Roma wines, R-O-M-A, Roma wine company of Fresno, California bring you Suspense.
Tonight, Roma wines bring you Miss June Havoc in Stand In, a suspense play produced, edited,
and directed for Schenley by William Spear.
Suspense, radio's outstanding theater of thrills.
This is presented for your enjoyment by Roma wines.
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And now, Roma wines bring you Miss June Havoc in a remarkable tale of Suspense.
She's here.
Diana, get W.S.C.
Tell him, will you?
Okay.
Jensen, take on those 40 Western Union boys that were supposed to come out and sing, Here
Comes the Bride.
Very good, sir.
And everybody take it easy now.
Keep calm.
What do you want to do?
Give her a nervous breakdown?
Right this way, boys.
Hello, darling.
Hello, everybody.
Madame is home again.
I was always the way with Madame, a grand entrance for her and utter confusion for everybody
else.
She was rotten and spoiled.
But what could you do?
On the screen, she looked like an angel.
And she was the top box office door of the biggest studio in Hollywood.
Everybody heard the story by now.
Of course, that is the nine day wonders version that the newspapers carried.
But there are only two people in the world who know the real story.
And I'm one of them.
You see, I was her stand in.
This particular little caper all began just before her latest picture was supposed to
go in front of the cameras.
And she suddenly decided she simply couldn't bear to be making only $10,000 for a whole
week's work and took off to Florida.
Nobody heard a word of her for two months except in the newspapers.
Little things like she'd married her fifth husband and lost $40,000 in one night at Roulette
and bought an old Spanish monastery and was going to bring it back to Hollywood stone
by stone.
And then all of a sudden she was coming back that very day with husband and monastery and
everything and everybody had to jump.
Loretta knew had been waiting all afternoon and going not so quietly crazy, particularly
Mike Fawkes, her publicity agent, and me.
I was having a whole duplicate set of dresses fitted so we could start the picture the minute
she got back.
She swept in and I took a look at the new husband.
And the minute I saw him I knew there was going to be trouble because he wasn't taking
it well.
He wasn't taking it at all well.
Madame, for the love of Pete, where have you been?
WC's been blowing his top all day in the newspapers blowing...
Oh now Michael, darling, everything's been taken care of.
I sent WC a big box of orchids from the airport and I brought a few of the newspaper boys
along with me.
You did?
Hello, Pocodile.
Listen, I want to talk to you first.
I wanted to give you a...
Oh by the way, everybody, this is my new husband, Dennis O'Brien.
He blew me out.
We've all been four seaters.
He's gorgeous.
Gorgeous.
Such an improvement on Roman at us.
Say hello to the folks, Danny, huh?
Hello.
Say, how about a couple of nice pictures of the bride and groom, huh?
Oh, well darling, I think that's a splendid idea.
Come on, Dennis, come on.
A little to one side, I think, darling.
Leading over perhaps.
That's right.
Not too far into the picture.
Where you say?
There.
Isn't that about right, boys?
Oh, that's fine.
Now, one of you alone, Madame.
Oh, certainly.
You can go now, Dennis.
I'll join you a little later, darling.
Just look around the house.
Make yourself at home.
Thanks.
Hold it, Madame.
Thank you.
Goodbye.
Madame, I was wondering about your hair.
Are you going to wear it up in the computer?
Oh, I am tray-beat.
Lawrence and I, mine is party was beaucoup.
Madame, I wonder...
Oh, Diana, darling, I hardly noticed you.
The new dress is coming.
That one you have on looks lovely, dear.
You look lovely, too.
Well, thanks, Madame.
I was wondering...
Please, will you go?
Diana, dear, I shall have to go.
I'll see you later.
Please, will you go?
Diana, dear, I shall have to go and have that awful ordeal with WC and the Schwartzes will
be here...
Oh, certainly.
Good night, Madame.
You see what I mean?
I won't say I didn't hate her, because I did.
But I was used to it by now.
With a living and better than pounding a typewriter or getting mauled in a modeling agency.
