Studio One (1948) s03e25 Episode Script

ANNOUNCER: Whether it's a product for home or business, farm or factory, you can be sure if it's Westinghouse.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
-Extra, extra, read all about it.
Read all about it.
Viney Richards released.
Read all about it.
Citizens' protest frees Viney Richards.
Read all about it.
Extra, extra! Read-- PASSERBY: I'll have one, son.
-Here you are, Mister.
Thank you.
Extra, read all about it! Viney Richards released.
Read all about it! Extra! -Uh, any statement you want to make, Mr.
Smith? -No.
-Can we say that you approve the mayor's action? -Approve? You want me to pat Langley Brighton and his boys on the back because my sister is dead? Look, Slade, you tell Jim Singleton one thing.
Tell him when I have a statement to make, I'll write it myself-- and it won't be printed in "The Cryer.
" -We could give him that, Steve, but I would want to.
-Why not? -Your sister died trying to get Viney Richards cleared.
That hasn't been forgotten by a lot of people in this town.
If you have nothing to say about Viney's release, it's going to look like a slap in the face to your sister.
-Ellen won't feel it.
You two really want a statement, get one from your boss.
Ask Jim Singleton why he spent six weeks plastering scare heads in every issue, printing everything he could lay his hands on to make Viney Richards look guilty.
You know the answer as well as I do.
Viney was good copy.
She was one of them artist folk.
But Singleton had reasons for keeping that spy scare alive.
It sold papers for him.
When Jim's ready to print those reasons, I'll give "The Cryer" a statement.
Till then, I got nothing to say.
-You can't lick the press by getting sore, Steve.
-Not even smart to try, Mr.
Smith.
-It wasn't smart for Ellen to get up out of her sickbed, to walk around in the rain for two weeks, trying to get up a petition to get them to release Miss Richards.
That wasn't smart at all.
-Viney'll be coming home in about an hour.
Going to stop in and congratulate her? -I may, later.
-Can we print that? -Not much to build a story on, is it? -Well, it's better than nothing.
-Go right ahead, then.
-Thanks, Steve.
Good night.
-Night.
[TYPING.]
-All right, I've got the lights.
-Well? Does it look sorta good to you? -Yes.
Somebody's cleaned up the whole place.
Was that you? -Steve did most of it.
I only helped a little.
-Oh, that was sweet of you.
It was in a hideous state when I left.
Oh, thanks, Bert.
Just, um, chuck it over there anywhere by the bed.
-Now you sit down, Viney.
I'll go heat up some coffee.
-No, I won't have it, Sylvia.
You'e done enough.
-Nonsense.
-Sit down, Bert.
-Thanks.
-Oh.
That does feel good.
That cell cot was a little monster.
I haven't even a cigarette to offer you.
-I have.
You better take the pack.
You'll need them before morning.
-Thanks.
It's gonna be nice, watching the sun come through that window in the morning.
You know, I haven't seen the ocean in a long time.
-Still the Pacific.
It hasn't changed a bit.
-Other things have, haven't they, Burt? What's it going to be like now? Will people still look at me as if I were clutching a bomb in my hand.
-It's begun to simmer down.
You may get a bit of it for a while.
-People are secretly afraid all the time, aren't they? -Under the surface, yes.
-I may not stay on here, Bert.
I may decide to go back East.
-You think it'll be any different there? -I don't know.
At least I would be a foreigner.
Where was Steve tonight, Bert? Why wasn't he there to meet me? -He'll be dropping in soon.
-But why wasn't he there? -Oh, I don't know.
You'll have to ask him that yourself, Viney.
Steve doesn't think like us.
-And he doesn't feel like us.
-Well, he feels very strongly about the truth.
That's why he isn't a very good writer, I expect.
The-- the truth is out of favor these days.
-Now then, drink this while it's hot.
-Oh, that's going to taste very good, I know.
Bert? -Oh, none for me.
[CAR APPROACHING OUTSIDE.]
That's Steve now, I expect.
I'll let him in.
-Good evening, Doc.
You know Joe Conners, our chief, don't you? -Hello, Chief.
-Miss Richards.
I hope you'll forgive our barging in on you your first evening? -Not at all.
You know Mrs.
Tollerson, don't you? -Yes, how do you do? -You look as though you'd come to make an arrest, Mr.
Mayor.
-Not at all.
[CHUCKLES.]
We thought we owed Miss Richards an apology, and I thought we ought to bring it in person.
-An apology for what, Mr.
Brighton? -Well, as a matter of fact, we feel a little ashamed at the way things turned out.
[CHUCKLES.]
It seemed a reasonable enough precaution at first, but-- well, there's always the danger in these things that some innocent person will get hurt.
In your case, Miss Richards, you have every reason for feeling rather bitterly toward us.
-I don't feel bitterly about anything, Mr.
Brighton.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm over.
-(TOO EAGERLY) Well, that's very generous of you.
Don't you call that generous, Joe? -I sure do.
-What have you got in the bundle you're carrying, Chief? -These are the unfortunate paintings of yours.
I found them in my office and I thought we ought to bring them along to you.
-Oh, I'd like to see them again myself.
-So would I.
-You know, someday you must show me where those secret emplacements are, Mr.
Brighton.
I don't want to make the same mistake again.
-Can't very well do that, Miss Richards.
That's security, I'm afraid.
-Oh, those are good, Viney.
Those are terribly good.
-Rather proud of them myself.
-Very fine.
I don't know as much about painting as I should, but they have-- well, I find them very attractive.
-Interesting group.
You should ask Jim Singleton to send up a photographer.
"Mayor of Point Flores on Knees Beside Dangerous Enemy Agent.
" -Hello, Steve.
-Hello, Viney.
Couldn't they let you alone for one evening, even? -It was very nice of Mr.
Brighton and Mr.
Conners to come.
I'm most grateful to them.
They've apologized, and I've accepted their apology.
-That enough? -No, Steve.
Frankly, I don't think it is.
The whole thing has been deplorable from the start.
But these are difficult times.
