Now the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California presents...
Suspense!
Tonight Roma wines bring you from Hollywood Miss Bonita Granville as
star in Bank Holiday, a suspense play produced edited and directed by William
Spear. Suspense is presented for your enjoyment by Roma wines. That's R-O-M-A, Roma
wines. Those excellent California wines that can add so much pleasantness to the
way you live, to your happiness and entertaining guests, to your enjoyment of
everyday meals. Yes, right now a glass full would be very pleasant as Roma wines
bring you a remarkable tale of suspense. And with Bank Holiday and with a
performance of Bonita Granville, Roma wines hope indeed to keep you in...
Suspense!
It happened the morning after I became engaged to Harold. I got to the bank a
little early that morning, hoping I'd be able to see him for a minute before we
opened for business. And sure enough, Harold was just hanging up his hat and
coat when I came in the door. You see, I'm one of the junior tellers at the main
branch here in town, or rather I was, and Harold is assistant manager. That's how
we met. So this morning I didn't stop at my own cage but went on through the gate
and walked up quietly behind Harold. Hello darling. What? Why Mr. Osborne, don't you
remember me? I'm the girl that you're... Jane, please. Good morning Mr. Osborne. Oh, good morning
Johnson. Miss Evans, would you step into my office for a moment? Certainly.
Jane, really, you mustn't. Mustn't what? It didn't do anything. I just said...
Suppose someone had overheard. Don't you see how... What if they had? They'll all know about it in a
day or two anyway. That's just the point, my dear. They mustn't. They mustn't? But we're
going to tell our friends, aren't we? Jane, I thought you understood all that. You
know how the bank frowns on office romances. After we're married it'll be
different... But Harold, this is different. We're engaged. Nevertheless, my dear, the policy of
the bank distinctly is... Oh, fooey on the policy of the bank. This is our business.
But Jane, the bank is my career and I'm only thinking of... Of the bank. And I'm
thinking of our life together. Now Jane, please be practical. In my position here I
simply must live up to the standards that the bank... The bank, the bank, the bank.
Sometimes I wish I could meet somebody, just somebody, who hated banks.
It wasn't a very good way to start off an engagement or even to start off a day's
work for that matter. Back to my cage feeling miserable. I got out my cash for
the day including the little package of 25 $1,000 bills that a client of ours
always called for on Friday. We never asked why. That isn't a bank's business.
And I unlocked my cash drawer and put the money away. Then it was 10 o'clock. I
opened my window for business. There weren't many people in the bank yet, but
at my window there were two men. Good morning. Good morning. Can I help you?
Yeah, this is a stick-up. What? Just take it easy and do what we tell you and you
won't get hurt. But my friend here's got a gun under that newspaper he's carrying.
I love to use it, sister. What? Well, what do you want me to do? Here's a paper bag.
Fill it up. All right. And don't forget those 25 G notes that George Oliver calls
for every Friday. What? Don't stall. We know all about them. That's one reason
we're here. And don't make any funny moves, sister, because if you do it, curtains.
I'd often wondered what I'd do if this ever happened, but now I couldn't even
think. As I fumbled with the money, I looked at the two men. One of them was
about 35 with dark hair and a square jaw and hard blue eyes. The other, the one
with the gun, was a nervous, evil-looking boy about 21. I knew they meant everything
they said. I glanced sideways for a moment toward Harold's office. As luck
would have it, he was just coming out the door. He must have seen that something
was wrong because he started over to my window. Come on, sister, snap into it. I'm
I'm trying to hurry. Who's that coming over here? It's Mr. Osborne, the manager.
All right. Just don't try to make any bright conversation. I'll do the talking.
Is there anything I can do here, Miss Evans? Yes. Just stand right where you are and keep
quiet. What? Harold. Don't look so hurt. You've heard of Banks being held up before,
haven't you? Come on, Miss, hand it over. We haven't got all day. Here you are.
Thanks. We ought to take her along. Don't be crazy. Come on. We ought to take her.
I know you can't do that. Miss Evans is one of my most trusted employees.
And I'm his fiance. Oh, you were, are you? Jane. Now I know we're gonna take her along.
You're a fool, Sonny. Oh, yeah? Well, Harold here don't think I'm so dumb, do you, Harold?
Because you know what happens to your girlfriend if you set the cops on us.
No. Yeah. Curtains. Don't do anything, Harold. I'll be all right. I'll be all right.
For Suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you a star, Bonita Granville, whom you have heard
on the first act of Bank Holiday by Robert Richards, which is Roma Wines' presentation
tonight of Suspense.
