Auto Light and its 98,000 dealers bring you Mr. Joseph Cotton in tonight's presentation
of Suspense.
Tonight Auto Light presents a story based on fact, an American legend of love and death
as we recreate the tragic history of Tom Dooley, our star, Mr. Joseph Cotton.
Hey, Wilcox, where you rushing like a loco coyote?
Hi, Sheriff.
Well, I've got a date to tell folks that for the swellest, sweetest, and smoothest performance
money can buy, you just can't beat those world famous ignition engineered auto light spark
lights.
Well, even an ignorant critter like me knows that.
Sure, Sheriff.
And I'll bet you also know that if your present spark plugs aren't functioning properly, your
car won't give you the performance it should.
Have those spark plugs checked by your auto light spark plug dealer, the expert in cleaning
and adjustment.
And if replacements are needed, he'll recommend ignition engineered auto light spark plugs,
either standard or resistor type.
Yep.
Why, they're smoother than grandma's flapjacks.
Right you are.
So see your nearest auto light spark plug dealer.
To quickly locate him, phone Western Union by number and ask for operator 25.
Remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with auto light.
And now, auto light presents Tom Dooley, starring Mr. Joseph Cotton, hoping once again
to keep you in suspense.
Bow down your head, Tom Dooley.
Bow down your head and cry.
Bow down your head, Tom Dooley.
You know you're bound to die.
You wait here, Noah.
You're a fool, Tom.
You ought to do it.
You're going to stop me, cousin.
Just watch the horses.
Open.
Yes?
What?
You be Paul, Cabot.
Yes, I'm Cabot.
What?
Get up.
Maybe I ain't going to kill you.
I don't know.
Get up.
Let's go, cousin.
How do I look, cousin?
Dirty?
She won't mind.
She is what you just did.
She won't mind.
Don't need you anymore, Noah.
Go home.
I'm waiting.
You're liable to wait right long.
Laura.
Hello, Tom.
Oh, darling.
Still a darling.
Pretty as a...
Let go of me.
You better come in.
I better.
Well, well, my darling.
I thought you were dead, Tom.
Dead they were, piled high.
But not Tom Dooley.
Months ago, at the Gettysburg, when the men came drifting back home, nobody had seen you,
Tom.
Some said they heard you were dead.
Died early, at Manassas.
What the talking fool are.
What's all this talking for?
Don't, Tom.
Pretty mouth.
Wasting on talk.
Don't.
And teasing and trembling in a way I remember.
I'm sorry, Tom.
Whatever you do after now, Laura, don't hit no more.
Gentle me.
You do that and that.
Four years you've been away, Tom Dooley.
I'm back now.
You're back.
And I thought you were dead.
Over a year now.
And I grieve for you, like I had to do.
And a man came along and gently, like I heard he did.
Yes.
Paul Cabot.
I love him.
That's the way things are now.
A doctor.
A Yankee.
The war's done, Tom Dooley.
And the killing's done.
And the hate's done.
And what's happened to the loving, Laura?
Yours to me.
Over, Tom.
There was grieving, like I told you, and it's over.
And I love a Yankee doctor named Paul Cabot.
I love him.
Come on, I'll take you to him.
Your what?
Where he's laying on the floor.
I think it was whimpering when I left him like a sugar candy baby.
Come on, I'll show you.
Get out of here.
Maybe I will, but I don't know that yet.
First, I want you to remember something, Laura.
Get out.
I want you to remember you hanging on my horse and wailing.
The tears on you four years ago when I rode out to join with Beb Vance and his cavalry.
You remember, Laura?
I grieve.
The tears on you.
That was your grieving.
Listen to mine.
The fighting and the blood and the screaming and bull running, Manassas and the Yankees.
Killing them and they always coming.
Virginia and Pennsylvania and the killing and leaving your own blood every place you
go.
Tom.
But you go because as long as you're going, you're coming back.
Back here to the Smokies.
Back here to Laura Foster.
That pretty mouth.
Laura.
No, I don't love you no more, Tom.
I don't love you.
You're not going to love me.
You'll remember how you...
Tom, Tom, not you.
You ain't worth those four years.
No.
I thought you couldn't wait for your man.
You better go, cousin.
Get out of here, Noah.
You're my blood cousin and I'm holding a gun on you.
And I'm saying you got to go.
I'll kill you where you stand, Tom.
No matter blaming.
I would, Tom.
Yeah.
I think you would.
Good night, Laura.
You still know how to play a tune on the fiddle, don't you, Tom?
Sure do.
Nobody plays like you play, Tom.
Thank you, Jess.