Sometimes a man makes a mistake, as I did.
I can only say it was a sincere mistake.
-I'm sure it was, Mr.
Brighton.
Now can't we all sit down and talk about something else? -Well, I'd just like to say one thing.
We've got a rather large military operation located about 40 miles back of us here.
And about a month before this unfortunate incident took place, we received word that there were spies operating out of the Point.
And when that woman reported seeing some strange craft maneuvering off the Point, we had to suspect everyone in the area.
The first thing we found here was Miss Richards painting a section of the beach we knew was full of concealed emplacements.
Sure, we arrested her.
And I'd do it again, too.
-I'm sure you would, Chief.
-I don't like that tone, Mr.
Smith.
-And I don't like people in responsible positions getting butterflies in their stomach.
Taking the word of an hysterical woman and a six-year-old boy about seeing enemy craft off the coast.
I didn't believe it then.
I don't believe it now.
We've got fears enough around us today without going around looking for them.
I don't believe anyone would, unless he were trying to make some political stir by working people up into a sweat and keeping them there.
It's easy enough to start fear going.
It begins to get rough when you try to stop it.
-So you think that woman didn't see anything? Well, you're wrong.
She did.
And we know exactly what it was, too.
-What? -Let it go, Joe.
-No! He's been doing a lot of loose talk around.
It's about time somebody took him down a peg.
What that woman saw was a shore battery target.
The plane that was pulling it was hidden in some low clouds.
Naturally when she saw something white skimming along the water at about 250 miles-- -A target? When did you find that out? -About two or three days later.
-So two or three days later, you knew this had nothing to do with any enemy at all.
Why didn't you say so? -Well, there's a matter of security in these things-- -What's so high secret about a target? Nothing.
You could have stopped this whole thing weeks ago, before Miss Richards went to jail.
Before my sister got out of bed, couldn't you? Couldn't you? -It was a case of judgment, Steve.
-(SHOUTING) Judgment? You're where you are to protect people, not to let 'em die and sit around in jail while you make up your mind! -Well, come along, Joe.
I guess we'd better be going.
-I'm sorry for all this, Mr.
Brighton.
-It's no fault of yours, Miss Richards.
Ellen's death has upset him quite a bit, I guess.
Good night, Doug.
Good night, Miss.
-Good night, Mayor.
-Good night.
-Good night.
-I think we should run along too, Viney.
You must be tired.
-I am.
-Call us in the morning if there's anything we can do.
-I will.
You've been sweet.
-Get a good night's rest, dear.
Good night, Steve.
-Good night, Viney.
-Good night.
Did you have to do that, Steve? -I'm not as forgiving as you.
-You haven't really forgiven me yet, have you? -Why do you say that? -I think you know.
-Viney-- Viney, what are you going to do now? -I don't know.
I may decide to go back East.
I don't think I can face living here any longer.
-They've driven you out.
Why are they so frightened of you? -I'm different.
I don't belong.
I'm riff-raff.
They [INAUDIBLE.]
thorn in their side, too.
They'd like to get rid of both.
-I'd like to let them know what they've done.
I'd like 'em never to forget.
-Don't, Steve.
Don't.
-Ellen's dead.
"Little matter of judgment.
" Hm.
Good night, Viney.
-You're leaving, Steve? It's my first night home.
-Yes, I know.
But I've got something to do that won't wait.
I've got a letter to write.
-Jim Singleton.
Yeah, I'm all right.
I'm fine.
Yeah, there's a letter just been handed me.
I think you ought to know about it.
Yep.
Oh, I don't know.
It may be some crackpot, but then you never know.
Eh, let's see.
Listen here.
Wait a minute-- stuff-- oh, yeah, here it is.
"Sometime tonight, enemy agents are going to put a deadly poison in the Flores water supply.
If the people are not warned, it can wipe out the whole population.
You are the one to warn them.
" Yeah, it's unsigned.
Haha.
What? Print it? Of course I'm not going to print it.
That could blow the lid right off.
Well, just the same, if I were you, I'd post a guard around that reservoir and I'd do it fast.
-See anything? -No.
-It's sure quiet.
-Yeah.
This whole business is crazy, if you ask me.
-Me too.
[SPLASH.]
What was that? Look, something fell in the water, about 20 feet from the dam.
-Stay here.
I'll go get the captain.
-No, wait a minute.
Probably just some kid with a rock.
-At 2 o'clock in the morning? [SOFT KNOCK.]
STEVE: Viney.
[KNOCK.]
Let me in.
-Steve? STEVE: Viney! -Is that you, Steve? STEVE: Yes.
-Something the matter? STEVE: Let me in.
-Steve, it's after 3 o'clock.
-Yes, I know.
No, don't touch the light.
-Steve, why have you come here? -I wanted to see you.
-I didn't want you to go last night.
Must it always be the way you want? -No.
I've got to stay here tonight.
I can't get back to my house.
There are people patrolling both roads.
-Why? -Someone just poisoned the Flores water supply.
They'd be very happy to string him up if they could catch him.
-Steve, what are you talking about? -Get me a glass of water? -The water's been turned off.
-Yeah, they work fast in an emergency, don't they? -Who did it, Steve? -I did.
-Oh, Steve, be serious-- -Viney, Viney.
Vi, they've been using fear as a toy that you play with.
They've used it to sell papers, to get rid of a shack they don't want, people they don't want.
Well, I'll give 'em all the fear they want.
I'll give 'em panic.
-What is it, Steve? Tell me exactly what happened.
-Last night, I wrote a crank letter to Mr.
James Singleton warning him that enemy agents were going to poison the Flores water supply.
About an hour ago, I threw a rock into the reservoir and two guards saw it-- -Steve, Steve! Do you realize what you're doing? Do you realize what this can mean? You accuse them of playing with fear.
What are you doing? -That's just what I'm not doing.
I'm not playing.
I'm deadly serious about this.
I've begun it fairly.
I've taken something so preposterous that no responsible public officer would believe it, but they have.
