This is WBBM Chicago news radio 78 the CBS radio
mystery theater presents Come in I'm E .G. Marshall.
Welcome to the terrifying world of your own imagination.
There are many fearful places that surround us.
Ancient houses where ancient whispers never die
out. Evil lands where the light of reason vanishes.
But the most horrifying of all... lies deep inside
of us. Few of us dare look into our minds and
hearts and souls. And when we do, we find it
more than we can bear. This is essentially what
happens in this tale of Joseph Cumpartino, a
young man who looked into the souls of others
only to find destruction. I don't need your help,
Father. I think you do. You told me how much
you loved our Savior. and Saint Joseph. You're
not appealing to them now, are you? I don't know
what you mean. Yes, you do. The incense, the
magic circle on the floor, the cabalistic figures.
You're reaching for the hand? What if I am? What
good did my piety do? I lost my parents, then
Effie. Perhaps I'll get some help now. From Satan?
You don't want his help. He doesn't share. He
possesses. I want revenge, Father. I want to
see the man who killed Effie suffer as I am.
I want to see him in the same kind of torture.
He is, Joe. Believe me, he is in torture. Our
mystery drama, The Horror Within, was written
especially for the mystery theater by Milt Wisoff
and stars Don Scardino. It is sponsored in part
by the Kellogg Company, makers of Kellogg's Special
K Cereal, and by Anheuser -Busch Incorporated,
Brewers of Budweiser. I'll be back shortly with
Act One. It has been said that a journey of a
thousand miles starts with a single step. In
our weird tale, the journey of a thousand horrors
starts in the light of day in a most prosaic
fashion. Joe Campertino, who has been orphaned,
is on his way to visit his uncle in the city.
He waits in a diner for a truck driver to finish
his meal. Have something to eat, Joe? I'm not
hungry. Well, how about a sandwich or some soup?
Hey, it's chowder, it's nice and thick. No, Effie,
I don't want any. I've got to save the little
money I have. It's a long trip. Oh, I wish I
were going to. Any place is better than this.
Oh, it's not a bad town, Joe. The people don't
mean any harm. Oh, sure, they don't mean any
harm. Calling me a nut all the time, making fun
of me. Oh, now relax, Joe. You're getting...
excited again. Yeah, I guess you're right. They're
not worth it. I wish you were coming along. What
would your uncle say? I don't know. I only saw
Uncle Pietro once when I was a kid. He came to
visit. Oh, hey, look, Joe, that truck driver
is getting ready to leave. Oh, okay, I guess
I better... Yeah, sure. Sure, you better go.
All right, Effie. Yeah. And thanks for getting
me the ride. Get ready, kid. Let's go. There
she is. The pride of the Manchester fleet. Hop
in. How far did you say you were going? Elk City.
Why? My uncle lives there. Well, what about your
folks? Well, they're both, they're both dead.
Oh, hey, I'm sorry. Uh, you gonna stay with your
uncle? I don't know. Sure, you will. Blood's
thicker than water, right? And God makes brothers
of us all. Well, I don't know if I go that far.
Oh, but it's true. God is everything. He creates
life. And takes it away. Don't say that. All
right, come off it, kid. I was just kidding.
I believe in God. Do you really believe in him?
Do you have so much faith that you can feel him
close to you? Oh, well... I do. When I concentrate,
I can almost feel as if I'm one with him. He
makes me see things. Look, kid, maybe you better
get some shut -eye, huh? We got a ways to go
yet. I see things happen halfway across the world.
Wars, plane crashes, floods. They all come true.
Hey, yeah, sure. All right. You want some coffee?
That thermos? No, thanks. This is a fast day
for me. Like my namesake, St. Joseph. It helps
me focus my concentration so I can do what I
want to do. Like what? Move things without touching
them. Hey, you'd be great in my business. You
could offload this truck by yourself. And like
St. Joseph, I can fly. Fly? Yes. The Lord gives
me these powers. Look, dummy. I gave you a ride
against company regulations because I felt sorry
for you. Jenny told me you were a nut, but I
said, what the heck? But I ain't gonna stand
for that kind of talk. I'm a church -going Christian,
and I don't stand for no blasphemy. Get your
butt out of here. You'll regret this. Sure, sure.
