WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:05.000 Suspense! 00:05.000 --> 00:29.000 Tonight, transcribed, Auto Light brings you Miss Joan Crawford in The Ten Years, a suspense 00:29.000 --> 00:38.000 play produced and directed by Anton M. Leder. 00:38.000 --> 00:55.000 And now, Auto Light presents Joan Crawford in a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. 00:55.000 --> 01:04.000 Everyone is so good to me. I like being here, but some of the others don't, I guess. 01:04.000 --> 01:11.000 Do you hear? They scream sometimes like that in the night. Maybe they scream because they 01:11.000 --> 01:18.000 remember things. But I remember things too, especially when people come out from town 01:18.000 --> 01:27.000 to see me, to bring me things. But there's nothing, nothing that I want. They can't bring 01:27.000 --> 01:36.000 back my sister, my beautiful sister Adele. They came today, and with them they brought 01:36.000 --> 01:44.000 back memories of Adele, when we were children, the night that Mother died, the night we made 01:44.000 --> 01:54.000 the promise. Don't cry anymore, Adele. I'm afraid, Clara. We're alone. We're not alone. 01:54.000 --> 02:00.000 But if something happened to you... Nothing's going to happen to me. I'm going to take care 02:00.000 --> 02:07.000 of you. But that's what Mother said. Now she's left us too. But Adele, Mother didn't know 02:07.000 --> 02:13.000 that she, she wouldn't have left us if she could have helped. Promise me you won't die, 02:13.000 --> 02:21.000 Clara, and that whatever I do, you'll do, and that, and that you'll never leave me. I promise. 02:21.000 --> 02:28.000 And we'll be together always and forever. Always and forever. I promise. 02:34.000 --> 02:40.000 And for years I kept that promise. Adele and I were as close as anyone could be. We had 02:40.000 --> 02:45.000 few friends, but I didn't mind as long as she was happy. But sometimes I was frightened 02:45.000 --> 02:50.000 at the way she clung to me after we were grown. I was afraid of what would happen to her in 02:50.000 --> 02:57.000 case anything ever happened to me. And then something did happen. I met Douglas Foley. 02:57.000 --> 03:02.000 Adele liked him until she realized that I'd fallen in love with him. Then she hated him 03:02.000 --> 03:10.000 in a childish, vicious way. He tried to win her over, but it was no good. And then he 03:10.000 --> 03:18.000 asked me to marry him. And I said yes. That night after he'd gone, Adele was waiting for 03:18.000 --> 03:28.000 me in my room. Adele? Clara! Douglas told me. Adele, you're so white. You're ill. But 03:28.000 --> 03:32.000 you promised me. But Adele, I'm not leaving you. You're going to live with us. No, it 03:32.000 --> 03:38.000 won't be the same. You promised always and forever. But we were children, Adele. You 03:38.000 --> 03:46.000 promised. We'd be together always and forever. But Adele, I... You see... Clara! If you 03:46.000 --> 03:57.000 marry him, I'll never speak to you again. But we were married. And we believed that Adele 03:57.000 --> 04:04.000 would forgive us in time. But she didn't. She refused to see us and letters went unanswered. 04:04.000 --> 04:08.000 Then when we learned that my husband's new job was to take us to Europe, I first thought 04:08.000 --> 04:13.000 of Adele, if she would only go with us. But when we drove to her house, she refused even 04:13.000 --> 04:21.000 to come to the door. And we were forced to sail without her. My son Doug was born in 04:21.000 --> 04:27.000 Europe. And I wrote Adele a long letter telling her about him. But the letter was returned 04:27.000 --> 04:33.000 unopened. When Doug was just 10, we returned to America. I went directly from the station 04:33.000 --> 04:40.000 to Adele's house. She was working in the garden when we drove up. I was shocked at her appearance. 