And I made my way back to the big gloomy house to the study where I left my things.
As I opened the door, I saw her husband, Dennis.
He was standing with his back to me in the semi-darkness, looking out the big French
windows that lead to the formal garden.
He turned his head a little when I came in and then back again, staring out the window.
But even from where I stood, I could see that his big shoulders were bunched into knots.
I could kill you when you're like that, Maggie.
What do you think I am, one of your great dames that you can haul around on a leash and
put through polytrich?
But I...
I'm not listening now, Maggie.
I'm telling you.
Cut it out, cut it out or I'll sew help me some night.
I'll murder you.
Well, I'm sorry, Mr. O'Brien.
I didn't mean it.
Huh?
Oh, I thought it was Maggie.
So I gather.
Excuse me.
Oh, that's all right.
Forget it.
I know you didn't mean it.
No.
That's where you're wrong, sister.
Oh?
I meant every word of it.
I looked at him, handsome, weak, and violent.
And I think I saw it all right then.
For one split second of flash of intuition, the future lit up in front of me like a marquee
sign, a sign in big red letters that said, murder.
For suspense, Roma wines are bringing you June Havoc in stand-in.
I don't have the right face for the screen, but I've got everything else.
And Denny knew it.
I didn't keep it a secret from him either.
Not that I had to flaunted at him.
He was married to a slightly sagging movie queen at least 10 years older than I was.
And he was only human.
Not that I said anything either.
For a week, I hardly spoke to him.
First because it was smart, and then being Madame Stand-In because I was busy.
There was all the flurry of getting the picture started, costumes and tests and so on, and
finally the Academy Award dinner.
Perhaps the less said about that, the better.
It was Olivia de Hadland who got the award, of course, not Madame.
And she found out about it just before the dinner and threw all fwing-ding.
But we got her out of there and brought her home before she caused too much damage.
And Mike called a doctor and he gave her a sedative.
Then Denny and I were alone for the first time, all alone in that big rambling mausoleum
of a house.
Diane?
Yes?
Come over here, won't you?
I'm all right here.
Then I'll come over there.
I'm not used to these big spaces.
But keep a little space, huh, Denny?
I'm not used to no space.
I know.
I've got no business even looking at you.
But...
But what?
For a week now, I've been watching you, thinking about you.
I know.
Do you?
Did you?
Well, those things don't usually happen to just one person, Denny.
It takes two.
Diane...
Oh, wait a minute, Denny.
Why?
There are a couple of things we'd better get straight.
All right.
Oh, Denny, you poor big, beautiful character, you.
Why did you have to marry her?
Well, things look a little different sometimes from where you are, and they do when you get
there.
And where were you?
I was a lifeguard.
Just as simple as that.
And you thought this looked even easier?
Well, there wasn't anyone else, and I thought, well, Hollywood, glamour, luxury.
I might even get a break myself if funny things have happened.
Now you know.
Yeah.
Now I know.
But you still want those things that you married her for, don't you?
Sure, I suppose so.
But I want something else now.
Me?
Yeah.
Sure.
You got what you want, but I haven't.
And I'm not settling for anything less.
I'm not going to be the little girl that you see when you want to and then come back and
lie around in your swimming pool.
I want a swimming pool too.
Well, maybe there's a way we can have it together.
Sure.
There is a way.
What way are you thinking about?
A way that people like us would never want to take.
Hmm.
I suppose we did.
It would be different.
Is that a deal?
Sure.
That's a deal.
Casual.
The light touch.
But it was there just the same.
We never spoke about it after that.
Things went along and, well, I'm only human too.
But there was always that understanding between us.
All that time we were just waiting, I guess, for what they call in the crime stories the
opportunities.
And then on the last week of the shooting schedule on Madame's new picture, it came.
There was only one more take before we knocked off that day so I was free to go home.
But everybody else was jumpy and irritable as usual, particularly Madame.
And then I saw Demi walking down the stage.
