777 - Muddy Track

Suspense - (From Dakoda's Tape Collection)

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
A journey into the round of restrainingto get a bay. I hope you
will enjoy the table, that itwill trill you a little and kill you
a little. So settle back,get a good grip on your nerve.
Where are we going? You'll findout when we get there. Well,

(00:29):
greetings, everybody, welcome back tothe show. I am so glad that
you are here. I've got somethinga little bit special for you today,
and that is a play from Suspensethat I actually recorded and digitized off of
tape myself, and I'm really reallyhappy with how the audio quality turned out.

(00:54):
I wish every old time radio playand drama on my podcast sounded this
good. This play has absolutely noaudio degradation that comes with really low quality
m P three's, which are prettymuch how these plays are all across the

(01:15):
internet now. To be fair,this was actually one of those plays that
did a really good job surviving time. It already sounded really good off the
tape deck even before I started cleaningit up, and so I was really
impressed and really amazed with how goodit sounded just playing it off the tape

(01:37):
deck. This is something that I'mgoing to try to start doing more and
that is collecting these old time radioprograms on tapes and vinyl records and digitizing
them myself. I feel like havinga better source file to work with will
help me to do a better jobcleaning them up and giving you better results.

(02:02):
But anyways, I will babble onabout that more another time. Let's
go ahead and get into today's play. If you've been listening to this podcast
for a while, you'll probably recognizethe voice of Johnny Dollar on this play.

(02:23):
Edmund O'Brien is the star in today'sprogram, and he is currently playing
the role of Johnny Dollar on theepisodes that we are currently going through on
the Johnny Dollar Program on the podcast. I'll have a few quick comments to
say about this play after the programtoday, so be sure to stick around
for that if you would like.But for now, let's go ahead and

(02:46):
get into it. Sit back andenjoy from Suspense starring Edmund O'Brien. Muddy
Track, which aired November eleventh ofnineteen forty eight, suspends Auto Light and

(03:19):
it's sixty thousand dealers and service stationsbring you radio's outstanding theater of thrills.
Starting tonight, Mister Edmund O'Brien andmiss Anne Blythe in Anton Leader's production of
Muddy Track, but Tale well calculatedto keep you in suspend. They say

(03:44):
to me, don't be better,Harry, I'm not better. And they
say forget it, Harry. ThatI can't do. I'll never be able
to forget it or her? Howdid it happen? Like practically every important
thing that ever happens to anybody,it just happened. I was in the

(04:05):
bar. See got a match?I said, got a match? Who
me? What's the matter? Girl? Shire? Just match? Shy?
I thought you were talking to thebartender. Yeah, well, I'm glad

(04:25):
we got that straighten out. Whatare you drinking coke at this hour?
Clear me up on something? Angelface? Are we trying to get acquainted
with each other? Cute? I'mbroke, flat busted. Go pick yourself
another target. Have a drink onme. I only take a round when
I can buy one back. I'mnot trading, I'm buying. You could
have fooled me. I repeat,you're cute, Eddie. Give my friend

(04:49):
a bourbon. It's the matter.And playing the nags? You read minds
too simple tracks open. That's agood suit you got on and you've been
nursing that coke for twenty minute.Besides your racing form showing it's pretty good.
Has my future look depends? Whatdo you do for a living?
I am glad you waited for me, Brandy, Aggie, I'd like you

(05:12):
to wait for me. When youdon't wait, it makes me unhappy.
Now there was a guy I wouldn'twant to see unhappy. He was friendly,
all right, but he was overdoingit. Everything about him was too
set, too sharp, clothes,manicure, even his eyes like two blue
marbles. But Aggie, you saidyou wouldn't be here to ten Sure.
Who's this guy? Her name's Clark, Harry Clark. Brandy, go part

(05:34):
of your nose. I okay,Aggie, you don't have to get in
an uproar. I always get.What were you talking to Brandy about?
No kidding? Is that her name? What were you talking about? Leaving
another job? Oh? So you'relooking for a job. Where are you
from? Out of town? Tellme you particular what you do? I

(05:56):
what's the job answering the phone?That can pay much? Five percent of
the take? What take? I'mAugie Persian. I run the books in
this town, and I've got anew setup for you if you want it.
A booky Eh, it's a newone for me. I don't know,
I say, why would you wantto give me a job? You

(06:17):
want this job or don't you?Well, since you put it that way,
Persian, we're in business, Eddie. A couple of more drinks where
you're drinking bourbon. On second thought, I think I'll switch to brandy.
Not a good idea, Brandy loversdie young. I'll take that chance.