Just beat it. Take my advice. See your shrink.
Lord? Make him see the true light. Lead him from
transgression. Thank you, Lord. The door's open.
Who are you? I'm Joseph. Joseph Compartino, Uncle
Pietro. Peter, kid. Pete Compton. Don't you forget
it. What are you doing here? You're the only
one I have left. What? Papa, he's dead. A fire
in the house. Oh, good Lord. Why didn't you let
me know? It happened so suddenly and there wasn't
much left for a funeral. I just buried him in...
Oh, you poor kid. Yeah. How about something to
eat? No, it's a fast day. You take after your
mother. What's wrong with that? Nothing, kid.
Don't have to jump down my throat. She was a
saint. I learned a great deal from my mother
about sin and worldliness. Well, what are we
going to do about you? Just give me a job and
a place to stay. That's all I need. Yeah, I suppose
I could use you around the club. You could clean
the place, run sandwiches and coffee for the
poker players. Poker players? Sure, what'd you
think this is, a church? I run a little club
here where the guys can get together for a little
fun. Got any objections? No, Uncle Pietro. Pete.
Call me Pete, I told you. I'm sorry, Pete. I
mean no harm. Sure, kid. Now, let me see. Where
can you stay? Can't put you up at the house.
I haven't got any room. I could stay here. It
would make it easier for me to keep the place
clean. In that case, make yourself at home. Well,
how do you like it? The club is crowded. So many
men. That's a big night. Friday, payday. Guys
want to blow off a little steam. You know how
it is. You work in the mill all week. It's a
grind. They need something to take the taste
out of their mouths. They can find comfort in
the Lord. Sure, but now they need action. A little
gambling's a lot better than some things they
could be doing, huh? Hey, Pete, where's the beer?
Here, Joe, take this order to the table. Move.
What do you call this jerk, huh? A hamburger.
No, kid. Well, I am glad you told me. I never
know. Hey, what do you know, fellas? It's a hamburger.
Hey, something wrong, Ollie? Nah, nah, not that
much. Just that I ordered a cold cut zero when
I get a hamburger. No, no, he said a hamburger.
Who asked you? Look, Ollie... The kid's new.
I'll get you a hero on the house. Forget it,
forget it, forget about it. Hamburger's okay.
Just watch him, will ya? I think he ain't got
all his marbles. Watch yourself, Joe. Just be
a little more careful in the future. He's the
one that should be more careful, not me. Hey,
Pete, get a load of this, will ya? Hey, look
at my old card. That's not bad, huh? Well, suckers,
it's gonna cost you plenty to see what Pete saw.
Now... Raise the pot that's on the table, eh?
Oh, the only one with guts. Okay. Here they are,
Brennan. Five little hearts. Four through eight.
Straight, flush, pal. They're not all hearts,
Sully. Your whole card is a diamond. Ah, you
crazy... It's four hearts, I te... Hey, who switched
cards? Oh, it's you, you little punk, you bird
brain. You must have done it when you were setting
the sandwiches down. Come on, Ollie. The kid
never touched a car. I'm gonna take you apart,
squirt boy. You're gonna be... Come on. Hey,
come on. Come on, stop it. Ollie! What's wrong
with you? It's him. Get rid of him, Peter. Take
it easy, Ollie. You're gonna be all right. Hey,
get a doctor. Somebody get an ambulance. It's
too late, Pete. He's dead. I can't believe it.
I just can't believe it. It's crazy. He thought
you had something to do with it. I didn't harm
him, Pete. I swear I didn't. I wouldn't take
a life. Relax, Joe. I know you didn't. Excitement
was just too much. Funny about that card, though.
