And now, tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theater of frills, Suspense.
Tonight, we bring you a story of a ghost town and a practical joke that wasn't.
We call it Hollywood Hostages.
So now, starring Eve McVeigh and Tom Brown, here is tonight's Suspense play, Hollywood
Hostages.
Oh, that sun's really strong.
Yeah, murder.
No director in Hollywood except the boy genius would have sent us out here.
There must be a ghost town closer to Hollywood.
There is.
Beverly Hills after midnight.
I don't get it.
Get what?
Why he has to come to the middle of the desert to shoot this stuff.
I can design sets that look a lot more like desert than this.
Oh, realism, my dear.
Well, Murphy does make good pictures.
The peasants know the difference of pictures of pictures.
I'd settle right now for the picture of a drink.
Well, look out at the sand.
For what?
Maybe you'll see a mirage with a drive in.
How come everything on this road is closed?
Same reason Potterville closed.
Ghost town used to be a tourist trap and the new freeway bypassed it.
No tourists, no trap, just this lousy road.
I wonder how Murphy found out about this place.
From another zombie.
What's your knock on Murphy?
I hate practical jokers.
Is your first crack in a Murphy picture?
You got a million laughs coming if you live through.
He can't be that bad.
Oh, you don't know how far that guy goes.
I know him good.
Too good.
You know what he did the day I got married?
He had his lawyer file suit for divorce in my name.
That's not very funny.
Then last year I go to Florida to find an alligator farm.
Murphy calls a pal who puts my picture in every post office.
Post office?
Sure, saying I'm wanted by the cops in Detroit.
Oh yeah, hilarious when I got picked up too.
The cops down there wired Detroit.
Detroit wired they were sending a detective to bring me back.
I was in Cannes a week before Murphy had them let me out.
I told that boy, Jeannie, this morning though, one more of his jokes this trip and he gets
himself a new location scout.
I don't need him.
I can always go back to being an unemployed comic.
Tommy?
Yeah.
Is that the ghost town out there?
Yeah, it could be.
A lot of hills are 180 miles from Hollywood.
The speedometer says 170.
Oh, dandy.
Ten more miles and we'll be no place.
Hurts bad, Tix.
Just hang on, partner.
We get inside, you can lay down.
Look at them cobwebs.
Ain't nobody open that door for a spell.
In we go, partner.
Ain't no furniture, Fred.
Just you lay down here on the floor.
I know, Fred, them bullets hurt real bad.
Doc, I need a doc.
Fred, you're seen for yourself.
Ain't no doctor here.
Ain't a living soul in this town except us.
But, Tix, I'll die.
Yeah, I guess you will, but too bad, but no sense me waiting.
You can't just walk out.
Staying and dying with you ain't gonna be much help, is it?
Except to the others.
I don't guess they'd be bust up splitting the bank money two ways instead of four.
Must have already got to my place.
I can't keep waiting.
No, Tix, don't leave me.
Well, there ain't much else I can do, Fred.
You just got a real bad piece of luck.
If that cop don't nick our gas tank, we'd have been at the cabin.
So long, Fred.
Tix, no, please.
Grab your gun.
I knew you wouldn't walk out.
Grab your gun and drag yourself to this window.
A car's coming.
Cops?
It's too far to tell.
There must be.
This road don't go nowhere else.
How'd they know we were here?
That cop who shot the gas tank.
Maybe I didn't get him.
I don't see no car.
It's hidden now by one of them dunes.
There.
Yeah.
Now, be ready.
They are cops.
We both better be shooting.
Welcome to Powderville.
Well, at least you've got no trouble parking.
Got your camera?
Mm-hmm.
Creepy looking, John, huh?
Yeah.
Now, hold it, Tommy.
I want to get a shot of this board sidewalk.
Oh, yeah.
You can't hardly get them, no more.
Step back a little.
You like those Polaroid cameras?
Great.
You get your picture in a minute.
If it comes up wrong, you shoot another one.
Now, we pull the film through till it clicks.
And the picture develops by itself.
Well, come on.
Let's case the joint while that shot's cooking, huh?
Better get a shot of that Wells Fargo office.
Okay.
Sure.
Leave Wells Fargo out of the West and you can't get a seal of approval.
Tommy.
Listen.
You hear anything?
Sure.
Boards in the sidewalk.
They squeak like three dollar shoes.
No.
No, a voice.
Oh, yeah, sure.
Well, that's from inside that place, the hotel.
It's Conrad Hilton buying the joint.
No, I heard a man's voice.
That sun's stronger than it looks.
I mean it.
Sure, sure.
Okay, you did hear a man's voice.
Now, come on.