Don't blame me for holding up the picture.
You're the director.
I'm not.
Oh, please, Madame.
Are they ready any time you say?
Make it ten minutes.
Well, really.
Okay, fellas, move in for the close-up.
Oh, hello there, Maggie.
Oh, it's you.
Yeah, when are you quitting?
Oh, Dennis, how do I know?
I'm not the director.
I'm merely the star.
You know, we're supposed to be aboard the yacht by 730.
There'll be people waiting.
All right, all right.
Let them wait.
Yeah, but yesterday you said...
Oh, yesterday, yesterday I said one thing.
Today I am working.
Now shut up and leave me alone.
Don't talk to me that way, Maggie.
What?
I'm your husband, remember?
Yes.
And I've had about all of that.
I can stand, too.
Now you get out of here.
Do you hear me?
Get out of here.
Okay, Maggie.
And you might start looking for a good divorce lawyer.
I think you're going to need one.
All right, come on, now.
Hello.
What?
Oh, hello, darling.
Let's take a little stroll out of the gate, shall we?
I could use some fresh air.
Come on.
We'll shut out the big stage door here.
Okay.
Well, it doesn't look like I have much longer, does it?
Not much.
Now or never.
I'm not quite sure I know what you're talking about, Dennis.
Let's quit kidding ourselves.
You know what I'm talking about.
If she divorces me, we're finished.
All right, I'm finished.
So if we are ever going to do anything, it's got to be now.
All right, let's quit kidding ourselves.
Are we going to do anything?
I would, if I knew how.
There's the guard at the gate.
Good evening, Mr. O'Brien.
Miss Burke?
Hey, madame, can I please have your autograph?
I'm afraid you got the wrong gal, sonny.
I'm not madame.
You can't fool me, madame.
You're shooting that picture, Carmelita.
Oh, come on, Peter, will you?
I even see you in the same dress lots of times.
Oh, sure, they fixed me up to look like madame, but I'm not.
I'm only your stand-in.
Stand-in?
Come on, darling.
I'm not madame.
Wait a minute.
Look, sonny.
They got to have somebody standing in there so they can focus everything just right, and
that's me.
Then when they're ready to shoot the scene, madame comes out all fresh and pretty in place.
Have you seen her?
Oh, you sure look like her, though.
Well, that's what they pay me for.
Diane.
What?
That's it.
That's the how right there.
The what?
How.
The kid just told us just now.
How do you?
Sure.
Out of the mouths of babes.
How to murder your wife.
The whole thing would take about 20 minutes.
But it had to be timed and planned to the split second.
We planned it for the last day and the last shot of the picture.
When everybody let down and get sort of half hysterical at the idea that the thing is finally
over.
Shooting schedule was made for us.
The last shot with madame was on an enormous set of a kitchen table.
Oh, that's great.
It was a great idea.
Oh, dear.
Oh, my dear.
You're leaving, Guzlany?
Yeah, I got my orders.
She said to call her when you're ready.
Okay.
Night, Guzlany.
Night.
Seven minutes.
Seven minutes were gone.
Now he'd be passing the gauze.
Good night, Mr. O'Brien.
Night.
And now he'd be walking down the studio street and turning the corner at the other end of
stage one and strolling over to the gauze at the main gate.
Oh, hello, Mr. O'Brien.
Going home now?
I wish I knew.
You married Matt?
I know what you mean.
Well, I got my orders and all I can do is carry him out.
Ours is not to question why, huh?
Yeah, that's right.
I'm going to get my orders.
You're going to get your orders?
I am and I will get them.
We're going to do a reception for you.
Oh, that's great.
That's great.
I'll get my orders.
What happened, Mr. O'Brien?
You're going home now, aren't you?
Yes.
Oh, thanks.
Good evening, Mr. O'Brien.
Yes.
Good evening.
I was going home in the morning.
Yes.
That's right.
You're waiting for Madame.
Yup.
She told me to wait until exactly eleven o'clock and if she wasn't out here to go on home
so I got ten or fifteen minutes to kill.