Wasn't like Ollie to pluck everything down on
a four -flush. I had nothing to do with his death.
Yeah, I know. What's eating you, kid? Come on,
spell it. I'm the only family you got. Nothing.
Just nothing. Okay, don't tell me. I don't give
a damn. Don't be angry, Uncle Pietro. Pete, I
wonder sometimes. What? Why nobody likes me.
Lots of people do. Who? I like you. That's who.
I want people to say nice things to me. You gotta
learn to give and take. Besides, you keep saying
wild things all the time about your powers. Oh,
they're not my powers. They're the Lord's. You
see what I mean? But it's true. I'm his vessel.
We all are. He pours his powers into all of us.
But only a few like me can retain them. How do
you do it? With faith and deep concentration.
You really believe that? Well, of course I do.
And so should you. Never lose faith. If you do,
you will never have any hope. Swell. Let's wrap
it up and go home. You've used that brush on
the floor long enough. Save some of it for tomorrow.
You really think that you can... I know it. Let
me show you. Oh, hold on. Before you deal the
cards, let me cut the deck. It makes no difference.
Okay, if it makes no difference, let me cut.
I'm gonna deal five cards face down. We'll both
call them. And if you don't call as many as I
do, then you promise to lay off? I promise. Well,
go ahead, cut. That one. It's a queen of spades.
No, Peter. It's the ten of hearts. Turn it over.
You made a lucky hit. Try it again. Four clubs.
Nope. Eight of diamonds. That's two in a row.
Still believe it's luck? Let me see that deck.
I know every kind of marked deck. You're just
wasting your time. You open the deck, you know
it's legitimate. Why, my father -in -law. Let's
knock it off for tonight. Tomorrow's... Here,
watch this. Nine of spades, jack of hearts, and
three of diamonds. It's a two of diamonds. All
right, four out of five isn't bad, is it, Pete?
It's not bad at all. I don't know what the trick
is. Well, we could sure clean up with it. No,
I don't use my powers for profit. Who's asking
you to? You can do an act. Amuse the customers
when they get tired of playing. You sit in as
a dealer for the house, and when things get dull,
you do your stuff. Yeah, they'll get a kick out
of it. I don't like to use my powers lightly.
Do you want to keep on eating? Okay, okay, forget
it. Well, just this once, Pete. But don't ask
me again. A deal has been made between Joe and
his uncle Peter. It seems so simple and so innocent
on the surface. But like most seemingly simple
matters, who knows what currents and eddies swirl
beneath the surface. We will, I trust, know more
when we return shortly with Act Two. We all know
that small compromises can lead to large disasters.
The pretty lady verging on plumpness who diets
with might and main to keep her poundage down
knows full well that one excursion into the land
of calories can mean a plunge into the worlds
of pounds. Shall we then wonder that Joseph's
consent to turn his powers to profits for his
uncle will inevitably result in the loss? of
all he holds dear. We shall see as we return
now to act two of the horror within. That was
great, kid. The suckers loved it. Yeah. I thought
Handelman would have a fit when you called his
whole card. He thought I was cheating using a
marked deck. He wouldn't believe me even when
I told him to pick any deck. Rob, don't worry
about it. That's just his way. Come on, let's
go back to the kitchen. You got a surprise for
me? That's right. I don't mind doing the dishes.
I hope you can't read everything I'm thinking.
I don't try. Good. Joseph! Effie! How about that,
kid? You didn't get the whole mess. What are
you doing here, Effie? Well, your uncle, he said
I could work here. Sure, why not? Business is
good. We need another hand. I figured since you
and Effie used to get along so well... Thank
you, Uncle Pete. Forget it. Just make sure you
get the dishes done before we close. I've been,
uh, looking for the cleanser. Oh, don't worry
about it. I'll do them. You just sit right there.
Oh, no, no, no, no. I'll wash. You dry. You sure?
Well, of course. Listen, I want to earn my way.