Between the acts of Suspense, this is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines. Elsa Maxwell is an
acknowledged expert on the niceties of dining and entertaining. Recently, she said, gracious
little touches can do so much to make meals more enjoyable, dined by subdued light. If
possible, adjust radio or phonograph for soft, mellow music. And as the crowning touch, serve
well-chilled Roma California Sauternes. A most excellent idea from Miss Maxwell. Good Roma
Sauternes is pale gold, delightful in bouquet, and even more important, exquisite in taste.
Created in the Roma tradition, Roma Sauternes is always unvaryingly good. The goodness of
luscious grapes, selected at peak of flavor richness in sunny California's choicest vineyards,
carefully pressed, then unhurriedly guided to perfection by the ancient wine skill of
Roma's famed wineries. Good Roma wines are always delicious, yet cost only pennies a
glass. Remember, because of uniformly fine quality at reasonable cost, more Americans
enjoy Roma than any other wine. R-O-M-A, Roma wines. And now Roma wines bring back to our
Hollywood sound stage, Bonita Granville, who as Jane Evans in Bank Holiday continues a
narrative well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Why would I tell a couple of bandits who came in to hold up the bank that I was engaged
to Harold, particularly when Harold was the manager of the bank? It was crazy. But there
were a lot of crazy things I did that day that I didn't understand myself until later.
Naturally, when I told them that, they took me along as a hostage. And the next thing
I knew, I was sitting in the front seat of a big blue car beside the one called Frank,
and the other one called Sonny had tied a blindfold over my eyes. And we were driving.
Once we drove in somewhere, and for 15 or 20 minutes, there was a lot of banging and
clattering around the car. Then we drove on. At first, I was too frightened to even
breathe. Then I began to get angry. Just what do you think you're going to do with me?
To tell you the truth, I haven't quite made up my mind.
Yeah, well, I have.
Shut up, Sonny.
I demand that at least you take this silly blindfold off.
I know. We couldn't do that, darling.
Well.
Then you might see how we'd strip this car down just now. Change the hood and offenders
and the place.
Shut up, Sonny. You talk too much.
What's the difference? She ain't going to be around telling you...
I said shut up!
What's the matter? You getting soft?
No, but a bank wrap is enough without having some trigger-happy punk of a kid.
You better not talk to me that way.
I'll talk to you any way I want to. Watch out the back for cops.
Cops? Don't think a little lady's boyfriend is kind of...
I wouldn't want to bet too much on it. Would you, Miss Evans?
I don't know what you're talking about. All I know is that at least Harold isn't a cowardly,
bullying...
Oh, I'm sure Harold is the perfect gentleman. But I got a hunch he's also the perfect banker.
I don't know what you're talking about.
You just don't want to admit what I'm talking about. Which is that in spite of anything
that might happen to you, Harold will turn us in.
He wouldn't.
I don't know. Maybe we can check on that. I'll turn on the radio.
What's that going to prove?
Shortwave.
All the latest equipment for bank robbers, sweetheart. That's us.
LAPD. Car 17. Car 17. Disturbance at 8th and Pico. The disturbance at 8th and Pico.
That's all. LAPD.
Car 17. Roger. That's all. Car 17.
Well?
LAPD. General alarm. A general alarm.
Uh-huh.
Two unidentified men are wanted for a holdup. Main branch of the 42nd Bank and Trust Company.
You see?
And for kidnapping a woman employee answering to the name of Jane Evans.
The last scene was wearing a light blue dress, black shoes, has blonde hair, blue eyes.
He done it.
See what I mean, Miss Evans?
Well, it was his duty. Why shouldn't he?
No reason at all. It's just a question of who rates the most with a guy, I guess. His boss or his woman.
All right, he asked for it. I told him what I'd do.
What are you going to do?
Miss Evans, I think we'll drive up this little side road here and let you out.
Oh?
You shouldn't have any trouble hitching a ride back.
If you do, just try what Claudette Colbert did in that picture. Remember?
Say, are you kidding?
You heard what they said. She was nothing but excess baggage anyway. Now she's just another way they can identify us.
All right, but that don't mean we let the guy get away with it. I told him what I'd do to her if he squawked and I'm done.
You're going to do what I tell you.
Oh, yeah? Well, if I'd known you were so yellow, I...
Now, what was that you said, Sonny?
All right, Frank, but...
Cops.
They're turning in here. Give me your gun, Sonny, and get down on the floor under that blanket.
I'll plug him, Frank. I'll plug him.
Give me that gun and get down on the floor.
You're nuts. They'll get us, Frank.
