- 5 months ago
Inner Sanctum Mystery, also known as Inner Sanctum, is a popular old-time radio program that aired from January 7, 1941, to October 5, 1952.
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00:00Good evening friends of the creaking door, this is your host to welcome you once again
00:16into the inner sanctum, come on in, for the crime of your life, and meet one of the illustrious
00:24inmates from our, who's who, this cadaver is cut up, it's Mr. Seymour's blade, his wife
00:34had a tiff with him, and punctuated it with a kitchen knife through the middle, which
00:39is of course one way of making your point today, all right then, lend a fear now to
00:54some grim happenings, and hear what kind of profit our star Boris Karloff in the role
01:00of Mark Devers reaps when he put up death for sale.
01:06The ashtray in the reception room is stuffed with half-smoked cigarettes, the disheveled
01:12man waiting paces his caged animal steps this way and that, each second his eyes dart to
01:17the door at the end of the room, at the slightest sound, at last, the loud turn, the door swings
01:23quite open.
01:24Well, Doctor?
01:25Your wife is in pretty bad shape.
01:28Cor Aver?
01:29My wife.
01:30Oh, sorry, I thought.
01:31Forget it.
01:32Bad shape.
01:33But she's going to pull out of it.
01:35Right?
01:36Uh, Mr. Devers...
01:37She's not going to pull out of it?
01:39Well, it doesn't look as if she will.
01:42What?
01:43There's a chance.
01:44Only a very small one, but still a chance.
01:46You're lying.
01:47She's going to pull out of it.
01:48She's got to.
01:49We're doing everything we can.
01:50Look.
01:51Even...
01:52Even if she has to die, you could pull her out of it for an hour, couldn't you?
01:58Just an hour so that she could sign something and...
02:00Mr. Devers...
02:01It means everything to me, Doc.
02:02You could give her a shot or something, couldn't you?
02:04Good day, Mr. Devers.
02:05Good day, Mr. Devers.
02:06I'll give you $5,000.
02:07Good.
02:08$10,000, Doc.
02:09And...
02:10You fool!
02:11You don't understand!
02:12You've got to do this for me!
02:14You've got to!
02:15You've got to!
02:16You've got to!
02:17You...
02:18The doctor doesn't understand.
02:23He'd do the same in my case.
02:25So would you.
02:26So would anybody.
02:27$50,000.
02:28I was one hour away for $50,000.
02:31Money that belongs to me.
02:33My money that I've waited seven long years for, and I won't be cheated out of it.
02:40Seven long years.
02:43It all seems a simple end, so sure.
02:46We had a perfect plan for $50,000, and nothing was going to keep us from it, and nothing did.
02:53Up to three weeks ago, that was when Cora called me at the office.
02:58I just thought she was imagining things again as she had right along.
03:01I told her so, but...
03:03She said no.
03:04This man was watching her, night and day.
03:08He is, Mark.
03:09He's outside the house right now.
03:11Oh, come now, Cora.
03:13Cora.
03:14I tell you, he is.
03:15Oh, you're just imagining things again.
03:17Why don't you try to...
03:18I'm not imagining anything.
03:20He's right outside the house across the street, and I'm...
03:22You be positive after seven years.
03:24I know I've been wrong before, but this time I'm sure Elliot's come back and...
03:29What?
03:30The doorbell just rang.
03:31Who is it?
03:32Evelyn?
03:33I suppose so.
03:34We're supposed to go to the movies together.
03:36Good idea.
03:37It'll take your mind off believing everyone you see is Elliot Starr.
03:41You're not coming home, then?
03:43Not till I've finished at the office.
03:46All right, Mark.
03:47Suit yourself.
03:49Goodbye, darling.
03:51My best to Evelyn.
03:52Mark?
03:56All right.
03:58All right, I'm coming.
03:59I was on the phone, Evelyn.
04:01I was...
04:03Well, aren't you going to ask me in?
04:07I...
04:08Oh, of course.
04:09After all these years, you've probably forgotten who I am.
04:12Allow me to introduce myself.