Well, your uncle's a fine man. No, he is. Even
though he blows his top sometimes. Yeah, I suppose
you don't. Joe? You still do tricks? Well, they're
not tricks, Effie. I followed the example of
my patron saint, Saint Joseph. And I concentrate
my powers like he did. Watch. This knife. Hold
it in your hands. Okay, now keep still. Very,
very still. Joseph, it's getting warm. It's bending.
There. Hey, that's wonderful. That's just like
a magician I saw once. It's not magic, Effie.
It's a natural power. I read somewhere that most
of us use only a small portion of our brain potential.
Less than five percent. You mean that anyone
can do what you just did? Sure, most people can.
I'm sure of it. Hey, Joe, will you teach me?
Will you show me how you did that? If you want
to, I can show you that and much more. Like what?
Well, like hear what I have in my mind without
my saying a word. Hey, that'd be neat. We could
talk and nobody would hear us. I could show you
how to move objects from across the room. We
could clean... I could even teach you how to
fly. Yeah, like Peter Pan. Hey, look, I'm flying.
Well, you mustn't joke about it, Effie. Oh, I'm
sorry, Joseph. Listen, I wasn't making fun of
you. I was just happy. Never make fun of me,
Effie. You're frightening me. It's all over now.
Let's finish the dishes. I promise, Joseph, I'll
never do it again. How do you like it? Oh, it
looks beautiful, Pete. Just beautiful. I mean,
I can't believe it's the same glove. Nothing
to it, F .E. Fake bricks. Tile ceilings and a
few yards of drapes. It didn't cost much to change
from poker to a supper glove. Do you think it's
wise? Look at the mob. The joint's packed. Pete
will address so nice to... Hey, maybe we ought
to pitch in and help, huh? No, nothing doing.
You and Joe are my star attraction. Wow. You
do the act like I've seen it and we can't miss.
But that was just for Effie and me, Pete. I don't
want to perform. Well, not in front of all these
people. Are you scared, kid? Well, that's natural.
Everybody gets stage fright. No, no, it's not
that. I told you before, my powers are between
me and St. Joseph. I can't do it for money. What's
the difference if you do it in the back room
or out here? Well, he's right, Joe. You can't
hurt anybody with a little fun. A little pleasure
can help brighten up people's lives. That's you,
Joe. What do you say? I'm going to introduce
you and Effie. If you want to let me down, that's
up to you. And now, folks, settle back. I hope
you enjoyed your dinner. Good, good. The Cafe
Compton presents its star attraction. The Amazing
Joseph and Company. They'll entertain you with
an act never duplicated before in the history
of the entertainment world. They'll read your
thoughts, perform illusions. And here they are.
The Amazing Joseph and Company. Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen. My assistant will be seated
on the stage as I go through the audience. She
will receive the thoughts I send to her across
space. You can give me any kind of message or
clue and I will transmit it to her. I'm in touch
with a lady who has a question. Is her name Cindy?
What? That is correct. She wants to know if you
can tell her what color dress she is wearing.
She is wearing a blue gown with sequins. It is
size eight, I believe. Just the color was enough.
All right. You, sir. May I have your note? Thank
you. This gentleman wants to know if his partner
is cheating on him. Well, I don't think that's
what he meant, but I'm sure he's happy with the
answer. One more question, please. One more question,
please. Yes. This man wants... He wants to know...
Mr. Handler! Great tonight. Just great. Everybody
loved your act. Hey, I better get out front now
and help close the place down. I will have a
bite to eat later, okay? Sure, Pete. That Handleman,
I hate him. I know, Joey. Listen, you frightened
me. And that's why I made a joke out of it. Joe,
you wouldn't... No, no, of course not. I'm a
servant of the Lord. I do his bidding. That's
why I wonder about all this. I feel it's wrong.
It's a lot better than what you wanted to do
to handle it. Joe, you think you could really
do what you... If God wills it. Oh, well then
you never will, because he preached love. It's
hard for me to feel love for someone who... How
about me? I love you, Effie. With all my heart,
I love you. Well, then let's get married, Joe.
