Could you use a $3,500 vacation trip, a new Ford Deluxe sedan, or a television set? Then listen to the Mole Mystery Theater for details of Mole's big new $25,000 contest. Good evening. This is Jeffrey Barnes welcoming you to the Mole Mystery Theater, the program that presents the best in mystery and detective fiction. Tonight's mystery entitled Close Shave was written by Frederick Matho and stars the beautiful motion picture and stage actress Katie Stevens in the role of Ellen Thomas. Now most of us lead fairly tranquil lives, but some of you listeners may have narrowly escaped disaster and will understand the fear and terror experienced by Ellen Thomas when she finds herself helpless in the face of death. In a few moments you'll hear the story of Ellen's close shave. But now Dan Seymour. And friends, we want to hear about your close shave too, because the story of your closest shave, your narrowest escape, may win Mole's great new contest, may win you a $3,500 vacation. Later in the program we'll bring you the full details of Mole's contest, My Closest Shave. This is Jeffrey Barnes again and act one of tonight's Mole Mystery Close Shave starring Katie Stevens as Ellen Thomas. Coming. Oh, hello, Larry. Hello, Ricky. Is Ellen home? My darling roommate should be here any minute. Come on in. Oh, thanks. Ellen's boss is away on her vacation. I guess that's why she's late. Ellen's running Mead & Company's payroll department herself these days. Yeah, she's done swell with her new job. Say, you remember old Mr. Bruno at the barbershop, the one who gave Ellen that job as a manicurist when she first came to New York? Yeah. Well, that's what I came to tell Ellen about. He died yesterday. Oh, I'm sorry, Larry. Ricky, I want to show you I found the most divine hat. Oh, hello, Larry. Hello, Ellen. Larry says that nice old Mr. Bruno died yesterday. Oh, I am sorry, Larry. Yeah, the funeral is tomorrow afternoon. I was thinking I could stop by for you and we could go together. Oh, I just couldn't make it tomorrow, Larry. I'm sorry. Oh. You send some flowers for me, will you, Larry? Yeah, sure. Sure. Ellen, I don't suppose I wondered if... Yes? I don't suppose you'd have dinner with me tonight. Thanks, but I've got a date. Okay. Well, I better go. Bye, Ellen. Bye. So long, Larry. So long. Ricky, would you iron my blouse? I'm late now. Are you going out with Tony again? Yes. Little rough on Larry, aren't you? Well, I'm not obligated to Larry. Besides, he's just a barber. Oh, nice going. One year in the big city and our little girl from Grand Rapids has already learned how to be a snob. Now, Ricky, just because I prefer Tony to Larry doesn't mean that I... Oh, sure, honey. Anthony Drexel Drake, fancy stuff. The baby graduating from manicurist to assistant cashier doesn't give you a diploma to hobnob with the social register. But you were the one who encouraged me to take that business course. That means I want you to get hurt by some rich playboy? Oh, honey, break it off. Don't see him. Call it off. I couldn't. Not tonight anyway. Why not? Well, he's in trouble. Tony Drake in trouble? The bank's foreclosing on his polo ponies, maybe. Oh, he hasn't said anything, but something's wrong, I know. Now, Ricky, please help me get dressed. I'm so late now. Tony, you've ordered already? And all my favorites, too. Favorite foods for my favorite girl. And for me, too, of course. The condemned man ate a hearty meal. Tony, is something wrong? Oh, no, what could be wrong? Come on, have some more champagne. But you said... That I love you. Tony. Or did I ever say that? No, you never did. Well, I do, darling. I love you, too. Don't say it. But Tony... Forget it. What's the matter? Nothing, only... Well, Ellen, I won't see you again after tonight. Oh, your family's forbidden you. My family? It's all right, I understand. I'm not good enough for you. Not good enough? Good Lord, honey, you've got it backwards. You're too good. I don't believe you. Your parents probably... Baby, hold it. Now will you listen and listen hard? Yes. I hadn't intended to tell you this, but darned if I let you go off believing a lot of nonsense. You're in some kind of trouble. Yes. Before I met you, there was a girl, not a very nice girl. I'll skip the sordid details. I lost my head and she knew how to make it pay off. Go on. I don't think you're going to like me anymore when you hear the rest. I took some diamonds from the wall safe at home, stuff Dad had given Mother when they were married. I pawned them, you know, to pay her off. Well, tomorrow's their anniversary