04:14My name is Elliot Starr, your beloved husband.
04:19Elliot, you're supposed to be...
04:22Dead?
04:23Yes, I know I'm supposed to be, Cora.
04:25But as you can see, I'm very much alive.
04:28I knew it was you this time.
04:30I know it.
04:31I think you better ask me in, don't you?
04:34After all, it isn't very often that a husband comes back from the dead.
04:39Back from the dead.
04:41That's what he was, all right.
04:43And when Cora called me this time, I didn't say I couldn't leave the office.
04:50All right, Cora, pull yourself together.
04:53But, Mark, you don't understand.
04:55Oh, yes, I do.
04:56You've been scared for the last seven years, and you're going to go on being scared for the rest of your life.
05:01He wants $5,000 more to disappear again.
05:05Well, I didn't expect him to come back just to say hello.
05:08Of course he wants more money.
05:10What...
05:11What are we going to do?
05:12He knows that we collect that $50,000 insurance money three weeks from now.
05:17He says if we don't come here with his five, he'll go straight to the insurance company and says...
05:21Don't be a fool.
05:22He's in this thing as much as we are.
05:25He won't do anything to spoil his chances.
05:27All he wants is money.
05:29The longer he's around, the more chance we take that somebody might recognize him.
05:33Mark, we can go to jail.
05:35We've waited a long time to get our hands on this money, and I don't expect to be cheated out of it now.
05:40You're going to give him the five bucks?
05:43I don't know.
05:45Maybe.
05:46But...
05:47But nothing.
05:49When did he say he's coming back?
05:52Tonight.
05:53After midnight.
05:54All right.
05:56I'll be here.
05:57We'll handle Elliot once and for all, and after this time, there won't be any coming back.
06:03I guess no matter how carefully you plan, there's always that one small thing you fail somehow to cover.
06:16Seven years before, I was sure we'd covered everything.
06:19And it was clever.
06:20Really clever.
06:22But all says that if a body isn't recovered after seven years' time, a man is declared legally dead.
06:29So we found us a body, Cora and I did.
06:33We found Elliot Starnes and sold him on death for $5,000.
06:39Sure, I'll do it.
06:41I'll marry Cora and then disappear.
06:44For $5,000, you can sell me on anything.
06:47He married Cora, and a little while after the policy was issued, his automobile was found at the bottom of Ridgely's Pond.
06:54The police dragged the water for days, but naturally didn't find the body.
06:59And the insurance people exercised their right to withhold payment until Elliot was declared legally dead.
07:05I understand, gentlemen.
07:07And I don't even care about the money.
07:10All I care about is that my poor husband is dead.
07:14It was clever, all right.
07:16And Cora put on a good act.
07:18We knew we'd cash in while others had failed because we weren't anxious.
07:22We were willing to wait for seven years.
07:26And wait we did.
07:29It was a perfect plan.
07:31Nothing was going to keep us from it.
07:33Nothing except...
07:35Now, Elliot has come back.
07:39He swore he'd never return and he'd gone back on his word.
07:42But by midnight, I'd made up my mind how to handle Elliot.
07:48No, Mark.
07:49The only way.
07:50No.
07:51The only way.
07:52This fight that he wants, that's only the beginning.
07:53He'll hold us up all his life.
07:54No.
07:55He'll drain us dry of every cent of that $50,000.
07:57I won't let you do it.
07:58Yes, you will.
07:59We're in this far, you won't back down now.
08:01I've got to.
08:02I never came to return out like this.
08:04I'll have a few weeks and he'll be legally dead.
08:08There must be another way.
08:09Only this.
08:10Believe me.
08:12And after it's done, it'll be you and me and nobody the wife.
08:19Go on.
08:20Open the door for him.
08:22What?
08:24Do what I say.
08:26I can't.
08:27You've got to.
08:28All right.
08:31I'll be inside.
08:33Tell him everything is set.
08:35I will.
08:40Hello, Cora.
08:43Won't you come in, Elliot?
08:45Thank you, my dear.
08:46Don't mind if I do.
