Now, Roma wines, R-O-M-A.
Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world.
Roma wines present, Suspense.
Music
Ever hear of a man named Eberman?
Matthew Eberman, his name was.
He had his name in the papers quite a lot, Matthew did.
It's kind of a funny story concerning Matthew too.
Had to do with murder.
Matthew was an ugly guy.
Ugly is a mud fence and he hated that.
He hated everyone telling him how ugly he was.
Why, ever since he was a kid.
I won't play if I have to be Matthew's partner.
He's so awful looking it makes me sick to have to look at him with those terrible big hands.
Well, I won't play.
And I'll tell him so to his face.
Matthew Eberman?
You're the ugliest, most horrible looking boy I've ever seen.
You're double ugly.
That's what you are.
Look at you.
Double ugly, double ugly, double ugly.
Music
Sometimes Matthew would cry.
He'd go home and beat his big fists into his pillow and nearly choke getting the sobs out of him.
Don't cry, Matthew.
What do you care what they say?
Friends don't matter unless they love you for yourself.
Don't cry, dear mother loves you.
Mother thinks you're a wonderful boy.
There, there, now don't you cry.
And then Matthew wouldn't cry.
It was a funny thing too.
He came from a good family, enough money, education.
And if he hadn't been so ugly, if he hadn't been, his voice would have been kind of pleasant to listen to.
One time I remember he got alone okay with just his voice.
It was at a masquerade.
After he got the costume and the mask all on, his mother said,
Why, I hardly know my old boy.
All dressed up like that.
Why he ever went, I don't know.
He wanted to be with people, I guess.
Anyway, he did go to the party and he danced with all the girls in the place.
And one girl was so beautiful.
Some lovely Duchess, maybe from a hundred or two hundred years ago.
Like a soft cloud of ruffles and lace and the scent of magic clung all about her.
Who are you?
Someone who's in love with you.
A masqueraded, sorrowmatic.
It's perfectly all right to fall in love with a stranger.
Someone you haven't the slightest idea who it is.
What do you mind if I fall in love with you?
It's a masquerade.
I've never said it before.
I love you.
Who are you?
I love you.
Who are you?
I'll tell you who I am if you'll tell me who you are.
Ladies and gentlemen, unmasked.
Come on, take off your mask.
Well, it doesn't matter now.
Here, I'll take mine off first.
No.
Well, remove yours.
No.
Oh, you silly, you must.
Take it off.
I'll take it off of you myself.
No, no, don't, please don't.
I will, I will.
I love you.
Matthew Everman.
Lovely dama, lovely dama.
Some lovely duchess.
The soft cloud of lace and the scent of magic all about her.
Matthew's mother died.
Matthew went away from town.
It was after that that he had to do with murder.
More suspense?
Just told you about him as a boy, so maybe you could understand him later on.
You see, he never knew a soul to talk to, except some of the men who worked in the same plant where he did.
He got a job there in this plant throwing sacks into a truck.
At lunchtime, Matthew would listen to the other men talking, his big hands opening and closing regularly.
You know what I think?
I think it's better to be married no matter what.
That's right, handsome.
Still, lots of men don't get married.
That's right.
Hey, you ain't married, are you, Everman?
No.
Oh? How come, Everman?
I don't know.
I thought I'd never get married.
I thought women married only good-looking men.
Shucks, ever mind if a woman had married me, one ought to marry you.
I never know anyone to marry.
Well, my ball and chain will fix that.
I tell you what, come up to the house sadly night.
Yeah, Everman's the one I was telling you about that don't know no one to marry, Hazel.
Why, Mr. Everman, ain't you ashamed?
There's lots of girls around that should die and then get married.
Ain't you never wanted a home?
Now, look at our little place. Ain't it cute?
A man needs a woman's touch and vice versa.
Yeah, that's the truth, Everman.
Sure. Now, look at handsome here, Mr. Everman.
He wasn't no use to himself at all all alone.
And now we got a really good life worked out.
Oh, now, Hazel, honey, don't force.
Oh, that's all right. Let her talk.
I would have anyway, Mr. Everman.
Handsome don't haul no water with me.
The fat wife talked and Matthew listened.
And he began to wonder if maybe there wasn't something in what she said.
It was lonesome.
He could quit the plant if he wanted. He had all that money.
His mother left him when he died.
He only worked because it was so lonesome.
And then Hazel said...
Now, well, let's see. Who'd be a good girl for you?
What high do you go for?
Um, Sally Smart.
No, I'm no Sally Mason.
Sally Mason.
A big, easy-going blonde.
Like a soft cloud of ruffles and lace in the scent of my...
No, no.
It's getting a little mixed up.
Anyway, Hazel arranged for them to meet at a party at her house.