and Mother always wears the diamonds then. They'll find out what I did and that'll be the end of everything. What'll they do to you? Oh, Dad wouldn't send me to jail, but I'll be packed off somewhere. And I hate to think what this will mean to Mother. Couldn't you borrow the money somewhere? Look, darling, I've been a pretty respectable character since I met you. But my former reputation doesn't exactly enhance my credit rating. There's no one who can help. Well, there's always been my sister Stella. She used to bail me out of scrapes when I was too scared to tell Dad. Oh, and that's the irony of it. She was due tomorrow on the Queen Mary. I know she'd have helped me for Mother's sake, but, oh, now the ship's delayed by storms and won't be in until Sunday. How much money do you need, Tony? Huh? Ten thousand dollars. Gosh, that's a lot of money. Well, tonight's Friday. I could pay it back Sunday at the latest as soon as I could see Stella. All I need is a loan for two days. Well, I can't get it. I tried everywhere. So there's nothing to do but face the music. Honey, I deserve it, but if Mother... No, I'll feel like a murderer. Tony. Yes? Tony, if you did have the money by tomorrow, you're sure you could repay it before Monday? Oh, by Sunday at the latest. I know Stella would help, but... Oh, anyhow, let's make our last day fun. Let's dance. What do you say? No. No way, Tony. I'm in charge at my office now. I've got the whole week's receipts in the safe and I... No. But our office is closed Saturday and Sunday. We'd put it back before Monday. You said yourself that you... Ellen, I wouldn't think of you letting you do such a thing. But it wouldn't be stealing, Tony. We'd put it right back. Please, Tony. Please let me help. Darling, I'll never forget you for this. Tony, I got the money. Swell. I didn't mean to soul. Here. Thanks, darling. Come on, we'd better walk over to Third Avenue and get a cab. Tony. What's the matter? Someone's coming. Step back into the doorway. He's going into the building. Let's get... What's wrong? That man, he was one of the night watchmen. Do you think he saw us? He must have before he stepped back in the shadows. But wouldn't he say hello to you? Maybe he was suspicious. Would he find out the money's gone? No one could know until Monday morning. Then don't worry. I'll tell Stella Sunday and definitely have the money for you Sunday morning. Nothing will go wrong. Nothing can possibly go wrong. And believe me, darling, if it does, I'll take the blame. You know that. Here's your drink, Tony. Oh, oh, thanks, Stella. You going to call her now? Yes, I think I'd better. She's probably pretty upset. I promised to call her this morning, you know. She's probably half out of her mind by now. Hello? Ellen, it's Tony. Oh, Tony, why didn't you call me this morning? I've been at the phone all day waiting for you. Oh, I'm awfully sorry, darling, but it being Sunday, Stella couldn't get the money around town, so we had to go up and see her husband in Stanford. Did you, did you get it? Of course. Oh, thank heaven. Stella and I just got back. That's why I didn't call you until now. I understand, Tony. Though I've been so worried. Oh, sure, honey. Now, listen, I want to get the money back to you. Can you meet me right away? Yes. Where are you? Well, I'm taking a room at the Harker Hotel. Oh. I thought it would be better if we weren't too ostentatious about all this. Don't ask for me at the desk. Just come right up to 802. All right, Tony. Stella's with me now and she's dying to meet you, so hurry. I'll be right over. Oh, Tony, your sister must be a wonderful girl. I don't know what we'd have done without her. Give her a kiss for me. Sure thing. Bye, darling. You heard what the lady said, honey. Give sister a great big brotherly kiss. Well, not exactly what I'd call brotherly. I don't like that girl, Tony. After this, I don't think I'll let you make love to anybody but me, even for business. For ten grand, you'd let me make love to... Oh, that's different. Sure was a lovely day for us the day you spotted little Ellen working behind that cashier's window. By tomorrow, it'll be all over. It'll be in all the morning papers, real human interest story. Trusted employee dips into company funds, then gets panicky, can't face the music. So she gets herself a hotel room and takes an overdose of sleeping pills. Yes, just couldn't resist the temptation of easy money. Poor girl. Well, it looks as if poor Ellen stands to lose her faith in Tony, her $10,000, and possibly her life. We'll continue with her