I don't miss you here on the stove.
Why all of us thought you...
Thought I was dead.
What kept you, Tom?
All of us come back soon as we hear General Lee surrendering.
What happened to you?
I had never seen Pennsylvania.
Walked around it.
With a gal?
Just walked.
You walked too slow, Tom.
You walked a lot too slow.
Laura Foster passed you right by.
Yeah, I heard.
Tell me she's learning how to read and write.
I heard that too.
Doctor.
Yankee.
War's over, Jess.
Fighting, hating.
Why you laughing?
I heard you almost killed the Yankee, Dr. Tom.
You heard it, so I guess I did.
Hey, Noah.
What you want, Jess?
Pass that jug over here.
Give your cousin a drink.
Ain't drinking no more, Jess.
Hey, now.
Reasons you ain't doing a lot of things.
Well, you changed, Tom.
What rank did I have?
You going to learn how to read and write?
Doctor say he can teach anybody who wants to learn.
Here is how you can learn a lot from that doctor.
Stop it, Jess.
Those Yankees are smart fellas.
Reckon that's why they won the war.
Won everything, those Yankees.
You heat up my cousin, your tongue's going to be real cold, Jess.
Oh, be it now?
What are you going to say about that, Tom?
Keep talking.
I don't mind.
All I can say is my gal start cheeking with somebody else.
Hi, Yankee.
Hello.
What are you on?
I've got a list here.
I need some groceries.
We've just been talking about you.
Me, Zach, Herman, Josh, all of us.
Noah Dooley, his cousin Tom, too.
Here's the list.
You read it to me, doctor.
I ain't got the lining.
Sack of potatoes?
Like I said, we've been talking.
Wondering.
Sack of sugar?
Wondering.
You like North Carolina Yankee?
Carolina Knights?
Green beans and flour.
How about North Carolina women?
Pretty ain't they?
Bizarre.
Wait on him, Jess.
And law's pretty stuff them all, ain't she?
Wait on him.
Ain't she?
Tom Dooley here used to think so.
If a man wants to buy something, shopkeeper, sell it to him.
I seen you walking, Yankee, trying to get yourself lost with Laura.
Jess.
What do you want, Tom?
Why'd you knock him down, Mr. Dooley?
Mace up for things.
I'm apologizing.
I want to shake your hand.
I'd be pleased.
It's all right about the other night I'd forgotten about it.
I want to be your friend.
That's what you are right now, Mr. Cabot.
I want to tell you this.
What?
Laura loves you and that's all right.
We're getting married, Mr. Dooley.
I'm not saying you can't.
I'm saying I hope you'll be very happy.
Laura will be very glad to hear that.
Mr. Dooley.
Yes?
Laura says you play the fiddle.
I hear you're having a betrothal party tomorrow night.
Yes, that's right.
I'll play the fiddle for you.
For you and Laura.
It's the black, black heart within you, a scheming for a life.
Then you'd play the fiddle while feeling along your knife.
Hey, Noah.
Come here.
Come here a minute.
What you want, Tom?
Spell me on the fiddle a little bit, Noah.
Sure.
Man, I bet you're tired.
Fiddling two hours, I'd let him up.
Spell me, cousin.
Take the fiddle.
Where you going, Tom?
I'll play the fiddle, pretty cousin.
Don't worry about me.
Laura.
I didn't mean to frighten you, Laura.
That's all right.
Noah's playing me my fiddle.
I saw you come out here.
I wanted to say something to you.
Tom.
Yes.
I'm glad.
I wanted to talk to you, too.
Paul told me what you did.
They teased me and called me Yankee.
And you...
That's all right.
And I've been hearing other things, Tom.
What?
How you're different.
How you ease down and not so wild so much no more.
I'm glad, Tom.
But it don't make no difference to you, does it, Laura?
How I feel, you mean?
No.
Why are you out here by yourself?
Because I'm so happy, Tom.
Because I danced a lot.
Because my heart's pounding so much.
Because Paul's in there.
When I look at him...
I know, Laura.
Laura.
Yes?
Walk with me.
That wouldn't be right, Tom.
Things I've got to tell you.
It wouldn't be right to listen, Tom.
Just a fave, I'm asking.
I'm pleading.
I changed.
You heard that.
A little walk, Laura.
A little walk.
Yes.
And my heart will settle down.
You remember we used to come this way?
No talk of that, Tom.
I remember we used to...
I'm going back.
No, no.
I'm sorry.
Tom.
Tom, you'll find you a girl.
There's no bitterness now, is there, Tom?
Tom.
The way that water runs from the top of the mountains to who knows where.