08:49Mark here yet, Cora?
08:51Yes.
08:53He's in the living room.
08:54Oh, fine.
08:55Then you and Mark have agreed on the deal for me.
08:59Yes, we have.
09:01Come in, Elliot.
09:04Everything's set.
09:17So Mark is waiting for Elliot in the, uh, you'll pardon the expression, living room.
09:24Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
09:26Whatever happens to Elliot actually serves him right.
09:29After all, here in the Sanctum, we don't go for live people walking around as if they were ghosts.
09:34It's enough to scare the death out of us.
09:37Poor Cora is so nervous.
09:40She just can't look a corpus delicti in the prima facie.
09:43Good facey.
09:46Well, enough brave philosophy.
09:50Suppose we let our star, Boris Karloff, take up our stark story where we left off.
09:55Hmm?
09:57Everything was set.
10:00I planned to kill Elliot with the knife I held behind me and I felt absolutely no compunction about it.
10:07Are you not joking?
10:09No, Elliot.
10:10You're crazy!
10:11Cora, stop him!
10:12You'll never get away with it!
10:13Mark!
10:14No!
10:15I buried him in the back of the house.
10:22I say I did, because Cora wasn't much use to anyone that night or for several days afterwards.
10:29She got over it, as I knew she would.
10:32She got over it when she realized that I was right, that we had gotten away from him.
10:37And no one could ever know and no one would miss him.
10:41She got over it when I reminded her that in just one more week, we'd be sharing that $50,000.
10:49Just one week?
10:51That's right, Cora.
10:53I've been a lot of trouble to you these past few days.
10:56I am sorry.
10:57Oh, forget it. It's all over.
10:59Yes, it is.
11:01I'll feel a lot better when the money's actually ours.
11:03Somehow, way in the back of my mind, I fear that maybe we won't...
11:08Look, darling, it's as good as ours now.
11:10There's nothing left in the way, not a single thing.
11:14One week.
11:15That's all.
11:17Now, wouldn't you know?
11:20You expecting anyone?
11:21No.
11:22Evelyn?
11:23Not at this hour.
11:24Well, whoever it is, get rid of them.
11:26Yes, darling.
11:27I'll get rid of them.
11:30Yes?
11:31Mrs. Dine?
11:32Yes.
11:33Mrs. Elliot Stein?
11:34That's right.
11:35I want to talk to you.
11:36Here's my card.
11:37Well, I'm sorry.
11:38I'm busy right now.
11:39You're too busy to see me.
11:41I can promise you that.
11:42Oh, now, see here.
11:43Nice card, ain't it?
11:45Real fancy engraving.
11:50Mrs. Elliot Stein.
11:53That's right.
11:54I'm the woman Elliot married after he disappeared seven years ago.
11:58Now, I don't think you're going to be too busy to see me after all.
12:03Do you?
12:07Maybe it's fate.
12:08Maybe it's all in the card.
12:11You work hard.
12:12You think out a plan that's letter perfect.
12:15Then up pops the unexpected, forcing you into the first desperate step to lick it.
12:22First Elliot Stein's himself and his second wife that we didn't know existed.
12:28And here's our wedding license, just in case you don't believe me.
12:32Here, you can look at it.
12:33Yes.
12:34Take it easy, Cora.
12:36We believe you're his wife, Mrs. Stein.
12:38And he's got a birthmark.
12:40We said we believe you.
12:42Now, what do you want?
12:43What does any good woman want?
12:45My husband.
12:46Then why come here?
12:48Where else would I go?
12:50I'm afraid we don't understand.
12:52Do we, Cora?
12:54No, I'm afraid you do.
12:55Oh, look here.
12:56I'm afraid you understand awful well.
12:59Elliot told me.
13:00Told you what?
13:01What you two were doing.
13:02He also told me if he should fail to come home after a couple of days.
13:06Mrs. Starnes, we haven't seen your husband for seven years.
13:10Now, you don't expect me to believe that, do you?
13:12I don't see why not.
13:13I do.