Let's make with the snapshots and curl up with a good bartender, huh?
Hey, how many are you gonna take?
I'm just about finished.
Get one of that blacksmith shop.
Not yet.
Let's go around the corner first so I can get...
Hey, kid.
Drop the other shoe.
Tommy, that car.
Those holes in the windshield.
Air conditioning.
They're bullet holes.
I now pronounce you J Edgar Hoover.
What is the...
That car's a prop.
It wouldn't be a kosher ghost town without a bullet riddled car.
Oh.
You're jumpy.
Too much fresh air will do that.
Well, I'll get this shot at the hotel.
Another one at the hotel?
I need this angle.
Well, go ahead.
I'll go look around.
Hang on a minute.
Oh!
Grace.
What is it?
A man.
A what?
I saw a man.
Oh, come on.
No, honest.
I got him.
You what?
In the picture.
What did he pose as?
He stuck his head out of the door just as I was taking the picture.
Yeah?
Well, then what happened?
I looked up.
And he was gone?
Yes.
Oh, honey.
The way you dramatize, you...
There he is!
Hey!
He's running to our car.
Oh, and I left the keys in it.
Come on.
Hey!
Hey, you!
Oh, he's gone.
That dirty little.
No good.
Can't I...
Do you know him?
No, not that guy in the car.
But don't you get it?
He was planted.
Planted?
Yeah, to grab our car and strand us in the middle of the desert.
Oh, I can hear that Murphy laughing now.
Murphy?
Snatch!
This isn't funny.
Oh, it is to him.
I've got no fault.
No water, no food, and it's 23 miles to the nearest main highway.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
No.
I'm sorry.
She's talking about.
Tommy.
Yeah.
You got another cigarette?
Yeah.
Oh, can I have one?
Well, as soon as Murf sends the car back, they're in the glove compartment.
Thanks, Loeb's.
Oh, I told you.
Murphy's a million laughs.
Those clouds are coming this way.
That's all we need now.
Rain.
How long do you think we'll be here?
Till Murphy stops laughing.
It's almost four o'clock now.
Oh, Tommy, I felt a drop of rain.
Yeah, me too.
Oh, if he...
Come on.
Where?
Every roof is full of holes.
Well, a hotel's two stories.
Maybe the water's not coming all the way down.
That's where Murphy's friend came from.
Come on, let's run.
Careful on the steps.
Oh, I'm soaked.
Yeah, and if you get pneumonia,
Murphy laughs all the time you're in the hospital.
It's a tie-up with Blue Cross.
Oh, let's go inside.
Go ahead.
Thanks, Anne.
Cheery little spot.
Charles Adams does the decoration.
Well, at least it's dry in here and...
Now what?
By the window.
On the floor.
A man.
There...
There's blood on his shirt.
He's alive.
Match.
Don't you get it?
It ain't blood, it's ketchup.
He's another Murphy stooge from Central Casting.
You sure?
Look, kid, I'm a veteran.
I've taken six pictures with Murphy.
Now come on.
Come on, back to the porch.
All right, all right, keep groaning, kid.
It's an Academy Award.
Tommy, I'm cold.
Let's go inside.
Listen to that bum play Russian comedy.
He's got to do something.
Like to play a checker polo?
How about walking to the highway?
Oh, not in that water.
Not giving Murphy that satisfaction.
His conscience has to bother him sometimes.
He's got a cast iron heart.
Tommy.
What?
A car.
That is a car, isn't it?
Mm-hmm.
If it was on the main highway, we couldn't see it, could we?
No.
Well, I said it here, all right.
Oh, he finally took pity.
Hooray.
He's human.
Actually, now that it's over, it wasn't a bad joke.
Oh, he may not be through yet.
What else can he do once we get the car back?
Wait till he opens the door on this side.
I'd hate to wait this long and then drown on the sidewalk.
Well, I hope you call Murphy and he got a real big laugh.
No, no, no, you don't have to come up here for us.
Just open the car door.
He's got a gun.
Oh, brother, that Murphy keeps that joke going longer than he...
Get back.
Look, the joke is over.
Let's go.
You ain't a girl in no place.
Oh, yes, we are.
Now, I've had enough of this...
I ain't never shot a lady yet.
But ma'am, there's always a first time.
Now both of you, get back inside.
You are listening to Hollywood Hostages, tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater
of thrills, Suspense.
In the long run, the security of a free country rests in the hands of its civilian soldiers.
Professionals have their indispensable place, but the efficiency, strength, readiness, and
the morale of our reserve components are vital.
These are the words of President Eisenhower.
This week, the nation is concentrating on National Defense Week as a tribute to our
highly trained civilian reservists.
