The signal oil program. Yes, the signal oil program. The Whistler. The Whistler. The Whistler. That whistle is your signal for the signal oil program. The Whistler. The Whistler. The Whistler. The Whistler. I am the Whistler. And I know many things for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak. Friends, here's some exciting news. The latest Hooper ratings show that in the last two months, the listening audience of the Whistler has increased by more than 50 percent. Yes, sir, 50 percent. And even before this increase, the Whistler was rated tops in popularity for a longer period of time than any other West Coast program in radio history. Do you at Signal Oil think about this? Well, naturally, we think it's wonderful. And we want to say thanks to our regular audience and welcome to all you new listeners. And remember, friends, signal gasoline is tops, too. And now, the Whistler's strange story. Last curtain. The company's engagement at the Opera House in Los Angeles had two weeks to run. But Oriane Donati, whose beautiful voice was largely responsible for the success of the tour, had other things on her mind. Oriane was no longer thrilled by the curtain going up. She was not new to the music world. And moreover, when she allowed herself, she could feel the years inside. She didn't allow this often, of course, and certainly it was not being displayed at the moment. With Charles beside her quietly reassuring, Oriane found it a simple matter to face the anger of the impresario Giulio Cassini. Have you lost your mind, Oriane? You cannot just tear up a contract. I'm protected by the law. Law, law. There is only one law I recognize. I do as I please. And I will not desert my Charles. And why should you, my dear, do marry Charles, but remain with us for the season at least. Please, Caramere. It is impossible. Charles will not hear of it. We are both desperately in love. Am I right, my darling? Yes, you're quite right, Oriane. Oriane, please reconsider. Sorry, Giulio, my mind is quite made up. Come, Charles. Let's go someplace where we can be alone. By all means. All right, play your games, but if you want my advice, you will... He was rather unpleasant, eh? Giulio, he only thinks of the money he will lose. Enough of him, though. Do you really love me? Don't you know? Yes, I suppose I do. That was nice, darling. Now I must go to my dressing room. Can you amuse yourself for a little while? Yes, but do hurry back. Yes, Oriane. At this point in your career, in your life, the most important thing is Charles and your love for him. You're thinking about this, aren't you, as you sit down before the mirror in your dressing room. Mama. What? Mama. Oh, Felice. How often have I told you not to call me mama? Oh, Mama, I'm sorry. What am I going to do with you? Tell me, how are you coming along with your voice? Very well. Professor Gresty is pleased with my progress. What are you up to now? I've just finished post. Time to take up Martha next. Oh, Martha, lovely. You know Mr. Cassini has a great hope for your future. Do you enjoy your work in the chorus, darling? Very much, but, Mama, how long must this pretense go on? Now, Felice, my baby, it will be over sooner than you think. I am going to be married. Married? Yes, caramilla, to a very fine, handsome, rich man. We shall all three of us be very happy. Oh, Mama, when? Soon, Felice, very soon. Now, child. Yes? A thousand pâtons, my lady, but if you have the time, I should like a word with you. Very busy, Papo, but, well, young lady, you run along now. I hope the advice I have given you will help you to amount to something. Oh, it will, Madame Donati, and thank you. Well, what is it, Papo? Please, Madonna, is it true what they are all saying? That you are leaving us, being married? Yes, it's true. Oh, no, my lady, no. You must remain. The opera needs you. The opera? Go away, old man. Go to your world of props where you belong. You fatigue me. You grieve me, Madonna. True, I am without physical grace and beauty, but, oh, please, in my heart there is love. Love? Love, indeed. Go away, Bufo. Go down to your room where you belong and stay out of my life. Stay out of what does not concern you. Papo doesn't really annoy you, does he, Oriana? He only amuses you. But you're genuinely disturbed about your daughter Felice, because you haven't mentioned her to Charles, have you? Somehow the opportunity has never been right. But you know there will be plenty of time for that after you're married. And his love for you will make him understand anything. The following morning, Giulio sends for you, and he seems in a strangely happy mood when you enter his office. Oh, Oriana, come in, come in. Where are the papers? Canceling my contract? On the desk, my dear. There are six copies. The sooner you sign them, the sooner you can start preparing for the great day. You do not want me to perform tomorrow night? Oh, not necessarily at all, Caramie. Now, if you just sign the papers... Giulio. Yes? Tell me, how is it that this morning you seem so agreeable? Only yesterday you were tearing out your hair, shouting you were ruined. I have had a change of heart. I know about love. I know it cannot wait. I thought it over. After all, who am I to oppose Cupid, huh? Giulio, you are lying. What has happened? All right, you ask. This morning, Madame Brock signed with us. Kitty Brock? You signed her before you canceled my contract? Yes. Now, here are the papers, six copies signed at the bottom. I signed