She had all the men and their wives from the plant,
and a guy named Letty played the piano.
Played piano like old-time movies.
Everybody had a swell time except Matthew.
He sat alone over in one corner of the porch.
He heard the screen door open and close
and a big bunch of white that was Sally moved over to him.
Well, there you are, Mr. Everman.
What do you mean by running away from the party?
I'm your date tonight, aren't I?
Sure, but I thought maybe you'd want to be with some of those fellas
and talk more, you know. I'm pretty quiet.
Oh, I don't mind.
I think that's the mark of a gentleman.
Gorgeous night, huh?
Isn't it?
You know, I think nature's just about the grandest thing in the world,
don't you? Huh?
Oh, trees and flowers and all.
Ain't so many flowers around here, though.
I like sunshine and clean scenery all around, don't you? Huh?
I get so lonesome here. Lonesome for a girl.
That is, of course, if you aren't married.
I get lonesome, too.
You do? I never thought men got lonesome.
I thought it was only girls. Men can get out.
I get lonesome.
Oh, sure. Sure, I remember now. Hazel told me.
You're afraid you're too ugly-looking.
What are you laughing at?
I do get lonesome, and that's the reason.
Only you're not to laugh.
Oh, my goodness, I wasn't laughing.
Except it's funny to think of a man being so...
Say, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
I'm lonesome, too, ain't I?
You've got the biggest hands I ever seen.
You think I'm pretty, do you?
Oh, I get so lonesome.
Matthew couldn't get it out of his head about this funny girl.
You think I'm pretty?
He didn't even know.
He couldn't even remember what she looked like when he went to work the next day.
And when he started to get his lunch, there was something over by the gate that he'd never noticed before.
Something pink and fresh.
His big hands opened and closed.
It was Sally, all in pink organ, like a pink balloon at a children's party.
Oh, I guess you're surprised to see me, aren't you, Mr. Everman?
I guess I am.
I thought maybe you might like a little home-fixed lunch.
Does it look good, huh?
We can eat over here in the shade, if you don't mind having a lady as company.
I was all alone today, and that's why I come.
Look at here.
I even got some chocolate cream for after.
You like them?
Uh-huh.
I do.
I do myself.
Hey, ain't this a cute bracelet?
Huh?
Little tiny bells.
Must be hard work to make a thing like that now, don't you think?
Oh, say, have one of those sandwiches, Mr. Everman.
They're gorgeous.
Sally chatted away, all in pink, and self-consciously turned her wrist to make the little bells tinkle.
Matthew ate steadily, silently, big, thick sandwiches.
Just like a party, ain't it?
After a while, it was time to go back to work.
Matthew stood up and didn't know what to say.
Just looked.
Sally's face was kind of shiny from the heat, and the pink had gone limp and bunched.
But a breeze picked up the loose strands of her hair, her foot twisted like a little girl.
You know, you never once called me by name.
It's Sally.
I know.
Oh, call me by name.
I like being called by name.
I will.
Can't you do it now?
Oh, it won't hurt now.
I gotta go back to work.
Okay.
So long.
You look pretty in pink.
Why, say I'm awful glad you like it.
It's one of my favorite colors.
I'm in their wives as a client watch the romance develop.
Gonna get hitched, Mr. Abberman?
It's better to get married no matter what.
No matter what.
Matthew never asked Sally to marry him until the day he saw her out by the fence where she lived
talking to Lefty, the man who'd played the piano at Handsome's party the first night they met.
He saw Lefty pinch her cheek and he heard Sally laugh.
Oh, Lefty, you say the silliest things.
No, you can't expect a girl to take me into the area.
Oh, no, don't! Stop that!
Oh, come on.
You're terrible!
You take your hands off me.
What's the matter? You don't know.
You take your hands off me!
Oh, Matthew, look what you've done to Lefty.
Why, you knocked him out cold.
You're not to fool around with guys like that.
I don't like the woman I'm gonna marry fooling around with guys like that.
Marry? Oh, Matthew.
Why, that's the one thing in the whole wide world I always wanted to be.
Matthew took his bride to Niagara Falls.
There was only one thing, the bracelet.
Matthew wondered what he could do about that.
The little house was a white cottage,
located pretty much by itself quite a distance from the plant.
Sally had to walk a good way to see any of the people she used to know.
How's married life, Sally?
Oh, say, it's the grandest thing.
You should come by and see it, pay us a social call.
Yeah, I hear you got a nice place to live.
Yeah, flowers and a tree.
You simply got to come and see it.
And the men and their wives at the plant did come and see it.
They sat around the house and put their feet on things
and spilled cigar ashes on the floor and talked loud and common.