I know what I'm doing. You do what I tell you. That's right. Keep covered up and keep quiet.
All right.
Take off that blindfold, Miss Evans.
Well, look here, if you think...
Now you're going to kiss me and you better make it good because this gun's going to be right in your ribs.
All right, now.
Oh, no. Let go of me.
Hey.
Where?
You kind of startled me, officer.
What are you doing here?
Well, if you must know, I'm getting engaged.
Is there anything wrong with that?
Let me see your license.
We haven't got the license yet, but we're...
I want your driver's license.
Oh, sure. What's the matter?
Just let me see your license.
Here you are. You looking for somebody?
Just a couple of guys who held up a bank and kidnapped a girl.
Is that right?
The young lady got any identification?
Well, I...
Go on, tell him, honey.
You see, we left town in sort of a hurry. You might call it a sort of elopement.
Oh. Sort of a elopement, huh?
Yes.
Well, I guess you're all right. But you know, you shouldn't be parking in here in the broad daylight like this.
Yeah, but you know how it is.
Sure. I know how it is.
You can come up for air now, sonny. They'll have it.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
Well, Miss Evans, I'm afraid that under the circumstances,
you'll have to put up with our company a little longer.
There wasn't as bad as all that, was it?
Well, was it?
She slaps her right in the voice.
Does that answer your question?
Yeah. I guess it does.
That was crazy, too.
Here I was, my life completely in this big ape's hands,
and I had to slap his face.
I knew I'd made him angry, and what was even more dangerous,
I'd hurt his pride.
But there was nothing to do about it now.
For a long time, we just drove along, and nobody said anything.
We were crossing a stretch of desert, heading toward a mountain range,
and had just passed through a little town.
I saw the car pull out of a side road as we flashed by,
but neither of the two men did.
And all of a sudden, my mind began to race,
thinking that maybe now was coming my chance to escape,
wondering what I could do, and...
and then my blood ran cold again, the way they were talking.
Still heading to the same place, Frank?
Yeah.
Mom place?
That's right.
What about Miss Spitfire here?
I'll take care of that when the time comes.
She knows too much.
That's right.
If I thought you was getting soft, Frank...
What would you do?
Well, you know what we gotta do, don't you?
Yeah.
Where?
Not right out here in the open desert. That's a cinch.
The mountains?
Yeah, maybe the mountains.
Maybe?
There better not be no maybe of them.
Cops again. Look right behind us.
Yeah. Those others must have got to thinking things over.
Cops in the middle of the desert, no one in sight from my house.
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about this.
Sonny!
I've been wanting to do this all day.
You crazy fool!
Who's crazy?
We get them before they get us, that's all.
They're shooting back!
They know they're gonna fight in their hands now.
So have we. Shoot at their tires, you hear?
Okay.
They hit us.
That's not supposed to happen the way you saw it in the movies, huh?
You!
Me?
Yes, you. Get down. Down on the floor.
What are you gonna do?
There's only one thing to do now. Drive light.
At first I wasn't afraid at all.
It was even a little exciting.
I kept thinking that maybe in just a few minutes I was going to be rescued
and wondering what Harold would say
and at the same time feeling the exhilaration of being in a race
and wanting my side to win.
Of course, that was crazy too.
And then suddenly the car took a sickening lurch.
I scrambled up onto the seat again.
We were out of the desert now, climbing a long winding hill
that twisted up toward the mountain.
The police car was falling behind, but it was still following us.
We hit another curb.
Hold on.
I looked down.
At that moment there seemed to be no road under my side of the car at all.
Only a sheer drop down to a canyon
filled with huge boulders and a hundred feet below.
Why did you take it easy?
I hit the other side of the curb and straightened out.
Oh, I was frightened now, all right.
I was weak and sick from fear.
I told you to stay down on the floor.
Oh, I can't, Frank. Look out.
Get your hands away from that wheel.
You're gonna kill us.
I know what I'm doing.
Oh, stop, stop. Please stop.
Stop?
I know it's all right for you, lady, but it wouldn't be so good for me.
I'm afraid. I'm so afraid.
Take it easy, kid. Take it easy.
Close your eyes.
Like you do on the roller coaster, you'll be all right.
Oh, I'll be killed.
What do you think I'm running for instead of fighting?
Just so nobody will be killed, not even cops.
Frank. Frank, look out.
Keep away from that wheel, I told you.
Look out.
Keep away.
I hate to do this, but...
I saw his fist rush toward the point of my jaw.
That was all.
When I woke up, it was mid-afternoon,
and I was lying on a bed
in a bare little room of what was obviously a mountain cabin.