They have because they've grown so used to playing games with the anxieties and insecurities in people's minds, they don't even recognize a fake when it's laid in their lap.
-Oh, Steve! -Viney.
Viney, we may have the real thing to face sometime soon, and we have to know how to handle it.
We won't handle it by losing our heads and believing every rumor that goes around, getting scared.
We'll handle it by giving back to every person in the community a sense of personal responsibility, personal dignity.
You can panic sheep.
You can't panic men-- unless you've taught them to behave like sheep first.
-Steve, didn't you say last night, "It's easy to start.
It's a lot harder to stop"? -Yes, I did.
And I know it's going to be rough, but I'm prepared for it.
-Oh, I don't know.
I won't stop you.
I won't give you away.
I only wish you hadn't thought you had to.
-Nothing more that can be done about it tonight.
-No.
-You're tired.
You should get back to bed.
-And where will you sleep? -I'll be all right here.
-Good night, Steve.
-Good night, Viney.
You know, someday-- -Don't say that.
It sounds so far off.
-It won't be.
-I hope not.
-Are you still terribly busy, Bert? -Rather.
Why? -Steve Smith's outside.
He'd like to come in if he can.
-Steve? Well, send him in.
I don't have to stop for him.
-Nor for me.
-After all these years, do I have to reassure you? -Never mind.
(CALLING) Come on in, Steve.
The lord and master says he'll see you, provided you don't try to distract him.
-Uncivil welcome.
Well, what's it today? Still the mystery of our local water supply? -He hasn't done anything else for five days.
They send him a fresh sample every six hours.
Forgive me, Steve.
I've got to get back to my kitchen.
-Sure.
Well, what is it? Some deadly bacteria? -If you joined the citizens' committee, I might feel free to answer you.
As it is, I can't.
-Bert, Bert, you're wasting your time.
-Why? -No more deadly bugs in that water than there were enemy craft off the Point six weeks ago.
-You've a very doubting type of mind, Steve.
-Haven't you? -I shouldn't tell you this, Steve, but I think you can be trusted.
I've made one very critical mistake so far.
-Oh? What was that? -Well, the second day, I detected a trace of coli bacilli.
Belongs to a group known as Bacillus typhosus, typhoid germs.
My mistake wasn't in finding it.
I reported it.
Ordinary chlorination would kill anything that I've found, but Crowe hit the ceiling.
"There's no typhoid in my reservoir!" Right then and there, the hue and cry was on.
They're yelling now that this is bacteriological warfare.
That whole population is to be destroyed by typhoid.
-When does the panic start? -It may never start, and it could be at any minute.
-How? -Well, the mains have been shut for five days.
Raining the way it has, the overflow has been very great.
About 4:00 this morning, Whistle Creek overflowed.
There are 18 inches of water in the lower town now.
I sent one of men down to get a sample of the water.
Here's one he brought back.
This is part ditchwater, part floodwater, and part sewage that's backed up.
It's in their wells.
Now if just one person were to drink something like this, we could very well have a death on our hands.
Then the trouble would really begin.
-What's our good mayor doing about it? -Well, he's ordered the lower town cleared.
But suppose it's too late? Suppose some of them got up at 6 o'clock this morning and drank a dipperful? Who's going to believe that it wasn't the overflow from the reservoir that did it? -Well, they'll belief what they want to believe.
SYLVIA: Steve, that was a call from Viney.
She wants you to come down there if you can.
-Viney? What's happened? -I couldn't make out, exactly, but it seems there's been some sort of accident.
I think you should go at once.
-Oh, thanks, Sylvia.
-What is it? -I don't know.
-Hello, Hester.
Where's Miss Richards? She sent for me.
Down in the lower town.
The water's getting deeper all the time, and some of those folks are sick.
They've been trying to get them out by the lower road, but it's closed off now.
Cars can't get through at all.
-I'll get down there.
-Oh no, Mr.
Steve.
She wants you to wait here.
See, there's a cot in the other room.
Maybe you'd help me drag it out.
Gotta put those people somewhere till and ambulance gets here.
-Good.
[SHOUTING.]
VINEY: Bring her right in here.
[SHOUTING.]
I can't stand it! VINEY: Put her on the bed.
Oh, Steve, thanks for coming so quickly.
Get some ice, will you, Hester? Put it in a bag.
We've gotta get [INAUDIBLE.]
.
-What's the trouble? -Appendicitis.
I've already phoned for the ambulance.
Here.
-Grazie.
-Sit down.
Sit down here.
VINEY: Oh, help with the others, will you, Steve? I'm trying to get a pack-- -She's dying! [SPEAKING ITALIAN.]
-Put her right down here.
[AMBULANCE BELLS RINGING.]
[WOMAN MOANS.]
-That's the ambulance.
I'll get them to back up here.
-Do what you can, Steve.
-Can you make it? You better stay there.
You'll get stuck.
Send up a stretcher, will you? AMBULANCE MAN: On its way! [WOMAN MOANING.]
SICK WOMAN: Oh, Madonna! It hurts! Oh! I-- I want to walk.
Let me walk, I don't want-- [WEEPING.]
-Slowly, slowly.
Don't worry, Mamma.
[WOMAN WEEPING.]
Don't worry, Mamma.
-Don't leave me alone.
Don't leave me alone! [WEEPING.]
-Mamma! [ALL WEEPING.]
-Steve, Steve, you've got to tell them.
You've got to stop this! They're crazy with fear, every one of them.
This could be the end of everything.
-No, no, no, it's just the beginning.
-Steve, you can't.
You can't let it go on! I don't understand.
I don't understand you at all.
Is it Ellen? -Ellen? No.
No, it's a lot more.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
ANNOUNCER: Now that you've seen Part One of "None But My Foe," let's turn to our Westinghouse program with Betty Furness.
Got those fringe area blues? BETTY FURNESS: If you do, you must feel pretty much like this fellow.
You see, he lives in an area where the television signal is pretty weak-- in other words, a fringe area.
And he has a terrible time trying to bring in a strong, clear picture.
And the answer? Well, I've got it right here.
