Yes, Roma wines taste better because only Roma selects from the world's greatest wine reserves for your pleasure.
And now, Roma wines, R-O-M-A. Roma wines present Suspense.
Tonight, Roma wines bring you Mr. Kirk Douglas in Community Property,
a Suspense play produced, edited, and directed for Roma wines by William Spears.
Suspense, radio's outstanding theater of thrills, is presented for your enjoyment by Roma wines.
That's R-O-M-A, Roma wines.
Those better tasting California wines enjoyed by more Americans than any other wine.
For friendly entertaining, for delightful dining.
Yes, right now a glass full would be very pleasant.
As Roma wines bring you Kirk Douglas, the young American actor who made such an auspicious screen debut,
and the strange love of Martha Ivers.
Mr. Douglas appears as George Mason, with Kathy Lewis as his wife, Lois, in Community Property.
Tonight's tale of Suspense.
You sure manage to look sloppy in the mornings, don't you?
Thanks. Coffee?
Yeah. Maybe I shouldn't have qualified it. You look sloppy most of the times nowadays.
Why should I waste my time looking glamorous for you?
Oh, don't mind me. I'm just your husband. I just pay the bills, that's all I do.
What bills? I should look like one of the ten best women of the year on what I can squeeze out of you, I suppose.
I'm not talking about clothes. But you could get your hair out of your face and put on a little lipstick for a change.
Sure. Get up three hours early and go to the beauty parlor.
Offer the privilege of making your breakfast and listening to your sour cracks.
What's the matter with you? Didn't you sleep well?
What do you care?
I thought maybe you'd been lying awake nights again, wondering how you're going to spend your share of Uncle Burt's 50,000 bucks.
I never lie awake nights wondering how to spend any money that you ever got your hands on first.
Well, you got something there. I've got better use for that money than letting it go into freak hats and imitation furs.
Well, then stop harping about it. I don't care about the money. I don't want to see the money. I don't want to hear about the money.
What do you call this, coffee?
That's what it says on the can.
Yeah, you could even make stuff out of a can taste rotten.
Look, if you don't like it, go get your breakfast at Schwab's Drugstore. It's no pleasure for me.
Well, I would if I could afford it.
You know, you're not kidding me any, Lois.
Kidding you? I've stopped even trying to communicate with you.
And that doesn't prevent you trying to make my life as miserable as possible, though, does it?
Your life. What kind of a life do you think I've had this past year?
I can't even remember the last time I had a civil conversation with you.
And if for anything else, I'm nothing more than a housekeeper around here, a housekeeper that doesn't get paid.
Yeah, it's tough. Sometimes I wonder how you stand it.
So do I.
But I know why, all right.
Oh, you know everything.
I told you, you weren't kidding me any.
As long as you think I'm gonna get that inheritance from Uncle Bird, you'll stick to me like a leech, won't you?
I told you I don't care about the money and I don't want to hear about the money.
There's enough about it.
Even if your uncle is fool enough to leave it to you, which I don't.
Oh, sure, you don't care about the money. Not much.
All I care about is having a decent life.
Now, if I'm about to come to the conclusion it's impossible for you to be decent to anybody.
Well, if it's as bad as all that, why don't you get a divorce?
Well, maybe I should.
Maybe it's what time we talk divorce, George. Maybe it's just high time.
Well, what's stopping you?
Sometimes I wonder.
Well, I don't. You'll never get a divorce as long as you think I might inherit 50,000 bucks.
That's what you think.
Yes.
Well, I've thought about it. I've thought about it plenty.
Then why don't you do something about it?
Because I know you're too cheap to pay alimony in the lawyer's fees. That's why.
Is that honestly all that's worrying you?
Well, I'm certainly not worried by any illusions I might ever have had about you.
All right. I'll pay the lawyer's fees in advance.
And any reasonable alimony you can get a judge to grant you.
You mean that, George?
I never meant anything more in my life.
Brother, you've got yourself a divorce.
I tried to register shock and righteous indignation, but I could hardly keep my face straight.
