Suspense: The Man in the Room 05/11/1950

0:00Welcome to Choice Classic Radio, where we bring to you the greatest old-time radio shows. Like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, and thank you for donating at choiceclassicradio.com. Autolight and its 96,000 dealers present suspense. Tonight, Autolight brings you Mr. John Lunt in the man in the room. A suspense play produced and edited by William Spear. Hello, what's the best bait to use for bass? I don't know, Hap. Better ask Nick Theologist. I'm Nick The Hoologist. And an expert on fish. When I need information, I believe in going to an expert. That goes for spark plug information too. Sure. And who knows more about the best spark plugs for your car than Autolight ignition engineers. The man who designed and built complete ignition systems.

1:00Used as original equipment on many makes of America's finest cars. You mean they know how to build in the spark plugs the best and quick starting smooth performance and gas mileage, eh, Harlow? Of course, Hap. That's what's made Autolight the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment. And it was Autolight engineering know-how that made possible the development of the Autolight resistor spark plug, one of the greatest advances in spark plug design for automotive use in the past 20 years. So friends, see your friendly Autolight spark plug dealer tomorrow. Have him replace worn out spark plugs with world famous ignition engineered Autolight spark plugs. Whether you choose the resistor type or the regular type, you'll be right because you're always right with Autolight. And now with the man in the room and the performance of John Lund, Autolight hopes once again to keep you in Suspeng. When I was ten, I first read Edgar Allan Poe's story of the miraculous room.

2:01The room whose terrible walls closed slowly in upon their prisoner. Made a deep impression upon me. My most persistent light man was that I was the poor devil in the story. I didn't know then that he had been impressed by a tool. And at some day I would actually be the man in the room. Excuse me, can you tell me what floor is Markham is on? This Markham. What do you want with her? Why? I wanted to do some work for me. She does typing, doesn't she? Mm-hmm. Third floor stepping. Thank you. You're a writer? Yes. How do you write? Star is mostly. Mm-hmm. Son? Occasionally. Mm-hmm.

3:04She's down at the end of the room. I'll put you to the door open. Thank you very much. Oh, come in, please. Thank you. Miss Markham? Is that right? What can I do for you? I saw your ad in the paper. I thought perhaps you could do some work for me. Oh, yes, yes, of course. What is it? Typing, the meal-grabbing? Typing, manuscript. You're right. Yes. Would you shut the door, please? Oh, yes, yes, of course. Thank you. You find that I do absolutely perfect work and at the most reasonable rates. I've had many years of experience, although not in this city. I just recently moved here. Would you have much for me to do? Well, that depends. Frankly, Miss Markham, the price is a factor with me. You see, I'm a freelance writer and at best that's a precarious occupation. I see. Well, is 30 cents a page too much?

4:04Why? 25. I was about to say that 30 seems extremely reasonable. Well, I've already said 25, so we'll leave it at that. You're very kind. Not at all. Excuse me, please. Was... Was that the elevator man running down the hall? I know. I didn't see anyone. It's been a lovely day, hasn't it? Yes. Yes, it has. I think the weather is so perfect here. I know I'm going to love this city. It's so difficult coming to a new place and trying to establish oneself. Especially so late in life. But I think things are going to work out fine. I hope so. Would you like to leave your manuscript now? Yes, here it is. Oh, thank you. Yes, 40 pages. I'll have that ready for you day after tomorrow. Oh, that'll be fine. I'll come back and pick it up then. I left the office and rang for the elevator.

5:05The old man who ran it didn't speak to me on the way down. But I stood in the back of the car and looked him over carefully. He was a funny little doctor. Almost dwarf-sized. His shoulder is so rounded, he was nearly humpbacked. I was sure he was the one who'd been listening at the door upstairs. But, after all, it was not of my affair. Two days later, I returned to the old office building to pick up my manuscript. You come to pick up your typing? Yes. Here it is. She left it for you. Oh, well, I've got to go off anyway. I have some more work for Miss Markham. I'll take it. She don't want to be disturbed. Well, I'll just give it here. All right. I gave him the manuscript and left. Several days later, when I returned, he had the completed work ready for me, down on the first floor. That's the way it went on on the other occasions when I had typing for Miss Markham to do.

