Suspense-S3E30: Telephone Call
25min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller | TV Series (1949–1954)
The Haskells are throwing a drunken New Year's Eve party in their New York apartment. Next door, Everett Kelsey has had enough of tending to the bitter supposedly invalid wife who treats him like dirt. He's just poisoned the shrew when he gets an unnerving phone call; the female on the line says that she saw what he did to his wife through the window. Kelsey doesn't realizes it's a prank call from one of the Haskell's tipsy party guests.
Stars: Rex Marshall, Robert Emhardt, John Baragrey
25min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller | TV Series (1949–1954)
The Haskells are throwing a drunken New Year's Eve party in their New York apartment. Next door, Everett Kelsey has had enough of tending to the bitter supposedly invalid wife who treats him like dirt. He's just poisoned the shrew when he gets an unnerving phone call; the female on the line says that she saw what he did to his wife through the window. Kelsey doesn't realizes it's a prank call from one of the Haskell's tipsy party guests.
Stars: Rex Marshall, Robert Emhardt, John Baragrey
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
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00:41Let's have some gin.
00:42Oh, gin.
00:43Gin.
00:44Oh, gin.
00:45Oh, gin.
00:46Oh, gin.
00:47Now, what's this?
00:48Rum.
00:49Rum?
00:50Oh, yes.
00:51Got it.
00:52Rum.
00:54And here's another bottle.
00:56Oh.
00:57Wonderful.
00:58Oh, fantastic.
00:59Let's get some of that.
01:00Come on.
01:01Come on.
01:02Come on.
01:03Now.
01:04Come on.
01:05Come on.
01:06Come on.
01:07Help me.
01:08Listen, everybody.
01:09It's almost midnight, so fill your cups up.
01:12OK.
01:15Thank you so much.
01:20Listen, what is this stuff?
01:21I can't move.
01:22I've been scuffled.
01:23Keep your hands out of there.
01:24You want to lose them?
01:26Delicious.
01:27What's it called, Mrs. Haskell?
01:28It's Mrs. Haskell's very own atomic bombshell.
01:31Oh, yes.
01:32Yes.
01:33Yes.
01:34Yes.
01:35Yes.
01:36Yes.
01:37Oh.
01:38Oh.
01:39Wonderful.
01:40Oh.
01:41Oh.
01:42Oh.
01:43Oh.
01:44Oh.
01:45Oh.
01:46I want you to go in there next door, Everett,
01:48and tell them to quit this racket at once.
01:50It's New Year's, Myrtle.
01:51What's that to me?
01:53I'm six six.
01:55I'm a sick bedridden woman.
01:56But there's one night in the whole year, Myrtle.
01:58There are parties all over the apartment house.
02:00Oh, you think of everybody's comfort but mine.
02:02I do the best I can.
02:03I've done the best I can for you ever since you've been sick.
02:0610 years.
02:07I've waited on you hand and foot.
02:09Yes, you leave me alone all day long.
02:11Well, I've got to make a living.
02:12Why, you avoid me deliberately.
02:14You can't wait to get out of the house.
02:16You creep out here in the morning before it's even daylight.
02:18I've got to be at the post office at 6 o'clock, Myrtle.
02:21Yes, and I'm here alone all day long.
02:25Why, you never telephone me.
02:26You never even think of me.
02:28I think of you, Myrtle.
02:29I can't get you out of my mind.
02:32I wait packages in the post office all day long.
02:35Think of you.
02:36Of my life.
02:38My life with you.
02:41Why, you want me dead.
02:46But I'm not going to die.
02:48Oh, no, Everett.
02:49I'll live on and on.
02:51I'll live to bury you, Everett Kelsey.
02:54Oh, go on in there and tell them to quit, will you?
02:57You feeble excuse for a man.
03:24Hello, Mr. Kelsey.
03:26Mrs. Haskell from next door.
03:29What's the matter?
03:31Oh, come on.
03:34It's New Year's Eve.
03:36You've got to cheer up.
03:37Now, listen, we all know that you've got your hands full
03:40with that wife of yours.
03:41But tonight, you're going to forget all your troubles.
03:44Now, my husband said that I was to bring you over.
03:48Are you sick, Mr. Kelsey?
03:50No, it's my wife.
03:53She's not feeling well.
03:58Mr. Kelsey, you know, I've lived next door to you
04:00for 15 years now and never even heard of her feeling well.
04:03She doesn't try to get well.
04:05I'm sure she tries.
04:07Good night, Mrs. Haskell.
04:09You know, my doctor says there's nothing really wrong with her.
04:14He doesn't know.
04:15It's all psychological, he says.
04:17She just wants to play lady and she wants somebody to pamper
04:20and to wait on her.
04:21And we all know who that somebody is, don't we?
04:25If you'll excuse me, Mrs. Haskell.