Lois was going to get a divorce.
I'd been working on it for a year.
Ever since I'd realized that Uncle Bert was going to die and I was going to inherit his estate.
Ever since I'd realized that under the community property laws of California, Lois would get half of it.
Half of 50,000 bucks, I figured. Maybe even more.
50,000 bucks.
I wasn't going to share that with Lois or anybody else.
For a year, I'd been nagging her and insulting her and even knocking her around a little, but it was no use.
He just turned sullen and took it.
And so I'd just about given up thinking about divorce.
I'd begun to think about something else for Lois.
I'd begun to think about murder.
For Suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you Kirk Douglas in Community Property.
Roma Wines presentation tonight in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Between the acts of Suspense, this is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines.
To enrich your quiet evenings at home, to add warmth to your welcome when friends drop in, serve Roma Wine.
Yes, your family and friends will appreciate and enjoy the important difference in Roma,
the extra goodness in fuller bouquet, richer body, and better taste.
That better taste of Roma Wine begins with California's choicest grapes.
Then with ancient skill and America's finest winemaking resources,
Roma master venteners guide this grape treasure unhurriedly to tempting taste perfection.
These choice wines are placed with mellow Roma wines of years before.
And from these reserves, the world's greatest reserves of fine wines, Roma later selects for your pleasure.
So for everyday enjoyment or gracious hospitality, serve Roma California Sherry, Port or Muscatel.
You'll find all Roma wines delightful, moderate, inexpensive, and always better tasting.
And that's why more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine.
And now, Roma wines bring back to our Hollywood soundstage Kirk Douglas as George Mason
and Kathy Lewis as his wife Lois in Community Property, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
So now Lois is going to give me a divorce at last.
Uncle Burt's $50,000 would be mine as long as she started proceedings before I inherited.
And knowing Lois, I figure now that she'd finally decided she'd probably go to work on it that very afternoon.
When I drove out to Uncle Burt's later in the day, I was feeling like a kid just out of school.
It was one of my regular visits and I never missed three or four times a week.
That was a bore and a pain, but I'm a guy that can put up with $50,000 worth of almost anything.
Good afternoon, Mr. Mason.
Oh, hi, Judson. How's the old boy feeling this afternoon?
Not too well, I'm afraid, sir.
Gee, I'm sorry to hear that. One of his bad days, eh?
Rather difficult, yes, sir.
Well, do you suppose it's all right for me to see him?
Oh, yes, sir. It's nothing that serious, I should say.
He's called for his lawyer, Mr. Bernard, and for Dr. Thorpe.
I should imagine he'd be quite able to see you as well.
Yes? Yes, what is it?
Your nephew, Mr. Mason, is here to see you, sir.
All right, show him in.
Hello, Uncle Burt. How are you feeling?
Oh, not well, my boy. Not well. Not well at all.
Well, go on, Judson. Close the door. Go about your business.
Yes, sir.
Judson was saying you've had sort of a bad day.
Yes, I'm completely bedridden now, as you see.
I'm afraid the end is not far off, my boy.
Oh, don't be silly, Uncle Burt. You live to be a hundred.
No, no, no, no. I've called Dr. Thorpe.
Oh, you can't scare me. Well, you call Dr. Thorpe every other day.
I tell you, I'm sick. I'm dying. Are you going to sit there and argue with me?
Oh, I know, Uncle Burt, but gee, I...
Well, I hadn't realized it was that serious.
Well, it's most serious.
I'm glad you came today. I'd have called you if you hadn't.
Oh, I understand your lawyer is coming over here.
Oh, yes. I wish to be absolutely certain that my affairs are all in order before the end.
Gee, Uncle Burt, it's hard to believe that anything could happen like that. I mean...
Ah, my boy. There's no disputing with the Grim Reaper when your time comes.
Oh, put your chair a little closer.
Sure.
Yeah, yeah. George, you have always been a good nephew to me.
Of course, I know you're always thinking of the money.
Oh.
Oh, but that's only natural. I don't care.