It's the beautiful new Westinghouse Brentwood.
Now like all Westinghouse television sets, this set gives you beautiful pictures, even in fringe areas.
And that's because it's specially designed to give you more power, any place or any time.
And here's the secret behind this great new power.
It's the amazing new Westinghouse super chassis.
It gives you lots more tubes and lots more circuits.
Now that means that this set can actually reach out and bring in distant stations, so sharp and clear that you'd really be amazed.
And just look at the size of that picture.
It's the new 17-inch screen that gives you real Westinghouse "picture-window television.
" Pictures that are life-size as well as lifelike.
Now you know, many television sets have a whole roll of dials along here, or else there's a panel that hides the controls.
But look, isn't this a great deal simpler? It's Westinghouse single-dial tuning.
You just give this dial a single turn, like that, and the best picture and the best sound automatically come in locked together.
And they stay that way because of the magic of locked-in tuning.
Yes, every feature that you've ever wanted in a television set, you'll find here in this Westinghouse Brentwood.
And remember, no matter where you live or how weak the television signal may be, you'll always get a better picture with a Westinghouse television set.
Remember, you can be sure if it's Westinghouse.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
ANNOUNCER: And now let's return to Westinghouse "Studio One" and "None But My Foe.
" -Extra! 16 poisoned in lower town! Read all about it! Extra, extra! If anyone was aiming to invade the United States, they'd find a better place to do it than Flores Point.
-Maybe, but me, I'm taking my wife and kids and getting out.
I'm not staying to find out.
-Did you hear that, George? Maybe that's what we should do? -Oh, silly.
-Well, I hope you're right.
-Extra! Extra! Special session of Citizens' Committee called.
Read all about it.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it.
-I wish you'd start something going, Langley.
I mean-- -All right, all right, all right.
I think we'd better get started.
-Well, that suits me fine.
Come along, now what's on the agenda? -Before we go into that, Jim, there's something we've got to decide.
-Yeah? -Steve Smith's waiting outside right now.
-What for? I thought he refused to serve on the committee.
-He did.
He's still pretty upset over his sister's death, I think.
But last night he came to me and said he thought he'd made a mistake.
Now for a lot of reasons, I think we'd be smart to have him in, but it's up to you.
-Well, if you say so, boss, I'll go along.
-He's that fellow that writes, isn't he? I never did find one of them you could trust.
-Yeah, by me, he's just a so-and-so.
Well, all right, if it'll move things along-- -Let him in and let's get on with it.
BRIGHTON: Well, I'm glad you feel that way.
No matter how we feel about him personally, it'll make a good impression.
Eh, Miss Eaton, will you ask Mr.
Smith to step in? MISS EATON (ON INTERCOM): Yes, Mr.
Brighton.
-This rain has just about saved our skins.
What are we going to do when it stops? Why, the people won't have water to cook with, even.
-We're tapping the springs direct.
We'll have a temporary pressure tank in operation by tomorrow.
We'll handle it.
-Can I quote you on that, Mr.
Commissioner? -Certainly.
-Oh, sorry if I'm upsetting things.
-Not at all, Steve.
Come right in.
You know all these fellows.
Jim Singleton of "The Cryer.
" -Yeah, yeah.
BRIGHTON: Joe Conners, police chief.
Clem Austin, the drugstore king.
[LAUGHS.]
-Bernard Crowe, water commissioner.
Steve Smith.
What do you call yourself, Steve? Novelist? [LAUGHTER.]
-I write.
Call it what you like.
-Pull up a chair, Steve.
-You go ahead with what you're doing.
I'm fine right here.
-Gentlemen, we have a tough situation on our hands.
16 people in the lower town are in the hospital already, and maybe more.
-What does Tollerson say? -He's making tests right now.
-I don't like the way he's acting at all.
I have an idea for the past day or so, he's been withholding information.
-Now, now, Jim, that's a pretty serious accusation.
-All right, all right, I'll take it back then.
But the effect is just the same.
When a man insists on making 50 experiments before he even opens his mouth.
-Last time we heard from it, he claimed the reservoir was full of typhus germs.
-Typhoid, Barney, not typhus.
-Well, what's the difference? All I know is he was pointing a finger at me and I don't like it.
There's no typhoid in my reservoir.
-Unless someone put it there, Barney.
-And that's what we're trying to get at.
-The doc gave some fancy name to the germ.
-Bacillus coli.
-That sounds right.
-Well, nobody died from it, did he? -No, not yet, but the hospitals are taking in new cases all the time.
One of them pretty serious, I hear.
-All right, you can slice it any way you like.
But I can tell you, the temper of this town is not good.
CROWE: Well, I go with that.
-If I was doing it, I'd deputize half the men in town and put out a dragnet that no one could break through.
-Unless one of the deputies happened to be the man you were looking for.
-You trying to say that one of us would do a thing like this? -Oh, I'm not accusing anyone.
-All right, all right, let's suppose that this just is an experiment.
Perhaps a new type of poison.
They pick a small town like this to test it out.
Of course, it couldn't provoke a war, but it serves the experimental purposes.
-I'm not sure it couldn't provoke a war.
It just might.
Yeah, and they got poison nowadays strong enough to wipe out the city of Chicago.
Radioactive.
You go along as usual until one morning, you wake up and find your bones all gone.
-Fellow who'd do a thing like that ought to be strung up.
-Yeah.
-I hope I'm not interrupting.
I thought you gentlemen might like a little coffee about now.
-Thank you very much.
You can put it down here.
We'll help ourselves.
-I could use a cup.
I know that.
-Help yourself, fellows.
Well, Steve, we haven't heard very much from you.
We'd be interested in knowing anything you have on your mind.
-Been listening.
As I remember, we started with the sick people from the lower town.
Well, I haven't heard anybody say what they've got.
Anybody bothered to find out whether they've got "typhoice" or "ty-fooce" or-- or just a gas bubble.
-Well, it's typhoid.
That's sure.
-Oh? Who said so? -Well, it's obvious.