04:40.000 --> 04:45.000 Her hair had turned almost white and there was a strange look about her. I sent Doug 04:45.000 --> 04:52.000 to the gate to introduce himself. She looked at him in a puzzled manner. Then she saw us 04:52.000 --> 05:01.000 sitting in the car. And she turned and walked into the house. The next thing I remember 05:01.000 --> 05:07.000 was that day one month after my return home when I was put on trial for murder. For my 05:07.000 --> 05:19.000 husband's murder. Mrs. Foley, will you tell us again what happened the night of your husband's 05:19.000 --> 05:25.000 murder? My husband was working in the garden all day. When it began to grow dark, I called 05:25.000 --> 05:30.000 him in. But he insisted that he had something to finish. I called him several times after 05:30.000 --> 05:35.000 that. And then I became irritated and I gave up. I had my dinner alone and I went up to 05:35.000 --> 05:39.000 my bedroom. Then you do admit that you quarreled with him the night of the murder. We didn't 05:39.000 --> 05:46.000 quarrel. I was irritated but I said nothing to my husband. I see. Your husband's death 05:46.000 --> 05:50.000 was caused by a deep narrow wound in the vicinity of the heart. It is the opinion of this court 05:50.000 --> 05:56.000 that the instrument used might have been an ice pick. Mrs. Foley, have you any other ideas 05:56.000 --> 06:03.000 as to what might have inflicted this wound? No. Had your husband any enemies, Mrs. Foley? 06:03.000 --> 06:15.000 No. And so I was acquitted that day because of insufficient evidence. I thought Adele would 06:15.000 --> 06:20.000 come to see me during those awful days but she didn't. I saw her in the courtroom but 06:20.000 --> 06:28.000 she never looked my way. I believe it was about two months after the trial that my son 06:28.000 --> 06:33.000 and his friend Roy went on an all-day hiking trip to the beach. They were late getting 06:33.000 --> 06:39.000 back. It was almost dark when I saw Roy coming up the street. He was alone and he was running. 06:39.000 --> 06:45.000 Mrs. Foley! Mrs. Foley! Roy, where's Doug? He's down at the beach with her. With whom? 06:45.000 --> 06:50.000 Your sister. My sister? Oh, for heaven's sake, Roy. Will you tell me what this is all about? 06:50.000 --> 06:55.000 Well, you see, Mrs. Foley, Doug and I went down to the beach with him. It seemed that Roy 06:55.000 --> 06:59.000 and Doug had forgotten to take along their drinking water and they hadn't missed it until 06:59.000 --> 07:05.000 they'd come to a very deserted strip of the beach. Come on, Doug. Maybe we can get some 07:05.000 --> 07:09.000 water at that little house over there. Funny place for a house, isn't it? Yeah. Come on. 07:09.000 --> 07:14.000 Looks like nobody lives here. All the better. And just drink out that faucet in the yard. 07:14.000 --> 07:20.000 You won't have to ask nobody. Come on. Sure runs down, ain't it? Maybe the faucet isn't 07:20.000 --> 07:26.000 working. The garden's all dead. Sure it's working, see? Someone's just plain lazy then. 07:26.000 --> 07:32.000 Or maybe no one lives here. Sure they do. There's a mailbox. Maybe there's a name on it. 07:32.000 --> 07:39.000 Look. Miss Adele Norris. That's Mom's sister. Yeah? Well, let's drop in and see her. 07:39.000 --> 07:44.000 She wouldn't even know who I was. You could tell her, couldn't you? Say, maybe she'd give us 07:44.000 --> 07:50.000 some cake or something. No. She's mad at me and Mom. Come on, let's get out of here. Hey, 07:50.000 --> 07:55.000 Doug. Look at all those dead leaves on the porch. Let's have a look around. No, she might 07:55.000 --> 08:03.000 come out. Oh, she can't hurt you, can she? Let's peek in the window. No, Ron. Look, 08:03.000 --> 08:10.000 Doug. The place is all upset. It's all dirty and everything. Let's look in the rest of 08:10.000 --> 08:17.000 the windows. There's no one around. Here's the kitchen. Hey, look at all the dirty dishes 08:17.000 --> 08:25.000 piled up. Say, maybe my aunt's sick. Look, someone's coming to the window. Oh. What do 08:25.000 --> 08:34.000 you want? We wanted to see if you were all right. Go away. Don't you recognize me? No. 08:34.000 --> 08:43.000 Are you sick? No. I'm your nephew, Douglas Foley. Go away, whoever you are. I'd like to 08:43.000 --> 08:47.000 help you. Go away, I said. Mother wouldn't want me to leave you here like this. Who is 08:47.000 --> 08:53.000 your mother? I told you. Don't you remember? She's your sister. I have no sister. My sister 08:53.000 --> 08:58.000 died when I was 18. Roy, you go home and get my mother. My aunt's sick. I'll climb through 08:58.000 --> 09:02.000 this window and I'll see if there's anything I can do. You stay out of this house. Doug, 09:02.000 --> 09:07.000 let's both go. She doesn't want you here. She's sick. You go for my mother and hurry. If 09:07.000 --> 09:16.000 you come into this house, she'll be sorry. If you dare. Did you say your name is Douglas 09:16.000 --> 09:25.000 Foley? Yeah, that's right. Douglas Foley is dead. Forever and ever. No, don't you see? 09:25.000 --> 09:31.000 The one who died was my mother. Douglas Foley became between two sisters. And then he died. 09:31.000 --> 09:37.000 Yeah, but I'm trying to tell you. My mother and Roy isn't dead. Then I guess he'll have 09:37.000 --> 09:50.000 to die again. That's it. Yes. He'll have to die again. He'll have to die again. He'll 09:50.000 --> 09:59.000 have to die again. You're sick. You need help. I'm sick. Yes. Don't you want me to come in? 09:59.000 --> 10:19.000 Yes. Come in. Douglas Foley. For Suspense, Auto Light is bringing you Joan Crawford in 10:19.000 --> 10:33.000 the video's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense. And now, Auto Light brings back 10:33.000 --> 10:41.000 to our Hollywood sound stage, Miss Joan Crawford as Clara in The Ten Years by Mel Dennelly. 10:41.000 --> 10:53.000 A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. You see how clearly I remember things. I remember 10:53.000 --> 10:57.000 so well the horror of that moment when Doug's little friend finished telling me how he had 10:57.000 --> 11:02.000 left Doug there alone with my sister, Adele. And I even remember what Roy said at the end. 11:02.000 --> 11:07.000 So I came back to tell you, Mrs. Foley, on account of Doug made me. Now I wish I hadn't 11:07.000 --> 11:12.000 left him there with her. I know she's your sister and all, but I saw her face when she 11:12.000 --> 11:18.000 came to the window. She looked awful, Mrs. Foley. She looked awful crazy. 11:18.000 --> 11:28.000 I followed Roy's directions and I went by foot north along the ocean. I must have walked 11:28.000 --> 11:35.000 a good mile before I came to the house. The front door was standing open. There was a lamp 11:35.000 --> 11:48.000 burning on the table. Adele? She lay on the bed. I couldn't see her very clearly by the 11:48.000 --> 11:53.000 candlelight, but I could see that she was fully dressed. Her hair was undone and it 11:53.000 --> 12:00.000 spilled down over the pillow. For a moment I thought, I thought she was dead. 12:00.000 --> 12:10.000 What do you want? Adele? What do you want? It's me, Clara. Where's Douglas? He's dead. 12:10.000 --> 12:15.000 Adele! Your husband is dead, I tell you. I don't mean my husband. I mean my son. Where 12:15.000 --> 12:22.000 is he? He was murdered with a long shot. Be still! You don't know what you're saying. 