Take her in.
Oh, thanks.
Don't mind if I do.
He'd stay there now.
He'd stay there until it was time.
Just five minutes before, I had passed that same guard on the safe door.
Good night, Miss Burke.
Good night.
And I had walked down the same studio street and passed the same guard at the main gate.
Well, finally knocking off, eh, Miss Burke?
That's right. Good night.
Yeah, good night, Miss Burke. Good night.
I had walked straight ahead, as though I was going to the bus line.
And then, when I was out of sight of the main gate, I ducked up a little side street that runs along the west end of the lot.
I kept in the shadows now, watching every move.
About a hundred feet from the corner, there's another gate.
It's usually locked and never used.
But they'd been shooting in exterior and they'd taken the gate off the hinges.
There were barricades across the entrance and a watchman would pass by every fifteen minutes and then round up the corner.
He was passing now. I waited in the shadows.
Now, he was gone. Now. Now was the time.
I took a quick look around. There was no one in sight.
I dashed to the gate and was over the barricades in an instant and running as softly as I could to the back of stage one.
A big door at the back where they move in the scenery and the flats was open about a foot.
We'd seen to that.
And I squeezed in and I made my way behind the scenes to Madame's dressing room.
I opened the door and closed it behind me.
And then I knew for sure that Denny had been there and done his part.
She was lying on the floor with the marks of his big hand still on her throat.
She was dead.
It was 1057. I had on the costume with the veil over my face and there was nothing to do but wait.
Wait there, shot up in a little room with a dead woman.
For them to call her and for me to play her part.
I tried not to look at her lying there and finally...
We're all ready, Madame.
I waited for the steps to die away.
And then I opened the door.
As Denny had said, it was now or never.
I walked out and took my place on the set.
I nodded my head.
Rolling.
Feet.
Action.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the camera on the big boom.
Slowly beginning to pull back.
It seemed a million miles away.
I began walking down the aisle of the cathedral.
There was no sound so I was getting direction all the way.
And that was Madame.
Slowly now.
Slowly. Remember your overwhelmed with grief.
Now you kneel.
That's it.
Now you clasp your hands together.
Now cast your eyes upward.
That's it. Perfect.
Now hold it.
A little longer.
Cut.
That's all boys.
That was all.
I had to keep myself from running as I started back to the dressing room.
But when I got there, I sprinted.
Around the corner and out to the big door.
Denny's car was there all right.
With the back door open and I slipped into it and laid down on the floor of the back seat.
It was 11 o'clock.
Now it looks like my time's up.
Yes.
Couple of minutes after 11.
Guess she's not coming, huh?
Guess not.
Well, orders is orders.
Yes, that's right Mr. O'Brien.
I could hear his steps coming over to the car.
And then getting in and then we were starting off.
Good night Mr. O'Brien.
Good night.
You back there Diane?
Yes. I'm here.
Well we made it baby.
We made it.
We knew they probably wouldn't find her till the next day.
Even a director wouldn't dare disturb her if he got no answer at the dressing room door.
And that's what happened.
We got the news about mid-morning and of course everybody in the lot was grief stricken.
And that afternoon everybody who'd be on the Carmelita set or had anything to do with Madame was called into projection room A.
That's when we first met Lieutenant Malone.
I know you folks all feel bad about this.
But we might as well lay it on the line.
The lady's dead.
And someone who was on that set is the one who killed her.
Now, you're the husband aren't you, Dennis O'Brien?
That's right.
Well, you know how we work these things.
Motive and opportunity.
And just off hand Mr. O'Brien.
You practically got a corner on the motive, Marcus.
I suppose I have.
Oh, but Lieutenant, a dozen people saw Dennis.
Mr. O'Brien leave the set before she was killed.
Before she made the last shot.
And he was out talking to the guard the whole time after that.
And then he went straight home and he couldn't have done it.
Yeah, I know. It's a good alibi.
Awful good.
