September 3, 2025 • 44 mins
CBS Radio Mystery Theater was a noteworthy attempt to revive in American radio dramas like Inner Sanctum (1941-1952) and Suspense (1942-1962). Radio dramas were widely considered "dead" 12 years prior to this series. CBS Radio Mystery Theater, or simply Mystery Theater, was created by Inner Sanctum creator Himan Brown and ran on CBS from 1974-1982. The show, much like older radio dramas, was introduced by a host (E.G. Marshall in this program), who steers us through the creaking door to start the episode. Many voices from the golden age of radio were featured, including Richard Widmark, Bret Morrison, Agnes Moorehead and many more.
Hope you enjoy this episode of Mystery Theater! Find all our OTR radio stations and podcasts at theaterofthemind-otr.com - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group. - All Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon
Hope you enjoy this episode of Mystery Theater! Find all our OTR radio stations and podcasts at theaterofthemind-otr.com - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group. - All Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
PBS Radio Mystery Theater presents come in welcome, I'm e. G. Marshall,
(00:31):
Whether by summer glancing up at the contrails or by
winter hearing the muted everyday roar of takeoff or landing.
The great gray ghosts which probab the upper reaches of
our skies are always with us. The airplane is a
constant in all of our lives, and constant is a
good word. So seldom, so very seldom does anything halt
(00:55):
their appointed rounds, except but like all things that matter
has built, they are not perfection. That is the attribute
of God alone. No matter how hard fan strives.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Ladies and gentlemen give to your hostess, Pamela Winters.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
There has been a temporary failure in our pressure system,
and for your comfort and safety that the ship names,
our pilot is making an unusually rapid defense.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Do not be alarmed. This sudden descent is merely of
safety measure.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Please be sure that your safety belt are fassins and
that old cigarette wall extinguished.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Most of all, don't worry. There is no danger.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Our mystery drama The Long Survivor was written especially for
the Mystery Theater by Ian Martin and Stars Russell Corton. Well,
I'll be back shortly with that one. If most of
(02:15):
us have flown at one time or another, secure in
the knowledge that no matter what butterflies we may feel
on occasion, we are using the safest method of transport
in the world, and that includes simply walking across the street.
But there is that special word. But but nothing in
(02:35):
life is inescapable, And there is the occasion when any
of us may be caught in any kind of accident
just as terrifying and dangerous as this.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Lady and gentlemen, we have propped the oxygen that because
of the.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Speed of our sent simply place them.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Over your nose about and freeze normally. Please be ready
to lock your hands in some of your faith as
shown in the Manuel, and raised yourself against the seat
in front of you, in taste of an emergency landing
over your seat until you receive instructions over this PA
(03:20):
should get sail.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Please note the nearest emergency.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Exits, Ladies and gentlemen of the press. I am JP Henderson,
Vice President in charge of Operations for Federal Airlines. This
(03:47):
is a bulletin on the status quoll. One of our
planes found for the Hawaiian Island encountered the phenomenon known
as clear air turbulence. As you already been informed, there's
no sense mincing words. Apparently the plane after ditching broke
(04:10):
up or sank. For the best of our beliefs, there's
only one survivor presently in the intensive care unit in
the hospital here. I wish I had more to report. Look,
it's useless to ask questions because I have no answers.
(04:32):
I'm sorry. He does he come to doctor Setchfield, I asked,
mister Anderson, he's gonechoos Who is he? I don't know?
You mean he's still so anesthetized. We didn't have to anesthetize.
(04:53):
And the man's injuries and mine are miraculous. There's nothing
really the matter with him, except he said what he
doesn't know? Who he is? Classic uneasier. You mean he
suffered brain damning, absolutely not no evidence of any concussion
(05:13):
or of a somatic injury, no evidence of nerve involvement. Well, then,
then whin easier is a law unto itself, mister Anderson. Psychologically,
if the trauma is severe enough, any individual is capable
of short cicketing his whole mnemonic system and blocking out
something that he does not prefer to remember. If you
(05:35):
had been through the experience of armors to X suffered,
wouldn't you perhaps try to pretend it never happened, for
block out the happening. Okay, but surely he can remember
who he was, why he was on a plane, where
he was headed for a mine. Can't always be that selective.
The man you are interested in doesn't even remember getting
(05:56):
on the plane, where he was going, or why he
was going, you know, or who he was before he did,
or who he is now. Could I ask him a
few questions? Oh, I don't think he's ready for that.
Could I examine whatever effects he had with him when
he was admitted to the hospital? Not very well? What
does that mean? It's say, Anderson. When our patients was
(06:19):
picked out of the Pacific by the helicopter, he was
naked as the day he was born. Any identification you
want to make will have to be strictly for his
birthday suits. We'll have other ways of pinning him down,
of course you will. And second thought, there's no real
reason why you can't see you as to aks. He's
in no physical danger and you can't hurt him as
(06:41):
long as you go easy. I'll go in with you
if you like, but I'm due in o'ren about fifteen minutes.
I appreciate having you there. I think maybe I ought
to check out any little thing he might remember. Hello. Hello,
(07:03):
I'm JP Henderson, Federal Airlines, the airline on which you
were flying when the accident occurred. Do you remember the accident? No? Uh,
I'm sorry to trouble you under the circumstances, but well,
(07:27):
it's an unusual state of affairs. As I said, I'm
JP Henderson. May I ask your name? You can ask it.
I I can normally give you the same answers I
give the doctors. I don't know, I see, and you
don't remember anything about the accident, Not a thing, mister Henderson.
(07:53):
I don't remember anything until the moment I woke up
in this hospital bed. I think this gentleman have his rest.
Of course, I'm sorry to have bothered you, mister sir.
The person who bothers me most is me doctor. Yes,
(08:14):
supposing I don't remember who I am after a good
night's rest. Oh, it may take a little time, but
you will. No. No, supposing I still don't. How do
I find out? Well, I'm sure I, or rather the
airline can render that service. How at the moment does
my patient I suggest that you just relax and allow
(08:37):
nature to restore your memory. Thanks for the kind words.
I don't know how much they help. How soon can
I get out of here? It is a hurry. I
don't know. I just have this. I don't like to
be sick or dealt with as a patient. You are particular.
(09:00):
I wouldn't like it anymore than you. But let's face facts.
If I released you, where would you go? I I
I guess I don't know, Yes, for sure, I got
all the reports found him on my death soon as
I got back in the hospital. Good girl. Who I
(09:25):
don't know it? Oh FBI, Yeah, I've been expecting they
nose into it. Sentiment one headache. It's another from mister Gumman.
Come I in a thanks PI, my credentials. HM, very impressive.
(09:48):
Well I'll just look around at the moment, they might guess.
Speaking of which, I'll for you something to drink. I
never drink on the job. H What can I do
for you? He got a plane down? How come one
in a million coincidents? Mechanical failure and the atmospheric conditions
(10:13):
beyond our control. You see, No, the pilot. You can
listen to the tapes. I had him right here. We
will luish. How can you be sure there was no
foul plane communications until the moment he ditched the plane.
(10:34):
The pilot was in touch by radio with the tower.
Why they ditched at thirty three thousand feet There was
a rupture in the fuselage. We can't account for that.
Cabin pressure was dropping so rapidly that the pilot brought
the plane down and the steep dive to an altitude
where the passengers could breathe normally. But at ten thousand
(10:55):
as he started the level off, he hit a freak
situation sky jack, I'm sabot. Oh no, no, a phenomenon
known as clear air turbulence under normal conditions. If he
hadn't been at the decline ratio he was posed in,
he could have handled a plane, but a huge down
draft forced him the ditch on the water wave. Heights
(11:17):
were six to eight feet. The plane broke up. No survivors,
only one. Watch his name. I've just come to the hospital.
He couldn't tell me he injured that bad. No, he
has some bruises possible cracked ribs, some slight facial abrasion.