story, Close Shave, in act two of tonight's Mole Mystery. But first, here's Dan Seymour, who wants to know the story of your closest shave. That's right, friends, because the story of your closest shave, your narrowest escape from peril, embarrassment, or failure, may win the grand prize in Mole's big new contest called My Closest Shave, a $3,500 vacation for yourself and your immediate family, or the cash, if you prefer. Well, that's certainly a grand prize, Danny. Yes, Mr. Barnes, and that's only one of the prizes. The next five winners each get a new 1949 Ford sedan. The next ten winners get either an Emerson table model television set installed or Emerson's new radio phonograph. Also, 25 cash prizes of $100 each and 50 cash prizes of $50 each. How do you enter the contest, Dan? Get the printed contest rules and suggestions from your druggist. Then write the story of your closest shave in not more than 200 words. The originality of the story is what counts, not the literary quality, and the judge's decision will be final. Send your entry with the two end flaps bearing the name Mole from any Mole carton. Mail it to Mole, post office box 49, New York 8, New York, with your own name and address. Uh-huh. Send your entry to Mole, box 49, New York 8, New York. Send as many entries as you wish, friends, including two Mole carton end flaps with each entry. Remember, there are $25,000 worth of wonderful prizes, 107 prizes in all, including trade prizes. Your close shave may be the big winner. So send your Mole contest entry soon. This is Jeffrey Barnes again, returning you to the Mystery Theater and Act Two of Close Shave, starring Katie Stevens as Ellen Thomas. Darling, this is my sister Stella. The time she doesn't spend at the races, she spends listening to my troubles. Stella, this is Ellen. How do you do? Hello. I hope I'm not intruding. Darling, no, I'm intruding. When Tony told me he was in love, I just had to see. And you are pretty. You're terribly pretty, and I'm glad for you both. Thank you. I'm very glad to meet you too. Wherever Stella goes, so goes the bottle. Well, let's all have a drink to celebrate your first meeting, huh? Oh, Tony, I don't think I want... Oh, nonsense, dear. You've got nothing to worry about with me here. Go on, have one. Stella, Ellen has nothing to worry about anyhow. What you know of my past is just that past. Ellen is my future. Here you are, darling. Drink. Ellen, I drink to your future, and to Tony as well. Any girl who can put that critter on the straightaway is a girl with lots of what it takes. Here's how. Darling, what happened? Went down the wrong way. Tastes so funny. You're not used to Manhattan's, dear. You're gonna like them, darling. Come on, let's sit down and chat a while, huh? Good idea. Here, Ellen, sit here. It's comfortable. Thank you. I am a little tired. I didn't sleep any too well last night. You do seem a little drowsy, darling. Put your head back, Ellen, dear. Rest a bit. Yeah, there. That's better. Ellen, are you all right, dear? Yes. Take a nap, dear. A nice, long nap. Ellen? Huh? Ellen, dear. Yes, Tony. Ellen, dear. Goodbye, Ellen, dear. What? Oh, cut it out, Stella. Hope you have any feelings at all. I do for you, darling. Oh, Tony. For you, I have lots of feelings. Hello? Lawrence Fields, please. Speaking. Larry, this is Ricky, Ellen's roommate. Oh, yeah. Hello, Ricky. I'm worried about Ellen. She's been acting awful funny since Friday when you came to tell her about Mr. Bruno's death. Oh, gee, why are you calling me? She made things pretty plain. We're the only real friends she's got, Larry. I just don't like that Tony Drake. Ellen's acting queer all weekend. Wouldn't leave the house. She jumped like she'd been shot every time the phone rang. Then just a few minutes ago, she went out and wouldn't say where she was going. Said she didn't know if she would come back. There's something wrong, Larry, and I don't like it. Oh, you know where this Tony Drake lives? I heard Ellen say that he lived at the University Club, though he'd asked her not to call him there. Okay, Ricky. If it'll make you feel better, I'll go over to the University Club and see if I can talk to this Tony Drake. Great, great. All she does is groan. She should have kicked in hours ago. She's coming to... Why didn't you give her more? Shut up. How did I know? I gave her plenty. Well, give her some more now. Will you pipe down? I'm going to give her more. As soon as she comes out of it enough... Why wait? Pour it into her. Listen, Stella, you're a lovely doll, a wonderful partner, and