nothing. Good day, Giulio. With Oriana, we must discuss this, please. There is nothing to discuss. The thought that Giulio has taken you at your word about leaving the company infuriates you, doesn't it, Oriana? That he would sign someone else before you've even given the final release on your contract. And of all people for him to choose, Kitty Brock, a woman you've never liked. Since you refused to cancel your contract, you continue to sing your roles. Then a few days later, you learn even more about Kitty. It's during a lull in the rehearsal while you're standing in the wings that Pepo, the property man of the company, whispers the unpleasant news in your ear. My lady. You? What are you doing sneaking about? I would like to tell you how pleased I am that you remain with the opera after all. Go away, Pepo. No, it's a wise decision you make, Madonna. That Porco is not worthy of you. Porco? How dare you speak of my beloved in that manner? Go about your business, wretch. I must sing in a moment. Yes, my lady, sing. Give your love to music. Do not waste it on him who deceives. Deceives? I speak the truth, my lady. It is him whom you would call husband that deceives you. He has been seeing her these past weeks. I know. I follow them. Her? Who? Speak up. It is the other. The one with the voice of a goat. Kitty? Oh, no. Pepo, if you speak falsely, I kill you. No, no, no, no. I speak the truth. Please, please. Even now, this very moment. Look. The third box to the left. They're together. Do you see, Madonna? They are not looking down at the opera. No, indeed. They look into each other's eyes. They are in love. Oh, is it her design to make me out a fool? To take all that is mine? No. Oh, no. I shall not let her do that. With the prologue of Last Curtain, the Signal Oil Company brings you another strange story by The Whistler. But just for a moment, let's suppose this were a quiz show, and you were asked, what gasoline is known as the Go-Farther gasoline? What would your answer be? Well, if you've lived out west any length of time, you know that from Canada to Mexico, signal is famous as the Go-Farther gasoline. Now, naturally, we're mighty proud of signal's good mileage, but even more so, we're proud of what makes such mileage possible. The extra efficiency today's signal gasoline coaxes from your motor. Because when your motor runs more efficiently, you also enjoy quicker starting, faster pickup, and smoother power, the things that make driving more fun. That's why folks who want superior performance, as well as those who insist on mileage, are both switching to signal. They've discovered that to get the tops in gasoline quality, there are just two things to remember. One, in gasoline, it takes extra quality to go farther. And two, signal is the famous Go-Farther gasoline. And now, back to the Whistler. The worst has happened, hasn't it, Oriane, Charles and Kitty. The shock of it keeps you confined to your hotel rooms all the next day. And the evening's performance goes badly. And the day after that brings angry words between you and Julio, when he tells you that Kitty Brock is going to sing your role tonight, regardless of your contract. Later, the odd, strangely devoted little Peppo comes to your dressing room. My lady. Peppo, please, let me be. Madonna, I beg of you, listen to what I have to say. Look, after tonight, Madame Brock will bother you no longer. What are you saying, Peppo? In the room where I keep my props, there is a mirror, a mirror especially created for the use of Madame Katsana. A mirror? Yes. But ah, such a mirror. And so, so, so practical. You see, it was purchased for Madame Katsana nearly twenty years ago by a man who was madly in love with her and very jealous. Oh, come now. You're speaking in riddles, old man. Explain yourself. Well, the mirror, the glass was treated in such a way that a high-pitched thrill or vibrato would instantly explode in one's face. It's just reward for vanity, Madonna, would you not agree? Eh? Especially if one is accustomed to singing into one's mirror, like the good Faust Marguerite. How is that that you have come to possess this, this mirror? Madame Katsana was in love with another, so she gave the mirror to me. Ah, you're dreaming, old man. If you were telling me the truth, you could not know the mirror's treatment. Katsana herself did not know. But I do know. The jealous lover told me. When Katsana sang Marguerite and the mirror did not explode, the man came to see why. When I told him I had the mirror, he begged me to give it back for fear some innocent one would be hurt. But you kept the mirror? Yes. I was certain that someday it would serve its purpose. Oh, get out of here, Pepe. This then is my reward for offering you happiness. I told you to leave, Pepe. Very well, my fine lady. But the next time you will come to me. Really? You think no, madame, huh? I shall be waiting for you downstairs in my room with my props where I belong, where all the ugly things are kept. You know in your heart there is only hatred for Kitty Brock, don't you, Orienne? And you wonder why you failed to take advantage of Peppo's offer. The more you think about it, the more you're certain Peppo told you the truth. The principle of shattering glass by vibration has been known for more than a century. And now you've sent him away, the only one who could help you. As you leave your dressing room and start down the circular stairway... Orienne! Oh, Charles! Orienne, where have you