Yeah, let's get married tonight. Tonight? But
how can... We'll go to Rabbit Falls. There's
a Justice of the Peace there. No, no, Effie,
no. We'll wait and get married properly in a
church by a priest. Well, if that's the way you
want it, Joe, but let's do it soon. I'm happy
that you want to marry me in such haste. Yes,
Joe, please. Let's get married as soon as possible.
Well, that sounds more like desperation than
romance. I can't explain it, Joe, but I don't
know. I feel like something terrible is going
to happen. I want to be your wife, Joe. I want
us to be together for the rest of our life, no
matter how much time we have left. Good evening,
Father. Am I late? No, no. You're the first one
here, Mr. Compton. We have lots of time for the
rehearsal. Is your nephew's family coming, too?
Well, I am his family. All that's left of it.
And the bride -to -be? She has no one else but
Joe and me, Father. I wonder what's keeping them.
No. Here comes the young man now. Joe, where
you been? I called for Effie and she wasn't there.
Is she here? No. Don't worry, she'll be along
in a minute. Probably had something to do. No,
it's not that. What is it? I can see her. She's
walking past the library. And someone is stopping
her. She's frightened. I must go to her. What
was that all about? Joe, my nephew. He's not
like other people. He feels things, sees things.
Better call the police father. May I? Well, certainly
if you feel it's necessary She's gone Pete if
he's gone, they'll find her Joe just take it
easy you don't understand sure I do you're upset
Come on inside the house. We'll have a cup of
tea. He's right Joe There's nothing you can do
now. The police are searching the town. I can't
help I Feel so useless. I've got no contact with
her I can't reach her. She must need me. Don't
even think about it, Joe. Just come inside and
rest. We'll wait with you. You may have been
wrong, Joe. I mean about what you think you saw.
I didn't think I saw, Pete. I know I did. She
was in trouble, I tell you. And now, nothing.
There was no sign of struggle at the library.
No one witnessed anything. You don't believe
in me. Should I? Yes, I have the powers given
me by the Lord. You are his servant, too. Are
you sure your powers are from the Lord, Joe?
As sure as I am that my name is Joseph, I have
devoted my life to him and the ideals of St.
Joseph, and I have been heard. Explain it to
me, my son. Why? So you can laugh at me? No.
I want to help you. Help me. Yes, Father, help
me. Then go on. My mother was a saint. She taught
me to worship, to revere the memory of Saint
Joseph, to follow in his footsteps. I tried.
I poured all my energies into being one with
Saint Joseph. I learned how to direct all the
forces of my mind and soul. Even when I was very
young, I could make objects move. I could see
things that happened far away. Then one day she
was gone and I was bitter. That's understandable.
Well, for a while I used my powers for wicked
things. People turned against me and I became
an outcast. Even my father drew away from me.
Then my father was taken from me. I saw the light.
I heard the blessed voice of Saint Joseph and
he told me to return. And you're sure the voice
you heard was Saint Joseph's? Of course. Who
else could it have been? Who else, Joseph? No,
Father, no. The voice did not come from within
me. Joseph, there are forces of good and evil
in the world. And sometimes it's difficult to
tell one from the other. Perhaps it was not the
voice of heaven you heard. Good house tonight.
We're still mob. Why don't you get dressed, Joe?
In a minute. Any news yet about Effie? Not a
word. The cops are still on the lookout, but
they haven't found anything. I can't believe
it. I just... I can't believe it. I told them
where it happened and exactly what he looked
like. Well, there must be hundreds of guys in
town that fit the description you gave. You got
to understand. I don't want to understand. I
want to find Effie. I tell you, Pete, I saw her
just as clearly as I see you now. She was walking
by the library and this guy passes her. And he
turns back... Joe, the cops know all that. Well,
then why don't they find her? Hello. Speaking.
What's that? I see. Sure, sure, I understand.