Uncle Burt, now that's not fair.
You're a liar, George. But you're a good liar. And that's a comfort to an old man.
Of course, I don't know what you're like in daily life. I've been ill for a long time.
Just average, I guess.
I wouldn't think so. Now, I imagine you're mean and greedy and thoroughly dishonest when it's safe to be, as I was.
I run from the family. It's only natural, too.
You make me sound like a pretty bad guy, Uncle Burt.
All right. Only true to human nature, George, with the little dash of Mason family thrown in.
Yes, you've always been a good nephew to me, George.
Even though you may have been a hypocrite about it, and that's all anyone has the right to expect at my age.
You won't have any reason to regret it.
I wish you wouldn't talk that way, Uncle Burt.
Now what way?
Well, about the money and things like that.
I don't want to hear about it.
Well, have I ever asked you about it?
No, no, you haven't, George. You've been very clever about that. But you may as well know now.
Well, I...
As my will stands now, my estate will be divided into two parts.
Oh.
Yes. One half of my estate will go as an endowment to my old school, Weymouth College.
Half?
Yes.
How is that?
Come in.
Well, hello, Mr. Basie. How are we today?
Oh, no, Doctor.
Oh, man's handing out bad news today. Now in your case, I'm afraid you're about to lose a steady source of income, Doctor.
Oh, meaning...
Meaning, meaning me. Yes, I'm afraid you're going to have to find some other victim to pay your office rent very soon now.
Oh, well...
You know my nephew, of course.
Sure. Hi, Doc.
Hello, George.
Oh. Oh, by the way, George, here. Here's a prescription your wife asked me to write out for her. You might have it filled on your way home if you have time.
Sure, thanks.
Yes, bad news all around. Now, George here, I've just informed him that I'm leaving half my money to my old school.
Looks mighty disappointed, doesn't he?
Oh, now, Uncle Burdick, well, it's your money. Why should I be sore?
Now, did it false please, Mr. Mason?
No.
Thank you.
I haven't told him all of it yet. You want to hear the rest, George, huh?
Well, whatever you say, Uncle Burdick.
Really, Mr. Mason, you shouldn't be talking too much. Your condition's not as good today as it might be.
Oh, I know that. I was saying...
Oh, what was I saying? Oh, yes, I will.
As a matter of fact, I'm leaving you fairly well provided for, George. Enough to give you a little start in life, anyhow.
Take it easy, Uncle Burdick. It's you I care about, not the money.
Oh, you're an accomplished guy, George. That's the only word for it. But you can relax again. The other half is going to you.
You know you didn't have to do that, Uncle Burdick. Well, it's not that I don't appreciate it, but...
I think it will help, Uncle George. You'll be able to use $500,000, won't you?
What'd you say?
Really, Mr. Mason, I must forbid you to get excited now you're in your condition.
Didn't you hear me, George? I said five...
Uncle Burdick. Mr. Mason. Uncle Burdick. Uncle Burdick, listen to me.
I'm afraid he's gone.
Tell me what you said.
For heaven's sake, man, have a little decency, can't you? He's dead.
He can't be. It's some kind of a gag. Did you hear? $500,000. Come in.
Mr. Bernard is here to see you.
I'm afraid you're too late, Bernie.
Oh, Bernie, you drew up the will, you'll know.
Bernie, he said $500,000. $500,000!
You mean your inheritance? That's roughly what it comes to.
Wow, half a million bucks.
And permit me to be the first to congratulate you, George, on bearing up so well unto your bereavement, that is.
Half a million bucks, and he never told me.
Why, the rotten old liar.
I left the house in a day. I got in my car and started driving, just driving around. I don't know where I drove to.
I just drove, and I must have spent that $500,000 500,000 different ways.
But I wasn't in such a fog that I didn't do a little real thinking, too, about Lois.
Because now if she got her divorce, she'd nick me for half that money anyway.
And I wasn't having any of that, not after what I'd been through.
So it would have to be the other way.
So I'd have to talk her out of the divorce, or it looked too much like a motive.