13:15You see, Mr. Devis, the other day, with my own eyes, I seen Elliot walk into this house.
13:21But I didn't see him walk out again.
13:24What's the matter, Mr. Devis?
13:25You got nothing to say?
13:27What?
13:29What do you want, Mrs. Starnes?
13:31My husband, of course.
13:33Only since you killed him, I can't very well have that, can I?
13:38What?
13:39He's the only man I ever loved.
13:41And you killed him.
13:43I never should have let him come here.
13:45For days, I begged him not to.
13:47Mrs. Starnes!
13:48I'm fake letting him come here.
13:49I know that now.
13:51But I want him back.
13:53I love him and I want Elliot back.
13:54You want your husband, Mrs. Starnes?
13:57Or a substantial sum of money?
14:00Huh?
14:01How much?
14:02How can you talk about money at a time like this?
14:04Five thousand.
14:05I loved my husband, Mr. Devis.
14:08Seventy-five hundred.
14:10Well, how much?
14:13Twenty-five thousand.
14:15What?
14:16Mark.
14:17Let me handle this, Cora.
14:19And if we refuse?
14:21Well, then I'll just naturally have to tell my story to the police.
14:26Cora!
14:27Oh, let's drop all the small talk, Mr. Devis.
14:31I want twenty-five thousand and I want it fast.
14:34Now make up your mind.
14:36I'll make up my mind.
14:37Now, Mr. Devis, don't get rough.
14:40I'm not as dumb as my ex-husband.
14:43I've taken steps against anything happening to me.
14:45No, Mark.
14:46Better listen to her.
14:47You're not getting away with this.
14:48Then you don't get away with Elliot's murder.
14:51Oh, help me, Mark.
14:52Before you put that hand on me,
14:54you better have your lady friend look out that window.
14:57What?
14:59There's a taxi across the street, Mark.
15:01My taxi.
15:02And the driver knows I'm in here.
15:04You'd have to kill him, too.
15:06Elliot's ever-loving second wife is here to stay.
15:10If you want to get her out of your life,
15:12the cost is going to be twenty-five thousand dollars.
15:16By this time, tomorrow night.
15:20After she left, I had some work to do on Cora.
15:23It won't be the same way, Mark.
15:26Not another murder.
15:27You've said anything like that.
15:30Promise me?
15:31Not the same way.
15:33Sure, sure promise.
15:35After all, if we can get away with twenty-five thousand,
15:38is that so bad?
15:40I'd rather settle for none of it.
15:41Huh?
15:42That money won't do us any good now.
15:43Why not?
15:44It just won't.
15:45Oh, you're all upset.
15:47You'll feel differently day after tomorrow
15:49when you sign those papers in the insurance office
15:52and they hand that fat check over to you.
15:55No, Mark.
15:56I'll never feel differently about it again.
16:02I knew I couldn't work Cora my way much longer.
16:06But it was just two more days.
16:09Two more days to get that fifty thousand.
16:12Just two things to settle in just two days.
16:15First, there was Mrs. Starr.
16:18When she came to my apartment the next night,
16:22I handed the envelope over to her.
16:24It's all here?
16:26You could open the envelope and count it if you like.
16:29I don't have to, do I?
16:31What if I cheated you?
16:33You wouldn't.
16:34I could always come back.
16:35You could always come back for more anyway.
16:37What do you think I am?
16:39Doesn't make any difference now what I think.
16:42Okay.
16:44No hard feelings.
16:45There are.
16:46But they won't bother me for long.
16:48Of course not.
16:49That money you're collecting will cure that.
16:51I'll be cured before then.
16:52That's your business.
16:54It's yours, too, now.
16:56I don't see how.
16:58Now, do you see?
17:00Put that knife down.
17:01I will.
17:03Any to you.
17:04Don't.
17:05Don't.
17:06Please.
17:07That door's locked.
17:08You can't get out.
17:09Don't.
17:10You can have the money back.
17:11There isn't any money in that envelope.
17:13What?
17:14Just clips of newspaper.
17:15Where can I get $25,000?
17:17I don't care about the money.