I know, he's here with me. Yeah, we'll be down.
What is it, Pete? It's Effie, isn't it? Yes,
Joe. The cops. They found Effie. Where is she?
Is she all right? Bad news, kid. I want to see
her. You will, kid. They want us to identify
her. Identify her? What are you saying, Pete?
They're waiting for us at the morgue. All that
we feared when Joe agreed to do his act at Peter
Compton's club has come to pass. Effie is dead
at the hands of a madman, and Joseph Compertino
says he was a witness to what happened. It hardly
seems possible But then again, I'm sure you will
agree the impossible is becoming the usual with
greater frequency these days We'll know more
when we return shortly with act 3 This is WBBM
Chicago news radio 78 To find out who killed
Effie Joe must make the journey we all fear.
He must look deep inside himself and trace the
murderer in his mind's eye. The problem is, what
more will he uncover? For if you look into any
man's heart and mind, you will always find at
least one black spot which he has tried to keep
concealed. Why are we sitting here, Pete? Because
the lieutenant asked us to wait. He'll be back
in a minute. She looks so different, Pete. Like
a poor imitation. Don't think about it, Joe.
I can't think of anything else. I've got to find
the man who did it. I'll never rest until I find
him. Oh, sorry I kept you waiting. I had to check
a few things out. It's all right, Lieutenant.
Now, Joe, you don't mind if I call you that?
No. Good. Now, when did you see this taking place?
Well, Pete and I were at the church waiting for
Effie when it flooded my mind. What time was
that? It was about 6 .37. I see. And was that
the time you felt it was actually happening?
I guess so. I hadn't thought about it. Well,
think about it. Were the streetlights on? Do
you remember anything that might give us a handle?
Well, it seems the library was closed, but...
The streetlights weren't turned on. I would put
it at about 5 .30. But you saw it happen in your
mind about an hour or so later. Can you explain
that? No, I can't. Well, did you actually see
them go off together? Did they get into a car?
No. Well, I mean, I don't remember. All I know
is I can see them together, and I knew something
bad was going to happen. What's this all about,
Lieutenant? Well, I'm just trying to get things
straight. You know, there are some loose ends
here. Like what? Well, for one thing, we found
the body off Highway 50. That means she was in
a car when she died. No, it means she was in
a car when she was thrown off on the side of
the road. She died hours before then. You mean
to say she was thrown out in the middle of the
day and no one saw it? Oh, it wasn't in the middle
of the day. Doc Hadfield estimates she died about
six o 'clock in the morning. Well, with his new
daylight savings time, he must have been pitch
black when he... That's right. That means, Joe,
your mind's clock was off about 12 hours. You
couldn't have seen her walk past the library
when you said she did. I can't believe it. Joe,
didn't you talk to Effie today? No. She said
she was going to the city to do some shopping.
She said she'd be away all day and meet us at
the church for the rehearsal. What, you called
her? Just before I left to meet Pete. I wanted
to see if she got back earlier. And she wasn't
there, obviously. Now, who answered the phone?
Nobody. Where were you early this morning? In
bed. Asleep. Say, what's going on? Why all these
questions? Every little bit of information helps.
I don't like it. Can I go now? Yeah, of course,
of course. Just stay around where we can reach
you, Joe. We may have some more information later
and maybe some more questions. Joe? Joe, open
up! Were you asleep? No, I was just thinking.
Did you eat anything today? Yeah. I'll bet. You
haven't moved out of your room for days. I'm
sorry about the club, Peter. That doesn't matter,
kid. But it's all my fault. Forget it. I've got
no future without Effie. You cooking something,
kid? No. That's funny. I smell something burning.
Oh, it's incense. Oh, you're not going through
that again, Joe. Forget that stuff, kid. That's
not gonna bring Effie back. No, but it will put
me in contact with her murderer. Don't do it,
Joe. It's not right. I spoke to Father Coyle
about it. You had no right. He says you're literally
playing with fire. He doesn't understand either.