(11:39):
Otherwise he's fully conscious except for one thing. What he
can't remember his name. Come on, I'm perfectly serious. He
doesn't know who he is or anything that happened up
until the moment he came into the hospital. He has amnesia. Yeah,
where that can be handled. We got his name. It
(12:01):
won't be necessary. I'll come. We've got people up all
night checking on the passenger list. His name is Theodore
Mason Williams, address seventeen o six one, Parthenia. He say
he hasn't been completely accounted for. I mean to check
(12:23):
his home. I was just about to try again when
you arrive. His phone hasn't been answering anyone. Who should.
He's married. We believe he has a wife or had.
What does that mean? How come he was traveling alone
while he he might have been on business of some
(12:45):
sort of some sort. Fuck, I'm only checking this like
maybe there was some federal problem. I still don't know
the reasons. But during my profession, as many years as
I've been you get a long nose? What does that mean?
Something smells funny? If I was you, I'd start digging
(13:10):
up that wife fast get the local police in on it.
I mean, this thing has had a lot of publicity papers, TV,
radio and all. How come missus Williams hasn't been on
the pipe or worried about her hobby? Eh, maybe you're
really gonna have to dig her up. I don't follow
(13:33):
you put it out together, mister Anderson. Guy on a
long trip to Hawaii. Little woman left behind big plane crash,
looks like everyone bought it, and her wife doesn't even
check in to see if her hobby did too. On
top of that, hobby turns up alive in a hospital.
(13:55):
Only he claims he don't know who he is. That
wouldn't you figure there was something screwy going on here?
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Well?
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Would you? Or are you scarcely as cynical as mister
Roscoe Drummond of the FBI. Do you really believe that
mister Theodore Williams has that sometimes most convenient of disorders, amnesia?
And if he hasn't, why should he fake it? Most
intriguing and chilling of all is finding missus Williams. I
(14:34):
shall return shortly for that too. Some hours have passed
while mister J. P. Henderson of Federal Airlines has been
busy holding off the press, meeting with the CAAB and
(14:55):
other agencies automatically involved in a major disaster, instigating constant
phone checks on missus Williams, all unanswered, and finally calling
in the city police. Meanwhile, at the hospital, doctor Malcolm
Sedgefield is patiently trying to bring the survivor out of
his lost word by cautious and gentle free association. You
(15:16):
don't remember before the crash, no doubt all the crush itself. No,
or being in the water struggling to keep a cloat
he taking off your clothes so you can swim awfully. No,
are the helicopter winking on? Oh? Come on, this is
just a waste of time. I don't remember anything, even
my own name for Pete saying all right, all right now,
(15:38):
let's just take it easy. Why don't we try some
indirect questions. I'm just going to shoot some words at you.
All I ask you to do is to react without
thinking refactors. All, yeah, yeah, I know what free association is.
Just answer the first thing that comes into your head. Yeah, crash, Uh,
(16:05):
plan we cold black white winter, summer, wife, husband, mother, father, him? Uh?
The title first man, second name, second name, family, hop son, son, father, fathers.
I am David, David who I don't know? Rain, umbrella,
(16:31):
I'm brother dry drive warm dead woman? Wife woman? Her name? Missus?
Whose name the woman? I don't know what you're talking about?
Your wife? What wife? You were going to tell me
her name? What name? I don't know what you mean. Look, look, doctor,
(16:52):
I've had enough of this. There's nothing wrong with me
except I can't remember some things. Okay, I've been that
way after a hangover. I want I want to get
out of here now. I'm afraid we can't let you go. Yeah, guy,
what if you got on me? We haven't got anything
on you. But you are the results of a major
accident that killed everyone but you, so naturally we have
(17:16):
to keep you under medical observation, through our observation. Okay, okay,
but I don't have to be in this hospital. I
want out. Where would you go? I don't know about? Well,
a hotel, a motel? It were my clothing things? You see,
that's the whole point. You haven't any clothes or things,
(17:36):
which you mean you found me naked, no clothes, no money,
did no wallet or it's something when the helicopter pick
you up you were stripped to the bus, So let's
be practical. If we were to let you go, where
would you go without clothes, money, or or any identity?
(17:57):
You mean, honestly that nobody has the slightest idea who
I am? Well, not exactly. The airline has checked out
the ticket reservations and established who was on board, so
by the process of prelimination, they're now pretty sure who
you must be. Who I'd hope the name would come
(18:18):
from you about all right? Does the name Theodore Nathan
Williams strike a chord? Uh? Should it? It appears to
be your name? How do you know? How can you
prove it? Because you if uh, if, mister Williams is
(18:42):
who you are. You have a wife, and just as
soon as the police find her, we'll bring her in
to identify your police Why the police at the moment
nobody has been able to find your wife. She appears
to be missing.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Mm.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Yes, doctor Pittsfield olic Anders.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
And I've just come from questioning our mystery patient and
running the most basic of psychiatric tests on him, and I'm.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Afraid I didn't do it much.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
He still has NSIAT. Yes, apparently he still hasn't said
his name or who he is.
Speaker 6 (19:19):
No, I must say, it seems to me you and
your end could provide the answer to those questions more
easily by having his wife, if if he is, his
wife identify him for sure.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Of course, trouble is, we haven't yet found the lady
in question.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
Oh and then perhaps the police should be called in.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
They already have doctor Setfield. Detective Lieutenant Dominic Khalesi is
with me. Now he has a what do they call
it again, Lieutenant app who points booth, Yes and APB
for missus Williams right now. He expects to find her soon.
And excuse me just a minute. Oh, Lieutenant Colice would
like to talk to you for a moment. Doctor I thinks,
(20:00):
what is handling the such field that does such feel?
Speaker 5 (20:05):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Speaking, Yeah, this theory is detective lyudentical, easy city police.
I want to ask you a favorite doctor.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
Oh, of course, any way I can help.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Well, I'd like to send over a police photographer to
take a shoddy of patient. There any reason why not?
Speaker 6 (20:20):
Oh, I don't picture, as far as the hospitals concerned me,
because we don't want to excite the patient.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Oh no, no, no, no, we won't disturb in, Doc,
no flash, no light. He don't even have to know
his pictures being taken.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
I don't think the hospital could go along with that.
I mean, isn't that invasion of privacy?
Speaker 5 (20:39):
After all, we have been.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Keeping the press out at his request. Well, oh, but
I have the feeling that the feeling. Let's write on facts, Doc.
I'll send you over a photographer, a fingerprint man, and
you check out your patients. See if he's got any objection.
I hope he has. We'll take it from there. Okay,
well I suppose I have no objection.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
We'll do it your way of count.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
No, sir, No, sir, Doctor Setsko, absolutely not one. Now
it's only a picture. I'm sure if the lieutenant wanted to,
he could get a court order. No, it isn't only
a picture. It's it's fingerprints. I don't want my fingerprints taken.
But there's no criminal suggestion. It's only to try to
identify you. I thought you said you'd turned up a
wife of mine or someone you said with my wife.
(21:32):
But it's got to be your wife, since this Missus
Williams had a husband traveling on the plane, and you're
the only man on the plane who hasn't been fully
accounted for. So who else could you be? I tell you,
I don't know. Don't you see? Even though your wife
is missing for the moment, the picture of you on
the papers could be recognized by someone else in your family,
(21:53):
or among your friends, or your fingerprints.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Family.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Yeah, wait, where do you expect to find us? And
the police fire? Missus Williams is married to a man
in the diamond business. As Lieutenant Calesy suggested, it's reasonable
to suppose he may have been issued to have done
permit in which canis thing? No, No, Now, all I
want to do is to be let alone. If you
(22:19):
find I have a wife, let it come and identify me. Now,
get out, get out of here. Lieutenants, Oh, Doc, you
get anywhere with a guy?
Speaker 5 (22:37):
I try not?
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Or what he's scared of?
Speaker 5 (22:42):
A lieutenant? I can only answer you in general terms.
Speaker 6 (22:46):
See, it's a tremendous shock to the nervous system for.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Anyone to find out that suddenly his whole life.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Is a black Yeah, if it is, Doc, how do
we know this isn't just an act?
