Auto Light and its 96,000 dealers present Suspense. Tonight, Auto Light brings you After the Movies, a suspense play starring Mr. Ray Milan. I'd been called a jury duty a couple of weeks before all this happened. It was one of those kind of sensational trials. The judge told us jurors not to go out in any public places where we might be approached or influenced. So I've been sticking pretty close to the hotel. So it was a real treat when they said we were free for a couple of days because the witness was sick. Of course, the movies is a public place, but Anne didn't think that would really count and neither did I. We went to the early show, crossed the street from the hotel and got out about half past nine. I thought she was darling. I didn't care so much for him though. I didn't think she was too hot either. Say, what's the difference really? The first movie I've seen since the trial started, how much of ice cream? We got those little cakes at home. Some ice cream might go nice with them. I don't know if I can go home. I mean this jury thing, you know. Oh, you're free for a couple of days. Isn't that what they told you? Not going to do any harm for you to sleep home tonight. I suppose not. What kind do you want? What? Ice cream. Chocolate. Come on. Well, well. Hello there. How are you this evening, folks? Yeah, fine. Just fine. What can I do for you? About a quart of ice cream, chocolate. Right. Say, how's the trial going? You're on the jury, aren't you? Yeah, but I'm not supposed to talk about it. Oh, yeah. I should know better than to ask. I bet you we have five, seven jurors a day come in here from the hotel across the street. Hey, you think you've been on this trial a long time? Some people stay on for months. Well, I'll tell you what I think about this Harmon fellow. I'm not supposed to let anybody talk to me about it either. Oh, say, that's right. I forgot about that. Well, that'll be 60 cents. Yeah, I got it, Ann. What did I do with my wallet? Oh, here. That's 60 out of one. And thank you. Well, I hope now that you know us, you'll trade here sometimes even after the trial's over. My name is Adelson. Well, I'm Mr. Benig, and this is my wife, Ann. I'm happy to know you. I hope you'll be through with the thing real soon. I hope so, too. Good night. Al. Yeah. Look what I found. What? An envelope on the floor right here. Somebody dropped something, huh? Yeah. It's open, too. I wonder if we should, you know, to find the owner. Say. Money, bills. Hey, let me see. How much is there, Al? Al? How much, Al? Ten thousand dollars. Huh? Ten thousand? Who dropped ten thousand dollars on the floor of a drug store? In just a moment, Mr. Ray Milan in the first act of After the Movies. Hello there, Harlow Wilcox. Why, it's Santa Claus. That's right. What are you doing here, Santa? Well, I thought you'd like to hear about Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. Your reindeer? Oh, no, my ignition engineered auto light spark plugs. On a sleigh? Oh, well, I turned in my sleigh for a sky seat, Dan. And since I replaced my worn out reindeer, I mean spark plugs with ignition engineered auto light spark plugs, why, I've been getting... I know. Smoother performance, fast starts, gas savings. Ignition engineered auto light spark plugs, you know, are world famous for quality and dependability. Oh, how right you are, Harlow. Now I know what you mean when you say... Ignition engineered auto light spark plugs are designed by the same auto light engineers who designed the coil distributor and all the other important parts of the complete ignition systems used as original factory equipment on leading makes of America's finest cars. That's why auto light spark plugs work as a perfect team with your car's ignition system. Well, hang up a big stocking, Harlow. You've been a good boy to tell me about ignition engineered auto light spark plugs. Glad to do it, Santa. And whether you choose the resistor type or the standard type, you'll be right. Because you're always right with auto light. And now with after the movies and the performance of Mr. Ray Milan, auto light hopes once again to keep you in suspense. Ten thousand dollars? You mean the envelope was just laying there on the floor? I almost stepped on it and then I picked it up and I saw there was something in it. Well, what should we do? Gee, a thing like this, I don't know what to say. If I was you, I'd keep it. That's what I'd do. And since it was in my store... No, no, we couldn't do that. Well, I could. It ain't stealing. You found it. And it was my store you found it in. We better turn it in. Look, if there's a reward, we'll get together on it, won't we? There's some kind of a note in it. A note? Yeah, in with the money. This is your first pass as agreed and... no signature. Doesn't make much sense to me. Me either. Hey, where you going with that money? If anybody comes looking for it, we live on 5th Street, 229. If there's a reward, we'll see you get your share, Mr. Adelson. Come on in. Don't worry, Mr. Adelson. Don't worry. Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money. I said there was nothing to worry about. But I wasn't feeling quite as breezy as I sounded. Ten thousand dollars is an awful lot of money. Ann was still trying to figure it out when we got home. One thing I'd always said about Ann, she had a good mind. Now she remembered the note and she took off from there. Al, it must mean something. It was written to somebody. It must mean something to them. After all, it's ten thousand dollars. Let's get on with the ice cream. All right. Look, Annie, if nobody claims it by tomorrow, we'll put an ad in the paper or something. It's not our worry. Yeah. Here, chocolate. We could keep it, couldn't we? I mean, the law says finders keepers. If nobody can prove it's theirs, we can keep it, can't we? Isn't there a law? Well, I guess as far as the law is concerned, we could keep it. Of course, we'd have to give part of it to Mr. Adelson. Mm-hmm. I don't know, Al. That money belongs to somebody. All right. If they claim it, all right. If they don't, well, all right. Why worry about it? Belongs to whoever that note was written to. Uh-huh. Now listen, listen. This is your first half as agreed in the E.H. business. But if they are not hung up when the time comes, don't expect to get the rest or stay healthy very long. No signature. No signature. Al, that last part about staying healthy, that's a threat. That's what it is. Threat? Well, yeah, it could be. The man who's giving the money is threatening the man who's getting it, that if he doesn't... Doesn't what? Al, don't be so dense. Help me a little. Doesn't do what they're paying him to do. It's a bribe. Don't you see, Al, this money is a bribe? A bribe? Hey, that's right, Annie. It could be right. It's that. Well, now we're getting somewhere. All right, a bribe. And it has something to do with something being hung up. If they are not hung up when the time comes, it says. What could be hung up that's so important to anybody? Jury. That's it, a jury that can't reach a verdict. Al, I'll bet that's it. Somebody is trying to bribe somebody on a jury to... To what? Al, those initials, E, H, Edward Harmon, the name of the man that's on trial. The jury that you're on. Gee, I don't know, Anne. They all seem like such nice, decent people. Listen, listen. This is your first half, the $10,000, as agreed in the E, H. That is the Edward Harmon business. But if they are not hung up, it's a jury, don't expect to stay healthy. Yeah. Yeah, it does make sense, Annie. Al, we've got to call the police. Police? Well, sure, we've got to report it right away. Well, maybe I should give it to the district attorney in the morning. No, don't you see, Al, you're on that jury. Why, if we delay telling them for even an hour, they may think you've got something to hide. No, I think I'd better wait till the morning. If you don't phone them, I will right away now. Well, I hope you're right. I hope this is the right thing to do. My name is Albert H. Benig. That's right. I live at 229 Fifth Street. Yeah. I want to report something to you. There's a drug store on the corner across the street from the courthouse, and my wife and I were in there earlier this evening, and my wife found something. Yeah. Well, on the floor. It was an envelope with $10,000 in it and a note. And we think it has something to do with the Edward Harmon trial. Yeah. No, just my wife. Yeah, she's sitting right here with me. Yeah, that's what I think. You'd be doing me a great favor if you'd... Yes, we'll wait right here. We'll be expecting you. What did they say? They said they'd send somebody up just as soon as they could. Well, weren't they excited about it? Didn't they say anything? Well, Anne, I guess with people like that, these things are just sort of routine. That must be them now, Al. I'll go. I must say they took their time about it. Oh, good evening, gentlemen. Come in. Thanks. You're Mr. Penning, Albert H. Penning? That's right. This is my wife. How do you do? I sort of expected to see someone in uniform. I should have known, I suppose. Uniform? Yes, you gentlemen are from the police, aren't you? No, no, we're not. Oh. You expecting the police, lady? Better not take too much time, Johnny. I think you people got something that belongs to us. Something you found in the drug store in the corner. Oh. We lost it there. The drug has told us you had it. Well, we did find something, yes. Ten grand and five hundred in a white envelope. Well, I guess it's theirs all right, Anne. Yes, but... But what? Well, I'm sure it's yours, but... there was something else, too. We better just give it to them, Anne. The note. I always said that was foolish. There was a note? Yes. You