If they've been drinking the water from the spill to the reservoir-- -Oh, you mean then we're sure that the reservoir was poisoned.
-Of course we're sure.
What do you suppose we'd been sitting here for if it wasn't? -Well, we'd better be more careful.
We've got to set an example.
On that score, I don't think we're doing very well.
-No? Why not? -You know what water was used to make that coffee you're drinking? -Why, rainwater, naturally.
-Oh, that's all right then.
I'll have a cup.
-You sure of that, Lang? -Well, I-- I could ask Miss Eaton, but I'm sure she-- Miss Eaton? Miss Eaton? -Don't be a fool, Smith! -What water was used to make this coffee, Miss Eaton? MISS EATON (ON INTERCOM): Why, I don't know, Mr.
Brighton.
It came from Phelan's.
But I could call and ask, if you like.
-Do that, right away.
MISS EATON (ON INTERCOM): Oh, and Mr.
Brighton, there's a call for you.
It's from the hospital.
-Put them on.
-Damn.
-Hello? Hello? Yes, this is Mr.
Brighton.
Oh, hello, Dr.
Craig.
What's the word? What? Yes.
Yes.
No, no, it isn't good, but I'm glad you told me.
Thank you, Doctor.
Mrs.
Tollini just died.
She's one of the women from the lower town.
-Now it's begun.
-What did she die off? BRIGHTON: Her appendix burst.
-Not usual with typhoid, is it? -No, but try to tell those foreigners that.
They're screaming all over the hospital down there right now.
It's pandemonium down there, Craig says.
-I remember that woman.
I saw her down at Viney Richards' studio an hour after the flood started.
There's been no time for any typhoid germs to have-- -Richards? Is that that woman who paints? -Yeah, that's right.
-Yeah, what was a woman from the lower town doing in her house? -She took a lot of them in when the road was blocked off.
-Kind of a coincidence, ain't it? First she gets found drawing pictures of military installations-- -Now wait a minute-- -The minute she gets out, the-- the water supply gets poisoned.
-Maybe that's where we've been wrong.
We sort of counted out the idea it could've been a woman, but women are poisoners, you know.
Why, I remember one case about two years ago-- -Now just a minute.
Viney Richards was doing nothing but helping some poor people who live down the hill from her.
She had nothing to do with anything.
-Sounds to me like you've got something personal there-- -Now listen, Singleton, you shut up! -Now wait a minute, boys.
Take it easy.
Take it easy.
We've got to keep our heads.
I admit we can't take anyone's innocence for granted.
But our immediate problem is how to keep panic from spreading to the lower town.
Any suggestions? -Gentlemen, I've got just one thing to say.
This is war, and we might as well face it.
[LAUGHS.]
--[LAUGHS.]
Can't you find anything prettier to paint than that old chair, Miss Viney? -Well, I can't go out in the rain.
Do you want to pose for me, Hester? -No, thank you.
-Why not? -Well, I saw what you did to Mr.
Steven when you painted him.
If you can make him look as bad as that, no telling what you'd do to me.
-You don't like what I do much, do you, Hester? -Well, I like the colors.
-Good.
That's halfway to winning you over.
Well, that's all I'm going to do for today.
The light's getting too bad.
-Would you like a cup of tea? -I certainly would.
MAN: That's the house.
That's the house.
That's her.
She the one.
-Si.
Si, she the one.
VINEY: What is it, Mr.
Tollini? How's your wife? -She? How she is? She dead, that's how she is.
-Oh, I'm sorry.
-Sorry? You sorry? -What is it? What's he trying to say? HESTER: Now you folks get out of here.
-You stay out of this.
-Leave her alone.
Don't you dare touch her like that.
-We'll do what we like, you dirty Commie! -What? -Yes.
Yes, you do this.
We bring her here.
We trust you.
She trust you.
And what you do? You get her take that drink of water.
-Poison water.
Poison! -No, no, Mr.
Tollini, I only tried to help her.
I tried to help as many of you as I could! -Help? You? Look, she's a spy.
A dirty Commie spy! -(SHOUTING) You stop that! Don't you touch it! You hear that? [WEEPING.]
-Anna.
Anna.
-My Anna dead.
I see her.
Poison rip her up.
She cry and cry.
Mamma mia! Mamma mia! Why? Why you kill my Anna? -(URGENTLY) I didn't kill her, Mr.
Tollini.
I-- -Why? -I only tried to help her.
You've got to believe that.
-Why? -I only tried to help her, Mr.
Tollini! Please-- -(SCREAMING) Why you kill my Anna? -Get out! Get out of here, all of you.
-Who you, Mister? -I'm a member of the Citizens' Committee.
We know this woman and we know she had nothing to do with any of this.
-Yeah? -Want me to call out the state police? I can, you know.
I can have you all run in for breaking into this house.
They're rough on people who do that.
-Louis, what he say? Just same.
You murderer.
We come back, for Anna! We come back.
-Come, Papa.
-We come back.
-You hear what he said? Don't forget it.
MR.
TOLLINI: We come back.
-Did they mean that, Steve? -I don't know.
-I could tell they meant it.
You best clear out, Miss Viney.
-Well, don't exaggerate.
-No, Hester's right.
-I'm sure I am.
-We've got to get you out of here.
I've got my car out here.
We'll drive up to Doc Tollerson's.
They'll put you up for the night.
-Get our things, Hester.
-We'll take her with us and drop her on the way.
-All right.
You go right on home.
-Nobody in sight right now.
Let's not waste too much time.
-Isn't that a little heroic, Bert? -Oh, I didn't hear you come in, darling.
-That doesn't answer my question.
You've just drunk a glass of water from the reservoir, haven't you? -Oh, that's not the first.
I've been drinking three glasses a day for three days, and I'm not a martyr by nature.
-Well, then this whole thing is a false alarm? -That's right.
-And you plan to tell them that tonight? -Yes.
-Well, you'd better get started then.
That was the mayor's secretary on the phone.
They're waiting for you now.
-Oh, I'd better get going, then.
