Now, the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California presents...
Suspense!
Tonight, Roma Wines bring you Short Order,
a suspense play produced, edited and directed for Roma Wines by William Spear.
Suspense! Radio's outstanding theater of thrills 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 in entertaining guests, to your enjoyment of everyday meals.
Yes, right now a glass full would be very pleasant, as Roma Wines bring you Short Order, a remarkable tale of...
Suspense!
Thank you very much. Come back.
Bailey's Diner. Well, this is Mr. Bailey speaking.
Oh, I'm sorry you're just a little late on that. I hired a fry cook day before yesterday.
I'm sorry I forgot to tell the newspaper to stop running that ad until this morning. I got a good man.
No, no, one man's all I need. Just got a small place here. That's all right. Bye.
See there, Johnson, you better keep on your toes. Plenty of people after your job. You're not careful, you know. Something might...
Well, what's the matter? Don't you want to take my money?
Oh, sure. Yes, yes, of course, sir. 75 out of one.
Five, one. Thank you.
Okay.
Hey, Johnson. Johnson, good Lord, did you see that man's face?
Yeah, you're telling me.
That's enough to haunt your dreams.
Kind of made you nervous, didn't he, Mr. Bailey?
Well, after all, it's kind of a shock to look up and see you.
Yeah, I noticed you hung kind of close to that gun you keep under the cash register.
Did I? Automatic reflex, I guess. Oh, poor guy. I ought to be ashamed.
Probably got that way in an explosion accident or something, you know.
Yeah, looks like a plastic surgery job. Only some doctor like Frankenstein must have done the surgery.
Yeah.
Well, here you are. Enjoy it.
Oh, thank you. Come back.
Yes, sir. He liked your cooking too, Johnson. Two deluxe sandwiches, two coffees. You know, that's not bad.
Right.
Seems to me business has been picking up ever since you started working here. Just thought you'd like to know.
Thanks a lot.
You like this work, Johnson?
Yeah, it'll do. The hours kind of get me sometimes, and when the rush hour starts in half an hour, I can't pretend I'll be liking it, but it's all right.
Sure. Well, someday you'll have a place of your own, be your own boss. Never get anywhere working for someone else, you know.
Well, I'm doing okay now, Mr. Bailey.
Yeah, you never go hungry for lack of a job. You're too good a cook. But your own business.
Now, you take me. I'm doing well, even if I do say so. People come here to eat all right. I see that they get them.
Yeah, makes you feel pretty good having your own place. Makes the saving and the scraping seem sort of worthwhile.
You seem to get the business. Well, of course you got a terrific location.
Well, this place has a name that means something. At least I think it has. As a matter of fact, there was a man in here trying to buy it just last week.
That's all?
That's right. Real estate agent. The name is Sloan. He had a customer.
Who's this customer?
Oh, I don't know. I told him I didn't want to sell. Oh, here, how about opening that refrigerator door for me, will you?
Okay.
Thanks. No, I'm not going to sell. Couldn't afford to. I'm not in a position to retire.
The way things are, it'd be too hard to start up somewhere else. Uh-oh. Well, here we go again.
Good evening. Evening.
Yes, sir. What'll it be?
Special, I reckon.
Right.
Oh, good evening, sir. Is it still chilly out?
Oh, yeah, a little. Thought some of your chili would warm me up.
Get it? I get it.
Chili coming up.
Bailey's Place. Oh, Virginia, what's...
What? What? All the windows?
Well, who could possibly... Well, where were you?
Well, now, why would anyone want... Oh, no, no. None of those kids would do a thing like that. They're nice kids.
Yeah, hoodlums, I guess. Well, I don't know what you can do. Got no witnesses or anything?
You sure it was rocks, huh?
Well, I guess there's nothing you can do. Well, I wish I could, too, but I got to stay here.
All right, dear. Yes. All right. Goodbye.
Bad news, Mr. Bailey?
Darn this thing. Hoodlums or something. It just broke every window in my house.
I don't know what to think of it.
Hey, Bailey, is this the new kind of bread you got here? Better than usual.
Oh, you like it? Well, it costs a little more.
Oh, good evening. Good evening.
Hello.
Good Lord.
Yes. Yes, sir. What'll it be?
Hamburger and coffee. Right. How do you have the hamburger?
Well done. Cream in the coffee?
No. Black. Yeah, right.
Hey. Hey, Bailey, come here a minute.