Why don't you explain it to him? Let him help.
I'm not leaving here until I see things clearly.
You don't have to. I brought Father Coyle with
me. You can come in now, Father. How are you,
Joe? I don't want you here, Father. Your uncle
asked me to help. I don't need your help. I think
you do. You told me how much you loved our Savior
and St. Joseph. You're not appealing to them
now, are you? I don't know what you mean. Oh,
yes you do, Joe. The incense, the magic circle
on the floor, the Kabbalistic figures. You're
reaching for the hand. Alright, what if I am?
What good did piety do? I lost my parents, then
Effie. Perhaps I'll get some help now. From Satan?
You don't want his help? He doesn't share. He
possesses. I don't give a damn if he swallows
me whole. I want my revenge, Father. I want to
see the man who killed Effie suffer as I am.
I want to see him in the same kind of torture.
He is, Joe. Believe me, he is. Hello? Pete, wake
up. It's me, Joe. Yeah, I'm awake. I'm awake.
You know what time it is? Yeah, I know. I know.
It's six o 'clock in the morning. Sunday morning.
Don't you ever sleep? I will. After tonight.
I don't feel up to riddles, Joe. Who you got?
That slimy monster who killed Effie. I've got
him dead to rights. You know, look, don't do
anything stupid, kid. Let me call Lieutenant
Taney. He can have him. No, Pete. I don't mean
I have him in my room. I've got him in the mind.
It worked, Pete. I've been put in touch with
him. I want to go on tonight. Joe, without Effie,
you haven't got an act. Oh, yes, I have. The
biggest show I've ever done. Well, I don't know.
Please, Pete, don't stay. You're asking me to
walk in the dark, Joe. Square with me. I can't,
Pete. You've got to trust me. Why can't you trust
me? You wouldn't understand. Try me. All I can
tell you is I'm zeroed in on him. I've got him
in my sights and you can help me nail him. How?
I'll billboard my return to the club tonight.
Play it up big. Hit the murder angle. Promise
the suckers a startling revelation. I appreciate
your coming down, Lieutenant. Well, it's okay.
I haven't had a night out in a long time. You
know Father Quirrell? Yeah, sure do. How are
you, Father? As well as my age, my infirmities
permit. How do you like the view, Lieutenant?
Isn't it grand? Nearer the angels, Father. Nearer
the angels. You've got quite a crowd here tonight.
It's all that publicity about Effie. The Buzzards
are out in full force. They want to see Joe in
action and maybe witness something else. Now
that's the cue for Joe's act. I gotta introduce
him. Just stand by, I'll be back. Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen. Now it's time for the star
of our show to make his appearance. And here
he is, the man you've been waiting to see. The
amazing Joseph. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Tonight I'm going to skip the usual stunts. I'm
not going to waste your time on the usual card
tricks and memory gimmicks. I'm going to attempt
something never seen before on any stage, but
I'll need your assistance since I do not have,
well, since I'm working alone tonight. With your
help, I'm going to reach into your minds and
read your thoughts. If you have a problem, concentrate
on it. With divine guidance, I will resolve them
for you if there are any answers. All I ask of
you is quiet, complete silence. Remember, if
you have a question, concentrate on it. You're
doing fine. I see thoughts swirling in space.
Is there a young lady whose initials are J .L.
in the room? Hey, that's me! Good. Would you
please stand up? Now, concentrate on your questions.
I see a ticket in your purse. Would you hold
it up, please? Thank you. Now that's an airline
ticket to Las Vegas. Am I correct, please? My
advice is, follow your mind, miss. Don't use
that ticket. Wait until you can pay your way.
Thank you, thank you. Hold it, folks. I have
another message coming through. George? George,
I can't tell whether your last initial is B or
V. George, will you stand up, please? Well, I
have good news for you, George. You can stop
worrying about your mother. It's not what you
think at all. Her pains will disappear soon and
she'll be as good as new. Thank you. Now, now,
ladies and gentlemen, the signals are fading,
folks. I want you to let your minds go blank.