More than a thousand chapters of reserve officers' clubs around the country are observing National
Defense Week with parades, meetings, and dinners.
The rest of us join them in saluting the fine job the reservists do every week of every
year.
And now, we bring back to our Hollywood soundstage, Tom Brown and Eve McVeigh, starring in tonight's
production, Hollywood Hostages, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Mr.
Yeah, ma'am?
You bring any food?
I'm sorry, ma'am.
They all want to play Gary Cooper.
How long do we have to stay here?
You can't rightly say.
Look, we've got some place to go.
Me too.
It's mighty important for me to get through that roadblock by the freeway, but...
Why do you care about the roadblock?
Whole flock of cops up there.
So?
They're looking for four of us.
Felt at the bank this morning over in Desert City.
You?
Fred there by the window.
He's one.
I'm another.
All right.
I'll give you the straight line.
Who are the other two?
Groucho and Harple?
No, sir.
Sit down.
Tommy, this might not be a joke.
Okay, you want to stay and chat?
Go ahead.
I'm leaving.
Tommy!
Now, look, pal, I know Murphy can keep a gag running longer than Oklahoma, but...
I missed you that time because I wanted to.
Next time might be different.
Can't you even tell us one thing?
What's that, ma'am?
Look, I've got a date tonight.
How long did Murphy hire you for?
Murphy?
Well, honey, he can't let on until the Marines rescue us in the nick of time.
And then that bum on the floor gets up and we...
You had an ought to be talking like that about Fred.
He was a nice fella.
If I was you, I'd cut out them wisecracks.
Oh, you should have caught me when I played the palace.
I used to make a thousand people at a time wish I'd cut out them wisecracks.
Oh, come on, pal.
You got your laugh, so let's blow the joint, huh?
We ain't leaving.
Why not?
Well, I told you, ma'am, there's a roadblock.
Okay.
Well, as long as Murphy don't take us on a salary, I don't care how long we stay.
But I'm hungry.
Oh, he won't stop us.
That bad here.
Hey, I got me an idea.
Maybe we don't have to stay here.
Oh, no, you're cooking.
Them cops, they ain't looking for you.
If you was to sit in front, mean back.
Yeah, that's real smart of me.
Come on.
Say, pal.
Yeah?
How about itty bitty buddy on the floor?
How's he getting back?
My camel?
Wish we could take Fred.
Well, there's plenty of room in the back.
Fred!
Well, that's nice of you, ma'am, but we better be going without him.
Wait here with him, Grace.
I'll open the car door.
Come on.
I'm getting under the blanket back here.
Do we have to keep playing?
Just you and him don't say nothing wrong when we get to that there road.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.
Because you'll have that there shooting eye and a point at my head.
That's right.
Yeah, I know that whole bit.
Mr. I don't rightly know why, but I like you.
I guess maybe it's because you don't scare easy.
Oh, I've been working for Murphy too long.
But no more.
I've had enough.
A minute we hit Hollywood, I'm through.
That roadblock is right up ahead of me.
I reckon so, partner.
Mr. I told you once, I don't like folks making fun of me.
Tommy, please.
Now I'm getting under this here blanket again.
Sweet dreams.
You better slow down.
Now, don't you start giving me orders.
Shouldn't we get in that line?
Huh?
Oh, I guess so.
What a night.
Murphy's probably having a party at Forest Lawn.
There's a police car.
Well, how do you think they blocked the road with meatballs?
Remember what I said.
Oh, I'll never forget that.
Four score and seven years.
The police are not leaving his flashlight.
Huh?
Okay.
Oh, fine.
Now that window's stuck.
Good evening.
No comment.
We're looking for two men.
One about five feet seven inches tall, black hair around 30 years of age.
He might be wounded.
The other man's about six feet one inch tall, about 35 years old, blonde hair, and he was
wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots.
Yes, officer.
We haven't seen them.
Okay.
Thank you.
Tommy.
Lady.
You almost just got killed.
Tommy, what's wrong with you?
Why didn't you tell the officers?
And let Murphy tell everybody at the Derby he scared me so much I copped a plea.
No, ma'am.
But the policeman, he described this one.
And the man on the floor back in Powderville.
Sure, I told you how far Murphy goes.
He's even got the cops in on this one.
He's got a gun.
And he's got a cop in on this one.
At least it stopped raining.
Bully, that makes my whole day.
Slow up, mister.
What for?
Turn off this here road just over the hill.
But that's not the way back to Hollywood.
We ain't a going back to Hollywood, ma'am.
Where are we a going?
Them other two fellas, they got the money.
They threw it in their car when we run out of the bank.
Tommy, it's true.
Look, look, suppose I believe you.