Oh, I'll take this along, in case they want a demonstration.
-All right.
you run along.
I'll clean up here.
-See you in about an hour.
-All right.
[KNOCK.]
[URGENT KNOCK.]
Good heavens! Have you two eloped? -I can't blame you, Sylvia.
I never saw anything more clandestine than that entrance.
-Why do you have to sneak in this way? -Well, it must look terribly silly, but actually, we've had a pretty bad time tonight.
-A little while ago, some people from the lower town broke into Viney's studio.
-Oh! -They were pretty rough.
We had to get rid of them.
They threatened to come back.
-That's why we came over here.
-We figured that if we parked the car out in front, they'd see it, so we drove around and put it in the shed at the back of the lane and came in this way.
-Hope we're not imposing on you, Sylvia.
-Oh, of course you aren't.
Get those wet things off.
-I'm afraid if I take off what's wet, I'll be standing here in a very indecent condition.
-I'll find you enough to keep you warm.
-Where was Bert going? We saw him driving off.
-The mayor's office.
He called and asked for an appointment.
Bert's been drinking the water for three days.
He says there's no poison in it.
-Is he going to tell them that tonight? -Yes.
Why? -Then it's all over.
Little sooner than I expected it to be.
-Oh, no, Steve, it's not too soon.
I'm glad it's over.
-I'm not.
I'm not.
We needed just a day, maybe two.
Then we'd have known what they could do.
-No, it's better this way, darling.
It's better.
-You realize you two are making no sense at all? -That's right, Sylvia, none at all.
Well, that's all have a glass of water.
Yeah, you too, Sylvia.
Maybe a little while later, I'll tell you what it's all about.
But now, here's to panic.
-It's that simple, gentlemen.
There's no poison in this water whatsoever.
In fact, it's perfectly good water.
-You sound pretty sure of yourself, Doc.
-I am sure.
I've been drinking three glasses a day for three days.
The whole thing's a false alarm.
-Haha! That's going to make a fine headline, all right.
You'd better start packing and go back into the hotel business, Lang.
-I don't get this little act you've put on, Bert.
After all, you yourself told us there were some types of bacteria that might take a long time to germinate.
-That's true.
If they're in here, they'll kill us.
But they certainly didn't do anything to those 16 or 18 people over there in the hospital tonight.
-And yet Dr.
Craig called up not more than an hour ago to tell us that five of those women have unmistakable symptoms of typhoid.
-The diagnosis is clear.
How do you explain that, Doc? -When Whistle Creek spilled over into the lower town, it picked up all kinds of impurities.
Now if those women have typhoid, that's where they got it.
You asked me for a report on the Flores reservoir.
My answer is it's perfectly pure.
There's no poison in it.
Now what you do with that information is your business, not mine.
I'm merely giving you a chemical report.
-Well, I guess we've got no choice but to take your word for it.
-In that case, I'll go on home.
I haven't had dinner yet.
Oh, uh, I'll leave this with you in case you want to prove a point to anyone.
Good night, gentlemen.
ALL: Good night, Doc.
-Well, that certainly puts us on the spot, doesn't it? -Yep, it does, if we accept it.
-What choice have we? There's the proof.
-Uh-huh.
Looks bad, doesn't it? But how do we know that is reservoir water or wasn't reservoir water in the jug? Suppose it were just rainwater? -Holy mackerel! -That'd be a nice idea to get us to open up the mains and let the people start drinking it again.
-Wait a minute, Jim.
You don't mean you're accusing him of doing that deliberately! -Well, in a case like this, you've got to be suspicious of everybody.
-And Bert's been acting mighty strange ever since this thing started.
-Oh, now hold on, fellows.
Bert's an honest guy.
We all know that.
-How do you know, Barney? What do you really know about Bert Tollerson? Clem? Joe? Lang? [LAUGHS.]
You see? [LAUGHS.]
You see how simple it is for anyone to get on the inside.
-Why that low-down dirty-- -Wait a minute, wait a minute, hold your temper, Clem.
We haven't got any proof yet, you know.
AUSTIN: I-- I got all the proof I need.
I don't need proof it's a skunk once I smell it! -OK, Clem.
You got the ball.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
-Steve? -Oh, what are you doing up? You're supposed to be asleep, little girl.
-I couldn't.
I kept thinking about you.
-Me? Why? -I don't know.
You look so hurt, Steve.
So empty, as if everything had gone t of you.
-Guess it has.
I was going to prove something important about the conduct of men.
I ended up by proving nothing, except that all you need to stop a panic is a glass of water.
-Oh, I'm glad it's over, Steve.
-Is it? 16 people are still in the hospital because of me.
not-- not for any great cause, but just because I had to play tricks.
-But you care, and there's so little caring left.
Steve, let's go away.
Let's just start out tomorrow and go.
-Where to, Viney? The moon? -No, it's too cold.
-All the more reason for you to stay close to me.
-I will anyway.
Why make it so difficult? [DOORBELL RINGING.]
-Who do you suppose that is? -I don't know.
[DOORBELL RINGING INSISTENTLY.]
I don't like the sound of this.
Look, you get upstairs.
I'll find out what they want.
-No, don't open it, Steve.
Ask who it is first.
[KNOCK.]
-Steve, they're at that door.
-You go back up there, do you hear? -No.
Who is it? OFFICER: Police.
Open up, Mrs.
Tollerson.
-Police? -Well, this doesn't make sense.
You go up and tell Bert and Sylvia.
I'll talk to them.
OFFICER: Mrs.
Tollerson? -Yes? What's this all about? -Where's Dr.
Tollerson? This is his lab, isn't it? -Yes.
Uh, he's just putting me up for the night.
What do you want with him? -He's under arrest.
-He's what? -Those are my orders, and they came from headquarters.
-What orders, Officer? -Are you Dr.
Tollerson? -I am.
-I have orders to place you under arrest, Doctor.
-On what charge? -Enemy agent.
-That's rather funny, it seems to me.
Have you got a warrant? -I have.
-That's ridiculous.
You can't do this.