First, I wanted to be absolutely sure of everything.
I spotted a corner drugstore.
It was late for this time, but I had Bernie's home number, so it didn't matter.
Then, on the way past the drug counter, I remembered the prescription Dr. Thorpe had given me.
I think I had the idea right then.
Yes, sir?
How long will it take you to fill this?
Well, oh, that won't take any time.
Okay. Where's your phone?
Just to your left.
Thanks.
Hello?
Bernie?
Yeah?
George Mason.
Why hello, George.
I'm afraid you can't have the money tonight, old boy, but come in first thing tomorrow.
Great kidder, aren't you?
Listen, Bernie, I wanted to ask you something.
Anything you ask, we'll be charged against you.
Now, I'll joke.
Seriously, though, I met a friend of mine today, a Texas oil man, but he married out here, and, well, he's having a little trouble with his wife.
Send him around. I'll give him a discount.
Well, maybe I'll do that, but all he wants now is free advice.
You see, he's worried about this community property law.
Well, it seems he came into quite a hunk of dough out here lately.
Coincidence department, huh?
Not exactly. This was, well, a deal, you know, real estate.
Well, he wants to know if there's any way he can keep his wife from cutting in on it.
Oh, a heel, huh?
That's right.
Not a chance, my boy. Any property accumulated in the normal course of affairs after the marriage is community property. That's the law.
Yeah, that's what he was afraid of.
Now, listen, though, George, you want to know something cute? It had nothing to do with your friend.
Well, I got to go, Bernie. I'm late. I'll call you tomorrow.
But I'm trying to tell you something.
Well, save it till tomorrow, huh? Good night, Bernie.
I was in no mood to listen to bright sayings. I had too much else to do.
At the drug counter, I picked up the prescription. It was what I thought it was.
Sedative, it said.
She'd been taking stuff to make her sleep for quite a while now.
At the next corner, I bought her the biggest box of candy I could find.
Then I went home to kill it.
Lois?
Is that you, George?
Yeah. You going to bed?
Yes. You're late.
Yeah, I... Well, I'll tell you about it.
You don't need to. It's nothing unusual.
I know it isn't, Lois, and... Well, that's what I want to talk to you about. Oh, here's something I picked up for you.
What's this for?
Nothing. I just thought you might like it.
You must have wrecked a car or something.
No, but... Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking today, Lois.
So have I.
Well, you haven't done anything about that yet, have you? I mean the divorce.
Not yet. I know you're in a big hurry, but tomorrow will be time enough, won't it?
Oh, now listen, Lois. Like I said, I've been doing a lot of thinking today.
Well, it was quite a shock when you said that this morning.
When I said it?
When it came up that way. I got to thinking, well, I've been pretty rotten these last few months.
I don't know why, but I have and I know.
You haven't been exactly the ideal companion, George.
Well, it was something was driving me, making me do things and say things that I didn't mean and I didn't want to, and I couldn't help myself.
I don't know what it's been. Worry, trying to scrape along with everything going sky high and running into debt, and thinking about the old man's money.
I don't know what it's been, but I know it's been awful for me, too.
And I know it's been ten times as bad for you.
I know, George, but everybody has those kinds of worries nowadays.
I know. Well, they don't take it out on somebody else the way I have, but when you talked about divorce, it made me realize that I love you, Lois.
I don't know how I could ever get along without you.
Did you really mean that, George?
I never meant anything more in my life.
Just give me another chance, Lois. I'll do anything.
I'll go to a psychiatrist or something. I know it's been my fault, but I can change.
If you'll help me, I can change overnight. It'll be the way it used to be, huh?
Oh, George.
Oh, darling, I know. I've been a terrible healer.
I knew it wasn't really you. It hasn't been all your fault either.
I've been telling the nasty.
I had to do something to self-defense to keep from going crazy.
Because I love you so.
Oh, now there, there, baby. It's going to be different now. I've learned my lesson, Lois.
Oh, George. I know it will if we try, if we both just try. We used to be so happy.