17:18I do.
17:20I cared about it for seven years.
17:21I cared enough to murder once and I can do it.
17:24I can't.
17:25Now, Mrs. Starnes, I've no hard feelings towards you.
17:35None at all.
17:41Just two things to take care of in just two days.
17:45The first Mrs. Starnes was taken care of and the second was now just an hour away.
17:51The $50,000 was waiting in the insurance office for Cora.
17:55All she had to do was sign her name on some papers to get it.
17:59Oh, you can imagine how relieved I was as I sat next to Cora when she drove to the insurance office.
18:06But it was different with Cora.
18:09Cora didn't say a word.
18:12There's nothing left to say, Mark.
18:14Oh, money won't make you talk, Cora.
18:17You wait and see.
18:18After you get your hands on the...
18:20Hey!
18:22You're taking the wrong street.
18:24No, Mark.
18:25Sure you are.
18:26This is the way.
18:27It's the only way left for us, Mark.
18:28Huh?
18:29We're driving straight out of town.
18:31We're never coming back.
18:32There'll be no more murders.
18:33Cora!
18:34I know you killed that woman.
18:35Now, where did you ever get that idea?
18:38I paid her and she left.
18:39I was outside your apartment house last night.
18:43All right.
18:44So you know now.
18:46What did you expect?
18:47I couldn't let it all go down the drain, not after seven years?
18:51Turn the car around.
18:52No.
18:53You're going to sign those papers.
18:55I want that money.
18:56It's too late, Mark.
18:58Like what it is.
18:59Let go!
19:00You're turning this car around!
19:01Mark!
19:02The wheel!
19:03I wasn't even scratched in the grass.
19:16Cora wasn't that lucky.
19:19I rushed her here to the hospital.
19:21And you heard what the doctor said.
19:24There's a jam.
19:25Only a small one, but still a jam.
19:28The doctor doesn't understand.
19:29There's got to be more than only one small chance.
19:33I was one hour away from that $50,000.
19:35Money that belongs to me.
19:37Money that I've waited seven years for.
19:39I won't be cheated out of it.
19:41Cora's got to live.
19:42Cora's got to live.
19:43She's got to sign those papers.
19:44Cora's got to live.
19:46Cora's got to live.
19:47She's got to sign those papers.
19:51Well, Doctor.
19:53There's someone waiting for you down the corridor, Mr. Deville.
19:56What about Cora?
19:58There's still a chance, isn't there?
20:00No chance at all anymore.
20:02You're lying.
20:03You're lying.
20:04The gentleman is waiting.
20:05You're lying.
20:06She's not dead.
20:07She can't be.
20:08The gentleman is from the police.
20:10She asked me to call.
20:11It's a lie.
20:12She's not dead.
20:13Mr. Deville, try to understand.
20:15She is...
20:16No!
20:17It's not true, and I won't listen to you.
20:19She's got to sign those papers.
20:21You've only got to keep her alive another hour.
20:23You're a doctor.
20:24You can do that.
20:25Mr. Deville, please.
20:26Seven years, don't you understand?
20:28Oh, I can't let seven years go down the drain.
20:34Seven years.
20:36It can't turn out that way.
20:40No.
20:42She's not dead.
20:44So Mark's fifty thousand went down the drain after all.
20:59And Mark went down the hatch of a scaffold.
21:03You know, I can't feel sorry for Mrs. Starnes.
21:06She should have known that a rolling widow gathers only mausoleum.
21:11Yes, sir, when you use a dead husband for blackmail, you're bound to end up face down.
21:21Oh, a footnote.
21:23When you're dealing with life insurance, remember, honesty is the best policy.
21:30Well, friends, it's time once again to close that creaking door.
21:34Until next week at this same time, when we'll be back with a little hunk of horror.
21:39You'll be sure to listen, aren't you?
21:43I'll see you then.
21:45Oh, a thing to do, yes.
21:48I'll see you then.
21:49I'll see you then.
21:50We'll see you then.
22:22Inner Sanctum has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
22:52Inner Sanctum has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
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