been? I tried to reach you. Charles, you have to excuse me now. I must see Julio. Oh, wait. It's important. I have something to say to you. Well, all right. But do hurry. I hardly know how to begin. It's rather difficult to... Charles, what is it? Orienne, I must ask you to release me from my promise. Release you? Orienne, please don't hate me. I... So it's true. The Brock woman, is it? Yes. Yes, it happened all at once. It was sudden, overwhelming. We... Well, neither of us could help it. Oh, Charles, you fool! Wait! It's finally happened, hasn't it, Orienne? You've lost everything. Though you're still under contract, Julio has replaced you in the company. And now Charles has rejected you. You walk backstage, behind the lofty proscenium, as though lost in a dream. As the hours pass, you can concentrate on only one thing. One person. Kitty Brock. She's the cause of it all, isn't she? Then in the distance, you hear the chorus rehearsing for tonight's performance of Faust. You're concealed behind a flat. You watch your daughter Felice as she sings. So young, so alive. Then another voice becomes audible. Kitty Brock rehearsing your role. The role of Marguerita. Her voice taunts you, doesn't it, Orienne? You begin to tremble with rage, and then a thought flickers through your mind. Jules, Marguerita gave us into a mirror. A mirror. The hatred you feel for Kitty Brock swells within you. You turn, rush downstairs to the property room. It's the first time you've been below the opera house. You find the air damp, faded. And as you walk along the dark corridor, you see a dim light at the far end, and you hear Pepo. Pepo! Pepo! It is the fine lady come to visit Pepo, huh? What an honor you record me. Pepo, I I'm need of your help. I have no time to lose. I must have the mirror. Pepo, please give it to me. A moment. For what reason do you want it? For what reason do you think? The Brock woman. She has robbed me of my fiance, my position, everything. Everything, my lady? Or is it just that she has robbed you of your lover? Are you going to give me the mirror? Yes, I will give you the mirror. Take it. Thank you. And then now, Pepo. Yes? You leave the building and stay away until after the performance tonight. Oh, but Madonna, Mr. Cresini, what will he say when he asks me what shall I say? You were called away suddenly. Somebody in the family was ill, anything, I don't care. It will be safer. If you are not here, they cannot blame you. An accident. Someone picks up the wrong mirror by mistake. Yes, yes, I understand. Yes, I will go immediately. You watch Pepo back out of the room twisting the tattered cap in his hand. The moment he is gone, you pick up the mirror. Quickly you slip it under your wrap and hurry to your dressing room. You put in a call to Union Station, reserve a compartment on the late train in New York. Moments later you are backstage, to the left wing, where the garden sequence paraphernalia is set and waiting. You hurry to the jewel box on the table. Quickly you remove the mirror from the box. Replace it with the deadly one you got from Pepo. Yes, sorry Anne. In a fraction of a second the deed is accomplished. Back at your apartment, you spend the rest of the afternoon packing for your trip to New York. Then shortly before six that evening you hurry from the building. Your train doesn't leave till nine forty and you decide to have dinner at a quaint little Italian restaurant, not far from Union Station. As you approach the waiting cab, the driver opens the door for you. You turn, see Giulio Cassini hurrying down the street towards you. Hurry driver, if you are at the Italian restaurant, commercial street. You're relaxed, aren't you, Aurel? Hours later as the train pulls out of the station, you lean back in your chair, give yourself up to the slow hypnotic rhythm of the wheels on the track. Wheels at every moment take you further away from the opera house, where the performance is now in progress. Suddenly a picture flashes through your mind. The opera. Kitty Brock and the jewel song. You can see her now, can't you? Singing into the mirror. You can almost hear the high pitched trill and then the glass shattering. It is too bad, Madame Brock, that your first performance with this company shall be your last. About ten o'clock you step out of your compartment, start down the narrow corridor toward the club car, and then suddenly your ears become alert. Your brain starts spinning wildly as two voices emerge from a compartment up ahead. Oh, come along, darling. That's Kitty Brock's voice. What is she doing on this train? A moment later you see her step into the corridor followed by Charles. You stand there dumbfounded, unable to move, unable to think. Kitty, don't you think we ought to have wired Giulio? When we arrive in New York, we'll be soon enough. Do you think he'll be mad because we eloped? Missing the performance tonight, I mean. He'll be furious, of course. But who cares? I doubt very much if Orion will ever sing for Cassini again. That's true, I suppose. Well, Miss Felice, she's quite good, you know. Felice? Who is? Orion, sir. You didn't know. Felice. Felice! Oh, no. Miss Felice will have to sing. She's the only one left who knows the rules. Conductor! Conductor! Yes, ma'am? I must get off the train immediately. You must stop. Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am. I've got to get back to Los Angeles. Well, we'll be in Pasadena in a few minutes. You can get off there, take a cab. What time is it now? Well, ten minutes after ten, ma'am. All right, all right. I get off at Pasadena. C... C... R... 1... 