Speaker 5 (22:59):
We don't We just wait. If it is, he'll make
a ship.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
So okay, Doc, we won't shake him up yet. Anyhow,
what I'm looking for is another court order. I want
into the Williams house. I got a hunch between my
shoulder blades. Talks to me as loud as my nions.
That FBI guy was right. Missus Williams is home all
(23:26):
the time, and she's got a real good reason for
not answering the phone because she can't talk. And you
know why she can't Why because I think she's dead.
That's why I'm not sure that I ought to be here.
(23:53):
Lieutenant's perfectly legal, Miss Anderson, I have a court order
demitting me to add it on horse in the eyes
of the police. You have a reason to search. But
why me? Uh? I thought you might like to be
in at the death. Hey, uh, it's a bad joke, uller.
Let's say I wanted to give you a break. What
do you mean a break? Well, if I find what
(24:14):
I expect to find, is gonna be back on all
the front pages in the TV. Drag up the whole
crash story, keep it alive now. Uh. I don't like
to see the airlines hurt big or too good a
safety record, but a few things that do go wrong
to stirre up with your records. Look, you seriously think
(24:34):
that this man murdered his wife and got caught by
the incredible accident of our plane going down. It's right,
it's amnesia. Jazz is just to cover up. Well, uh
maybe soon will be worse, just to cover up. It
doesn't make sense, lieutenant, Why Hawaii hit me murdered it?
(24:58):
Why not Mexico? Somep about like eure Rope anywhere? Out
of the safe because I'll let you in on a
little something the Hawaii police filled us in on. Mister
Theodore Mason Williams was booked into the Hanolulu Chego. He
had an appointment with some buyers a day after the
flight landed to fell a little packet of diamonds he
(25:18):
was bringing with him, valued and pretty close to a
quarter of a million bucks, and the payoff had been
set up a week in advance, and the condition was
the money was to be in cold, hard cash, not
a bad little getaway staker. Okay, boys, I guess that's it,
(25:45):
hey girl, blank, go on, you can all get back
to regular duty. Bonnie, you wait for me in the car.
So which as if our boy isn't shaking after all?
I don't know, Well, I know as I sure faked
myself out. What are you doing? Just rubbing some bluster
(26:06):
or something off your sleeve. I was sure i'd find
her body in his house, of course, because don't to
somewhere else, maybe even buried her in the garden. You're
still convinced that Missus Williams is dead. When there's a
homicide around, I can smell it every time. Plus one
(26:27):
little new gleam of I want to know who as key?
It's okay, I'll handle it. Now, Wait a minute, who
are you?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
But I think it's more to the point for me
to ask that question. I'm missus Stodore Williams, and I'd
like to know just what the devil you're doing in
my house.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Now that's a shocker, isn't it. A woman consigned to
death by a seasoned detective who turns up as large
as life, a whole theory to fit in a sort
of set of facts blown to dust, and in the
wake of it, the same old problem that is facis
since the beginning. Who is the lone survivor? And is
(27:10):
Missus Williams the one who can give him back his identity?
I shall return shortly with that three. Now let us
return to the three people. Let's ago mister Henderson, official
of Federal Airlines, embarrassed beyond belief, Lieutenant dom Kalisi for
(27:36):
once in his life caught off guard. And the attractive, tall,
willowy woman who has entered trailing with her an aura
of sense and sensuality, all heightened by her barely controlled rage.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
I'll say it again, just want the devil right of
you in my house. Which one of you is, Detective
Lieutenant Khalasi that's me, huh, and this other man Williams.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
With my apologies, I'm J. P. Henderson from Federal Airlines, so.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
The police there might be some excuse but for you,
And how did you get in, Lieutenant perfectly.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
When Missus Williams, I had at court order to search
supremacy to.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Rant back my house, rumming through all my part of possession.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Not exactly as you can see, Missus Williams. The police
search was limited to one thing.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
For the purpose of ascertaining whether or not police suspicions
a person, A person deceased.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Maybe what the.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Suit person who did.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
You think was dead?
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Well?
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Begging your pardon you, Missus Williams, me, you have been
missing for almost three days.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
How do you know that?
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Well, in the course of the investigation, Actually what investigation,
let let me handle is mister IMSIs Williams, did your
husband catch a Federal Airlines flight for Hawaii the day
before yesterday?
Speaker 2 (29:05):
What business is that of yours?
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Missus Williams. You know you don't have to answer my questions.
You know you're rights. But it seems harmless enough.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
All right, If it's so important, there's no way I
can deny it. I mean I saw him off, headed
for the plane and a business appointment in Honolulu. I
suppose he took the plane. I didn't actually see him
board it. Oh please, won't you tell me what this
is all about?
Speaker 1 (29:37):
In my capacity as an officer of Federal Airlines. Missus Williams,
I think you have every right to a full explanation now. First,
but p're assure you your husband is perfectly safe, the
man we assume to be your husband.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Hi, I just don't understand.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Of course you don't obviously, all right, have you read
a newspaper in the last three days, listened to TV
or radio? No.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
We have a little summer cabin. I wanted to get
ready on the peninsula. I drove down to put it
in shape. While Ted was off in Hawaii on business.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
There was a lot to be done.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
He's off season, so I didn't see any friends. I
just pulled up, did what had to be done, and
came back here to me.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
My husband. Is he all right? The man we believe
to be your husband is alive and well, he's the
loans survivor, the loans survive. I'm sorry to say that
from a series of events quite beyond any one's control.
It's like eighty six fifty seven, bound for Hawaii was
(30:45):
forced to ditch in the Pacific, about fifty miles off
the shoreline. Oh, in spite of every action that could
have been taken, the plane and all the passengers were
lost except one, your husband, my husband. How do you
know that he We have satisfactory identification on all other
(31:05):
passengers and crews with that one exception.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Why couldn't you identify him directly?
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Your husband has been in the water sometime to make
staying afloat easier. He'd gotten rid of his clothing. There
were no papers to identify him with.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
But why couldn't you just ask him who he was?
Speaker 1 (31:29):
I just s he was alive and well he is.
But unfortunately, although the doctor seemed to believe it's only
a temporary condition, he has amnesia. He couldn't tell us
who he was.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
I see, then, how did you find out?
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Mister Henderson explained that missus William the police got called
in the cross check. Now, your husband wouldn't allow us
to take a picture of him or a fingerprinted for identification. Oh,
we checked with Honodulu found out your husband was booked
into a hotel there and had a business deal on
the fire. We kept calling you, but there was no answer.
So I read the signals wrong. I thought maybe something
(32:12):
had happened to you. But can I say I'm I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
I just don't say anything. I want both of you
out of my house this minute.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
No, wait a minute. Don't you want to go to
the hospital and see your husband.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I can manage to get there by myself.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Well, we'd like to go along a matter of identification.
We'd just like to be sure that he is your husband.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
I don't need you to recognize my own husband.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
I know, it's just that we need you. Well, wait,
wait a minute, I'll tell you what. You got a
picture of your husband here we could use for identification.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Right, No, no, is he ted de spies? How the
picture take him? Anytime I did take one, he would
tear it up.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Now, will you please leave, missus Henderson. If I was
here your position, I'd want to see my husband as
fast as possible as do it is. I have a
visitor for you, who doctor says to let you see
(33:15):
for yourself your wife. All right, I don't get exacted.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I don't worry about me that picture. Worry about that
poor man.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
I never saw him before in my life.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
But it's impossible, Lieutenant. If he isn't her husband, who
else can he be? I knew my hunts couldn't be
all that wrong. Now I see the whole thing. The
dame is lying all the way you mean the man
in my hospital room is Theodore Williams him? No, I
don't know who he is. We'll catch up with him.
(34:02):
I knew before we even got to the hospital he
wasn't her husband. Oh well, she said her husband doesn't
like photographs, right, yes, So how comes suddenly in the
fireplace of the study I find the ashes of some
photograph albums and some old frames run away in the basement,
but still hanging on the wall of the upstairs hall.