There. That's it. I feel it coming through now.
There's a dark thought taking form Evil malignant
You're coming through now. I Read you loud and
clear Will the man with a mark of Cain upon him
stand up? I Don't blame you for hiding you've
committed a terrible sin There's only one way
out for you the Bible says an eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth and a life for a life.
Stop it, Joseph! I called for silence. What you're
doing is wrong! He must pay for his crime, Father.
It's not for you to judge, Joseph. Don't try
to play a card. I am his instrument. Are you
sure, my son? Look into your own soul. Judge
not, lest ye shall be judged. I have nothing
to fear. Nothing, Joe? Think about it. Where
were you when Effie died? In my room. Oh, you
weren't, Joe. Six o 'clock in the morning, Joe,
where were you? She... She was wicked. She was
everything my mother warned me about. I worshipped
Saint Joseph and she laughed at my piety. She
was carnal and she tried to keep me from my vows
of sanctity. Saint Joseph, in your name... That's
blasphemy, Joe! I removed her from my life for
your sake! I exercised her as though she were
a cancer on my soul. Pray for forgiveness, Joe!
I was tormented all night. I went to her early
and I begged her to leave me. She refused. I
told her we would go to Father Coyle and ask
for his guidance. She struggled in the car and
tried to run away. I stopped her. She was like
a bird in my arms. A poor dead bird. Come with
me, Joe. Everything will be all right. No. No,
I must go with Saint Joseph. What? I must...
Give me the power, Saint Joseph. Let me fly to
you. Don't! Don't, Joe! Stay away from the window!
What's happening? Look at that! I can't believe
it! He's suspended in space! He's standing free!
Poor Joe. Poor Joe. He tried to reach for heaven
and hell at the same time. And he stumbled somewhere
in between. Don't take it too hard, Pete. It
had end somewhere. Yeah, but not on the streets.
You really think he killed Effie? Yes. Part of
him did. None of us are saints, Peter. We're
good and evil intertwined. Most of us can keep
the worst of our nature in control. Joe couldn't.
He was split right down the middle. Well, one
thing is sure. He paid his dues. Let's get him
out of here and mark his account paid in full.
The worst we feared has happened. Joe took the
fearful chance of looking deep inside himself
for truth and found that the truth was more than
he could bear I'll be back shortly And so we
closed the entrance to the cave where murky waters
run deep but not always still. From time to time,
we hear the evil rumbles of the coursing stream,
but we manage to ignore its babbling and save
our sanity thereby. Joseph Compartino lost this
snack that civilized man has developed, this
veneer that hides some of the ugliness within.
He paid dearly for it. Our cast included Don
Scardino, Dolores Sutton, Joseph Julian, Robert
Dryden, and Earl Hammond. The entire production
was under the direction of Hyman Brown. And now
a preview of our next tale. What does he see
in me? Oh, come on, honey. No, I mean it. Well,
let's see. You're pretty. Well, I'm not beautiful.
And you're smart. But I'm not brilliant. What
can I tell you? He's an artist. All artists are
crazy. But the most fascinating women in the
world are ready to throw themselves at his feet.
Sis, you're pretty fascinating yourself. Thanks
to you, Bert. Thanks to me? You sent me through
college, and there were the trips to Europe and...
Well, I had to shape you up before I could marry
you off. And it looks like you got yourself a
grand prize, the great Otis Manley Carter. Oh,
Bert, I want you to like him. Oh, I like him.
I like him. He's so... Sweet, so kind. Except...
Except? What do you mean, except? Well, except
every time he paints somebody's picture, it seems
to me that person dies. Radio Mystery Theater
was sponsored in part by New Sugar -Free Diet
7 -Up. This is E .G. Marshall inviting you to
return to our Mystery Theater for another adventure
in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant dreams.
CBS News is next on WBBM Chicago News Radio 78.