6:09The old man took it from me downstairs and had it ready for me when I returned. There was always a reason for me not to go upstairs. Miss Markham was working, didn't want to be disturbed. Or she just left for lunch. Or she wasn't down that day because of illness. One day, when I came to pick up some material, the elevator was not down on the first floor. And my curiosity got the better of me. Instead of ringing, I took the stairs and walked up to the third floor. Oh, it's you. Where's Miss Markham? She ain't here. You can see she ain't. Yes. Are you typing? Sure. I help her out sometime. She's sick today. Oh, I see. I just finished just doing. That's fine. It won't sell, though. What?

7:09I said it won't sell. It's clumsy. Oh, you think so? Yes. It's our hard-punch. You're right too fast. Well, I'm sorry. You don't like it. But if you'll just put it together, I'll send it off anyway. All right. But it won't sell. That night at home, I'd been working for hours on a plot for a mystery story. I was having absolutely no luck. I simply couldn't concentrate. Then I had a thought, how would it be to use Miss Markham, an elevator man as a basis for a story? Just take the situation as it stood now and fabricate the rest of the plot from there. Let's see. The old man could have murdered her and hidden the body. Possibly he'd done it immediately after I'd seen her last, and she'd been dead all this time. He even made up a fine name for the elevator man. I called him Grakland. But for the life of me, I couldn't build a story.

8:10Why had he killed her? What had he done with the body? The plot wouldn't move. Yet somehow I couldn't discard it and try another. I knew that I was stuck with it until I worked it out. Well, how about the reality? What had happened to Miss Markham? Why hadn't I seen her for over two weeks? The only thing to do I decided was to find out more about the real situation. Perhaps I could evolve something from that. Hello? Hello, George? Bird? Oh, how are you, birdie old boy? Fine. Listen, George, who does your typing? My typing? Well, Harrison Lewis. Oh, yes. A 50 cents of page. I forgot you were rich. Why? Well, I thought perhaps you'd seen the same ad in the paper that I did. Miss Markham. She's been doing some work for me. Markham? I didn't see it. Why is she any good? Oh, yes. She's very good.

9:11Well, what is she charge? 30 cents of page. Hey, that is cheap. Maybe I'll switch. Where's she located? 202 West Island. Why don't you go up and see her anyway? Let me know what she says. All right, I'll go in the morning. Fine. Goodbye, George. The next morning I called information and got Miss Markham's office number. It was not yet listed in the directory. I called the number. Somehow knowing there would be no answer. Hello? Oh, hello. Miss Markham? Yes. Well, this is Mr. Freeland. I heard you were ill yesterday. Just thought I'd call and see how you were. That's very nice of you. Thank you very much. I'm feeling much better today. Oh, I'm glad. I expect to have some more work for you at the end of the week. All right. Just bring it in. I will. And oh, yes, Miss Markham. I haven't received a bill from you yet. Would you send one soon?

10:12Yes, I will. Thank you. Goodbye, Miss Markham. Goodbye. I hung up thinking, well, there goes my plot into a cocked hat. I realized then that I had begun to believe something had happened to Miss Markham. Talked myself into it, I guess. Confused the fiction with the reality. But just because she was alive and well, that was no reason why I couldn't still build a good story from the same idea. Let's see. Graclyn had killed Miss Markham and hidden the body. But when I called up, she answered. No, I couldn't use that. Wait a minute. Why couldn't I? I certainly there was the twist. Sure. Graclyn gets another woman to impersonate Miss Markham. The only ones he'd have to worry about would be the people who had seen the first Miss Markham. Well, that's the way my story would go anyway. I sat down to my typewriter and made it sing for a couple of hours. The story was coming along fine.

11:12Only thing I needed was some background on Graclyn. Oh, nothing like the source. At about 4.30 that afternoon, I was down on West Island Street near the 202 building. At about 5, Graclyn came out and started up the street. He got on a bus so I looked around for a cab. Cabby, you taken? Ah, up in. Good. Listen, follow that bus. But not too close. I'll tell him when to stop. Okay. He stayed on that bus all the way to the end of the line. I got out of the cab about a block before the final bus stop and saw the old man get off. It was almost prairie here. Large vacant lots and only a few scattered houses. He entered one of them. After about 20 minutes when it was getting dark, I walked slowly up to the place. It was a light around and back. I went quietly along the side of the house to the window. I looked in. There sat Graclyn, bent over a table, writing for the quill pen.