There's a picture of the babe with a guy, and
(34:23):
on the back of it says Jackie and Me Summer
nineteen seventy five to my dear wife from Ted and
the man in it. The guy nothing here know there
except you couldn't mistake him for your patient. You know what?
The big question is? I am afraid what right? So much?
(34:45):
Who's in that hospital room? It's like in that TV show.
Well the real mister Williams, please stand up, let me
ask you a question. Just what do you suppose has
happened to him? The detective was verna coal easy doctor
(35:10):
search mee in center hospital. Oh yeah, sure, God that
has your patience, he come to.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
I wish that was what I had to report to Lie.
I'm afraid I have some bad news for you.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
What they make coups for is so there's some place
to tell it. What's wrong?
Speaker 5 (35:26):
Well tell it. I don't know how it happened.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
Someone was termless enough to leave a pile of clean
orderly uniforms in.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
His crew Well if you know in.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Mister X's room, Well, hYP did a thing like that happened?
Speaker 5 (35:38):
Don't know?
Speaker 6 (35:39):
Some orderly was bringing them up from quandry and stopped
in there. And I don't know how it happened, but
I must say that your police.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
Guard wasn't on the ball either. He left the door.
Speaker 6 (35:50):
On guard and to get coffee, and mister X put
on one of the orderly suits and has simply disappeared.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Oh I like that. Now that we've stopped riding around
like maniacs, maybe he'll explain to me what's going on
at ten I's oh sure, let's just pull over, find
a nice spot where the receptions could about one hundred
(36:18):
yards after the next crossroad. Bonnie on the right, yell
off the road under the trees. Look, it's getting dark.
But isn't this on the way of missus Williams's house.
That's right, just a couple of blocks away. Do you
think the man of escape will be making for her house?
I'm counting me will. Otherwise it might make it tougher
for us. I supposing he doesn't. Oh, he's being followed.
(36:41):
He can't get away. He already did from the hospital. Well,
we made that easy for him. We knew the dude
would make the first break he could. The dude you
know who he is? Oh sure, more or less I
don't understand. Well, now, which name would you like, Anny, Dude, Taste,
(37:01):
Bernard takes him or following you task the third, that's
the one he's been using huntil his accident caused a
temporary loss of memory, or any of a long list
of others. Listen, he's got a long record extortion, com games, womanizing, misrepresentation,
grand largely everything. So far with the big m how
(37:24):
did you find out who he is? Look this amniche
that I'm I'm no doctor. I can make a judgment
on that, but give me some facts to add up.
A guy who can't say who is, a woman who
says he's not a husband who was supposed to be
on the plane, and at the same time says she
has no pictures of her husband. Forgetting that the way people,
(37:46):
do you know one little picture hanging up on the
hall stairs. I knew there was something out of whack.
So my guy standing guard just to picks up a glass.
The nurse brings out, We lift the fingerprints. Three hours
later we got to make Benny the Duke. I'm still
(38:07):
completely bewildered. What was he doing on the plane pretending
to be see a a wiiam old no no, no,
not Just look, mister Henderson, here's a guy who's a
lot older than his wife, but he's got plenty of
a long green. He's going to Hawaii with two hundred
and fifty thousand with the diamonds to deal with them
(38:29):
guys who never met him. His wife is bored. She's
been playing around with guess who Bennie the Duke Bernard
this time around? And I suppose they get greedy and
get a notion they could knock off Theodore and take
off with the diamonds. Only how not to get caught.
(38:53):
Bernard plans to go to Hawaii posing his Williams. Only
what does he do sell the diamonds and get the money?
And maybe maybe he plans to check in a hotel,
rough up the room, just disappear and take a plane
back home while the police figure Williams and the diamonds
got hoisted in Honolulu. Eh. I like that more like
(39:19):
Benny's m O. And so that's what we're waiting for now,
Hold it.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
Who is it?
Speaker 5 (39:28):
Take it easy? It's me Bernard?
Speaker 3 (39:31):
What are you doing here?
Speaker 2 (39:33):
How'd you get in?
Speaker 5 (39:34):
Listen?
Speaker 7 (39:35):
Any Dane tries to double cross me? Baby finds out
there's no way you can close me out. Who do
you mean double cross the hospital today? Why didn't you
tell him I was your husband? You could have spun
me too dangerous.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
Too many people who knew ted if we have about
connected and they found ted?
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Were we?
Speaker 2 (39:52):
I mean? I don't want either of us convicted some murder,
you know something.
Speaker 5 (39:55):
Babies, they can only hang in for it. Once it
didn't go as planned, it was also simple.
Speaker 7 (40:02):
Diamond merchant travels to the city of Romance and disappears
overnight with his quarter grand as shinies that I come
back and you and me walk hand in hand into
the sunset with a nice green halo.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Around our heads.
Speaker 5 (40:15):
Oh man, didn't pan out?
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Did you really have a measure?
Speaker 5 (40:19):
Well?
Speaker 7 (40:19):
Yeah at first?
Speaker 5 (40:20):
Then when I came to.
Speaker 7 (40:21):
A lot of their way, was there a play it?
Speaker 5 (40:24):
Except where were you or not?
Speaker 2 (40:27):
I I couldn't stand being in this house knowing he
was rolled up in the basement.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
I I went to the summer camp to hide, and
you came back.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
But now.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Now it's all gone wrong.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
What are we tryna do?
Speaker 7 (40:40):
We ain't gonna do nothing, baby. First thing I did
was make sure the stones was still where they were.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
I got 'em now and.
Speaker 7 (40:48):
I'm taking office.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
What about me?
Speaker 7 (40:50):
The diamonds were all I came back for.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
Baby e.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
No, no, what are you gonna do now? Dead blade?
That goodness, what are you doing? You can't now? Don't worry,
mister Henderson. The house is falling with cops. We were
waiting for Benny to make his return. You arranged the escape,
old yeah, and you planted microphones in the house to
(41:16):
have them convict themselves or correction on that. I wouldn't
know just howbod Mike's got there, you know as well
as I do. That as an evidence can be used
in court, even having you as a witness. Well, why
but we don't want to let these people get away
with it to the week, mister Henderson. I'm not going
(41:36):
to now. I don't got the hard police work to
do digging up enough objective evidence to make a case.
But you and the airlines can help me. Not that
you're no the truth, do you? It's a deal? Oh
tragic irony. All those lives, innocent people, and one man escapes,
(42:02):
the only one who deserves to die, the long survivor
who I think between us we can arrange that. Billy
and missus Williams won't survive all furthlaw an intriguing maze
of twists and turns. Wasn't it ending in the old
(42:24):
old story of lust and greed? But the old axiom
is still true. Man proposes, God disposes. And a sharp
eyed lieutenant who realized that the dust on his shoulder
was fresh plaster, and that one photograph is worth a
thousand words, contributed a worthy assist. I'll be back shortly.
(42:55):
It was John Down, the great English poet, who said it,
no man is an island entire of itself. Any man's
death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind. The
profound philosophy would have escaped a man who lived only
for himself like Benny, or is selfish and unfeeling a
(43:19):
woman as Jackie. Yet the words will serve well enough
for their epitaph. They were found guilty of the murder
of Theodore Williams, so at the last in this tragedy
there were no survivors. Our cast included Russell Horton, Ian
Martin Branner, Raeburn, and Ken Harvey. The entire production was
(43:41):
under the direction of Hymon Brown. Radio Mystery Theater was
sponsored in part by Buick Murderdvillan, Missus E. G. Marshall,
inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another
adventure in the macabre. And furthermore, my fellow colleagues, let me.
Speaker 8 (43:59):
Say that, ladies and gentlemen, we're here in the council chambers.
The councilman has been filibustering, talking for thirty six straight hours.
Speaker 4 (44:06):
There's another point I'd like to make.
Speaker 8 (44:10):
Wait a minute, the councilman is stopped talking and started coughing.