Matthew didn't say a word. He just sat and listened,
looked at the mess they'd made.
It stayed a long time. Matthew thought they never would go.
Now that you know the way, don't be strangers.
Oh, don't worry.
Yeah, we'll be back, Will. Also, now that we know the way.
Good night.
See you soon.
Good night.
Matthew looked at the rugs and the foot marks on the chairs.
The place looked ugly.
Imagine, entertaining folks in your very own home.
They won't come again.
Why not?
Look at the rug.
Oh, that ain't nothing. I'll just run the sweeper over it and you'll...
They're not coming again.
But a house ain't nothing without folks coming in.
We got each other.
Oh, yes, but...
They never had another party.
Maybe Matthew saw his own face in the ashes on the floor.
The house grew quiet, and Sally got nervous.
Oh, it's just that we sit here and sit here and don't say a word, Matthew.
I get lonesome. Can't we have a party? Huh?
Can't we go to other people's parties, then? Can't we do that?
The yard grew up in weeds, and the flowers didn't do so well, and the tree didn't grow.
Even the smoke from the plant seemed to find its way over to the house.
The white got gray, and it got black in splotches, and the paint peeled.
Matthew lived. Sally put on weight.
See the pretty pink ribbon? I got to match my hair.
The lady at the dime store said blonde hair got awful dingy looking, so I got this bottle of stuff.
Only a dime. Look how brightens up the color of my hair. Huh?
Oh, have a chocolate cream, Matthew. These creams come from the dime store, too.
I can't even notice the difference from the ones you used to buy me.
He walked away. He always walked away.
He wanted to tell Sally how much he wanted to be close to her, but he couldn't.
She filled the house with frilly things, and all the fussy doodads would go with it.
You just won't believe what I got to show you, Matthew.
It's just like Joanne Crawford had in the magazine. Look, it's a genuine toy poodle.
Just like a little ball of fur, ain't he?
Hello, beautiful.
Mmm, such a wondrous little lollipop. My baby.
Would you like a little chocolate cream like the one we used?
Oh, Matthew, eat your scream. Look at him eat them creams.
Would you like them? Don't you hear? Oh, another one.
And you tasty geese. Huh?
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, Mommy's eating marshmallow in my son's park. What is it, baby?
What's the matter, Mommy, you little bitch?
Matthew walked away.
Watch the canaries jump on their perch, Matthew.
Hey, hey, hey. I just don't understand those birds, Matthew.
They don't sing a song like canaries are supposed to.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Now you knocky bad boy, scaring your yutzy sisters like that.
I just won't talk to you again.
You almost had that funny face in the muddies.
Your mommy didn't mean to hurt the feeling.
Oh, Matthew, isn't it a scream?
Ha ha!
Here, little angel, here, little furry angel.
Let's divide it. A chocolate cream, huh?
Yeah, it's free, though.
Oh, no, no, no!
Don't mess me all up!
Oh, for goodness...
Oh, look at that, Matthew!
All down my negative cheeks!
Here, now.
There, you just go and sit in your puppy's lap.
I guess it's in the daddy's lap, ain't it, baby doll?
There, there, there, there, there, there!
Oh!
Oh, Matthew, you hit him!
Oh, Matthew, don't do that way!
What are you crying for, Sally?
You shouldn't have hit him!
Oh, look at him!
Don't you cry, little angel.
Say your mommy won't eat her.
No.
Look at Matthew.
He's just like a kid, ain't he?
I think maybe...
Maybe kids wouldn't make it so lonesome.
No!
Matthew got up, went and stood by the window and looked out.
I like the house, but I get lonesome.
Lonesome?
In your own home?
Why go to those awful parties with ashes and foot marks on the chairs
and the men with their arms around Sally?
She shouldn't have allowed that.
She belonged to him.
She was the only person who ever did belong to him.
Hadn't she come to him in the plant yard that day?
Hi there, Mr. Everman!
Sure she had. She liked him.
You're the only one that's afraid you're too ugly!
She shouldn't be singing that song that Lefty plays.
That Lefty pinching her cheek and laughing at him.
She shouldn't have allowed that.
Oh, mom, just get the angel head.
Oh, little baby, why don't you...
You wanted her to leave that dog alone.
Oh, mommy, okay.
Why couldn't she treat him like that?
Oh, little baby.
Matthew looked out the window.
It's too bad about the paint and the smoke
that came over from so far from the plant,
the weeds all around.
He was surprised to see the tree look bigger.
Maybe he hadn't noticed the tree for a long time.
Matthew!
Yeah?
What are you doing, Matthew?
Thinking.
Oh.
He looked at her.
Where was that pink and fresh thing he'd seen before at the plant?
The face shining from the heat and the loose strands of hair caught in the breeze.