12:22.000 --> 12:27.000 Where is my son? I haven't seen him. You have. He was here. I know that. I haven't 12:27.000 --> 12:32.000 seen him. Yes, you have. Try and remember. Where is he? I don't know. Yes, you do know. 12:32.000 --> 12:40.000 What have you done to him? Was he your son? Yes, Adele. Please. I hated him. I know. 12:40.000 --> 12:48.000 Where is he, Adele? He went away. Where? Where did he go? He went to the village for 12:48.000 --> 12:54.000 a talk. Are you telling me the truth? Yes. How long ago did he leave? I don't 12:54.000 --> 13:01.000 admit. Will you stop questioning me? Can't you see that I'm sick? I tell you, he went 13:01.000 --> 13:12.000 for a doctor. Why do you come here, Clara? After ten years? I've come to help you. I 13:12.000 --> 13:19.000 don't need your help. Adele, did Doug really go for the doctor? You think I'm lying? I 13:19.000 --> 13:25.000 don't know. But if he isn't back soon, I'm going for the police. The police? Those sack 13:25.000 --> 13:35.000 fools. I'm so sick, Clara. Oh, I know. I'm going to take your things off, Adele. You'll 13:35.000 --> 13:42.000 be more comfortable. Then when the doctor comes, if he comes... Don't you touch me! 13:42.000 --> 13:47.000 You're sick, Adele. Let me take your things off. No, no! Can't you leave me alone? Leave 13:47.000 --> 13:57.000 me alone! How do you know what's good for me after all these years? I'm in pain, Clara. 13:57.000 --> 14:04.000 I have a heavy pain here in my heart. When I'm tightly laced, I can almost bear it. All 14:04.000 --> 14:08.000 right. All right, darling. We'll leave it till the doctor comes. Will the doctor help 14:08.000 --> 14:16.000 me, Clara? Of course he will. Douglas Holey came between two sisters. Oh, dear. He worked 14:16.000 --> 14:26.000 in the garden, bending down low. I'm so tired, Clara. I know. Try and rest, Adele. Close 14:26.000 --> 14:35.000 your eyes. He was working in the garden, and I was on my way home. I saw him there, Clara. 14:35.000 --> 14:43.000 He looked the same after ten years, because he had your strength to draw from. But I was 14:43.000 --> 14:56.000 alone. I had grown old, and he had stayed young. Young. And then he... And then she seemed 14:56.000 --> 15:02.000 to doze off. Her breathing was so labored, and I thought, perhaps she'll rest more easily 15:02.000 --> 15:07.000 if I undress her. And I went over to the bed. She was wearing a corset. I reached over and 15:07.000 --> 15:14.000 I began to unhook it. She started mumbling something in her sleep. You broke your promise. 15:14.000 --> 15:22.000 Always and forever you were there. But she didn't wake up. Always. And I finally managed 15:22.000 --> 15:29.000 to take her corset off. But as I went to place it on a chair, I noticed something sticking 15:29.000 --> 15:33.000 out of the material. At first I thought it was a broken stay, but it was round, and one 15:33.000 --> 15:40.000 end was sharp. I looked closer. It was a steel knitting needle. A long steel one. And there 15:40.000 --> 15:47.000 was rust on it. Or was that brown stain rust? Adele had concealed a knitting needle, and 15:47.000 --> 15:52.000 there was proof of what I guess I'd always known. That Adele had murdered my husband. 15:52.000 --> 15:59.000 I dropped the needle to the floor. Then something caught my eye. It was a hand sticking out 15:59.000 --> 16:05.000 from beneath the bed. It was wide and still. It was a child's hand. I fell to my knees. 16:05.000 --> 16:13.000 Oh, Doug, Doug! And just as I reached out for him, I... I felt a sharp blow on the back 16:13.000 --> 16:35.000 of my head. And I fell, unconscious. I dreamed. I dreamed that Adele and I were children again. 