Speaker 9 (44:14):
Just a moment.
Speaker 8 (44:14):
He's reaching in his pocket. He's taking out Vix medicated
cough drops.
Speaker 9 (44:18):
When you talk a little too much, you can get
a dry, irritated throat, but you can get relief from
that raspy feeling with Vixed medicated cough drops. Vix has
a tradition of getting people effective soothing medicated relief for
coughs due to colds as well as dry irritation.
PBS Radio Mystery Theater presents come in welcome, I'm e. G. Marshall,
(00:31):
Whether by summer glancing up at the contrails or by
winter hearing the muted everyday roar of takeoff or landing.
The great gray ghosts which probab the upper reaches of
our skies are always with us. The airplane is a
constant in all of our lives, and constant is a
good word. So seldom, so very seldom does anything halt
(00:55):
their appointed rounds, except but like all things that matter
has built, they are not perfection. That is the attribute
of God alone. No matter how hard fan strives.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Ladies and gentlemen give to your hostess, Pamela Winters.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
There has been a temporary failure in our pressure system,
and for your comfort and safety that the ship names,
our pilot is making an unusually rapid defense.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Do not be alarmed. This sudden descent is merely of
safety measure.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Please be sure that your safety belt are fassins and
that old cigarette wall extinguished.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Most of all, don't worry. There is no danger.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Our mystery drama The Long Survivor was written especially for
the Mystery Theater by Ian Martin and Stars Russell Corton. Well,
I'll be back shortly with that one. If most of
(02:15):
us have flown at one time or another, secure in
the knowledge that no matter what butterflies we may feel
on occasion, we are using the safest method of transport
in the world, and that includes simply walking across the street.
But there is that special word. But but nothing in
(02:35):
life is inescapable, And there is the occasion when any
of us may be caught in any kind of accident
just as terrifying and dangerous as this.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Lady and gentlemen, we have propped the oxygen that because
of the.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Speed of our sent simply place them.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Over your nose about and freeze normally. Please be ready
to lock your hands in some of your faith as
shown in the Manuel, and raised yourself against the seat
in front of you, in taste of an emergency landing
over your seat until you receive instructions over this PA
(03:20):
should get sail.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Please note the nearest emergency.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Exits, Ladies and gentlemen of the press. I am JP Henderson,
Vice President in charge of Operations for Federal Airlines. This
(03:47):
is a bulletin on the status quoll. One of our
planes found for the Hawaiian Island encountered the phenomenon known
as clear air turbulence. As you already been informed, there's
no sense mincing words. Apparently the plane after ditching broke
(04:10):
up or sank. For the best of our beliefs, there's
only one survivor presently in the intensive care unit in
the hospital here. I wish I had more to report. Look,
it's useless to ask questions because I have no answers.
(04:32):
I'm sorry. He does he come to doctor Setchfield, I asked,
mister Anderson, he's gonechoos Who is he? I don't know?
You mean he's still so anesthetized. We didn't have to anesthetize.
(04:53):
And the man's injuries and mine are miraculous. There's nothing
really the matter with him, except he said what he
doesn't know? Who he is? Classic uneasier. You mean he
suffered brain damning, absolutely not no evidence of any concussion
(05:13):
or of a somatic injury, no evidence of nerve involvement. Well, then,
then whin easier is a law unto itself, mister Anderson. Psychologically,
if the trauma is severe enough, any individual is capable
of short cicketing his whole mnemonic system and blocking out
something that he does not prefer to remember. If you
(05:35):
had been through the experience of armors to X suffered,
wouldn't you perhaps try to pretend it never happened, for
block out the happening. Okay, but surely he can remember
who he was, why he was on a plane, where
he was headed for a mine. Can't always be that selective.
The man you are interested in doesn't even remember getting
(05:56):
on the plane, where he was going, or why he
was going, you know, or who he was before he did,
or who he is now. Could I ask him a
few questions? Oh, I don't think he's ready for that.
Could I examine whatever effects he had with him when
he was admitted to the hospital? Not very well? What
does that mean? It's say, Anderson. When our patients was
(06:19):
picked out of the Pacific by the helicopter, he was
naked as the day he was born. Any identification you
want to make will have to be strictly for his
birthday suits. We'll have other ways of pinning him down,
of course you will. And second thought, there's no real
reason why you can't see you as to aks. He's
in no physical danger and you can't hurt him as
(06:41):
long as you go easy. I'll go in with you
if you like, but I'm due in o'ren about fifteen minutes.
I appreciate having you there. I think maybe I ought
to check out any little thing he might remember. Hello. Hello,
(07:03):
I'm JP Henderson, Federal Airlines, the airline on which you
were flying when the accident occurred. Do you remember the accident? No? Uh,
I'm sorry to trouble you under the circumstances, but well,
(07:27):
it's an unusual state of affairs. As I said, I'm
JP Henderson. May I ask your name? You can ask it.
I I can normally give you the same answers I
give the doctors. I don't know, I see, and you
don't remember anything about the accident, Not a thing, mister Henderson.
(07:53):
I don't remember anything until the moment I woke up
in this hospital bed. I think this gentleman have his rest.
Of course, I'm sorry to have bothered you, mister sir.
The person who bothers me most is me doctor. Yes,
(08:14):
supposing I don't remember who I am after a good
night's rest. Oh, it may take a little time, but
you will. No. No, supposing I still don't. How do
I find out? Well, I'm sure I, or rather the
airline can render that service. How at the moment does
my patient I suggest that you just relax and allow
(08:37):
nature to restore your memory. Thanks for the kind words.
I don't know how much they help. How soon can
I get out of here? It is a hurry. I
don't know. I just have this. I don't like to
be sick or dealt with as a patient. You are particular.
(09:00):
I wouldn't like it anymore than you. But let's face facts.
If I released you, where would you go? I I
I guess I don't know, Yes, for sure, I got
all the reports found him on my death soon as
I got back in the hospital. Good girl. Who I
(09:25):
don't know it? Oh FBI, Yeah, I've been expecting they
nose into it. Sentiment one headache. It's another from mister Gumman.
Come I in a thanks PI, my credentials. HM, very impressive.
(09:48):
Well I'll just look around at the moment, they might guess.
Speaking of which, I'll for you something to drink. I
never drink on the job. H What can I do
for you? He got a plane down? How come one
in a million coincidents? Mechanical failure and the atmospheric conditions
(10:13):
beyond our control. You see, No, the pilot. You can
listen to the tapes. I had him right here. We
will luish. How can you be sure there was no
foul plane communications until the moment he ditched the plane.
(10:34):
The pilot was in touch by radio with the tower.
Why they ditched at thirty three thousand feet There was
a rupture in the fuselage. We can't account for that.
Cabin pressure was dropping so rapidly that the pilot brought
the plane down and the steep dive to an altitude
where the passengers could breathe normally. But at ten thousand
(10:55):
as he started the level off, he hit a freak
situation sky jack, I'm sabot. Oh no, no, a phenomenon
known as clear air turbulence under normal conditions. If he
hadn't been at the decline ratio he was posed in,
he could have handled a plane, but a huge down
draft forced him the ditch on the water wave. Heights
(11:17):
were six to eight feet. The plane broke up. No survivors,
only one. Watch his name. I've just come to the hospital.
He couldn't tell me he injured that bad. No, he
has some bruises possible cracked ribs, some slight facial abrasion.
(11:39):
Otherwise he's fully conscious except for one thing. What he
can't remember his name. Come on, I'm perfectly serious. He
doesn't know who he is or anything that happened up
until the moment he came into the hospital. He has amnesia. Yeah,
where that can be handled. We got his name. It
(12:01):
won't be necessary. I'll come. We've got people up all
night checking on the passenger list. His name is Theodore
Mason Williams, address seventeen o six one, Parthenia. He say
he hasn't been completely accounted for. I mean to check
(12:23):
his home. I was just about to try again when
you arrive. His phone hasn't been answering anyone. Who should.