12:17But it was the room that surprised me. The walls were filled from floor to ceiling with books. Heavy, scholarly books. And then I saw it. On a smaller table against the wall stood her picture. She was younger in the photo and prettier. But it was unmistakably she. Miss Markham. Autolight is bringing you Mr. John Lund in the man in the room. Tonight's production and radio's outstanding theatre of thrills suspense. Hello, do Ictiologists and zoologists have anything in common? Well, in a way, half, usually any kind of anologist is an expert in his field.

13:20I guess that makes you a spark plugologist. Hey, little cogs. Well, not exactly. I'm more of a gabologist. The real experts are the auto light ignition engineers. They design and build complete ignition systems for use as original equipment on many makes of America's finest cars. So naturally, they've built spark plugs that will work as a team with the ignition systems. Spark plugs that are unexcelled for quick startings, smooth performance and gas mileage. Sounds logical. Of course. And these same auto light engineers develop the famous auto light resistor spark plug. One of the greatest advances in spark plug design for automotive use in the past 20 years. Their experts are right, hollow. So friends, see your friendly auto light spark plug dealer tomorrow. Have him replace worn out spark plugs with ignition engineered auto light spark plugs. Whether you choose the resistor type or the regular type, you can't buy a better spark plug for your car. Because you're always right with auto light. And now auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage, our star, John Lund,

14:22in the man in the room. A tale well calculated to keep you in Suspense. In the next morning's mail was her bill. But there was a mistake. She charged me 40 cents a page. So I put on my coat and started downtown. As I walked up Olive Street, I wondered if Grackel would let me out to see Miss Markham. If we were in my story, he couldn't, because I'd immediately recognize her as another woman. Three please. I just get... Miss Markham is in today? Yep. You know, I haven't seen her for some time. She's always been out or sick or something. That show? I certainly it's so. You were the one who kept telling me. Oh. Well, I can't remember everybody who comes in here. Oh, I shouldn't think it'd be too hard. I'll bet not over 10 people today come in here. This is the most deserted office building I've ever seen. Well, sometimes it is a little quiet.

15:27Do you know where it is? Yes. Mummy. Miss Markham. You are Miss Markham. Yes, of course. Why? Oh. No reason. I'm a little confused. I've been writing too much lately, I guess. Oh. Well, the reason I came down is because of your bill. There's a mistake. But don't you remember? You said you were going to charge me 25 cents a page. But your bill says 40. Oh, oh, yes, I do remember now. That's right, 25. The error is mine. I'll change it. I'm terribly sorry. Oh, that's all right. I wasn't worried about it. If you'd like to refigure, I can leave you a check right now. Do you possibly have the cash? Well, let's see. Yes. Yes, I think I do. Would you prefer that? If you don't mind.

16:31I paved the bill and went home. Back to my story. My story that it turned out to be pure fiction after all. Miss Markham was alive and well and back in her office, looking just as she had the first time I saw her. Well, I had used all of the real situation I could, and from now on I was operating on pure imagination. Let's see. Hey, wait a minute. Just because she looks the same doesn't mean she's the same woman. She was a twinsie. The first Miss Markham's twin sister and Graclyn was their brother. Why had he killed the first Miss Markham? Well, for money, her life savings. That was always a good motive. And the twin sister was in on it and would split with him. Fine. I rattled off the story and the next morning brought it in to be tight. Good morning, Mr. Freely. Good morning, Miss Markham. Another story for you. Oh, well, I'm not sure that I can start on anything right now. I'm closing up the office, you know. Oh. Oh, yes. This climate doesn't agree with me at all.

