.
Well, we have to help her.
Of course.
But how?
Yes, we don't even know what's wrong.
She not only won't tell, but we can't get near her
long enough to talk to her.
Suppose Uncle Henry really did leave her.
He may have gone off in a huff.
That would account for the clothes being here.
Well, perhaps.
And suppose she still is in love with him.
Well, that would account for...
Oh, but even if that's so,
could that make her feel so badly?
Make her act like this?
Not talking, neglecting everything?
Everything except his room and his flowers.
I don't know.
A woman's love is a strange thing.
If you left me, I don't know what I'd do.
Well, if that is the case,
the thing to do is to make her forget.
That won't be easy.
No, I don't imagine it would be.
But suppose we take her to the city with us
until she forgets.
Well, we could ask her at least.
Yeah. Yeah, come on. Let's go find her.
Oh!
Watch out! You almost fell.
I tripped. I'm all right.
Look, Paul.
What?
Look what I tripped over.
It's a mound of freshly dug earth.
What's that for?
Paul. Paul, it looks like a grave.
Oh, don't be silly.
Why, it's just a... Forget it.
Come on, let's find Aunt Julie.
Paul, that...
Forget it.
Say, what's that building over there?
That's the barn.
There used to be a swell old cow there
with a bell around her neck
and chickens and ducks and all sorts of pets.
This must have been a happy place.
It was, but now...
Paul, standing by the barn, it's Aunt Julie.
Come on, let's ask her now.
Aunt Julie!
What are you doing?
Following me?
How could you?
Well, it was a nuisance.
Oh, Aunt Julie.
Oh, a cat with its neck wrung.
This was the first indication
of Aunt Julie's ruthlessness.
It seemed so unlike Aunt Julie that I knew.
She was always kind.
There was no mistaking the anger in her eyes
as she stood there in the dim moonlight,
the strangled cat in her hands.
She killed it, she said, because it was a nuisance.
If she could do that,
what else was she capable of doing?
Paul and I went into the house.
We went upstairs and put the finishing touches
in our room and went to bed.
I couldn't sleep.
As I watched the moon make its slow,
solitary way across the heaven,
I kept thinking.
Paul and I are also a nuisance.
Toward midnight, I became drowsy
and was just beginning to fall off to sleep
when I heard footsteps in the hall.
Paul!
What?
Paul! Paul, wake up!
What is it?
Shh! I hear footsteps in the hall.
Footsteps?
I don't hear anything.
There. Hear it?
Yeah.
Must be Aunt Julie.
What would she be doing up this time of night?
I don't know, but who else could it be?
I'll go see.
I'm coming with you.
Quiet. Don't put on the light.
I can't see.
Yes, now I can.
It is Aunt Julie.
She's walking down the hall.
I think she's coming this way.
Quiet.
Shh. I think she's...
What's she got in her hand?
Looks like a scissors.
Scissors?
Yes.
What would she be doing with...
Carol, she's coming this way.
Get back in bed, quick.
What?
Get in bed.
All right, now. Quiet.
She went out.
What?
Yeah. She just looked in and left.
Do you think she knew we were awake?
I don't see how.
Let's follow her.
All right. Where's my other slipper?
There. All right, come on.
She's going downstairs.
Come on and be quiet.
I think she's going outside.
Let's go.
Not so fast.
Give her a chance to get out.
There she's out. Come on.
Look, Pa.
She's cutting a bunch of roses off the bush.
She's taking them around to the back of the house.
Come on.
Here. Now get down behind this bush.
Look, Pa.
She's going over to that mound and placing the roses on it.
Pa.
Shh. But, Pa, it looks like...
Quiet, Carol. She's kneeling beside it.
Now she's getting up and coming back.
Get down.
She's gone.
Pa, do you know what that is?
I got a pretty good idea.
Uncle Harry's roses with Uncle Harry's grave.
I said it. I said it without thinking.
Of course we had no way of knowing Uncle Henry was dead.
We had no way of knowing that that was Uncle Henry's grave or that it was a grave at all.
But at that moment, stooping behind the bush and the blackness of the country, we felt it, not knowing why.
Paul and I went back to our room as quickly and as silently as possible.
Needless to say, we didn't sleep anymore.
We just kept looking at each other, asking ourselves questions, trying to analyze our feelings.
Soon we could see the streaks of dawn coming up over the treetops.
And we slept the early morning hours, trying to...
We were trying to convince each other that our thoughts were ridiculous.
Frankly, I don't think we succeeded.
Finally we decided not to mention it, to go on with the cleaning the next day as we'd planned, to make believe nothing had happened until we had proof.
That day we spent cleaning and all day Aunt Julie was nowhere to be seen.
Yet I had a strange feeling that something, someone was watching our every move.
Toward evening, Paul and I sat down for a bite to eat.
More coffee?
Oh, thanks.
I wonder where Aunt Julie is.
I don't know, Carol.
That's a strange aunt you've got.
Yes.
Oh, look, the window.
What is it?
Oh, I thought I saw someone looking in.
What?
There's no one there now.
But I'm sure I saw...
Probably just a shadow.
Yes, I'll be just a shadow.
You're on edge, Carol.
I'll be all right. Finish your coffee.