He's married. We believe he has a wife or had.
What does that mean? How come he was traveling alone
while he he might have been on business of some
(12:45):
sort of some sort. Fuck, I'm only checking this like
maybe there was some federal problem. I still don't know
the reasons. But during my profession, as many years as
I've been you get a long nose? What does that mean?
Something smells funny? If I was you, I'd start digging
(13:10):
up that wife fast get the local police in on it.
I mean, this thing has had a lot of publicity papers, TV,
radio and all. How come missus Williams hasn't been on
the pipe or worried about her hobby? Eh, maybe you're
really gonna have to dig her up. I don't follow
(13:33):
you put it out together, mister Anderson. Guy on a
long trip to Hawaii. Little woman left behind big plane crash,
looks like everyone bought it, and her wife doesn't even
check in to see if her hobby did too. On
top of that, hobby turns up alive in a hospital.
(13:55):
Only he claims he don't know who he is. That
wouldn't you figure there was something screwy going on here?
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Well?
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Would you? Or are you scarcely as cynical as mister
Roscoe Drummond of the FBI. Do you really believe that
mister Theodore Williams has that sometimes most convenient of disorders, amnesia?
And if he hasn't, why should he fake it? Most
intriguing and chilling of all is finding missus Williams. I
(14:34):
shall return shortly for that too. Some hours have passed
while mister J. P. Henderson of Federal Airlines has been
busy holding off the press, meeting with the CAAB and
(14:55):
other agencies automatically involved in a major disaster, instigating constant
phone checks on missus Williams, all unanswered, and finally calling
in the city police. Meanwhile, at the hospital, doctor Malcolm
Sedgefield is patiently trying to bring the survivor out of
his lost word by cautious and gentle free association. You
(15:16):
don't remember before the crash, no doubt all the crush itself. No,
or being in the water struggling to keep a cloat
he taking off your clothes so you can swim awfully. No,
are the helicopter winking on? Oh? Come on, this is
just a waste of time. I don't remember anything, even
my own name for Pete saying all right, all right now,
(15:38):
let's just take it easy. Why don't we try some
indirect questions. I'm just going to shoot some words at you.
All I ask you to do is to react without
thinking refactors. All, yeah, yeah, I know what free association is.
Just answer the first thing that comes into your head. Yeah, crash, Uh,
(16:05):
plan we cold black white winter, summer, wife, husband, mother, father, him? Uh?
The title first man, second name, second name, family, hop son, son, father, fathers.
I am David, David who I don't know? Rain, umbrella,
(16:31):
I'm brother dry drive warm dead woman? Wife woman? Her name? Missus?
Whose name the woman? I don't know what you're talking about?
Your wife? What wife? You were going to tell me
her name? What name? I don't know what you mean. Look, look, doctor,
(16:52):
I've had enough of this. There's nothing wrong with me
except I can't remember some things. Okay, I've been that
way after a hangover. I want I want to get
out of here now. I'm afraid we can't let you go. Yeah, guy,
what if you got on me? We haven't got anything
on you. But you are the results of a major
accident that killed everyone but you, so naturally we have
(17:16):
to keep you under medical observation, through our observation. Okay, okay,
but I don't have to be in this hospital. I
want out. Where would you go? I don't know about? Well,
a hotel, a motel? It were my clothing things? You see,
that's the whole point. You haven't any clothes or things,
(17:36):
which you mean you found me naked, no clothes, no money,
did no wallet or it's something when the helicopter pick
you up you were stripped to the bus, So let's
be practical. If we were to let you go, where
would you go without clothes, money, or or any identity?
(17:57):
You mean, honestly that nobody has the slightest idea who
I am? Well, not exactly. The airline has checked out
the ticket reservations and established who was on board, so
by the process of prelimination, they're now pretty sure who
you must be. Who I'd hope the name would come
(18:18):
from you about all right? Does the name Theodore Nathan
Williams strike a chord? Uh? Should it? It appears to
be your name? How do you know? How can you
prove it? Because you if uh, if, mister Williams is
(18:42):
who you are. You have a wife, and just as
soon as the police find her, we'll bring her in
to identify your police Why the police at the moment
nobody has been able to find your wife. She appears
to be missing.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Mm.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Yes, doctor Pittsfield olic Anders.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
And I've just come from questioning our mystery patient and
running the most basic of psychiatric tests on him, and I'm.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Afraid I didn't do it much.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
He still has NSIAT. Yes, apparently he still hasn't said
his name or who he is.
Speaker 6 (19:19):
No, I must say, it seems to me you and
your end could provide the answer to those questions more
easily by having his wife, if if he is, his
wife identify him for sure.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Of course, trouble is, we haven't yet found the lady
in question.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
Oh and then perhaps the police should be called in.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
They already have doctor Setfield. Detective Lieutenant Dominic Khalesi is
with me. Now he has a what do they call
it again, Lieutenant app who points booth, Yes and APB
for missus Williams right now. He expects to find her soon.
And excuse me just a minute. Oh, Lieutenant Colice would
like to talk to you for a moment. Doctor I thinks,
(20:00):
what is handling the such field that does such feel?
Speaker 5 (20:05):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Speaking, Yeah, this theory is detective lyudentical, easy city police.
I want to ask you a favorite doctor.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
Oh, of course, any way I can help.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Well, I'd like to send over a police photographer to
take a shoddy of patient. There any reason why not?
Speaker 6 (20:20):
Oh, I don't picture, as far as the hospitals concerned me,
because we don't want to excite the patient.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Oh no, no, no, no, we won't disturb in, Doc,
no flash, no light. He don't even have to know
his pictures being taken.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
I don't think the hospital could go along with that.
I mean, isn't that invasion of privacy?
Speaker 5 (20:39):
After all, we have been.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Keeping the press out at his request. Well, oh, but
I have the feeling that the feeling. Let's write on facts, Doc.
I'll send you over a photographer, a fingerprint man, and
you check out your patients. See if he's got any objection.
I hope he has. We'll take it from there. Okay,
well I suppose I have no objection.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
We'll do it your way of count.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
No, sir, No, sir, Doctor Setsko, absolutely not one. Now
it's only a picture. I'm sure if the lieutenant wanted to,
he could get a court order. No, it isn't only
a picture. It's it's fingerprints. I don't want my fingerprints taken.
But there's no criminal suggestion. It's only to try to
identify you. I thought you said you'd turned up a
wife of mine or someone you said with my wife.
(21:32):
But it's got to be your wife, since this Missus
Williams had a husband traveling on the plane, and you're
the only man on the plane who hasn't been fully
accounted for. So who else could you be? I tell you,
I don't know. Don't you see? Even though your wife
is missing for the moment, the picture of you on
the papers could be recognized by someone else in your family,
(21:53):
or among your friends, or your fingerprints.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Family.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Yeah, wait, where do you expect to find us? And
the police fire? Missus Williams is married to a man
in the diamond business. As Lieutenant Calesy suggested, it's reasonable
to suppose he may have been issued to have done
permit in which canis thing? No, No, Now, all I
want to do is to be let alone. If you
(22:19):
find I have a wife, let it come and identify me. Now,
get out, get out of here. Lieutenants, Oh, Doc, you
get anywhere with a guy?
Speaker 5 (22:37):
I try not?
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Or what he's scared of?
Speaker 5 (22:42):
A lieutenant? I can only answer you in general terms.
Speaker 6 (22:46):
See, it's a tremendous shock to the nervous system for.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Anyone to find out that suddenly his whole life.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Is a black Yeah, if it is, Doc, how do
we know this isn't just an act?
Speaker 5 (22:59):
We don't We just wait. If it is, he'll make
a ship.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
So okay, Doc, we won't shake him up yet. Anyhow,
what I'm looking for is another court order. I want
into the Williams house. I got a hunch between my
shoulder blades. Talks to me as loud as my nions.
That FBI guy was right. Missus Williams is home all
(23:26):
the time, and she's got a real good reason for
not answering the phone because she can't talk. And you
know why she can't Why because I think she's dead.