Oh, yes. Pardon me, will you, please?
Hey. Did you see the face on that fella that came in a minute ago?
Yes, I did. It's pretty bad, isn't it?
Bad? I'll say. Boy, I can stand a lot of things, but that gets me.
Well, I've left half my meal on my plate.
I was enjoying myself until that came in and sat over there.
Then I didn't want anything more. That's too bad.
Oh, look, don't pay. No, no, no. It's not your fault.
Maybe mine. Gee, how do you suppose he got that way?
Oh, a burn perhaps or maybe some other kind of accident. I wouldn't know.
Boy, that's the worst I ever saw. It's too bad. Whatever happened.
Sure. Well, yes. Too bad. Yes, it is. Ketchup.
Okay. Here you are.
What? This little paper cup, where's the bottle?
Sorry, but ketchup's hard to get, and that's all we can serve anybody.
Oh, profits his. Will there be anything more?
No. Okay. You check and pay at the desk. Thank you.
Hey, Mr. Bailey. Yes, Jocelyn.
How's your luck? Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Why?
The way I figure, somebody around here is sure going to need plenty of luck.
Why? I don't know. I just got a feeling.
If that isn't bad luck for somebody sitting back there at the counter,
I'll eat this grill here.
And I never saw a recipe for making a steel grill tender.
We'd better order some more pork tomorrow, Mr. Bailey.
Running low, are we, Johnson? Yeah, a little.
They keep hitting our barbecues the way they have so far this evening.
I'm sure we'll be needing it. All right. I'll make a note of it.
Lucky we got any unspoiled meat left after that guy was in here twice yesterday.
I thought the milk was sour. Bingo. Just like that when he looked at it.
Yeah, but it didn't. Johnson, you shouldn't talk like that.
He can't help it. You know he can't.
We should feel sorry for him, not joke about it like that.
Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, sure. You got to have sympathy for a guy like that.
Just the same. I hate to look at it.
Uh, I guess we'll have to look at it some more.
I think he's coming up to the door now.
Uh...
Uh, good evening.
Hello?
Yes, sir. What'll it be?
Hamburger and coffee. Make the coffee black.
Yeah, right.
Make that hamburger well done. Okay.
Okay.
Oh, good evening.
Good evening. Yes, sir. What for you?
Why, uh, I'll have, uh...
Holy...
How's that? Huh? Nothing.
Nothing at all. I... In fact, I don't think I want anything.
I just remembered an appointment. Just forget it.
Oh, what do you know?
Uh, your hamburger, mister, and your coffee.
Ketchup, please. Okay.
Still no bottle? No bottle. Sorry.
Here. You go buy an extra bottle.
Put it back on the shelf just for me.
You gonna eat here some more?
Yeah. I like this place.
Go on, take that and see that you get some good ketchup, too.
Oh, it ain't that, mister. It ain't the money.
You can't buy the stuff when they don't stock it.
Uh, you better ask Mr. Bailey.
Uh, Mr. Bailey! Oh, yes, Johnson?
Oh, you tell him.
I just gave your man some money to buy a bottle of ketchup.
But he doesn't want to take it.
Well, you see, sir, it's not that we can't afford to buy ketchup.
No, indeed, we want to please the customer.
Something a lot of people seem to have forgotten how to do nowadays,
but ketchup's very hard to get just now,
and we have to ask our customers to bear with us.
You, uh, you keep your money.
I like plenty of ketchup.
Nothing like ketchup, I always say.
There ought to be enough in that paper cup. Won't that do you?
Well, not quite.
Any chance of a refill?
I'm afraid that's all we can allow.
Gentleman says he's gonna eat here regular.
What? I said that...
Oh, yes, sir. Good evening.
Hello there. Could I do something for you?
Well, I sort of thought I...
Oh, no. No, thanks. No, no.
Well, we hadn't finished our discussion.
Yeah. As I was saying, Mr. Bailey,
it looks like we got ourselves a regular customer.
Three evenings now that he's been eating here, Johnson,
and I wish you'd take a look at the figures.
Take last night.
Ordinarily, there'd be $10 to $20 worth of business
just between 6 to 6.30 alone.
From 6 to 10, how much? $1.35.
Yeah, I know. Some of them won't even order.
Some of them take a few bites and quit.
At least it's not the food. We can be thankful for that.
Hey, tell me, Johnson, how can you stand it over there
in front of him all the time?