I'll start cleaning the bathroom.
We'll both work on the kitchen, and I'll take care of the downstairs.
All right.
Paul, you look worried.
You know, this whole crazy business...
Let's not talk about it.
But putting roses on a...
I'm sorry, Carol.
It's you I'm really worried about.
If something should happen to you, I'll never forgive myself.
Nothing will happen.
I'll finish your coffee. I'll start cleaning the bathroom.
Okay, Carol.
I won't be long.
Hmm.
Well.
Isn't too bad.
There's the sink.
Some hot water.
There, that's it.
I'll wash the rag around the sink bowl.
Oh!
Oh.
Oh dear.
Just the wind.
I guess I'm getting jumpy.
Hmm.
This place won't be half bad when it's clean.
The medicine chest.
Clean the mirror.
And the shelves.
Oh.
Paul.
Come here.
What's the matter?
Look, there in the medicine chest.
Where?
What's a hypodermic needle?
What would a hypodermic needle be doing here?
Well, it's not likely to be here for nothing.
Look, alongside of it.
A bottle of...what's it say?
It's awful looking stuff.
Open the bottle.
That corks in tight.
There.
Oh, nauseating.
Stuff like that would kill a person.
Paul, it's not a joke.
I'm sorry, Carol.
Do you really think Aunt Julie...
I don't know.
It can't be, Paul. It can't be.
Maybe not, but we better find out.
And quickly, Carol, there's one more thing to do.
I'm going to see if that's really Uncle Henry's grave.
Don't you see? I have to.
If it is, we're in danger.
I'm still not sure that falling vase was an accident.
We have to find out about this business once and for all.
I'm coming with you.
We walked out toward the back of the house.
And through my mind flashed the succession of events.
The neglected house,
Aunt Julie's insistence that we leave,
the roses, the grave, the insurance policy,
and now the hypodermic needle in that infernal oil.
All the evidence pointed to but one conclusion.
I couldn't believe it, and yet,
there it was, motive and method.
And now we were going outside
to dig up the last remaining evidence.
Well, this is it, Carol.
Sure you want to watch?
I won't stay in this house alone.
Look at the beautiful roses around it.
Hurry up, Paul. Let's get it over with.
Okay. Here goes.
Here goes.
I never thought I'd turn into a grave digger.
This dirt isn't packed tight.
Easy to dig.
It's getting dark.
Yeah.
I think I'll run in and get a lantern.
I'll be right back, Carol.
All right.
Every one of those lengthening shadows
looks like a ghost.
It gets dark quickly in the country.
I was afraid, but I knew
Paul would be back in a minute.
I picked up the shovel and began to dig.
Oh, dear. That's better.
I'm not so nervous.
I'm working.
Is that you behind me, Paul?
Bring the lantern closer.
Gee, it's so dark.
Paul. Paul, I...
Look at Henry.
What are you doing?
What are you doing to my grave?
Put it back. Put it back.
Oh, my flowers, my beautiful flowers,
my lovely roses. You've hurt them.
You've hurt my roses, and I won't let you.
I won't. I won't.
Keep away. Keep away, Uncle Henry.
I won't let you hurt my roses, my sweet delicate roses.
Take your hands away. Take them.
You broke them.
You killed them. Stop it. Stop it, Henry.
I'm going to kill her after she did my roses.
Henry. Henry. Henry.
Oh, forgive me, Henry. I didn't mean...
Are you all right, Carol?
Yes. Yes, I think so.
What happened? What...
Uncle Henry?
Aunt Julie saved my life, Paul.
And we thought she...
Oh, can you ever forgive us, Aunt Julie?
You didn't know?
That he wasn't dead at all?
No. No, he wasn't.
He was living in his room all the time, Carol.
I was taking care of him.
When you two insisted on staying here,
I kept him out of sight.
Oh, I didn't want to kill him,
and I had to.
He would have killed Carol.
Aunt Julie. Oh, if you only had left
when I asked you to.
But perhaps it's better this way.
He never got that violent before.
I could always take care of him.
The hypodermic needle and the sedative
calmed him when he got a little wild,
but then...
then when I saw him strangle the cat,
I knew he was getting completely out of hand.
Yes, it's... it's better this way.
He's better off dead.
Poor Uncle Henry.
The grave and the roses
were a whim of his.
A whim.
And look,
he fell right in his own grave.
And so closes the story,
Uncle Henry's Rosebush, starring
Agnes Moorhead, Ellen Drew, and Ted Reed.
Tonight's tale of...
suspense.
This is your narrator, the man in black,
who conveys to you Columbia's invitation
to spend this half hour in suspense
with us again next week, same time,
when we will present
another flowery bouquet
of suspicion
and terror, and a
homicidal maniac at large.
Only this time, the roses
will be white.
The story will be The White Rose
Murders by Cornell Woolrich.
The tale of a killer who
trademarked his crimes by leaving
a white rose on the victim.
Our star will be
Maureen O'Hara.
The producer of these broadcasts is
William Spear, with Ted Bliss, the director,
Bernard Herrmann, and Lucian
Mahowich, conductor and composer,
and Larry Roman, the author,
collaborated on tonight's...
suspense.
This is CBS,
the Columbia Broadcasting
System.