That's why I'm not sure that I ought to be here.
(23:53):
Lieutenant's perfectly legal, Miss Anderson, I have a court order
demitting me to add it on horse in the eyes
of the police. You have a reason to search. But
why me? Uh? I thought you might like to be
in at the death. Hey, uh, it's a bad joke, uller.
Let's say I wanted to give you a break. What
do you mean a break? Well, if I find what
(24:14):
I expect to find, is gonna be back on all
the front pages in the TV. Drag up the whole
crash story, keep it alive now. Uh. I don't like
to see the airlines hurt big or too good a
safety record, but a few things that do go wrong
to stirre up with your records. Look, you seriously think
(24:34):
that this man murdered his wife and got caught by
the incredible accident of our plane going down. It's right,
it's amnesia. Jazz is just to cover up. Well, uh
maybe soon will be worse, just to cover up. It
doesn't make sense, lieutenant, Why Hawaii hit me murdered it?
(24:58):
Why not Mexico? Somep about like eure Rope anywhere? Out
of the safe because I'll let you in on a
little something the Hawaii police filled us in on. Mister
Theodore Mason Williams was booked into the Hanolulu Chego. He
had an appointment with some buyers a day after the
flight landed to fell a little packet of diamonds he
(25:18):
was bringing with him, valued and pretty close to a
quarter of a million bucks, and the payoff had been
set up a week in advance, and the condition was
the money was to be in cold, hard cash, not
a bad little getaway staker. Okay, boys, I guess that's it,
(25:45):
hey girl, blank, go on, you can all get back
to regular duty. Bonnie, you wait for me in the car.
So which as if our boy isn't shaking after all?
I don't know, Well, I know as I sure faked
myself out. What are you doing? Just rubbing some bluster
(26:06):
or something off your sleeve. I was sure i'd find
her body in his house, of course, because don't to
somewhere else, maybe even buried her in the garden. You're
still convinced that Missus Williams is dead. When there's a
homicide around, I can smell it every time. Plus one
(26:27):
little new gleam of I want to know who as key?
It's okay, I'll handle it. Now, Wait a minute, who
are you?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
But I think it's more to the point for me
to ask that question. I'm missus Stodore Williams, and I'd
like to know just what the devil you're doing in
my house.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Now that's a shocker, isn't it. A woman consigned to
death by a seasoned detective who turns up as large
as life, a whole theory to fit in a sort
of set of facts blown to dust, and in the
wake of it, the same old problem that is facis
since the beginning. Who is the lone survivor? And is
(27:10):
Missus Williams the one who can give him back his identity?
I shall return shortly with that three. Now let us
return to the three people. Let's ago mister Henderson, official
of Federal Airlines, embarrassed beyond belief, Lieutenant dom Kalisi for
(27:36):
once in his life caught off guard. And the attractive, tall,
willowy woman who has entered trailing with her an aura
of sense and sensuality, all heightened by her barely controlled rage.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
I'll say it again, just want the devil right of
you in my house. Which one of you is, Detective
Lieutenant Khalasi that's me, huh, and this other man Williams.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
With my apologies, I'm J. P. Henderson from Federal Airlines, so.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
The police there might be some excuse but for you,
And how did you get in, Lieutenant perfectly.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
When Missus Williams, I had at court order to search
supremacy to.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Rant back my house, rumming through all my part of possession.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Not exactly as you can see, Missus Williams. The police
search was limited to one thing.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
For the purpose of ascertaining whether or not police suspicions
a person, A person deceased.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Maybe what the.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Suit person who did.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
You think was dead?
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Well?
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Begging your pardon you, Missus Williams, me, you have been
missing for almost three days.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
How do you know that?
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Well, in the course of the investigation, Actually what investigation,
let let me handle is mister IMSIs Williams, did your
husband catch a Federal Airlines flight for Hawaii the day
before yesterday?
Speaker 2 (29:05):
What business is that of yours?
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Missus Williams. You know you don't have to answer my questions.
You know you're rights. But it seems harmless enough.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
All right, If it's so important, there's no way I
can deny it. I mean I saw him off, headed
for the plane and a business appointment in Honolulu. I
suppose he took the plane. I didn't actually see him
board it. Oh please, won't you tell me what this
is all about?
Speaker 1 (29:37):
In my capacity as an officer of Federal Airlines. Missus Williams,
I think you have every right to a full explanation now. First,
but p're assure you your husband is perfectly safe, the
man we assume to be your husband.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Hi, I just don't understand.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Of course you don't obviously, all right, have you read
a newspaper in the last three days, listened to TV
or radio? No.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
We have a little summer cabin. I wanted to get
ready on the peninsula. I drove down to put it
in shape. While Ted was off in Hawaii on business.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
There was a lot to be done.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
He's off season, so I didn't see any friends. I
just pulled up, did what had to be done, and
came back here to me.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
My husband. Is he all right? The man we believe
to be your husband is alive and well, he's the
loans survivor, the loans survive. I'm sorry to say that
from a series of events quite beyond any one's control.
It's like eighty six fifty seven, bound for Hawaii was
(30:45):
forced to ditch in the Pacific, about fifty miles off
the shoreline. Oh, in spite of every action that could
have been taken, the plane and all the passengers were
lost except one, your husband, my husband. How do you
know that he We have satisfactory identification on all other
(31:05):
passengers and crews with that one exception.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Why couldn't you identify him directly?
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Your husband has been in the water sometime to make
staying afloat easier. He'd gotten rid of his clothing. There
were no papers to identify him with.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
But why couldn't you just ask him who he was?
Speaker 1 (31:29):
I just s he was alive and well he is.
But unfortunately, although the doctor seemed to believe it's only
a temporary condition, he has amnesia. He couldn't tell us
who he was.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
I see, then, how did you find out?
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Mister Henderson explained that missus William the police got called
in the cross check. Now, your husband wouldn't allow us
to take a picture of him or a fingerprinted for identification. Oh,
we checked with Honodulu found out your husband was booked
into a hotel there and had a business deal on
the fire. We kept calling you, but there was no answer.
So I read the signals wrong. I thought maybe something
(32:12):
had happened to you. But can I say I'm I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
I just don't say anything. I want both of you
out of my house this minute.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
No, wait a minute. Don't you want to go to
the hospital and see your husband.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I can manage to get there by myself.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Well, we'd like to go along a matter of identification.
We'd just like to be sure that he is your husband.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
I don't need you to recognize my own husband.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
I know, it's just that we need you. Well, wait,
wait a minute, I'll tell you what. You got a
picture of your husband here we could use for identification.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Right, No, no, is he ted de spies? How the
picture take him? Anytime I did take one, he would
tear it up.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Now, will you please leave, missus Henderson. If I was
here your position, I'd want to see my husband as
fast as possible as do it is. I have a
visitor for you, who doctor says to let you see
(33:15):
for yourself your wife. All right, I don't get exacted.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I don't worry about me that picture. Worry about that
poor man.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
I never saw him before in my life.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
But it's impossible, Lieutenant. If he isn't her husband, who
else can he be? I knew my hunts couldn't be
all that wrong. Now I see the whole thing. The
dame is lying all the way you mean the man
in my hospital room is Theodore Williams him? No, I
don't know who he is. We'll catch up with him.
(34:02):
I knew before we even got to the hospital he
wasn't her husband. Oh well, she said her husband doesn't
like photographs, right, yes, So how comes suddenly in the
fireplace of the study I find the ashes of some
photograph albums and some old frames run away in the basement,
but still hanging on the wall of the upstairs hall.
There's a picture of the babe with a guy, and
(34:23):
on the back of it says Jackie and Me Summer
nineteen seventy five to my dear wife from Ted and
the man in it. The guy nothing here know there
except you couldn't mistake him for your patient. You know what?
The big question is? I am afraid what right? So much?
(34:45):
Who's in that hospital room? It's like in that TV show.