We're going to be happy again, too. You see, happier than ever.
I know it.
You know, I think I'll really sleep tonight for the first time in months.
Good.
I've been so nervous lately, I've just been a wreck.
Oh, say, that reminds me. I ran into Doc Thorpe today, and he gave me a prescription to use.
I had it filled on the way home. Here.
Oh, my sleeping pills. That's funny, you're thinking about that now, and I probably won't need them anymore.
You better take one anyway, just to be on the safe side, huh?
Say, maybe I'll take one, too. It's been a pretty tough day.
All right. I guess tonight maybe I'm almost too happy to sleep.
Would you warm up a little milk for me, darling? Take them with you?
Why, sure, honey. I'll fix you right up.
Thanks, Doc.
I went downstairs and started warming the milk.
I'd had the stuff hidden away for a couple of months now.
It was a narcotic that would have the same effects as the sleeping pills and show up the same way in an autopsy.
I put some sugar and cinnamon in the milk to cover the taste,
and then dumped in another of the stuff to kill a horse.
Then I took it up to her.
Thanks, darling.
Oh, that's nice. What'd you put in it?
Oh, just sweeten it up a little. Sweet, sweet.
Oh, here's your pill.
Thank you.
Oh, it tastes a little funny. It's nice, but kind of funny.
Yes, maybe I got the milk a little too hot. It always tastes funny when it's boiled.
Ah, how is it?
Ah, to drink it all now, that's a good girl.
Ah, there.
That's the ticket. Feeling sleepy?
All of a sudden.
Well, now you lie down and let me tuck you in and you get a good sleep.
And tomorrow, we'll start all over again.
Oh, yeah. A new life.
That's right. Tomorrow there'll be a brand new life.
I took the glass downstairs and washed it out thoroughly and brought it back again half empty.
I dumped about three quarters of the sleeping pills down the drain
and then tipped the bottle over on the bedside table to give things that reckless look, and went to bed.
You think that's pretty funny, I suppose.
Lying down in the next bed to someone you know is dying, who will be dead before morning?
Someone you just murdered?
Well, maybe it is.
But all I was thinking of was that 500,000 bucks
and spending it over and over another million different ways as I went off to sleep, and believe it or not, I slept like a baby.
I woke up early feeling great, not knowing why for a minute, and then I remembered.
I went over to look at Lois.
She was lying just the way I'd left it.
I put out my hand and touched her arm.
That was all I needed to know.
She was cold, stone cold.
Dr. Thomas, give me the doctor, quick, quick.
Calling, please.
What's the dip? George Mason, hurry, please.
Hello, George.
Oh, Doc, listen, you've got to come right over here.
Something's happened, something terrible.
What is it, George?
Lois, those pills you gave her. She's taken almost all of them.
I can't get her to move.
Now, wait a minute, George, wait a minute.
Are you sure there isn't some mistake?
I know there isn't. She's cold.
You'd better call the police, George.
Police?
Yes. Yes, it's usual in such cases.
I'll be over, but you'd better call the police.
In about half an hour, they arrived.
Two plainclothes dicks and a man from the coroner's office.
He and one of the dicks went in to look at Lois, and the other one stayed outside talking to me.
I know it's a trying time for you, Mr. Mason.
I can't understand it. I can't understand it.
Had you and your wife had any quarrels?
No, well, we had a little fast, but nothing more than any other married couple.
Nothing to make her do a thing like that.
She's been taking these sedatives long.
Now, the last few months, I don't know exactly why.
Well, she's been nervous and upset. You know, she wasn't getting any younger, of course.
Well, but you took them on advice of a physician. She was under a physician's care, I suppose.
Oh, yes, Dr. Alexander Thorpe. Well, he saw her regularly.
But he never told me there was anything, mentally.
Oh, how about it, Doc?
Narcotic poisoning. Pretty clear.
That bottle was full. When she went to work on it, she took enough to kill her heart.
I got it filled for her only last night.
Well, I guess that's about all, Mr. Mason. We'll, uh...