17:31As a matter of fact, I never did like city life. You've evidently changed your mind about things. I bet you thought. Remember the first day you came up here? You were telling me how well you liked our city and the weather? Oh, yes. Well, you can always depend on a woman, can't you? Yeah, I guess so. I really wish you could finish this story for me. It's not very long. Oh. Only about 28 pages. I see. Well, perhaps I can rush it out. I thought it seemed that I owe you something anyway. Why? For being so nice about that mistake I made on your bills. Oh, that was nothing. Well, leave the manuscript here and I'll try to have it done by tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow was my last day. Come in about two o'clock. Right. And thanks a lot, Miss Markham. The next day was Saturday. And at the building it seemed deserted on other days that it really been a beehive compared to two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Now it was a morgue. When I entered Miss Markham's office, she was standing there holding a sheaf of papers.

18:33Mr. Freeland, where did you ever get the idea for that story? Oh, well, I... I hope it didn't disturb you, but I was desperate for a plot and I guess I just let my imagination run wild. I see. Well, I'll just put it in a non-blow place. Thank you. And I'll pay you now because I probably won't see you again. That's right. You probably won't. Well, I guess I'll just say goodbye. Goodbye, Miss Markham. And good luck. Thank you. And the same to you. Gerexman was waiting for me there on the third floor. He had probably just stayed there while I was in the office. I got in the elevator and he closed the door. It's your story, Mr. Freeland. Huh? Oh, yes. Yes, I did. Hmm. Not a bad story. Miss Markham, let me read it. Oh. But it needs rewriting. Who is that song?

19:33Yes. Like I told you before, Mr. Freeland, you're right too fast. You aren't careful enough with the reality. I'm afraid I don't understand. Well, now that part about hiding the body in the elevator shaft, for instance, you almost had a good thing there, but I could tell you've never been in an elevator shaft. Have you? I know. You passed the first floor. Hey, that's good on the bed. I'd like to show you something. This is the basement. Yes. As I see. You notice how the air gets closer as you go down. It's a little touches like that that make a story real. Huh. Sub-basement. Mr. Freeland, would you like to see what an elevator shaft looks like? Well, I... Come on. It's very interesting, especially for a writer. All right. Fine. Follow me.

20:34Now, we'll just go down these stairs on your left. There's only a few of them at the kind of dock. Be careful. I will. We didn't want you to fall. Now, we go through this little steel door. After you, Mr. Freeland. Thank you. And see, this is what the bottom of an elevator shaft looks like. Yes, yes, it... It is interesting. You can make all kinds of noise down here. No one would know. Well. Now, about your story. You had me... I mean, Graclin. Gary the woman in the flower of the shaft. Now, that would never do. No. No. If you'd take a grave down here, the inspector would find it in a minute. Oh. Yes. The inspector's very sharp.

21:35Very sharp. But in the wall. The wall. Yes. See those bricks? Now, if I go to exactly the right place, look. I can pull several of them right out. And after I've got all the loose ones out, there's a regular cavity bin dug out behind them. Come here. Look for yourself. Huh? Respect. Yes. See how snugly she fits in there? I spend a long time digging that hole. She's dead. You... You killed her. Yes. Didn't you really know? I just put these bricks back now. You had some other things quite right. The woman upstairs is Millie, her twin sister. This one's name is Dorothy. I married Dorothy, but I should have married Millie. You seem as to feeling, I am a writer too. More than a writer. A poet.

22:35But I didn't sell anything. And Dorothy lost faith in me. She died stories for hacks like yourself. While I had to turn the running elevator, she caused me to lose faith in myself. Finally Dorothy left me and came here. I followed her and got a job in the same building. At last, I did what I wanted to do for years. I killed her. When I told Millie, she said I'd done quite right. And she came here to help me. You're insane. No, Mr. Freeland. I am a poet. I'm going to be out of here. No, I don't think you're... I'm a... Freeland! Hey! Ah, are you surprised how strong I am? I've done many things in my time. Even if it waits in a circus. You... You man-man! Don't try to get up, Mr. Freeland. I'll just have to knock you down again. You see, I've got something quite interesting in store for you. You remember Edgar Allen Poe's wonderful story about the man in the room that got smaller and smaller, until it would crush the life out of him?