-Look, you'd better stay out of this.
This isn't a local affair.
It's been turned over to the state.
Espionage.
That's a serious charge.
-What do you want me to do, Officer? -Get your clothes on and come with me, Doctor.
Keep everyone here till we come down.
I don't want anyone to move out of this room till we've left.
I'll have to come with you, Doctor.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
ANNOUNCER: And now let's pause for a moment and turn to our program again with Betty Furness.
Well, what's this all about? BETTY FURNESS: It's murder! Yes, it certainly is murder if you have to go through this every time you defrost the refrigerator.
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Yes, every convenience that you could possibly hope for in a refrigerator is here in this beautiful Westinghouse Frost Free refrigerator.
Ask to see it next time you're at your dealers.
Remember, you can be sure if it's Westinghouse.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
ANNOUNCER: We return now to "Westinghouse Studio One" and "None But My Foe.
" -Extra, extra! Poison suspect seized! Read all about it.
Tollerson arrested! Extra, extra! -You never think it would be a fellow like that.
-You can't trust anybody anymore.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
-You better sit down and get some rest, Lang.
I think you're gonna need it.
-I figured making an arrest would quiet things down.
It hasn't.
It's made it worse.
-What, with that little mob? Why, look at them.
They seem quiet enough to me.
-[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
Too quiet.
That's what I don't like.
You can't tell what they're thinking.
-I can.
-What? -Absolutely nothing.
A mob like that will think just what the last person tells them to think.
You just be sure you're the last person and you can have them do anything you want.
-You mean, you want me to go down and talk to those people? -Oh, no, no, no, I'm not advising anything like that.
You use your own judgment.
But if you did decide to do it, it'd make a cocking good headline.
-Tell me something, Jim.
-Uh-huh? -Do you feel in your mind that we were right to arrest Doc Tollerson? -Of course I do.
Let's look at the facts.
He has no alibi for the night the reservoir was poisoned.
We asked him to test the water.
He comes back in five days and tells us it's absolutely pure, there's nothing in it.
But at that time, there's one woman lying dead and two dozen others in the hospital.
Then he puts on an act, tries to get us to open the mains and let the people start drinking it again.
Of course, it may just all be a coincidence, but that's kind of tough for me to believe.
yeah, seems like reason enough to me.
-Hm.
Seems easier when you tell it.
-Look, Mr.
Mayor, you've got to let me call up the military.
We're going to have trouble if you don't.
-What makes you think we can't handle it, Joe? -Have you looked out in that alley lately? That crowd's getting bigger all the time, and they're nasty.
-Uh, how do you suppose it would work if Mr.
Brighton went down to talk to them? You know, I don't think that crowd is nearly as hard to handle as you do.
-No? -No.
Neither does he.
-Well, you can suit yourselves.
But don't expect me to protect you if they start to turn on you.
-Oh, but of course you realize, Joe, the decision is Mr.
Brighton's, not mine.
But on the other hand, I'd hate to see the military rush into town and find everybody home in bed.
-That's right, Joe.
We've got to think how things are going to look.
-I've had my say.
You can do what you like.
--[CHUCKLES.]
Come on along, Langley.
I'll go with you if you want me.
-Well, seems like I have an obligation to give it a try.
-Oh, that's all right.
If it doesn't go right, you can always turn it back to the police or the military.
You can do anything you like.
-And I'm just supposed to sit and wait, huh? --[LAUGHS.]
Don't worry about us, Joe.
We can take care of ourselves.
-There's a quart in the drawer there, if you want it.
-Amateurs.
I'm not gonna take the ra for this, whether they like it or not.
Hello.
Get me Major Wiley over at Blake.
Yes, the military base.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
-Quiet, aren't they? -Yeah, that's what I don't like.
-Can you make out what they're after? -Not so far.
Here's one of the Tollinis.
Duck down.
Wait a minute, wait a minute, there's Brighton.
Singleton's with him.
I want to hear this.
[CHATTER.]
MAN: You got anything to say, say it! -Yeah! What about Tollerson! -My girl, she's sick.
Maybe she die.
Why do you do this? Why do you let my daughter die? [CHATTER.]
-Better start talking, Langley.
I -Well, I can tell from the mood of this party that I'm not going to make myself more popular.
I'm not here to give you any fireworks.
I'm here to suggest that all of you go home and go to bed.
[CROWD SHOUTS.]
-I said that was my suggestion! I didn't say you had to follow it! Now you're all entitled to the facts, and I'll tell you all I know.
Maybe after that, you'll be ready to take my advice and go home quietly.
[CROWD SHOUTS.]
-We can all be proud of one thing, just as I am-- so far, there's been no violence.
We're all-- we're all afraid of what might happen, and we all have a right to be afraid.
And somebody's going to pay for it! On that, I give you my word.
Someone's going to pay! [CROWD SHOUTS.]
-But what I want to know and you want to know is who those persons are.
We think we've made a start.
We think the vigilance of the police department and your Citizens' Committee has been demonstrated by the arrest we made last night.
-That's it.
Give them the truth.
Give them the truth.
-But a start isn't enough.
We don't want to get one man and let 10 go free.
We want to get every guilty person in this town, and we will if you don't press us.
Give us a little time.
-How much time do you want? -Sacrifice-- the sacrifice made by those poor women in the hospital must not be wasted by our impatience.
WOMAN: We've been patient long enough.
[CROWD SHOUTS.]
BRIGHTON: You'll get your justice! But first we want to be sure that it is justice.
-He's doing better than I expected.
-We can't make any mistakes now.
We don't want to harm an innocent man.
What are you trying to do? You trying to hedge about Tollerson now? [CROWD SHOUTS.]
-No! I'm hedging on nothing! -Maybe you got the wrong guy.
Is that it? -You're just stalling! [CROWD SHOUTS.]
-We're protecting no one except you, you yourselves.
The guilty man will get no protection from me, I can tell you! MAN: Tell us what you got on Tollerson.
We'll tell you whether it's enough.