I love you. But if you don't shut up, you too will go to sleep. People who are unconscious can't drink. Now let me handle this. You should have died. She's messing things up. Ellen. Ellen, darling. Can you hear me? Ellen. Tony. Tony, I'm sick. So sick. Yes, yes, dear, I know. Here I am. Here, darling. Drink this. It'll make you better. No, no drink. I'm sick, Tony. Sick. No drink. Drink this. It's to make you better. Drink it. No, Tony. Where's Ricky? Who's Ricky? How do I know? Drink this. Please, Ellen. Ellen, darling. It's your Tony. Ellen, darling, it's your Tony. Drink that, you little tramp. Tony. Tony, where am I? What's wrong? Tony, darling. You, you little... Tony, help. Die. Why don't you die? Stella, you dizzy dumb ghetto fief. Now you've really fixed it, you green-eyed witch. Tell her so we can beat it. We've got the dough now. You nuts. We can't lay a finger on her. She's supposed to die from an overdose of sleeping pills. You're killing me. Both of you, you're trying to... Oh, dear Lord, help me. Help. Good work, Tony. Good work. She's dead. Shut up. She's only passed out. We're right back where we started. Only now she's wise. It's got to be murder now. You and your big mouth. Oh, she's coming out of it again. About a good that'll do if she won't drink the stuff. Oh, brother Stella, you sure fouled this up. Maybe not. Look, Tony, did you take a room next door in her name? Sure. I figured after she died, we could take her in there and no one could trace her to us. No one here has ever seen me with her. All right. How about the window? She's loaded with sleeping pills. She wakes up. She's still scared of facing her boss on Monday. So she jumps out of the window. Just as cleaning out for us. Stella, that's it. Her window's over this same court. Toss her out here, then fix the window in her room to look like she fell from there. It's good. Ricky. She's come out of it. You play along now. I've got an angle. Ellen. Ellen, can you hear me? Yes. Ellen, listen. We decided not to go through with it. If you do just as I say, don't shout. Behave yourself. I will. I will, yes. Good. Now first you need air. You've got to have some air to come out of this. You've had an overdose of sleeping pills. Get her over here. I'll open the window and let the breezes in. Come on. Hang on a minute. Try to walk over. That'll wake you up. That's it. Move your arms. Get the blood going. Move. That's it. Breathe deeply. That's it. Better? Yes. Yes, it's good. My head's clearing. What'll you do to me? Will you let me go? Please, will you, Tony? Never mind for now. Just stay close to the window. Breathe deeply. Feeling better now? Yes, a lot better. Okay, Tony. Now, baby. What are you doing? No, please, Tony. Come on out. Don't let her scream. All right. No, please. Okay, now out she goes. Steve! Who's that? Probably one of the hotel employees. Sit tight. Maybe they'll leave. This is Jeffrey Barnes again. In just a moment, we'll bring you Act Three of Close Shaves starring K.G. Stevens. Now a word from George Putnam. Every day, more and more people are discovering that to get real relief from the most common kind of dandruff, they must destroy the germ called pittyrosporum ovale, which many outstanding authorities say is its cause. You see, merely washing or brushing away loose dandruff has no effect whatsoever on this germ. But one thing that does work is double dandrine, for double dandrine actually kills this germ on contact. Even in severe cases, results with double dandrine have been amazing. And the reason for double dandrine's astonishing effectiveness is a special ingredient, an active antiseptic so remarkably efficient many hospitals use it. In double dandrine, we call it alzan. So stop trying to combat this dandruff with ineffective methods that actually are no better than plain water. They can't compare with double dandrine, for double dandrine destroys the cause. If you're not completely satisfied, you'll get your money back. Get double dandrine tomorrow. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] The original music for the Mole Mystery Theatre is composed and conducted by Alexander Semmler. Bill Quinn and Elspeth Eric were featured in tonight's performance. Any resemblance between the names and characters used on this show and any actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental. And now this is Dan Seymour saying good night until next week at this same time when the Mystery Theatre presents Solo Performance starring Everett Sloan. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.