But how do you know some stranger didn't kill her?
Maybe she fell asleep in the dressing room after the shot and some prowler...
Nah, nah, nah. It just doesn't feel right.
You got the film of that last shot you made.
Yeah, we got it here.
Let's see it, huh?
Will you run that last camo lead to take again, please?
Here we go.
That's it, madam.
Slowly now.
Slowly.
Remember you.
What was that?
That's me giving directions.
It was supposed to be a silent shot. Of course, that won't be used.
There'll be music to cover that.
Well, let's hear it anyway.
Whatever you say.
That's it. Perfect.
Hold it.
A little longer.
Just a little longer.
Cut!
That's all there is to it.
Yeah. Not much there.
My lieutenant, nobody in the studio would have touched a hair of madame's head.
We all loved her so much.
Yeah, you better learn a little more about the picture business before you start throwing wild accusations around.
I think you got something there, Mike.
Maybe I'll do that.
Maybe I'll just do that little thing.
A month went by.
Of course, Denny and I didn't dare see much of each other, but things were going along.
I'd even had a couple of small parts.
On the strength of all the publicity about madame, somebody discovered that maybe I did have the right face for the scream.
And then one day we got a call to go to projection room A.
And there was Lieutenant Malone again.
Just make yourselves comfortable, folks.
I've got something to show you.
I hope it's more than you had the last time.
Yeah, Mike, yeah.
I've been learning the picture business, like you said.
I've learned a lot, too.
All about silent shots and sound shots and wild track and dubbing and stand-ins.
What?
You were madame stand-in, weren't you, Miss Burke?
Yes, I was.
Uh-huh.
You looked quite a lot like her, too.
Well, a little, I suppose.
Oh, you'd fool me, all right, if your back was turned.
Well, I've been fooling around down in the cutting rooms.
I never realized before how much stuff got thrown away.
I made a little collection of it.
I want to show it to you.
Here we go.
...
That is a wild soundtrack.
You make that separate and mix it in after you've made your film, right?
You can make sound without pictures just the same as you can make pictures without sound, right?
Now, that day you folks were making that last shot of Carmelita,
the sound engineers were sort of slap happy, it being the last day and all,
and so they just pushed their microphones out of the way.
But they forgot to turn off the sound,
and they pushed that mic right up against madame's dressing room before the last shot.
And the cameraman was running some test film, and here's what he got.
I found this in a cutting room trash bin.
Close the door, Danny.
Yes, that's it.
You sit down, make yourself comfortable.
No, thanks.
Oh, don't be silly. There's just one more take, and then we'll talk.
You're not going to make it though, Maggie.
What do you mean?
I mean, you're through, Maggie. You're through.
I'm finished.
Well, I guess that's it.
Huh, Mr. O'Brien? Miss Burke?
Yes. Yes, I guess that's it.
I haven't seen Danny since the trial. I wonder if I'll see him afterwards.
If what the preachers say is right, I suppose I will.
And of course madame will be down there too.
I can't think of any worse punishment than being her stand-in through all eternity.
So I suppose that's what I'll get.
Suspense presented by Roma Wines, R-O-M-A, Roma, America's favorite wines.
In a moment, we'll hear again from June Havoc, star of tonight's suspense play.
Meanwhile, this is Truman Bradley with a suggestion that you try Roma Wines
and discover for yourself the important difference, the extra taste luxury
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You'll find that Roma Wines taste better because Roma alone
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Tomorrow, buy a supply of Roma California Sherry,
that perfect appetizer before dinner, that gracious gesture when friends drop in.
This is June Havoc. Suspense is one of my favorite programs,
and I got a real thrill appearing on it tonight.
I'm going to be listening to next week's suspense show when Elliot Reid will be the star.
Thanks a lot and good night.
June Havoc will soon be seen opposite George Raft in the United Artists Production Intrigue.
Tonight's suspense play was by Robert Richards and Pamela Wilcox.
Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Mr. Elliot Reid as star of Suspense.
Produced by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California.