23:36What are you talking about? Where, Mr. Freeland? I have such a room. You're in it now. The walls won't move, but the ceiling will. Look above you. Most elevators won't go all the way to the bottom of the shaft. But this one will... I fixed it. Get out of my way, you lunatic! I want you, Mr. Freeland! You could be a crushing blow and I'd drop to the ground, stunned. And you were wrong at my name. It's Al Shone. And he jumped out of the door and slammed his chest. I staggered to it, but there was no knob or latch of any kind on the inside. It was smooth and flush with the wall. I heard his footsteps running up the stairs, and I heard them above me. In the elevator, then came a sound that drove me to panic. Racklin, stop! You'll never get away with two murders. You go to the electric chair. Racklin! Listen, listen, I won't tell anybody about Mr. Markham. I'll tear up the story. Racklin! I snuck to my knees, still it came on.

24:36And I tell flat on my face, and still it came closer and closer. Only inches away now. Yes, for the I've plung out my arms to flat myself closer to the ground. In my hand, touch the bricks of the wall, cloud one of the loose ones. Not knowing what I was doing, I clouded the loose brick and pulled it out a little. Then, miraculously... The elevator hung suspended. The sight of it caught on the brick. I knew it wouldn't be stopped for long. Already, the sight of the elevator was grinding into the brick, and at a moment it would break it and come pressing down upon me like an ass. But then, I heard a new sound. The elevator stopped crushing into the brick now, and hung motionless. He'd evidently shut off the power. It was time to make up his mind what to do. Suddenly, the elevator lifted him. I saw it going up and up, away from me. And then... I don't remember.

25:36I must have made it. The next thing I knew, too policemen were holding me up. Asking me questions. I told them something and what had happened. And then I asked them about the elevator man. Oh, him? We sent him off in the wagon. It was a funny thing. You see, there was this guy from some publisher, I think he was. Came here to tell the elevator guy they'd won some big poetry contest. Well, let's follow from the publisher, waited around upstairs and finally started pressing the buzzer. When the elevator came up, the old man jumped out, knocked the publisher guy down, and then went running out into the street. That's when we got it. After we sent him off, we came back to investigate. And we found you. Really? Really? Well, that's about all there was to it. Except that old crack then really was a pretty good writer, I guess. Because I made the changes he suggested.

26:36And you know what? I sold the story. Suspense. Presented by Autolite. Tonight's star, Mr. John Lund. Hello. Another poem for him. Okay. Hello, Wilcox, the car owner's delight. A woke one night from a deep dream of... Autolite. But let's be more specific, Cap. I dreamed that every car in America was equipped with world-famous ignition engineered auto-light spark plugs. And you know, spark plugs are only one of more than 400 products made by auto-light for cars, trucks, planes, and boats in 28 plants coast to coast. These include complete electrical systems used as original equipment on many makes of America's finest cars. Spark plugs, batteries, generators, coils, distributors, electric windshield wipers,

27:38and a lot of other things. And you know, spark plugs are only one of more than 400 products made by auto-light for cars, trucks, planes, and boats in 28 plants coast to coast. Electric windshield wipers, starting motors, bulls-eye sealed beam headlights. All engineered to fit together perfectly, work together perfectly because they're a perfect team. So, friends, don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good. Ask for and insist on auto-light original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage, or repair shop. Remember, you're always right with auto-light. Next Thursday for suspense, our star will be Miss Claire Trevor. The play is called Angel Face, and it is, as we say, a tale well calculated to keep you in us and. Tonight's suspense play was produced and edited by William Spear and directed by Norman MacDonald.

28:42Music for suspense is composed by Lucien Moralweck and conducted by Lud Bluskin. The Man in the Room is an original play written for radio by William Eidelsen and Mary Castle. John Lund is currently being co-starred with Barbara Stanwick in the Paramount picture No Man of Her Own. In the coming weeks, you will hear such stars as Charles Boyet, Edward G. Robinson, Jack Carson, and Dennis O'Kee. And don't forget, next Thursday same time, auto-light will present suspense, starring Claire Trevor. You can buy world famous auto-light resistor or regular spark plugs, auto-light stafel batteries, auto-light electrical parts, and your neighborhood auto-light dealers. Switch to auto-light. Good night. In spite of better food supplies, millions are still starving in Europe and Japan. The need is particularly acute and free Berlin. Send your contributions to CAR, C-A-R-E, New York. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.