(06:39):
You've got a lot of new arrangeyou and that's all I've got. I'm
flat broke. How do you feelabout advances? I don't mind them at
all, so long as you keepthem in cash. I should have walked
out then it was too easy,but I couldn't kick too much. I
had twenty five of Persian's box inmy pockets. A pick me up in

(07:00):
the morning. Like he said,it was punctual. At ten thirty am,
sharp, a big black Satan pulledup in front of my rooming house.
Persian was all smiles as we droveacross town or a small apartment house.
He took me up to the thirdfloor to apartment three B, opened
the door and handed me the key. Well, this is where you work.

(07:24):
Here's the scratch sheets, and there'sthe phone. Nice place, by
the way. Who's eleanor Grayson?Why well that's the name over the bell.
Or if she lives in this apartment? Do you know you're using the
place you just answered the phone?Yeah, but I suppose you came here.
Look you get here at eleven andpull out at four. She'll never
see you. That's the way Iwanted all the time. Understand But how

(07:44):
he thinks brand the users the apartment? Does she you're too nosy and you
talk too much? Is that advice? Yeah, let's call it that the
boys have passed the word around aboutthe new phone. You ought to be
getting action pretty quick, right up. All the bet you take, I'll
call you up from time to timewith the results so long. It was

(08:05):
one of those small apartments with apull down bed, but it was kind
of nice. The sun came inat the windows of the living room.
I had it in mind to explorethe kitchen for a cup of coffee,
but Persian was right. The wordhad got around. Hello, this is
j K. Give me five winfive show on Oatmeal and the third at
Pimlico. Five win five show oatmeal. Okay, j K. By the

(08:30):
way, how's the track there?Uh, let's see Pimlico raining but still
fast? Okay, thanks. Iwas in business. I still had the
coffee on my mind, but Ihad something else on my mind too,
the picture of a girl smiling atme alongside the telephone. It was good
to have company, even if itwas only a picture frame, because I

(08:52):
was beginning to develop a queer,creepy feeling. And again I thought maybe
I ought to get out, butthey kept me too busy. It was
almost one o'clock and I still hadn'thad that cup of coffee. The phone
kept ringing, and the girl inthe picture kept smiling. I felt kind

(09:13):
of cold all of a sudden,maybe because I hadn't eaten all day.
I headed for the kitchen, thinkingthat'd be some eggs at least maybe some
bacon. It was one of thoseswinging doors to the kitchen. I pushed
it open. She was lying atthe end of the kitchen, near the
sink, all lumped up, herblonde hair matted with blood. I grabbed

(09:37):
the stove to keep my legs frombuckling. I was glad I hadn't eaten,
but I turned her over just thesame. It was Brandy. She
was dead. So that's why AlgiePersian hired me, and I'd called him
a sucker for suspense. Autolight isbringing you Edmund O'Brien and Anne Blythe in

(10:11):
Radio's outstanding Theater of Thrills, Suspends, And now Autolight brings back to our
Hollywood sound stage, mister Edmund O'Brienas Harry and miss Anne Blythe as Eleanor

(10:35):
in Muddy Track, But tale wellcalculated to keep you in Suspends. Brandy

(10:56):
looked a whole lot different than shehad last night. Her mass kara had
mixed with tears and her face wasbruised. Somebody had given her the backhand
treatment and had all the earmarks ofa fine Persian hand. But the thing
that had put her out of circulationwas a blow on the back of her
head. So Augie Persian had fittedme out for a murder rap. That's

(11:20):
why he was so anxious to hirea guy. He didn't know anything about
the doorbell. How could that be? I looked around. There was three
floors up, no fire escape,no back door. All I could do
was hope they'd go away too late. Oh oh, I didn't think anybody

(11:45):
was here. What do you want? Well, this is the day I
clean up and changed. Not nowyou can let it go into Lamara and
I don't usually come here tomorrow.I said, let it go? Why
who? Never mind? Never mind, he's a he's a dollar for your
trouble. Oh, thank you,But I don't think I should take make
it next week. I had toforce myself to wait there till I could

(12:11):
be sure she'd gone away to cleananother apartment. Finally I let myself out
carefully. It was good to getout on the street again. People kids,
Somewhere, somebody laughed. If Ihurried, I had a fair chance
of getting out of town. Icould keep out of Persian's way. I

(12:33):
walked all the way to my roominghouse. When I thought had stopped me
cold, I'd lift them all overthe place. I started back on the
double, ran all three flights upto the apartment, opened the door with
a key. Persion had given mefingerprints. I had to get rid of

(12:54):
them all. I picked up thephone, wiped it clean the kitchen.
I tried to keep my eyes awayfrom her, but I couldn't help it.
She looked so pitiful. They're onthe floor. And then I noticed
something clutched in her hand, apasteboard. I carefully forced a hand open.