Through the one window, all I could see was the jumble of rocks
and boulders piled up against the mountainside.
I felt my chin.
I felt my chest.
I felt my chin.
It was sore, and there was a little bruise on it.
But aside from that, I seemed to be all in one piece.
Then suddenly I heard voices.
They were coming from the next room through the crack of a door,
left an inch or two ajar.
I crept over and listened.
Don't worry, I'll handle it.
Okay.
Ready?
Yeah, sure.
Now go on down to the tower, get some grub like I told you.
Okay, Frank.
Are you sure you don't want me to...
No.
Get going.
Okay, Frank.
I stood there by the door, frozen with fear.
I didn't need to hear any more to know what they'd been talking about.
For a second I thought of escape.
I looked wildly over toward the window.
Oh!
Ah.
Been listening, huh?
Yes.
How do you feel?
All right.
I'm glad to see you're up and around.
Why?
Because it's against your principles to kill women who are unconscious?
There's a path down the backside of the mountain that leads into the main highway.
It's four or five miles long and pretty rugged,
but you ought to be able to make it before dark if you hurry.
Oh.
Does that answer your question?
Yes.
I guess it does.
Better get going.
How do you know I won't...
Because you're going to promise me not to.
Aren't you?
Yes.
All you have to say is that I slugged you,
and that's all you remember until you woke up by the side of the road.
We'll be out of here and over the border by morning anyway.
What about Sonny?
I can handle Sonny.
Well, I...
I guess I do owe you something after all.
Me? What?
My life.
Uh-uh.
I play strictly for me.
I just don't want that punk kid with his movie idea,
cops and robbers, to be hanging a murder rap on us.
That's all.
You're a strange man to be a...
A crook?
Listen.
There are just two kinds of guys in the world,
right guys and wrong guys.
And the wrong kind can be the usual bum with a gun in his hand,
or he can be a pillar of society that sits all day behind a big shiny desk.
He can be kind to his mother and nice to little kids
and have a lot of fancy excuses and reasons he gives himself.
Or just no reasons at all, like me.
But a wrong guy is still a wrong guy.
He's no good.
Well, thanks anyway.
You better get going now.
By the way, I'm sorry I hit you.
That's all right. I guess I had it coming.
I'm sorry I let you get into this mess in the first place, but I...
But what?
That kiss.
I meant that.
Did you?
Yeah.
Frank.
Frank, so did I.
Jane.
Frank!
They must have trailed us here after all.
Frank! Frank, the cops!
Yeah.
I saw them down ahead of me on the turn of the road.
I just had time to turn around and get back.
You still got the name, huh?
Yeah.
I was hoping you hadn't done nothing yet.
She's about the only ace we've got left.
Take the south window. I'll take the west one.
Yeah.
I'll try to go knocking them off. It'll only make it worse.
Just keep them covered so they can't rush us.
Oh, yeah? But I've got a clean shot at one of them.
You do what I tell you!
Can you see them?
Sure. Sure. They're down behind the big rocks.
That's as far as they can get.
That's as far as they could get even if they had an army.
Until it gets dark.
All right, we can turn the car headlights on them.
They'd only shoot them out.
We can hold them, Frank. We've got enough ammunition to hold them.
But you can't eat ammunition.
Maybe they can't get up and we can't get down either.
And we can't stay here forever.
Well, they're gonna take me alive.
They'll never take me alive as long as they...
Stop it, will you? Try using your head for a change.
Home?
Yeah.
Frank, what could that be?
I don't know.
The boys seem to have stopped the artillery barrage too.
Don't answer it.
What's the difference?
You don't think we're gonna kid anybody that we're not home, do you?
Yeah?
Oh, yeah.
Huh?
Yeah, she's here.
Hmm?
Sure, she's all right.
Frank, who is it?
It's your boyfriend, Harold.
Harold?
He came with the cops.
He's on the Forest Rangers emergency call box just down the road.
Let me talk to him.
Worried about him?
Oh, no, no, it isn't that.
But let me talk to him.
Sure, go ahead.
Harold? Oh, yes. Yes, so am I.
Oh, no. No, nothing like that.
They've been quite all right.
Yes, of course they are.
No, there's nothing to prevent them from killing me anytime they want to.
Listen, Harold, all you care about is getting the money back.
And me, isn't it?
Yes, I know.
All right, wait a minute.
Frank, you said you were near the border.
How long would it take you to get there?
A couple of hours.
One would put us in a clear.
Would you give them back the money and me?
Will the cops go for a deal like that?
They got to.
Harold, what's getting Dark got to do with it?