Now, now mind you, I'm not saying...
Don't rightly seem to matter.
What happens after we get to the cabin?
We cross that bridge when we come to it, ma'am.
Here, mister, turn off here.
Okay.
That's fine.
Now, just keep a driving up into them hills.
There's the place.
Pretty little, Harville.
Drive around to the side.
Oh, you only use the front way in formal clothes, huh?
Turn off the motor.
Now, give me the keys.
Oh, now come on, pal.
How far do you want an idiot to...
Give me the keys.
Tommy, please.
Here.
Thank you, ma'am.
Now what happens?
I'm going in the side here.
You two go knock on the front door.
Why?
I'd just like to be sure my friends
ain't planning no surprise for me.
You mean...
Just do like I say.
Open the door.
Now go knock on the front door.
Look, why should we?
Okay, I've seen more guns today than Gene Autry.
Come on, Grace.
Tommy.
Huh?
Can we run for it?
Where?
Any place.
Oh, too dark, too far to the highway.
Tommy!
Oh, now I'm sure this is a Murphy gag.
Are you crazy?
Somebody inside's been shot.
Honey, in a minute, that door will open and old Tex will say,
I guess you folks can come in now.
But those were gunshots.
Sure, and inside we'll see two more guys playing dead.
It's him.
Pitch.
Yes, you folks can come in now.
Hark the evening coyotes.
Tommy.
What?
How can you?
Oh, stiff upper, old girl.
Tommy, I'm scared.
What's he doing in that room?
Probably calling Murphy and giving him a blow by blow.
But those two men on the floor and the money, that was real money.
Murphy always goes for good props.
Now, honey, use your head.
Look, if those two guys were going to double cross them,
would they wait here until they got back?
No, they'd just walk out with the loot.
Maybe it's like he said, they needed some place to hide,
but they didn't need him to take a share.
I can tell a Murphy story when I hear one.
Oh, I'll get the gas chamber for killing Murphy, but it'll be worth it.
Okay.
Come on.
You too, ma'am.
We're really going home?
Just part way.
As far as the cliff.
Oh, oh, that does it.
If Murphy thinks he's thrown in a hokey bit like pushing a car off the cliff...
Shut up.
I'm not...
Tommy, he isn't fallen.
You're right, lady.
Now, both of you turn and walk out that door.
When we get to the car, we'll...
Don't move!
I'll take that gun.
This time, Parker, we got stronger cuffs.
All right, hold them out.
One of you own this camera?
Me?
Where did you find it, officer?
One of our men found it in the hotel at the old ghost town.
Looked inside, saw the last picture you took.
The last picture?
Oh, the one where he stuck his head out of the door.
That's right. We've recognized him.
Got a tip on his cabin and made it here as quick as we could.
Did I tell you?
Tell me what?
In the nick of time, in popped the Marines.
Mister, I got a head-up to you.
You took this pretty calm.
Okay. Okay, now let's cut the clowning, huh?
But didn't you know? He's text Parker, wanted for three murders...
and from the looks of it, he's two more over there.
Those guys dead?
Who are you kidding?
I'm not kidding, buddy.
Okay.
Oh, okay, so the gang's finished now, huh?
All right.
Okay, boys. Okay, boys, wake up. Wake up.
Time for wakey.
Don't call us. We'll call you.
Tommy, don't.
Come on.
Hey.
Hey, that's not ketchup.
They are dead.
Tommy.
Okay, lady, we'll go as soon as we can bring him too.
Suspense.
In which Eve McVeigh and Tom Brown start in tonight's presentation of Hollywood hostages.
Next week, we bring you the true story of five polar explorers and their race against death.
We call it the Diary of Captain Scott.
That's next week on...
Suspense.
Suspense is produced and directed in Hollywood by Anthony Ellis.
Tonight's script was written by Jerry Lewis.
The music was composed by Lucian Morrowek and conducted by Wilbur Hatch.
Featured in the cast were Don Diamond, Frank Gerstel, and John Larch.
A hot money racket proves to be a shortcut to the cooler once the FBI and Peace and War goes into action tomorrow night.
Harassed by personal debt, the cashier at the $50 window at a large racetrack falls for a big-time racketeer scheme for passing stolen money through the betting window.
But before he can solve his personal financial problems, the FBI and Peace and War gets on his trail.
And not long after that, another welcome mat appears right outside the gate to the penitentiary.
For a thrill-a-minute drama, don't miss the FBI and Peace and War at this same time tomorrow night.
Stay tuned for five minutes of CBS News to be followed on most of these stations by The Jack Carson Show.
The Radio Workshop presents the new and unusual Friday nights on the CBS Radio Network.