(13:18):
There was a pawn ticket. Iput it in my pocket and started
to get up. Was the girlin the picture. She was leaning against
the kitchen door, A face whitewith shock. She did, yes,
who are you? What are youdoing here? How did you get in
this apartment? I live here andyou're eleanor Grayson? Yes, who are

(13:43):
you? I'll ask the questions.Come on, I'm a detective. Let's
get out of here. I heardher out of the apartment. She thought
I was taking her down to thestation, but I steered her into a
chop suey joint. I ordered sometea for her. She looked like she
was going to faint. She drankit feel better. Oh, yes,

(14:07):
yes, thank you. I'm sorryto be such a bother. I guess
it was quite a shock. No, no, not really, what do
you mean? Brandy was a strangegirl, always getting into trouble, always
getting mixed up with the wrong sortof men who've known her long. Oh
my life, we're from the sametime, came here together, shared the

(14:31):
apartment for a while. She workedon the elevator next to mine in the
Broadway building. But she hated it. And then one day a photographer rode
in her car, and the nextday she was a model. That's when
she took the name of Brandy.Her real name is Evangeline. She had
the face of a madonna. ButI know I met her. Looked like

(14:52):
uptown, talked like downtown. Thatmust be Yeah, I take it easy,
Take it easy. Tell me whatwas she doing in your apartment today?
She paid half the rent? Well, she said she needed to use
the phone for modeling appointments. ButI never really believe that I needed the

(15:13):
money. I shouldn't have let herknow. I'll get into trouble. She
was killed in my apartment, notThey blame it on the me. Look,
look, why don't you go awayand stay with a friend. You're
in no shape to go back there. You're very understanding for a policeman.
You'd be surprised about us, policeman. You'll help me, Well, I'll

(15:35):
do what I can. You promise, yeah, sure, sure, don't
bank on it too much, buteverything I can there's a lousy trick,
a lie toor like that poor kid, she'd be all right and I needed
time. That siren meant that thechase had started. Was my skin I
had to worry about. I puther on a street car and I headed

(15:58):
in the opposite direction on another one. I had to transfer twice to reach
the spot. I was bound forthe safest way to get out of town.
About an hour later, and adiner on the outskirts of town,
I found my boy. Yeah,i'll give you a ride, Mac,
but I ain't high balling out tillmidnight, and I can't pick you up
here. Insurance spot is around nowhere. Fremont turns into Kelso by one O

(16:18):
one. Yeah, yeah, i'llfind it. We'll look be there by
the signal a little after twelve.I'll pick you up. I went back
to my rooming house to get mystuff. My rent was paid. I
wouldn't have to see anybody. I'dsure be glad to get out of this
town. He made me lose abet. Clark. He was a fat

(16:42):
man. He was holding a cigar. He put the cigar in his mouth,
and I was conscious of dimples,three of them, one on his
chin, one in each cheek.I had never seen him before. Yeah,
I bet you wouldn't be hool enoughto come back here. What do
you want? I'm contended day.I hardly ever want nothing, but Aggie

(17:06):
does. Aggie persian. He wantsto see you Bed. I didn't say
anything. I didn't have any wordsto argue with a gun he pressed against
me. As we went down thestairs. There was a car about halfway
down the block, a big blacksedan. I knew that once I got

(17:30):
into that car, the chances whereI wouldn't climb out again. So I
made it run for it. Duckedinto an alley to be a fucker clock.
I hid behind the bows of achimney. As he came around,
I let him have it, Ohit right. List time he went down,
I got paper sack filled with water. He just sat there and grinned,
holding onto his belly, sucking inair like an asthmatic. I ran

(17:53):
to the other end of the alleyand rolled my first seven. When I
hit a bus sign advertising beds halfa buck a throw. This would be
my hideout until eleven thirty, whenI'd catch my truck ry. I hit
the pillow shut my eyes. WhenI woke up, the sun was coming

(18:25):
through the dirty windows. There weretwo old men talking close by your sherry.
You don't catch me even down withthat dragnet. The cops gotch bread.
What time is it about seven o'clock? Seven o'clock in the morning,
would then eat the moon shining outthere. I'd lost my chance to get

(18:49):
out of town. But what wasworse dragnet? He said, I had
to find out. I dashed outonto the street to buy a paper,
and then I discovered it. Iwas cleaning. Somebody in the flophouse had
rolled me. I didn't have apenny, and the newsboy hollering his head
off about mysterious man sort and modelskilling. I couldn't afford to float around

(19:11):
town with no dough. I couldn'tafford the chance of ending up in a
police lineup, and I certainly couldn'tafford to let Persian get his hooks into
me. There was only one otherperson I knew I had to risk seeing
her. I made my way tothe center of town. I went through
an arcade into the Broadway building andwatched the elevators. She was running,

(19:34):
the second one from the right.I went up to the top floor on
one of the others and got offand waited. When her car registered near
the top and nobody was in thehall. I pressed the button to signal
down plays. I've got to talkto you. You're not a detective.