-We got plenty! -Then why hasn't been strung up? -Yeah, why? [CROWD SHOUTS.]
-What is this? Why, it's a fake arrest, that's what it is! [CROWD SHOUTS.]
-All right, then! Listen to what we got on him.
One, Tollerson had no alibi for the night the poison was thrown into Flores Reservoir.
None.
Two, we gave him a sample of the water to test.
-Steve! -An expert dentist.
-Yes, I know.
I hear.
-Don't forget that.
But it takes him five days to check it.
Five days.
And then he comes in and reports there's not a trace of poison in it, when all the time, 16 of our womenfolk were lying sick in the hospital, one of them dying.
Three, when he sees we don't take his word for it, he brings in a jug of water and drinks it.
Fine.
"See, all clear.
I drink it myself.
Go ahead, open the mains.
" Let everybody drink it.
But it wasn't poisoned water that Dr.
Tollerson drank.
WOMAN: What was it? -It was-- it was pure rainwater.
[CROWD SHOUTS.]
-Lies! -Steve! Steve, don't! -Wait! Would you care to try to prove that, Mr.
Smith.
-Yes, I would! -All right, we'd be glad to have you try.
-Prove it, Mister, or shut up.
[CROWD SHOUTS.]
-I can prove it because I'm the guilty man.
I did it.
Yes, Tollerson had nothing to do with this.
He just tested the water.
his report was the truth.
But it doesn't suit these two to have the truth come out.
Doesn't look good in headlines.
But there's a law in this land that says it's better for 100 guilty men to go free than for one innocent man to be punished.
You, Brighton, you're a public officer.
You've got a public trust.
But every word here you said here about Tollerson is a denial of that trust.
You don't deserve to be in office.
You don't even know the fundamentals this government was based on.
-Yeah, how do you know all this? -Yeah, what do you know? [CROWD SHOUTS.]
-I know because the only thing that went into that reservoir was one little rock, and I threw it.
-A rock? [CROWD SHOUTING.]
-I wrote the letter to Singleton warning him it was going to happen.
I threw it where two guards would see it.
-That sounds like an improbable story to me, Smith.
-You wouldn't know the truth if you heard it.
-Why in the world would you do a thing like that? -To show you up, Brighton.
To show you didn't want truth.
You wanted a crisis.
It gave you headlines.
And instead of using the sober judgment a public official is expected to use, you let fear and panic gnaw away until a thing like this happens.
Tollerson told you there was no poison in that water.
Why did you conceal that fact from these people? Go on, answer that! -I told them what I thought was true! s I still think it's the truth! -Yeah, you're a liar, Singleton.
You know the facts as well as I do.
-I know that you and Tollerson are very good friends.
[CROWD MURMURS.]
-I know that you've been spending a lot of time in his lab lately.
And if he's guilty, you're guilty.
Then you're both guilty, that's 10 to one.
-Now wait a minute, Jim.
Don't start that kind of talk.
-Why not? He started it, didn't he? He admits he threw something in the reservoir.
He says it was a rock.
How do we know what it was? -Yeah, how do we know it's a rock.
[CROWD SHOUTS.]
-How do we know that he and Tollerson are not working together? [CROWD SHOUTS.]
-A fine bunch of friends you've got.
-You don't want the truth then? [CROWD SHOUTS.]
-You want a man like this running things for you? Well, then you deserve what you get, all of you.
[CROWD JEERS.]
-All right, if you want to take it out on someone, take it out on me.
Maybe I deserve it.
But Tollerson is innocent.
He has nothing to do with this.
[SHOUTING.]
-Get Tollerson and get him out of here.
Hide him someplace! [ALL SHOUTING.]
-Oh, Viney.
-Are you badly hurt, Steve? -Now where it'll show.
I'll live.
-Oh, Steve.
-Viney, I messed it all up, didn't I? I didn't convince one guy even.
-You did all right, Steve.
In the end, you did all right.
-I guess maybe you can't think fair when you're afraid.
You can't even play fair.
-No.
Can you stand up, do you think? -No, no yet.
Just let me stay here, flat on my back in the gutter, where I belong.
What do you say, Chief? Guess I'm not in any condition to resist arrest, am I? --[SIGH.]
I've asked a couple of the boys, Steve, to come to give you a hand.
I'm not going to arrest you.
-You'll lose your job if you don't.
-Well, maybe it's worth it.
I heard most of what you said, Steve.
It was a crazy stunt.
A lot of people got hurt.
But it showed me one thing I'm not going to do.
-What's that? -I'm just a dumb copper, I guess.
But at least I'm going to be awfully careful, from now on, who I believe and who I don't.
I promise you, I'm going to make it my business to get my facts straight.
-God love you, Joe.
I never expected it'd be you, but God love you for it.
You know, I might even get up and try and shake your hand.
Well, I guess I'm not as bad hurt as I thought.
-Can you walk to the car? -I can try.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
ANNOUNCER: Before we look at next week's Westinghouse program, here is something well worth remembering.
That's Mom, whipping up a cake with the new electric mixer she just got for Christmas.
One mixer doesn't use much electricity.
But multiplied by the millions of other Christmas mixers, and then add the million or so electric ranges, washers, and refrigerators bought last year, that takes a lot of electricity.
And yet there's always plenty on tap.
Today America uses twice as much electricity as it did 10 years ago, and there's still enough to spare, even for the stepped-up needs of industry today.
Well, part of the reason is because the electric generators, transmission, and safety equipment Westinghouse builds for the electric power industry are more efficient, built with true Westinghouse sureness.
Even more important is the foresight and courage of your lighting company and other electric utilities in the investment of $15 billions of your money and theirs to keep America productive, prosperous, free.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Next week, "Westinghouse Studio One" will present "The Way Things Are.
" For now this is Paul Brentson, saying, goodnight for Westinghouse, makers of more than 40 million products for the American home.
We hope you'll be with us again next week.
Meanwhile, see the powerful new Westinghouse television sets and see the only genuine Frost Free refrigerators at your Westinghouse dealers.
And now until next week, good night.