read it? We glanced through it, of course. We thought it might tell us who the money belonged to. And it did, didn't it? No, oh, no. Come on, lady. Now, wait a minute. This is a gun, man. The note told you that the dough was to buy off somebody on the jury of the Harmon Trial, didn't it? You talk too much, Johnny. Come on, let's get out of here. What's the difference with your head? All right, what about it, Mrs. Penning? How did you know it was in the note? We got to know these things. We work for Mr. Harmon. We know you're on the jury, too, Mr. Penning. Al. Where are you from, Mrs. Penning? I mean, where do your folks live? What part of the country? Why, Washington. Boca and Washington. All right. Mr. Penning, you go on down that trial, Amar, just know nothing had happened. Anybody ask you about your wife, you tell them she's gone on a little visit to her folks in Spokane. Visit to my folks? The case will go to the jury on Friday. If everything goes like it should, your wife will be back here, safe and sound, first thing Monday morning. Oh, good Lord. But you can't do a thing like this. You can't. You're reasonable, Mrs. Penning. We got to. You people know too much about this thing. Well, we wouldn't say anything, I promise. I swear it. If we take a chance like that, Armin is up for murder. Better get your things together, Mrs. Penning. Go with us, Am. We ain't got all night, though. I'll take the money, Mr. Penning, before I forget it. Thanks. I hope you understand our position. What are you going to do? Well, obviously, the money went to the wrong party. So we got to use another method. If everything goes like it should on that jury, your wife will be okay. But if it doesn't, You can't. You can't do that. Oh, but we can. Saves us a lot of money, too. And, Mr. Penning, not a word to the authorities. Your wife would make a cute corpse. Autolite is bringing you Mr. Ray Malone. Autolite is bringing you Mr. Ray Malone in After the Movies. Night's production in Radio's Outstanding Theater of Thrills. Suspense. Hey, Santa Claus, no kidding. Did you really name your Autolite spark plugs after your reindeer? I certainly did, Arlo. How come? Well, for one thing, reindeer were always unexcelled for fast starts, smooth performance, and gas savings. And so are those ignition-engineered Autolite spark plugs. They sure are, Arlo. And, of course, those reindeer are famous as a perfect team, just as ignition-engineered Autolite spark plugs are famous for working as a perfect team with your car's ignition system. Because, you see, they're designed by the same Autolite engineers who designed the complete ignition system, used as original factory equipment on many leading makes of America's finest cars. That's why you say they're ignition-engineered, hey, Arlo? Sure, Santa. So, folks, see your friendly Autolite spark plug dealer and have him replace worn-out spark plugs with ignition-engineered Autolite spark plugs. And whether you choose the standard type or the resistor type, remember, you're always right with Autolite. And now Autolite brings back to our Hollywood Sound stage Mr. Ray Malone in Elliot Lewis's production of After the Movies, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. After they left, I just sat there. Maybe another guy would've rushed right off and done something. But I couldn't. I had to think. It had all happened so suddenly in less than an hour, the whole thing. And picking up the money on the floor at the drugstore and then figuring out from the note that it was a bribe to someone on the jury of the Harmon trial, the jury I was on. And those gangsters arriving and claiming the money and taking Anne as the hostage for my verdict. The police hadn't arrived. I left home, sneaked out the back way, took the side streets and went to the office of the chief of detectives. So you came down here. What are we sitting here for? Why don't we do something? We gotta know what we're doing before we start doing it. Anyway, from what you told me, I don't think she'll be in any real danger. No real danger. She's been kidnapped by gangsters. But why? That's what doesn't make sense to me yet. I told you, the money was some kind of a bribe. They thought we knew about it. But you didn't. How could we? Anne just picked up the money off the floor and... They said that they'd have her back by Monday? That's what they said. You can believe them if you want, but she's my wife. Okay. Okay. What do these two cookies look like? I don't know. Average size, dark, I think. I don't remember what they look like. Did you catch their name? I didn't ask them. You're not going to be much help for a while, are you? Okay, it's all right. By the way, my name's Dan. Mine's Al. You'll probably be seeing quite a lot of me in the next day or two, so we might as well get acquainted. And Al... Yeah. Take it easy. We'll find your wife. His