(19:57):
He didn't fool me for long.I'm sorry about that. But did you
kill her? Why would I wantto kill her? I just met her
last night in a bar, butyou were in the apartment leaning over.
I know. I know it looksbad, but you gotta believe me.
That's the start of thing. Well, I have to go. Please.
Wait wait, I haven't got anybodyto turn to but you. They're looking
for you. I know. Thecleaning woman told I wouldn't want you to

(20:18):
think that I I'll lose my job. Please please, police have been in
the building all day. You'll getcaught here. You gotta believe me.
I didn't kill Brandy. I've gotto go. Please, they'll catch you.
Look, I'm broke. I haven'tgot a nickel yet. You gotta
help me. I gotta talk toyou. Here's a dollar. I'll try
to get you more later. Iget off work at six. Meet me

(20:41):
at the Chinese restaurant where you tookme yesterday. Okay, thanks. The
buck was crumpled and my fist tillI got out of the building, and
I stuck it in my pocket anddiscovered a little piece of paper and got
there first. It was the poemticket, the ticket I had taken out
of Brandy's hand when I found herin the kitchen of the apartment. Might

(21:03):
be nothing, it might be somethingI had to find out. Hey,
Bud, are you talking to me? Yeah? Can you tell me where
the ACTMEA porn shop is? Sure? Right down the block? Then?
Oh thanks, hey, mister,Not that way, the other way?

(21:25):
The other way. I knew whichway I was going, all right,
because in front of that porn shop, I'd seen a long black car,
and sitting behind the wheel was OrgiePersian. I spent the next two hours
in a movie, but I don'tknow what the picture was about. The
porn ticket kept bothering me and eleanorshe really on my side? Could I

(21:51):
depend on her? I decided togo to the Chinese restaurant, all right,
but I wouldn't go in. I'dwait a few doors down the street.
If she was on the level,she'd come along. Here. I
am you, said the restaurant.Hi, are you hungry? No,
let's walk. It won't be safeto walk they're looking for. Come on,

(22:12):
we can't stand here. There's thepark across the street. It'll be
dark soon. All right, youlook tired. I am. I'm dead.
Here's a bench. Why don't wesit down? Okay? No,

(22:33):
no, maybe maybe it isn't sucha good idea. Why not well parks?
If at a cops snooping around,maybe we'd better go. Huh No,
No, let's stay. Yeah,sit down. Oh it's nice here.
Quiet, no elevators, no noise, no people. Poor kid,
I forgot. It isn't easy foryou either, is it. I'm worried

(22:56):
about you. What are you goingto do? I don't know. I
don't know if I only had somethingto go on. Wait a minute,
there is something I almost forgot it. What pawn ticket? Pawn ticket?
I found it in Brandy's hand.Let me see. I'm gonna right here.
Kiss me. Huh, there's apoliceman. He's coming this way.

(23:18):
Hurry up and kiss me. Iheld her in a clinch until the CoP's
footsteps disappeared past us, every nervetight as a stretched tendon, and then
suddenly the tightness was gone, andthere was something else in its place.
It had started out as just aprop kiss, just a guy and a

(23:40):
gal on a park bench. Butthat wasn't what it turned into, Eleanor,
Harry, I didn't notice it before. You're beautiful. Hurry all day.
I've been running and running now thirtyseconds ago I started to slow up.