Oh, mostly I keep looking someplace else.
That's why I took down the mirror.
For a while I thought I'd just work along and not look at him.
But I couldn't help looking in the mirror every now and then.
So I think maybe the customers could stand it better
without the glass, too.
If they get to the sitting down stage.
Yeah, if they do.
Well, anyway, I took it down.
Might help if you didn't get up every now and then
and walk over to the door to look out.
People can't help seeing him then.
Takes him a long time to eat, doesn't it?
Yes, it does.
Hey, say, I've got an idea.
What's that?
Look, when he comes in...
Oh.
Evening.
Hello.
Yes, sir?
The usual.
Right.
Oh, by the way, Mr...
What's your name?
Well, as I was saying, neighbor, we make a practice here
for our special customers, not just anybody, mind you,
but for our special customers of sending meals out.
Now, I was thinking, since you've become one of our regular customers,
that perhaps you'd appreciate it if I'd send your evening meal
over to you every day at your room.
How does that strike you?
No. Thanks.
I'd rather eat here.
But we don't have any comfortable chairs,
there's no jukebox, no radio.
That's okay.
Don't miss him anyway.
That's not very comfortable, a lot of food odor in the air.
You know, sometimes I get sick of it myself.
I like it.
Not too many people around.
Nice place. Suits me.
Then you're not interested.
That's the idea.
Hamburger and coffee.
How about...
Yeah, the ketchup. Here it is.
Good.
Nothing like ketchup, I always say.
By the way...
Yeah?
Look for me about noon tomorrow.
I think I'll be taking lunch with you from now on.
Every day.
Between the acts of suspense, this is Ted Meyers 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.
Dine by subdued light.
If possible, adjust radio or phonograph for soft, mellow music.
The
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 a
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,
Joseph Kearns as Bailey, Conrad Binyon as his assistant Johnson,
and Gerald Moore as the Stranger.
In short order, a play well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Johnson, l'm at my wit's end. What are we going to do?
l don't know. l got no more ideas.
Two weeks now, and we're losing money every day.
l could cook it so l wouldn't want to eat it.
You've tried that, haven't you?
Yeah, twice.
And it didn't work.
Yeah, that's right.
l don't know what we're going...
Just a minute, Johnson.
Okay. l'll check on the bunse.
All right. Hello, Bailey's place.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, dear. Huh? Oh, no.
Well, you must have misplaced it, honey.
Every place? Well, how much was in it?
Oh, no.
Well, what are we going to do for the rest of the week?
But l can't, honey. l really can't.
Why, about three bucks or something? l don't know.
Well, l don't... You know, it's just dropped off during the last week.
Oh, no, no. He's fine. Now, don't say that, honey.
There's nothing the matter with Johnson.
And l'm not going to get a new cook.
What? Well, l haven't told you, but...
Well, why don't you cut down on a few things once in a while?
Oh, Johnson, is there any aspirin back there?
Yeah. You want the bottle?
Yeah, my head's splitting.
Here it is. Oh, thanks.
Here he is. Now, look, l've got an idea.
You back me up? What is it?
Well, l'll try it, and if you don't like it, don't say nothing.
Hello?
Like l say, Mr. Bailey, this kid was a pretty game fighter.
He didn't have a thing but a hard left.
Mind if l butt in? l'd like to eat.
You bring your lunch with you? What's that?
lf you brought your lunch, okay. Lay it on the counter and eat it.
Don't be funny, Johnson. Bring me the usual.
l've got other things to do. What other things?
l don't see any other customers.
Want me to call the boss?
Look, mister, l don't like you, see?
l'm tired of seeing you around. You go someplace else and eat.
We'll see about that.
Hey, Bailey.
Yes, sir? What can l do for you?
This moron you call a cook says he won't serve me.
Yes?
Well, do something about it.
What do you want me to do? Tell him to serve me.
What else have l fired? Johnson's a good cook. Good cooks are scarce nowadays.
What is this? Are you standing up for him?
l just told you good cooks are hard to get.
What about customers? Well, it's too bad, but...
l see. Well, look, both of you.
l came in here to get something to eat.
And l'm gonna get it if l have to sit here all night.
Suit yourself. Yes.
Oh, l'll get it.
Bailey's place?
Yes, yes, dear, l am, but...
What?
Wrecked?
Where? Were you in it?
Were you hurt?