16:35.000 --> 16:40.000 And that she was laughing. And we were playing an old game of ours where we tied each other 16:40.000 --> 16:46.000 with our bathrobe cords. And then we waited for a knight in armor to rescue us. And then 16:46.000 --> 16:53.000 I think it was the odor of kerosene that brought me to... The room was filled with it. Oh, my 16:53.000 --> 16:59.000 head was pounding. I couldn't seem to focus my eyes. I tried to raise myself to my feet, 16:59.000 --> 17:09.000 but I... I couldn't seem to move my arms, my legs. Suddenly I realized why. I was tied 17:09.000 --> 17:18.000 with a bathrobe cord. I was a child again. Adele and I were playing our games again. My 17:18.000 --> 17:23.000 husband and everything that had happened between Adele and me had been nothing but a bad dream. 17:23.000 --> 17:32.000 Oh, a feeling of relief swept over me. Suddenly I heard footsteps and the door creaked slowly 17:32.000 --> 17:41.000 open. And then I knew that what had happened had not been a dream, for Adele stood there 17:41.000 --> 17:47.000 in the doorway. Not Adele, the child who would rescue me, but Adele with gray hair who hadn't 17:47.000 --> 17:53.000 spoken to me for all those years. She wore a long dressing gown. She was barefoot, her 17:53.000 --> 17:58.000 long hair streaming about her shoulders. And there was a vague and stupid smile on her 17:58.000 --> 18:05.000 face. She carried a bucket in her hand and the odor of kerosene filled the room. She 18:05.000 --> 18:11.000 didn't seem to notice me as she went past me. She threw the liquid from the bucket onto 18:11.000 --> 18:19.000 the table. Adele! No, Adele! But she paid no attention to me as she left the room again. 18:19.000 --> 18:26.000 I struggled. I struggled wildly, but it was no use. Oh, I was tied securely and then I 18:26.000 --> 18:34.000 saw a still figure on the bed. It was Doug. Oh, his face was so white. He was unconscious 18:34.000 --> 18:41.000 and there was a deep gash at the side of his head. Then Adele came back into the room. 18:41.000 --> 18:48.000 She had filled that bucket to the brim and she walked toward the bed again. Clara? Adele, 18:48.000 --> 18:55.000 untie me. Untie you why? Adele, listen to me. This is your son, Clara. Yes, yes, Adele, 18:55.000 --> 19:00.000 untie me. We were looking for him and he was here all the time. Please untie me, Adele. 19:00.000 --> 19:07.000 I never knew your son. For years I never knew him. How old is he, Clara? He's only ten. 19:07.000 --> 19:13.000 He's just a boy. Adele, you're sick. Untie me and we'll go for a doctor. You want me 19:13.000 --> 19:19.000 to be well, Clara? Yes, untie me. Are we friends again, Clara? Yes, we're friends. I want 19:19.000 --> 19:25.000 to help you. But I can't forget the ten years, Clara. I must wash those years away before 19:25.000 --> 19:30.000 we can really be friends again. Adele, forget those years. Let me help you. Don't untie 19:30.000 --> 19:40.000 me. No, we can't forget them, Clara. We must wash them away. That's what I was doing. I 19:40.000 --> 19:49.000 was washing away the years. Your husband's gone. Your son is all that remains, Huffle. 19:49.000 --> 19:54.000 Then we can be sisters again. You don't know what you're doing. Untie me, Adele. But this 19:54.000 --> 19:59.000 isn't water that I have in this jug. No, you see, you're sick. This is what I put into 19:59.000 --> 20:08.000 the lamps to make them burn. No! I could burn away the years. Then that would be better. 