(24:03):
I know there isn't much time,Harry. Please let me see the
pawn ticket. Sure, honey,got it right here. What's the matter?
That car? Where big black Sadan? Look they just stopped without lights,
Persian's car. Persian? But howdid they know where I was?
Harry, Harry, give me thepawn ticket. We got to get away

(24:25):
from here. Eleanor. Come on, no wait, come on, don't
be silly. Come on, hurry, stop, stop. What are you
doing with that guy? Never mind? Just hand over the pawn ticket.
Why are you so anxious to haveit? What's this all about? Don't
ask questions. Just give me theticket, all right, Eleanor, put

(24:45):
down the gun I'll give it toyou. No tricks now, oh course,
not, no tricks. Don't moveClark. This is a gonna got
to see if she's dead, Temples, Okay, oggie, we were fighting

(25:07):
for the gunnet? What all fight? I don't understand why you never trust
that Dame Clark? Any, DameEleanor told us you'd be here in the
Chinese restaurant or the park. Shecalled me? Why she called you?
She ain't dead, oggie, whatshe ain't gonna live very long? It

(25:30):
looks like crime doesn't pay. Elenor, h don't kill him? Person me
Killerry? Oh no, Helenor.You were the target for tonight me.
Yeah, but you saved me thetrouble persian. You're crazy, You're you're
crazy. Nah, you are Clarkfor trusting her. Why don't you tell

(25:55):
him, Elenor, tell him whyyou killed Brandy? You've been hacking hers,
her jewelry. How she finally caughtup with you? I didn't mean
the killer. She found a pawnticket, threatened to have me arrested.
She slapped me and we had afight. She fell and hit her head

(26:17):
on the sink. I didn't knowwhat to do, ran away, and
just then a perfect fall guy turnedup, friend Harry here. That's that's
why she needed this pawn ticket.What poond thing? This one? Well,
this ties it all up. Shehad to have this, even if

(26:40):
I had fallen for her double crossand rubbed you out this ticket would still
point to her. Harry, whateleanor tell me Hi, I didn't want
to if only we'd met before.I well, that apartment is now available

(27:07):
for new tenants. We better beatit. Aggie. Hey, hey,
come on, Harry. You knowI tried to catch up to you all
day to give you a protection.Shut up here, I know, kid,
I know I had a girl too. Leave me alone. Now look,
kid, leave me alone. Isaid, shut up, shut up.

(27:41):
Thank you Edmond O'Brien and a Blythefor a splendid performance. Mister O'Brien
and miss Blythe will be back injust a moment. And now here again
is mister Redmond O'Brien. I'd liketo say, Ran Blythe and myself,
that has been a pleasure to appearon Suspense tonight. That's right, Eddie,

(28:04):
And next week we'll be listening toone of the most famous of all
suspense shows, Agnes moorehead in SorryWrong Number and that is really tops in
suspend Ann Blythe appeared through the courtesyof Universal International and can now be seen
in Mister Peabody and the Mermaid releasedby Universal International. Edmund O'Brien may soon

(28:27):
be seen in Warner Brothers Technicolor productionFighter Squadron. Tonight's Suspense play was written
by Bob Shelley and Buckley Angel,with music composed by Lucian more Awake and
conducted by Lud Bluskin. The entireproduction was under the direction of Anton M.
Leader. In the coming weeks,Suspense will present such stars as Ronald
Coleman, rosalind Russell, James Cagney, Margaret O'Brien, Claude Rains, and

(28:49):
Peter Laurie. Make it a boyto listen each Thursday to Suspense Radio's outstanding
theater of thrills, And next Thursday, same time. Here Agnes Moore head
and sorry, wrong number. Allright, everybody, welcome back. Hope

(29:18):
you enjoyed that. You know,I'm so used to hearing Edmund O'Brien as
Johnny Dollar that when I was listeningto this play and working on it,
I kept thinking that this was aJohnny Dollar episode hearing his voice. But
I really liked this play. Itwas a good, solid play. I
thought. At the beginning, wesee that it looks like Harry has been

(29:44):
set up by Auggie Persian to takethe fall for Brandy's death and of course,
Harry tries to run, but thenremembers that he's left his fingerprints there
in the room in the apartment,so he comes back, but he's caught
by Eleanor. And as we progressedthroughout the play, Harry is thinking the

(30:07):
whole time that Aggy Persian is afterhim, and that Aggy Persian is the
one that killed Brandy. But thereat the end we have the twist,
which suspense was so famous for.Almost always have a twist there at the
end where the person that was leastexpected to have killed the victim turns out

(30:30):
to be the killer, and thatis Eleanor, of course, although in
her defense it was an accident thatBrandy got killed in the fight. We
had a little bit of a lovething going on there. Unfortunately, not
a happy ending, and so there'sno happy ending here for the main character

(30:56):
or for the perpetrator of the crime. They kind of just leave it at
that, all right. Well,thank you so much for listening. As
always, you can send your thoughtsand comments to otr msh at gmail dot
com. Check out my other twopodcasts, Old Time Radio Comedy and Superman

(31:18):
Radio and I will catch you guyslater. Have a good weekend,