Oh, in front of the house.
Oh, l don't know what's happening, Virginia.
lt just seems every time...
Well, l... Of course, l'm glad you were in the house one.
Well, how bad was it?
Almost a complete wreck.
Well, could they find out anything from the driver of the other car?
Did he have any insurance?
Well, they never do, do they?
Well, no, l'm all right, dear.
lt's almost out of my mind, is all.
lt's getting so l'm afraid to answer the phone.
Well, we'll just have to do without a car, that's all.
Oh, l'm... l'm sorry, dear.
Yeah, yeah, uh, well, l'll talk to you later. Bye.
Mr. Bailey. Yes?
Whoa, what's the matter, Mr. Bailey? Bad news?
Oh, wrecked my car right in front of my own house.
Had no insurance, of course. No money to pay.
Oh, that's tough. Yeah, sir, that's tough.
Him, him. Look at him.
Still sitting there, waiting.
l'll have to think of something.
So now l can't seem to think at all.
Yeah, l'm stopped, too.
Boy, you sure get the luck, don't you?
Oh, it's the matter. l never used to have luck like this.
Just... Just lately.
Just... Just since he started coming in here.
Yeah, could be.
Looked like bad news right from the start to me.
And there he sits.
We could get him out of here once and for all.
Hey, wait a minute. You go to the door and see if Ryan's inside.
If he is, call him in, will you?
All right. l wouldn't. Oh, okay.
Right outside.
Oh, Ryan, would you come here a minute?
Okay.
Oh, Mr. Bailey wants to see you.
What can l do for you, Mr. Bailey?
See that man sitting at the counter, Ryan?
l want him either arrested or thrown out of here.
l don't care which.
ls that so? Giving you trouble, is he?
Hey, you.
You talking to me?
Nobody else. Come here.
What do you want?
Oh, Mr. Bailey, what's the charge?
Well, he...
l'm making a nuisance of himself.
What's this?
All l do is come in here to eat.
l'm making a nuisance of myself.
l don't get it.
Look at him, Ryan.
l am.
Not very pretty, is he?
Officer.
The law doesn't give you the right to criticize a man's face.
l'm sorry, mister.
Hello, Mr. Bailey.
Every day he comes in here, two or three times.
l can't get anybody else to come near the place while he's here.
He stays and stays. He drives most of my business away.
l have to eat? Same as anybody else?
You doing anything bad?
Get tough, insult people, disturb the peace?
Well, no.
All l do is come in and eat.
Look, we reserve the right to refuse service to any customer.
Well, l don't know now, Mr. Bailey.
lt's all very well, but technically speaking...
What do you mean?
He means that even if you don't like it,
you can't run me out if l run mine my own business.
He means you can't run me out if l ask you to serve me.
Well, how about that?
And if l ask for something to eat and offer you money for it,
you've got to sell it.
Oh, no, l don't.
Oh, you'd better.
Or l'll have you in court before you know it.
l'm afraid he's right about that, Mr. Bailey.
Well, all right.
Sorry l can't help you, Mr. Bailey.
ls there anything else?
Oh, no.
l'll be getting on then.
Good night.
Well, how about it?
All right, all right, all right. Go sit down.
Johnson, get him whatever he wants.
Okay.
l'm not going to answer it. l'm not...
Mr. Bailey, the phone, you busted it.
l don't care.
Mr. Bailey, put my gun down. What are you going to do?
Excuse me.
Now, look here, you. l can be pushed just so far.
Now, either you get out of this place and don't come back,
or as sure as l'm standing here, l'm going to pull this trigger.
Go away. l'm hungry.
Did you hear what l said?
l hear you. Now, go away.
Now, look, l'm going to count three.
One.
Go away.
Two.
Three.
Coffee. Black.
l can't believe it. l shot you point blank.
Good Lord.
Don't forget the ketchup, you.
No.
Well, you got the lay of the place now, Mr. Tanner.
You figure on making any changes?
No, no. Bailey had a good thing here.
That'll leave it just the way it was.
We'll hold the trade easier if we do.
How did he seem when the deal was closed?
l'll tell you. l let the lawyers handle everything.
He took a beating on the deal, or l don't know you.
No, not too much.
l figure he recovered about 70% of his investment.
He was lucky. l felt sorry for him.
You didn't talk to him at all, huh?
No, no, no. Didn't even see him.
You think he'd know you even without the makeup?