Someone's called me by name.
I like being called by name.
A big, fat, blonde lump.
Oh, these creams come from the dining store
and you can't even tell the difference.
Where was that pink and fresh thing by the gate?
Sally was standing by the canary cage and wiggling her wrist again.
She hadn't done that for a long time since Niagara Falls.
Look, Matthew, I found that bracelet with the bells on it.
I thought it might make the canaries sing.
Come on, birdie do.
Do you think they're sick, Fafio?
I've never seen them so quiet before.
Listen to the bells, birdie baby.
Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.
Matthew's hands were opening and closing at his sides.
Like they were grasping for something to hold and never finding it.
I just don't understand those birds at all.
You've gotten fat, Sally.
Oh, it don't matter. I don't care.
Nobody cares if a married woman gets fat.
That's what Hazel says. I like Hazel. She's good company.
I don't get down her way much now, though.
Her ankles swell up from these French heels.
Cute shoes, though, ain't they, Matthew?
Makes the foot look small.
Her ankles swell up, but it does make the foot look small.
Her wrists swell up, too.
I don't know what's wrong with them either.
Oh, I wish I could get these birds to sing.
Oh, I'm bored.
Aren't you happy with me, Sally?
Yeah, but we never do anything.
Oh, I get crazy here all the time.
I just get so I can't stay still another minute or I'll scream.
If we had some kids, then maybe we'd mean more to each other.
Have something to talk to each other about.
Kids is awful good company.
And then conversation about kids is good company.
And good talk between a man and his wife.
Matthew wanted to run. He wanted to kick the wool's tail out of his pants.
Kick the wool's tail out of the house down anything.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Mommy's little baby normal so far.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Where was that terrace that it's seen once upon a time?
Some lovely duchess maybe from 100 or 200 years ago.
I can't even know my own name.
Now, there's no reason you can't tell me who you are.
Your mask, I'll do it for you.
Look at you.
Maybe if he grabbed Sally, held her so close,
that would make a difference.
The ugliest, funniest boy I've ever seen.
If you ever met.
Why did it have to turn out this way?
They said that a man ought to be married no matter what.
I think nature's the grandest thing in the world, isn't it?
To get so lonesome.
We can't, we mean more to each other.
Can't we go out? Can't we go out?
Can't we go out?
We can only stop all that noise.
If we only just get a minute to think without all that noise.
Then we could get out.
That's right.
Sally was so fat, Matthew stuffed his mouth full of dime store chocolates,
one after the other, one after the other, one after the other.
The whole room began to turn.
Matthew! Matthew!
Big fat blouse, all covered in pink.
Matthew!
Look what you've done!
Just look what you've done!
Matthew looked around the room, no trees, no flowers.
The canaries and the dog were quiet.
Matthew, they were like kids to me.
Little helpless babies.
You, just look at your hands.
They're red, all red and wet.
You! You're so ugly!
The big blind was still as could be.
Except their wrists.
Her face hated him.
She said he was ugly.
Ugly!
Can't you even say that you're sorry, Matthew?
Matthew! Don't do like that with your hands!
No! I don't want you near me, hear me?
You get those awful pans of yours all over my negligee.
Matthew! Matthew! Put your hands down!
No! No!
Those carpenter boys sure know what to do with their hammers, don't they?
Listen.
I guess they're getting ready for in the morning.
Cutting down a tree to build a thing like that.
Well, that's the story of Matthew Everman, I guess.
There's just one thing that I'd like to ask you, please.
Sure, sure. Anything you want.
What can we do for you?
Well, my name, it's all right to print that, but...
Sure, sure.
I guess maybe you wonder how I could tell you all this.
Like I was talking about somebody else.
Well, it's because Matthew Everman wasn't ever a person I really wanted to be.
He was somebody I knew and I didn't like.
I hated him, just like everybody else did.
Because he was ugly.
There's no excuse for what he did for old Matthew.
And he makes so many lonely people.
And he makes ugly people too.
Ugly and mean on the inside.
I guess the best thing would be if everybody would...
Wouldn't it be a nice world? If people would...
My name, see, that's all right, but no pictures, please.
No pictures, no papers.
You know, it means an awful lot to me. You understand, don't you?
There won't be any pictures in the papers, will there?
Just promise me that and I'll be so grateful.
No pictures.
Suspense.
Double Ugly, starring Lloyd Nolan, presented by Roma Wines.
That's R-O-M-A.
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Lloyd Nolan appeared to the courtesy of 20th Century Fox producers of Kiss of Death.
Tonight's suspense play was by George Lloyd.
Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Edmund O'Brien, a star of Suspense,
produced and directed by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California.
This is CBS for Columbia Broadcasting System.