20:08.000 --> 20:15.000 No, Adele, for the love of heaven, untie me. Burn away these years that remain on the 20:15.000 --> 20:22.000 bed. No, Adele. If I could do that with this candle, then you and I could really be friends 20:22.000 --> 20:29.000 again. Like when Mother was alive. We could be sisters again. Always and forever. We're 20:29.000 --> 20:37.000 sisters now, Adele. You're lying. We're not sisters. Adele, listen to me. We're children 20:37.000 --> 20:42.000 and you've tied me with this cord and now you must untie me like you used to do when 20:42.000 --> 20:49.000 you left me too long and I cried. You're lying. We're not sisters and we haven't been for 20:49.000 --> 20:54.000 years. And now I'm going to punish you for lying. Just as Mother used to punish us when 20:54.000 --> 21:01.000 we were children. Then she started walking unsteadily toward me. A lighted candle in one 21:01.000 --> 21:06.000 hand, the bucket in the other, the liquid slapping over her dressing gown as she walked. 21:06.000 --> 21:10.000 Do you remember the time Mother washed out my mouth with soap and she caught me in a 21:10.000 --> 21:15.000 fib? That's what I'm going to do to you now. Or perhaps it would be better if I burned 21:15.000 --> 21:26.000 you. No, no. Don't scream, Clara. Don't waken your precious son. We mustn't waken you. 21:26.000 --> 21:30.000 Adele, Adele, untie me. I promise you that I'll take Duggan. We'll go away. You'll never 21:30.000 --> 21:37.000 have to see us again. No, Clara. And she kept moving toward me, holding the lighted candle 21:37.000 --> 21:44.000 close to her breast. You mustn't ever lie to me again, Clara. Adele, Adele, you're 21:44.000 --> 21:54.000 ill. You don't know what you're doing. Wash away the years. Burn away the years. Suddenly 21:54.000 --> 22:05.000 I saw a tiny flicker of flame on her breast. The frilly dressing gown, she had held the 22:05.000 --> 22:10.000 candle too close. Her entire dressing gown was a mass of flames that spread swiftly to 22:10.000 --> 22:15.000 her hair. In a moment she was a blazing torch. And the ardor burning filled the room. I could 22:15.000 --> 22:22.000 see her face. Surprised and contorted with pain. She turned and looked towards the better 22:22.000 --> 22:27.000 second, the bucket flaming in her hand. But then she went screaming out the door and towards 22:27.000 --> 22:50.000 the steam. Adele, Adele, Adele, Adele. Mrs. Foley. Yes. You mustn't scream like that. 22:50.000 --> 22:57.000 I wasn't screaming. That was my sister, Adele. Yes, I know. Try not to think about it, Mrs. 22:57.000 --> 23:03.000 Foley. You knew my sister was burned to death, didn't you, Mrs. Willard? Oh, she was so very 23:03.000 --> 23:09.000 beautiful. Yes, I know. Try and rest. Is there anything I can get you before I go to bed? 23:09.000 --> 23:18.000 No, thank you. Well, go to sleep then. I will. Good night. Good night. And pleasant dreams. 23:18.000 --> 23:30.000 Was that my sister, Mrs. Willard? No, no, Mrs. Foley. It's one of the others. Oh, they 23:30.000 --> 23:40.000 scream because they remember things. Yes, yes, I suppose they do. Good night. Good night. 23:40.000 --> 23:48.000 I remember things, too. I remember. Promise me you'll never leave me, Clara, and that 23:48.000 --> 24:11.000 whatever I do, you'll do. I promise. Always and forever? Always and forever. I promise. 24:11.000 --> 24:25.000 Thank you, Joan Crawford, for a magnificent performance. Now here again is Miss Crawford. 24:25.000 --> 24:29.000 I want to thank Tony Leader and his wonderful cast of actors, especially Lurine Tuttle, 24:29.000 --> 24:34.000 who played my sister, for helping me to make my appearance on Suspense so very pleasant. 24:34.000 --> 24:39.000 Like all of you, I am a great Suspense fan, and I'm looking forward to hearing next week's 24:39.000 --> 24:44.000 story. It's another gripping study in Suspense. 25:09.000 --> 25:33.000 Thank you. 25:39.000 --> 26:07.000 Thank you. 26:09.000 --> 26:11.000 Thank you.