Maybe. lf he was taking any chances, huh?
Lucky l changed the bullets in that gun for blanks,
or you'd be a dead pigeon.
Yeah. Yeah, l'm glad l foresaw that possibility.
You might say l saved your life, huh?
You might. Don't worry, Johnson. You'll be taken care of.
l'm not worrying. l never had reason to yet, have l?
No. But just for your information, Johnson,
we haven't committed any crime.
We didn't take this place away from Bailey by force.
We didn't swindle him.
l paid money right on the line for it. Just remember that.
Oh, l will. Customers.
Why, it's Mr. Bailey. Come right in.
Hello, Johnson.
Come on, have a seat.
By the way, you know Mr. Tanner, don't you?
He bought the place.
Oh, l never met him. Glad to know you.
A pleasure, Mr. Bailey.
You know, there's something familiar about you.
Maybe l did meet you someplace.
l was in once or twice.
Looked the place over before l had Sloan talk to you.
Oh, that's it. Well, how are you making out?
Oh, just getting started.
l'm sort of breaking Mr. Tanner in, you might say.
Hope you had better luck than l did.
l was doing fine until this man started coming in.
Johnson knows the man, l mean.
Bad luck in person.
lf he ever comes back, you'd just better close up and go home.
That's so.
Yes, that's right.
Well, it's a wonder l have any mind left.
To tell the truth, l'm not even sure l do.
Mr. Bailey, would you let me fix you something while you're in here?
Oh, no, thanks. l'm not hungry.
We got some good steak.
No, thanks, Johnson. Not even steak now.
You're the boss.
Boss? Well, not anymore.
But l would like to step behind the counter one last time
just to sort of look around.
Do you mind, Mr. Tanner?
Oh, come ahead.
Thanks.
Well, you haven't changed anything, l see.
Not a thing.
We intend to operate the same way you did.
l think it'll pay.
Thanks for the compliment.
But l hope you don't draw my luck.
How about some coffee, Mr. Bailey? You look tired.
Coffee? That sounds like a good idea. l don't mind if l do.
Yours is cream and sugar, right?
No, thanks. Black this time.
Hey, this coffee is hot.
Yeah, l forgot to cut the burner back,
and the whole tankful is plenty hot.
l'll have to let it cool. It's too hot for me.
Just one last look.
Things l won't be seeing for a while, l guess.
Buns, butterpats, coffee cream.
lt's funny how you miss things like these.
Mustard, ketchup.
Ketchup?
Where did you get all this ketchup, Johnson?
Why, l...
l ordered those.
Ordered them? So did l,
but l never even got a look at a bottle of ketchup.
You're lucky.
All in knowing how, l guess.
Yeah, l guess you're right.
l rather like it myself, you know.
Nothing like ketchup, l always say.
What was that?
l said l'm rather fond of ketchup.
Fond of ketchup? Ketchup?
l think l know who you are now, Tanner.
l think l know who you are. That face.
Sure, that face.
Make-up, wasn't it? That face.
And Johnson had to be in on it with you too, didn't he?
Johnson helped you, didn't he, Tanner?
He fixed the gun, didn't he?
Well, didn't he, Tanner?
Bailey, wait a minute. l can explain.
You admit it. l'm telling the truth.
Isn't that so, Tanner?
Isn't that so?
Bailey, stop!
Pull him off, Tanner, or l'll get a clock!
Police! Ryan! Help!
Please!
Coffee! You always take it black!
Don't!
Quick! Mr. Tanner!
Good Lord, the coffee! His face!
And what is this?
Oh, it's all right, Ryan. There's nothing wrong, Ryan.
Nothing really wrong. That's not his real face, Ryan.
He likes it that way. Don't let him fool you.
What else do you want? Oh, yes, ketchup!
Plenty of ketchup! Nothing like ketchup, l always say.
Nothing like ketchup!
Roma wines have brought you short order
with Joseph Kearns, Conrad Vinyon, and Gerald Moore
as stars of tonight's study in...
Suspense!
Suspense is produced, edited, and directed by William Spear.
This is Ted Meyers with the 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 sautern.
Add ice cubes and a bit of sugar.
And for a decorative touch, garnish with cherries or fruit.
And 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.
It 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 Dane Clark as star of...
Suspense! Radio's outstanding theater of thrills.
Presented by Roma Wines, R-O-M-A.
Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world.
This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.