I'm Dr. Thorpe, the family physician. Oh, hello, John.
Hello, Alex. You know Lieutenant Farley?
How do you do, Lieutenant? Hello, Doc.
Hello, George.
You want to say the, uh...
I take it Mrs. Mason is dead?
Uh-huh. Narcotic poisoning.
Your, uh, prescription, wasn't it, Alex?
Yes. Yes, so it was. But, uh, I'm afraid there's some discrepancy here.
Discrepancy? Yes.
I had been prescribing sedatives for Mrs. Mason for some time.
Lately, however, I reached the conclusion that her mental health was such that the possession of drugs in any quantity would be dangerous.
My last prescription, therefore, contained no sedative of any kind.
What did it contain? Nothing.
Sugar and a neutral base.
Quite.
If Mrs. Mason died of poisoning, the poison was administered to her in some other form.
You said, uh, administered?
I did. From the evidence, I can reach no other conclusion.
I need to get another.
Well, Mr. Mason?
Can I call my lawyer?
You're entitled to do that.
And for where I sit, bud, looks like you're gonna need a good one.
Well, let that be a lesson for you, George.
Before you commit a murder, always check with your attorney.
Great kidder, huh, Bernie?
Sure.
You did only told me this on the phone yesterday.
Instead of that cock and bull story about a friend from Texas, I could have saved you a lot of trouble.
Oh.
I tried to tell you, money that you earn or make in business is community property.
Money that you inherit is not what...
That 500 grand would have bid all you, George.
You see what I mean?
Next time, check with your attorney.
Check with your attorney.
A great kidder.
Now he says, don't worry.
If he can get me off the gas chamber, I'll still have the worst years of my life ahead of me.
How do you like that?
Suspense.
Resouted by Roma Wines.
R-O-M-A. Roma.
America's favorite wine.
This is Truman Bradley bringing back for the curtain call our suspense star of the evening, Kirk Douglas.
Kirk, you know millions of our suspense listeners will remember you as Barbara Stanley's husband in the strange love of Martha Ivers.
Seeing you play the part of a weak, neurotic man, they had never guessed you were a wrestling champion in college.
Well, Truman, you know the difference isn't as great as you might think.
No?
You see, college wrestling was my first acting experience.
See, that's where I learned to portray suffering.
Well, since you were undefeated champion, Kirk, I imagine most of the suffering was done by your opponent.
But you must have some other hobby besides wrestling, Kirk.
After all, you can't be throwing your guests around the living room all the time, you know.
Well, my wife claims my favorite hobby is eating.
I do have an awful sweet tooth.
You know, when it comes to eating cake, I'm worse than a ten-year-old at a birthday party.
Say, speaking of birthday parties, Kirk, reminds me that your host of the evening, Roma Wines, has a gift for you.
This hamper of Roma Wines with the compliment of Roma, the greatest name in wine.
Well, thank you, Truman, and my compliment to Roma.
And for that sweet tooth of yours, Kirk, let me suggest this.
After dinner tomorrow or with dessert, enjoy the tempting taste luxury of Roma California Port.
Yes, brilliant, ruby red Roma Port, with its rich, full body and mellow natural sweetness,
is the ideal finishing touch to a fine dinner.
And when friends drop in, add warmth to their welcome with Roma Port.
You'll find Roma Port delightful with your favorite fruits or nuts, too.
Truman, I'll remember that.
And remember, Kirk, that in all Roma wines, you enjoy an important difference,
an extra goodness and fuller bouquet, richer body and better taste.
Yes, Roma Wines taste better because Roma selects better tasting wines from the world's greatest reserves.
That's why more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine.
I can't think of a better recommendation. Thank you.
And good night.
Kirk Douglas appeared through the courtesy of Hal Wallace Productions
and can soon be seen in the RKO picture, Out of the Past.
Tonight's suspense play was written by Robert Richards from the story by Howard Leeds and Arthur Julian.
Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Mr. Lloyd Nolan as star of Suspense.
Produced and directed by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California.
This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.