being friendly like that made me feel a lot better. But we still weren't doing anything. First, he got out a lot of pictures, and I had to go through all those. But of course, I couldn't recognize anybody, and then he started making phone calls. That didn't make much sense to me either, except that he figured they might have just stolen a car, and he was trying to check on it. Finally, he called a police car and we drove back toward the courthouse. It was 12 o'clock, but Mr. Adelson hadn't left the store. He was anxious enough to talk, but it didn't look as though he was going to get us anyplace. I tell you, Lieutenant, it was right there on the floor. Right there! Yeah, but when you talked to these two men... Oh, yes. Well, I talked to them. The one, that is, and he said he'd lost an envelope he thought in my store. And I said, yes, we'd found it, and Mr. Benwick had it. So you talked to them. What did they look like? Well, now, how can I know what they looked like when they called me on the telephone? Okay. I guess that's all, Mr. Adelson. I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I wish I could help you. That's perfectly all right. If there's anything else... We'll call you. Hey, Mr. Benwick! Yeah? Did you tell him about the note? Note? Yeah, the note that was in with the money. So there was a note. Sure! In with the money! Wasn't it, Mr. Benwick? What about it, Al? Well, I'm sorry. I guess I forgot. We drove back to Fifth Street and parked in front of our apartment. Dan didn't say a word until we got into the elevator. Then he spoke to the elevator boy, not to me. You take Mrs. Benwick and a couple of men down tonight about 10.30. Yeah, that's right. Police? Mm-hmm. What did they look like? I couldn't really tell you. They had their hats pulled down, sort of. One was tall and the other was short. That's about all I noticed. Oh, wait a minute. Yeah? The tall one had kind of a limp. He had a cane. A limp, huh? You hear any names? Yeah, now that you speak of it, the short one called the tall one Johnny. Funny, I didn't think of it. The tall one and the short one and the tall one's name was Johnny and he had a limp. I bet that breaks the case wide open, huh? Yeah, yeah, I'll see that you get a citation. We got off at my floor and I opened up the apartment and we went in. He still didn't say anything. He prowled around the apartment, poking into bureaus and closets for not saying a word. Then he came out in the living room and sat down in the big armchair and looked straight at me. All right, Al. What about the note? I'm sorry, Dan, I didn't think it was important. You're not sore, are you? Me? What have I got to be sore about? Sure what? Yeah, I'm sorry. And what about the note? All it said was something like, this is the first half as we agreed and no signature. Have you got it? No. It took it when they took the money. And you couldn't remember that one was a tall guy and the other was a short guy and that the tall guy's name was Johnny? But I was all upset. I didn't even know if I heard his name. Are you trying to protect her, Al? No, no, I've told you everything I can. Okay, forget it. Let's see. A bribe. That means that somebody wants something or is on the spot. The fix will be on by Monday, they say. Now, who is there in this town that employs gunsels that would have a deal with that much dough set for next Monday? Oh, there could be a million deals like that. Quiet. Let me think a minute, will you? Johnny, a cane and a short guy. It's on the tip of my tongue. It wasn't so long ago, either. Sure. Sure. Why didn't I think of it? Think of what? Bill Quinlan, the defense lawyer in the Harmon case. Those are his boys. Had him up a dozen times. He always comes and gets them off. The Harmon trial? Yeah, this Harmon is up on a murder rap. A bank robber, a guard was killed. His lawyer is Bill Quinlan. Quinlan's bribe moored juries and I got hairs on my head. If you could ever prove it. Get a couple of hung juries and they let you off the hook. He's pulled it plenty of times. Well, isn't that a little far-fetched? It's like I say, Al, it's all we've got. I'll have the boys check the jury list anyway. Where's your phone? In there. Dan? Yeah? Dan, uh, I'm on the jury. You're what? Well, don't you see? If I opened my mouth, they'd kill her. They told me so. So that's it. I didn't dare tell you, Dan. I hoped you'd find her without... Why, you long-legged, thick-headed idiot. Don't you think I've been in this business long enough to know it a little better than you do? Don't you think I know how to give people protection when I have to? Do you think we go around trying to get people killed? Do you know any more that you haven't told me? No. Do you know who the juror is they're trying to bribe? Nope. Yeah, okay. At least now we know where to start looking. Dan. Yeah? You're not sore at me, are