Well the real mister Williams, please stand up, let me
ask you a question. Just what do you suppose has
happened to him? The detective was verna coal easy doctor
(35:10):
search mee in center hospital. Oh yeah, sure, God that
has your patience, he come to.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
I wish that was what I had to report to Lie.
I'm afraid I have some bad news for you.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
What they make coups for is so there's some place
to tell it. What's wrong?
Speaker 5 (35:26):
Well tell it. I don't know how it happened.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
Someone was termless enough to leave a pile of clean
orderly uniforms in.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
His crew Well if you know in.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Mister X's room, Well, hYP did a thing like that happened?
Speaker 5 (35:38):
Don't know?
Speaker 6 (35:39):
Some orderly was bringing them up from quandry and stopped
in there. And I don't know how it happened, but
I must say that your police.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
Guard wasn't on the ball either. He left the door.
Speaker 6 (35:50):
On guard and to get coffee, and mister X put
on one of the orderly suits and has simply disappeared.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Oh I like that. Now that we've stopped riding around
like maniacs, maybe he'll explain to me what's going on
at ten I's oh sure, let's just pull over, find
a nice spot where the receptions could about one hundred
(36:18):
yards after the next crossroad. Bonnie on the right, yell
off the road under the trees. Look, it's getting dark.
But isn't this on the way of missus Williams's house.
That's right, just a couple of blocks away. Do you
think the man of escape will be making for her house?
I'm counting me will. Otherwise it might make it tougher
for us. I supposing he doesn't. Oh, he's being followed.
(36:41):
He can't get away. He already did from the hospital. Well,
we made that easy for him. We knew the dude
would make the first break he could. The dude you
know who he is? Oh sure, more or less I
don't understand. Well, now, which name would you like, Anny, Dude, Taste,
(37:01):
Bernard takes him or following you task the third, that's
the one he's been using huntil his accident caused a
temporary loss of memory, or any of a long list
of others. Listen, he's got a long record extortion, com games, womanizing, misrepresentation,
grand largely everything. So far with the big m how
(37:24):
did you find out who he is? Look this amniche
that I'm I'm no doctor. I can make a judgment
on that, but give me some facts to add up.
A guy who can't say who is, a woman who
says he's not a husband who was supposed to be
on the plane, and at the same time says she
has no pictures of her husband. Forgetting that the way people,
(37:46):
do you know one little picture hanging up on the
hall stairs. I knew there was something out of whack.
So my guy standing guard just to picks up a glass.
The nurse brings out, We lift the fingerprints. Three hours
later we got to make Benny the Duke. I'm still
(38:07):
completely bewildered. What was he doing on the plane pretending
to be see a a wiiam old no no, no,
not Just look, mister Henderson, here's a guy who's a
lot older than his wife, but he's got plenty of
a long green. He's going to Hawaii with two hundred
and fifty thousand with the diamonds to deal with them
(38:29):
guys who never met him. His wife is bored. She's
been playing around with guess who Bennie the Duke Bernard
this time around? And I suppose they get greedy and
get a notion they could knock off Theodore and take
off with the diamonds. Only how not to get caught.
(38:53):
Bernard plans to go to Hawaii posing his Williams. Only
what does he do sell the diamonds and get the money?
And maybe maybe he plans to check in a hotel,
rough up the room, just disappear and take a plane
back home while the police figure Williams and the diamonds
got hoisted in Honolulu. Eh. I like that more like
(39:19):
Benny's m O. And so that's what we're waiting for now,
Hold it.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
Who is it?
Speaker 5 (39:28):
Take it easy? It's me Bernard?
Speaker 3 (39:31):
What are you doing here?
Speaker 2 (39:33):
How'd you get in?
Speaker 5 (39:34):
Listen?
Speaker 7 (39:35):
Any Dane tries to double cross me? Baby finds out
there's no way you can close me out. Who do
you mean double cross the hospital today? Why didn't you
tell him I was your husband? You could have spun
me too dangerous.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
Too many people who knew ted if we have about
connected and they found ted?
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Were we?
Speaker 2 (39:52):
I mean? I don't want either of us convicted some murder,
you know something.
Speaker 5 (39:55):
Babies, they can only hang in for it. Once it
didn't go as planned, it was also simple.
Speaker 7 (40:02):
Diamond merchant travels to the city of Romance and disappears
overnight with his quarter grand as shinies that I come
back and you and me walk hand in hand into
the sunset with a nice green halo.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Around our heads.
Speaker 5 (40:15):
Oh man, didn't pan out?
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Did you really have a measure?
Speaker 5 (40:19):
Well?
Speaker 7 (40:19):
Yeah at first?
Speaker 5 (40:20):
Then when I came to.
Speaker 7 (40:21):
A lot of their way, was there a play it?
Speaker 5 (40:24):
Except where were you or not?
Speaker 2 (40:27):
I I couldn't stand being in this house knowing he
was rolled up in the basement.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
I I went to the summer camp to hide, and
you came back.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
But now.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Now it's all gone wrong.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
What are we tryna do?
Speaker 7 (40:40):
We ain't gonna do nothing, baby. First thing I did
was make sure the stones was still where they were.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
I got 'em now and.
Speaker 7 (40:48):
I'm taking office.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
What about me?
Speaker 7 (40:50):
The diamonds were all I came back for.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
Baby e.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
No, no, what are you gonna do now? Dead blade?
That goodness, what are you doing? You can't now? Don't worry,
mister Henderson. The house is falling with cops. We were
waiting for Benny to make his return. You arranged the escape,
old yeah, and you planted microphones in the house to
(41:16):
have them convict themselves or correction on that. I wouldn't
know just howbod Mike's got there, you know as well
as I do. That as an evidence can be used
in court, even having you as a witness. Well, why
but we don't want to let these people get away
with it to the week, mister Henderson. I'm not going
(41:36):
to now. I don't got the hard police work to
do digging up enough objective evidence to make a case.
But you and the airlines can help me. Not that
you're no the truth, do you? It's a deal? Oh
tragic irony. All those lives, innocent people, and one man escapes,
(42:02):
the only one who deserves to die, the long survivor
who I think between us we can arrange that. Billy
and missus Williams won't survive all furthlaw an intriguing maze
of twists and turns. Wasn't it ending in the old
(42:24):
old story of lust and greed? But the old axiom
is still true. Man proposes, God disposes. And a sharp
eyed lieutenant who realized that the dust on his shoulder
was fresh plaster, and that one photograph is worth a
thousand words, contributed a worthy assist. I'll be back shortly.
(42:55):
It was John Down, the great English poet, who said it,
no man is an island entire of itself. Any man's
death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind. The
profound philosophy would have escaped a man who lived only
for himself like Benny, or is selfish and unfeeling a
(43:19):
woman as Jackie. Yet the words will serve well enough
for their epitaph. They were found guilty of the murder
of Theodore Williams, so at the last in this tragedy
there were no survivors. Our cast included Russell Horton, Ian
Martin Branner, Raeburn, and Ken Harvey. The entire production was
(43:41):
under the direction of Hymon Brown. Radio Mystery Theater was
sponsored in part by Buick Murderdvillan, Missus E. G. Marshall,
inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another
adventure in the macabre. And furthermore, my fellow colleagues, let me.
Speaker 8 (43:59):
Say that, ladies and gentlemen, we're here in the council chambers.
The councilman has been filibustering, talking for thirty six straight hours.
Speaker 4 (44:06):
There's another point I'd like to make.
Speaker 8 (44:10):
Wait a minute, the councilman is stopped talking and started coughing.
Speaker 9 (44:14):
Just a moment.
Speaker 8 (44:14):
He's reaching in his pocket. He's taking out Vix medicated
cough drops.
Speaker 9 (44:18):
When you talk a little too much, you can get
a dry, irritated throat, but you can get relief from
that raspy feeling with Vixed medicated cough drops. Vix has
a tradition of getting people effective soothing medicated relief for
coughs due to colds as well as dry irritation.
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