You'll find you a girl and you'll be happy.
A man like me, Laura.
Tom, why the knife?
Because a man like me never be happy.
You the cause, Laura.
You the cause.
I'll take the fiddle now, Noah.
Here you are.
You feel better, Tom?
I feel a lot better.
Auto Light is bringing you Mr. Joseph Cotton in Tom Dooley.
It's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
This is Harlow Wilcock speaking for Auto Light.
And I have here as our special guest, Lieutenant Colonel Sherman D. Cosgrove of the United
States Army.
Colonel Cosgrove, I understand that the Army has special relief funds that are made available
to officers and enlisted personnel and their families in time of distress.
We do, Mr. Wilcox.
It's administered by the Army Emergency Relief in Washington.
Now, where do these funds come from, Colonel Cosgrove?
The money comes from voluntary contributions by the men and women in the services and from
proceeds of a very few special outside events approved by the officers in charge of these
three relief organizations.
That's the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.
One of these events, by the way, is the supper party and reception to be given by the Auto
Light family at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City on April 7.
Well, tell me, how are these funds made available to those in distress?
After thorough investigation, allocation of funds is handled by chaplains under the supervision
of their commanding officers.
It must require a huge sum of money to take care of all the needs that develop over a
period of a year.
It surely does, Mr. Wilcox.
Since its incorporation in February 1942, Army Emergency Relief alone has dispersed
over $24 million in rendering financial assistance to over 250,000 members of the Army and their
families.
Well, thank you very much, Colonel Cosgrove.
Tonight, we've been privileged to have as our guest Colonel Sherman D. Cosgrove, who
has brought you a special message on behalf of the Armed Services Emergency Relief Funds.
Now, Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Mr. Joseph Cotton in Elliot Lewis's
production of Tom Dooley, based on fact and well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Bow down your head, Tom Dooley.
Bow down your head and cry.
You killed poor Laura Foster.
You know you're bound to die.
Hello, Mr. Dooley.
Nice party you got going, Mr. Cabot.
Talk to you for a minute?
Sure.
Hey Noah, spell me again, will you?
Yeah, sure, Tom.
What can I do for you?
Have you seen Laura?
Oh, a while ago when I was fiddling.
Oh, she looks pretty tonight.
There's something else I got to tell you.
Yes?
You Yankees know how to give parties too.
How long ago did you see Laura?
Oh, like I told you, when I was...
How long ago was that?
Half an hour, maybe.
Why, what's the matter?
Well, she's not here.
Well, outside maybe.
Not that I could find.
Well, maybe you could...
Would you come help me look for her?
Oh, she don't need looking for her.
She'll be around.
Enjoy yourself, Mr. Dooley.
I'll do that, Mr. Cabot.
Aaron?
Yes, Paul?
See Laura?
I saw her go outside a while ago.
She's been out for a while.
Get a few of the boys.
Let's go outside and look for her.
Sure.
Hey, Betty Lou.
Come on, give me a dance.
Tom.
Tom, wake up.
Come on, Tom, come on.
Wake up.
Get on your feet.
Why are you waking me, cousin?
You listen to me.
Why are you waking me when it's still black outside?
You killed Laura, Tom.
What?
They found Laura snagged on a rock right under the North Falls.
She was stabbed.
What are you saying, over?
I'm saying it and everybody else is saying it.
Saying what?
You put a knife to Laura.
Oh, you saw me dancing.
Oh, everybody saw me dancing.
Everybody's seen you go outside, too.
They're coming after you, Tom.
Saying I killed her?
Knowing it.
Knowing you're the only person who had reason.
But I...
You're talking and they're coming after you.
They're going to hang you, cousin.
They're going to hang you for sure.
You killed her, didn't you?
You got to help me.
You put on all the gentle and there was nothing but black inside you.
You're my cousin.
And I'm your cousin and you got to help me.
Killer.
Pretty thing like Laura.
You're blood killing me, Noah, and you're going to help me.
You're going to do what I tell you.
No, I'm not, Tom.
I'm doing nothing to help you.
You're talking like a man who don't care if you die.
You're going to wait till I get out of this cabin, till I get on your horse and start
riding to a Tennessee.
And you're going to wait some more.
Till you hear them coming, then you're going to get on my horse and wear my hat and you're
going to start riding the other direction.
When you leave, I got the length of this room to decide whether to shoot you in the back.
Now you get going.
Stay here.
Tick-tock.
Tom Dooley rode the morning.
Tom Dooley galloped west and when the sun was gone, he laid him down to rest.
The rest.
Who's there?
I see you. I'm going to shoot.