you? Me? No. What have I got to be sore about? We knew where to start looking, but it wasn't as easy as that. I was still on the jury, of course, and they didn't dare make a move against Harman because of Ann. The case went to the jury Friday, and there was still no word of her. And, of course, I had to vote not guilty. They understood that. But as it turned out, the vote was 8-4, so it didn't really matter. With the hung jury, Harman was scheduled for a new trial anyway. By now it was Monday, the day Ann was supposed to return, but there was no word. What if they'd found out the police knew I was on the jury? It was nearly midnight when Dan came to the apartment. He looked as though he hadn't slept for three days. I hadn't either. He told me to come along with him. He didn't say much until we were way down on Avenue C in the Lower East Side. Don't let her get out, fella, but I think we're gonna come out all right. When did you find out? About an hour ago. We trailed Harman. That's why he got bailed. Dan, don't kid me. Are you sure that she's... Sure as we can be. We know where they are. She'll be there. Now, that's the place, third house down. Ellis, you and Wilson, stay out the back. Farley, Edwards, take the front. I'm going in. All right, get going. Dan! Yeah? I want to go with you. You stay in the car. I'm going with you. Okay, come on. Now, let's go. There's a light in the front. They may give us a little reception now. They wouldn't do anything to her, would they, Dan? I'll try the door. It's locked. Can we bust it open? I got a skeleton. All right, close it behind you so the street light won't show us up. Okay. They're coming. Now, those are my boys. Let's try in here. I don't think anybody's around. Come on. Maybe they took us someplace else. Quiet. No, Al. You better stay out. Why? What is it? What is it? It's her, Al. Your wife. She's dead. She was dead. And the next day there was the funeral. A lot of friends came around and shook hands and looked at me sad. And I stood by where she was lying with all the flowers around her. This wasn't the way it was supposed to work out. Dan came too. For a long time he stood there looking at her and my friends and me. You called them, didn't you? I called them? Yeah. You called them and she thought you were calling the police. That's why the police never showed up. I called them. She was so insistent I had to call somebody. I didn't think they'd take her away. I thought they'd just take the money and leave, forget the whole thing. But they took her too. What about the money? The money they paid me for the trial? The money for the trial, $10,000. I told you. They took it. They took the money and they and they took her. They took it all except $500. I kept that in my pocket. They didn't get that. That's what I paid for the funeral with. I know. We had the numbers of the bills when we picked them up later last night. They had it all except $500. That's what brought me back to you. That's funny. I did it for her. To buy her nice things. And all I bought her was a funeral. Say goodbye, Elm. You'll have to come with me. Suspense presented by Auto Light. Tonight's star, Mr. Ray Milan. At my workshop, we make toys for all the little girls and boys. We work hard to make them right. Make them perfect, like Auto Light. You said it, Santa. Auto Light makes more than 400 products for cars, trucks, planes, and boats in 28 plants from coast to coast. These include complete ignition systems used as original factory equipment on many makes of America's finest cars. Generators, coils, distributors, voltage regulators, wire and cable, starting motors, all engineered to fit together perfectly, work together perfectly because they're a perfect team. So friends, don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good. Ask for and insist on original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage, or repair shop. And because all Auto Light parts are original factory parts, you can be sure you're right, because you're always right with Auto Light. Music Music Music Music Next week on Suspense, Mr. Alan Ladd as star of The Killing in Abilene. And in weeks to come, you will hear such famous stars as Dennis Day, Cornel Wilde, and Ginger Rogers, all appearing in tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense. Suspense Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis, with music composed by Lucian Morawek and conducted by Lud Bluskin. Parts of this program were transcribed. After the movies was written for Suspense by Jack Finney, and was adapted by Robert L. Richards and David Ellis. Ray Milan appeared by arrangement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, producers of the Technicolor picture, King Solomon's Minds, with Deborah Carr, Stuart Granger, and Richard Carlson. And remember next week on Suspense, Mr. Alan Ladd in A Killing in Abilene. .