7... 9... 4... Busy! Oh, no. It can't be. It can't... Try operator. Who was keeping the operator? Operator. Operator. I'm trying to reach Creston 1794, but I keep getting busy signal. Will you check that for me, please? That is a toll call, madam. Oh, hurry. It's important. The number is Creston 1794? Yes. Yes, do hurry. One moment, please. Oh, really? Who was taking her so long? Operator. Operator! I've got to reach Felice. Hello? Yes, operator. Creston 1794 has been reported out of order. Out of order? I'm sorry if you'll place your call later. But it's important. I must get through somehow. Please, is there anything you can do? I'm sorry. The line is out of order. Taxi! Taxi! Yes, ma'am? The Opera House in Los Angeles. Can you make it in 20 minutes? I've got to be backstage before 10.40. 20 minutes? That's pretty quick, Lenny. Make it quicker if you can. Don't worry about traffic fines. I pay for everything. Please hurry. It's a matter of life and death. The Whistler will return in just a moment with the strange ending of tonight's story. Meantime, a brief weather forecast. No, I'm not going to predict just how cold it's going to be or how often. But this much I do know. The kind of weather we're likely to have during the next couple of months is tough on car batteries. And you can never tell how suddenly you may need a new one. That's why it'll pay every driver to keep these facts in mind about the new Signal Deluxe batteries. Unlike ordinary batteries, which may be guaranteed for 12 or 18 months, Signal Deluxe batteries are guaranteed for a full 30 months on a service basis. The secret of this extra long life in Signal Deluxe batteries is their superior construction, which includes improved type rubber separators and a new design all-rubber case, which requires water less often. As a result, Signal Deluxe batteries deliver up to 35% more power for quick, dependable starting. So before you buy any battery, stop by your Signal service station. Find out the liberal trade-in your signal dealer will offer you on today's finer, longer life battery, a new Signal Deluxe battery. And now back to the Whistler. MUSIC It's a race against time, isn't it, Orianne? The minutes tick away, precious minutes. And finally your cab roars into downtown Los Angeles. You must reach the opera before the jewel song begins, before your daughter Felice, as Marguerita, sings into the deadly mirror you had hoped would shatter in Kitty Brock's face. Then as you're within half a block of the opera house. Driver, what's the matter? Why are you stopping? Sorry, lady, I can't run over the car in front of me. Can't you go around there? Sorry again, that's impossible. Here you fare, keep the change, I run the rest of the way. I must get backstage before 10.40. Lady, you can't get out here. Be careful. A small crowd had gathered near the opera house, stunned by the news of the tragedy. They saw Giulio Cassini slip out the side entrance with Felice Donati. They watched the sobbing girl, a handkerchief covering her face, being assisted toward the waiting ambulance. Now, now, my dear, everything will be all right. Please, please, let us through. Here, let me have your things. Please. I'm sorry, Giulio. Take it easy, Felice. Now we're all right. Hours later in the hospital waiting room, Giulio Cassini, hands clasped behind his back, stood by the window staring out into the night. The room was quiet except for the gentle sobbing of the woman who sat nearby. Giulio turned, placed his hand on her shoulder, and then a door opened softly. A white-clad figure stepped out into the hall and approached them. Doctor? Doctor, how is she? You are Mr. Giulio Cassini? Yes, yes, will she be all right? Of course, she'll pull through okay, but her face was cut quite badly by the glass. Oh, may we see her now, doctor? Oh, this is Felice, doctor, the injured lady's daughter. May we go in? For a moment, yes. Come along. Thank you. Come along. Mr. Cassini. Yes. Do you know how this accident happened? According to the cab driver, Oriane jumped from a taxi, started to run toward the upper house, saying she had to get there before 10.40. She did not see the car approaching. 10.40? Yes, that is just the time when the jewel song starts. And that's when Pepo rushed onto the stage, stopped the show. He grabbed the mirror from me and broke it into a thousand pieces. Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program, The Whistler, each Sunday night at the same time. Brought to you by the Signal Oil Company, marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil, and fine quality automotive accessories. Signal has asked me to remind you to get the most driving pleasure, drive at sensible speeds, be courteous, and obey traffic regulations. It may save a life, possibly your own. Featured in tonight's story were Jeanette Nolan and Mary Kroger. The Whistler was produced and directed by George W. Allen, with story by Frank DeFelitta, and music by Wilbur Hatch, and was transmitted to our troops overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. All characters portrayed on The Whistler program are fictional. Any similarity of names or resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Remember, at the same time next Sunday, another strange tale by The Whistler. Marvin Miller speaking. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