Well, of course you can't storm the place and expect to find me alive.
Now, listen, they'll give back the money.
Yes, I'll bring it down myself.
But you've got to give them an hour's start.
Oh, well, well, you can just say that they rescued me and the money, but the men got away.
Oh, no, Harold, nothing like that.
No, you've got to promise me, Harold, on your word of honor, your solemn word of honor.
All right?
They'll do it.
OK.
Are you nuts?
It's our only chance.
Harold, all right?
Yes, I'm coming down now.
Yeah, but if she goes back...
She's going.
The dough is still in the paper bag.
It's on the table.
Frank.
Get going.
All right.
Goodbye.
Harold, just so you don't have an idea you're getting away with anything, I think you're a dirty liar.
I hardly heard and didn't even think about it.
I was so relieved and still so bewildered by everything, running down the hill with a paper bag of money clutched in my hand.
And then I saw Harold crouching behind a rock and then some policemen.
And then I was around the bend and they were all running up to me and I threw myself into Harold's arms.
Jane, dearest, you are all right.
I'm all right.
Here's the money.
Oh, yes.
Yes, it's all here.
All right, officer.
OK, Chuck.
Let him go.
Come, my dear.
Harold.
What is that?
Tear gas.
Tear gas?
Oh, it's quite harmless, really.
Harold, tell them what we promised.
Oh, I'm afraid of it.
It's out of our hands now, my dear.
Harold, you promised.
You gave me your word of honor.
Well, of course I did, but you didn't think that...
Oh, you knew.
You knew all the time.
What you planned to...
Stop it!
Please, my dear, you're overwrought.
Stop it!
Let go of me.
Stop it.
Stop it!
Oh, no!
I tried to run back, but they held me.
And I had to watch.
I couldn't help it.
It seemed like hours.
It was only minutes, I suppose, with the tear gas bombs exploding around the cabin and crashing
through the windows as they got the range.
And then something white flooded from the door and they came out.
The boy first with his hands in the air and then Frank stumbling toward us like blind
men and coughing.
Oh, those terrible rocking coughs that just seemed to be tearing them to pieces.
Oh, Frank!
Frank!
All right, come on.
Hello, hey.
Oh, Frank, I didn't know.
I swear I didn't know.
I know, I did, though.
I knew before you left.
Oh, why did you...
What?
Why did you let me go?
I wouldn't have gone.
Because he's just the kind that would have stormed the place.
Maybe I couldn't have handled Sonny then.
I'll help you.
I'll do anything, everything I can.
Anything.
Skeptical.
Just take some advice, will you?
Next time, be sure it's a right guy.
Yes.
It's funny.
It's like he said.
People can be honest and dishonest in so many different ways.
I got to the bank early the next morning, too.
Harold was already there waiting for me.
Hello, darling.
Hello.
I'm so glad you're here early.
There are some things I wanted to talk over with you.
You know, you're quite the heroine now.
Am I?
Oh, yes.
And you know, I've been thinking, perhaps I was a little too conscientious yesterday,
about our marriage, I mean.
I think perhaps you were right after all.
We ought to tell...
Harold, about our marriage...
Yes?
There isn't going to be any marriage.
Isn't going to be any?
I found out something about a girl getting married, Harold.
Marriage is something you do second.
Do second?
Yes.
First, you find the right guy.
And so closes Bank Holiday, in which Roma wines have brought you Bonita Granville
as star of tonight's study in...
Suspense.
This is Truman Bradley with a word for Roma Wines, the sponsor of suspense.
During the warm weather, nothing tastes quite so good as a tall, frosty Roma wine and soda.
And as Elsa Maxwell recently remarked,
serving Roma wine and soda is smart, 1945-style hospitality.
You'll find this delightful iced drink as refreshing as it is delicious.
Yes, and Roma wine and soda is so easy to prepare.
Half-fill tall glasses with Roma California Burgundy or Sauternes.
Add iced cubes and a bit of sugar.
And for a decorative touch, garnish with cherries or fruit.
Here's another suggestion.
For a delightful aperitif, sip delicious Roma sweet vermouth, well chilled.
Zestful, full-flavored Roma vermouth, both sweet and dry,
is blended and developed with all the traditional winemaking skill of Roma wineries.
Is made and bottled in the heart of California's famous vineyards,
yet surprisingly low-priced.
Try Roma vermouth soon, won't you?
Next Thursday, you will hear Norman Royd and Mark Humboldt as stars of...
Suspense.
Presented by Roma Wines.
R-O-M-A. Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world.
This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
R-O-M-A. Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world.