That's my friend, Salman, you might see me.
You can't see at all because I'm at your back.
Now, you just stand where you're standing.
What do you want?
Stand where you're standing and you're going to feel something.
Feel it? My gun to your back.
All right, Salman, take his gun.
Give it to him. Give it to him.
That's it.
You come out too, George. You too, Dawson.
I don't know you men. Who?
Yankees.
What do you want me for?
Well, we don't know, Johnny Reb.
We just come down here on a visit.
You want my money, that's why.
Now, there's a thought.
Where's your money, Reb?
I've got none.
Oh, you've got none. You've got none.
Where you come from, Reb?
From back there.
You're still wearing the rebel jacket.
Don't you know the war's over?
The war's over and you still...
Enjoying it. Living off the fat of southern land.
Won a war, we did, Reb, and we're enjoying it.
I've got no quarrel with you now.
Once you had a quarrel.
Where'd you fight, Reb?
Manassas.
Get his...
Manassas.
Now, you take a look at the wood I wear for a leg, Reb.
I changed him at Manassas.
A Reb bullet.
You shoot that bullet?
Maybe I did.
You got us a brave one, settlement.
Make him cry a little bit.
Go.
Get up, Reb.
Get up.
You crying?
You smiling?
Can't tell with that face, settlement made for you.
Now, let me look real close.
Why, you ain't doing nothing at all.
Just... just let me get out of here.
Night's entertainment.
That's what we're looking for, Reb.
And you don't do nothing.
Laugh, cry, nothing.
Ah, you dance, I bet.
You Rebs.
I tell you what.
You dance for us.
Dawson, get us a rope.
You've got no cause to hang me.
For dancing purposes.
You do us a do-si-do on the air from that tree over there.
Thank you kindly, Dawson.
No cause at all.
Don't like to dance?
Then what you gonna do for us, Reb?
I know a thing.
Sing us a tune.
Nice Yankee tune.
Reb, you know one?
Sure you do.
I'll help you, Reb.
Yankee doodle, keep it up.
Sing.
Let him alone.
Who are you?
A Yankee, like you.
Isn't that right, Tom?
Yes, sir. Yes, sir, Mr. Cabot.
A Yankee, gentlemen.
Who says with this rifle that the hating's over.
Now leave this man alone and get out.
All right.
All right, men.
Get.
Oh, Mr. Cabot.
Mr. Cabot, they were gonna kill me.
I'm grateful.
Grateful?
For saving your life?
You're going back right where you came from, Tom Dooley.
To where you killed Laura.
Walk ahead of me, Tom Dooley, or I'll shoot you where you stand.
Doctor.
Yankee doctor.
Who's going to see that you die legal, Tom Dooley.
Carts ready for you, Tom.
Time for hanging.
Ooh.
Come on, Tom.
To that scrub oak tree.
Get up on your horse, Tom.
Rope tight to the branch up there.
Yeah, real tight.
Mr. Cabot.
Reckon you want to fit the noose to Tom's neck?
Yes.
Lean down, Tom Dooley.
All right, it's done.
You got anything to say, Tom, before we slap your horse out from under you?
Bow down your head, Tom Dooley.
Bow down your head and cry.
Goodbye, Tom. May your soul rest in peace.
You killed poor Laura Foster.
You know you're bound to die.
Get.
Suspense.
Presented by Auto Light.
Tonight's star, Mr. Joseph Cotton.
Suspense has again been brought to you by Auto Light.
World's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment.
Auto Light is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry.
That's why during these early months of 1953, the Auto Light family has again
saluted the leading manufacturers who install Auto Light products as original equipment.
Next week as a climax to this salute series, our show will originate from the Easter
Parade of Stars Auto Show in the Grand Ballroom of New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Our story will be a dramatization of the first and only round the world auto race ever held.
Our star will be Van Johnson.
So be sure to be with us next week for the auto race that stirred the world.
Next week, a story based on fact as we recreate the first international automobile race.
The time, 1908.
The story around the world.
Our star, Mr. Van Johnson.
That's next week on Suspense.
Next week, a story based on fact as we recreate the first international automobile race.
The time, 1908.
Suspense.
Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis with music composed by Lucian Morawick
and conducted by Lud Gluskin.
Tom Dooley was written for Suspense by Morton Fine and David Friedkin.
Featured in tonight's cast were Sammy Hill, William Conrad, Joseph Kearns and Bill Bissell.
The singer was Harry Stanton.
Joseph Cotton may currently be seen in the 20th Century Fox picture, Niagara.
And remember, next week, Mr. Van Johnson in Around the World.
This is the CBS Radio Network.