04:27Oh, listen, Mr. Kelsey.
04:30We all think you're a pretty fine fellow.
04:33Now, get wise, will you?
04:35My husband warned me not to say anything about this to you
04:37at all, but I'm going to because I like you, see?
04:42Listen, Mr. Kelsey, she gets up out of bed
04:46when you're not home.
04:49Well, it's just about time somebody opened your eyes.
04:51You know, lots of times I hear the vacuum sweeper
04:53going in here.
04:54I come and I knock on the door and it shuts off
04:56and she won't answer the door.
04:58I've always cleaned the house.
05:00She can't move.
05:01Well, check with the drugstore.
05:03She orders candy from there all the time.
05:05She has to open the door for the boy who brings it.
05:08My wife is unable to get out of bed, Mrs. Haskell.
05:11Oh, Mr. Kelsey, you just go on thinking that way
05:14if it makes you happy.
05:17But I'm telling you to open up your eyes
05:18because it's a brand new year and your neighbors love you.
05:22A brand new year?
05:24Yes.
05:25Now, come on.
05:26Come on next door and have a drink with us
05:28because you deserve it.
05:29No, not now.
05:30I've got to get Mrs. Kelsey her milk first.
05:34Well, come over when you get a chance.
05:37Clap up.
05:39Happy New Year.
05:40Happy New Year.
05:46Happy New Year.
06:17She's taken sedatives for 10 years.
06:20Tonight, she will have taken an overdose.
06:22She was depressed.
06:25She didn't want to go into the new year being an invalid.
06:28Everybody knows I've been devoted to her.
06:31No suspicion will fall on me.
06:33It will be called suicide.
06:35I'm not going to let it happen.
06:37I'm not going to let it happen.
06:39I'm not going to let it happen.
06:41I'm not going to let it happen.
06:43I'm not going to let it happen.
06:45It will be called suicide.
06:47I'll be notified at the post office.
06:56People running in and out all the time.
06:59What is going on out there, Everett?
07:01Why don't you go out and see, dear?
07:04What?
07:06Are you out of your mind?
07:09You know that I can't.
07:11What's that black stuff on your mouth?
07:13What?
07:14I've been seeing things tonight.
07:16Is it candy, Myrtle?
07:18Does a drugstore send candy around to you?
07:21You must know, yes.
07:23I need a little luxury now and then.
07:25Do you deprive a poor bedridden woman even that?
07:28How do you get to the door to get your candy
07:31when they deliver it, Myrtle?
07:32Answer me.
07:33What's the matter with you tonight anyway?
07:35Have you been drinking?
07:36It's the new year, Myrtle.
07:38All the old years.
07:39The years you had me feeding you, pampering you,
07:42worrying over you.
07:44They're gone, Myrtle, forever.
07:46Oh, I don't know what you're talking about.
07:48You haven't been fooling poor, patient, stupid me
07:51all these years, have you?
07:53You're out of your mind.
07:56Really.
08:00What's wrong with this milk?
08:02What's this funny color?
08:04It burnt a little.
08:06Oh.
08:09Now, you didn't have the nerve, would you?
08:12Nerve?
08:14It poisoned me.
08:16I don't know.
08:17Maybe I would.
08:24Listen to them in there.
08:26They're happy.
08:28Happy looking forward to a new year.
08:31What have I got to look forward to?
08:33Nothing.
08:34You've given me nothing in my life ever, Kelsey, nothing.
08:37Except my paycheck week after week.
08:39Paycheck?
08:40Yes.
08:41What about love?
08:42What about romance?
08:43What about passion?
08:44You've cheated me out of life.
08:46Did you dig that out of the movie magazines?
08:48Yeah.
08:49Why, I've had to imagine.
08:51I've had to dream a whole life of love, romance, and glamour,
08:56lying here an invalid in bed, day after day after day.
09:00You're no invalid.
09:02Oh, how dare you!
09:04You thief!
09:05You fraud!
09:06Get out!
09:07Get out, you thief!
09:08You fraud!
09:09You swine!
09:10You!
09:11Oh, no!
09:12No!
09:13Why, my God!
09:14Why?
09:15No!
09:16Oh!
09:17No!
09:18Oh!
09:19Oh, I hate you!
09:20I hate you!
09:23odi ring
09:31Hello?
09:32Hello?
09:34Who are you?
09:36I can't hear you.
09:39You...
09:40you saw...
09:41You saw me, you...
09:42You saw me do what?
09:46Why didn't I what?
09:49Pull my shades down?
09:53You saw what I did in the kitchen?
09:57Hello, hello, hello, hello!
10:00Hello, hello!
10:13I'm scared.
10:19I can't go back to my room.
10:27I'm scared.
10:36I can't go back to my room, I can't go back to my room.
10:42And now, the second act of Telephone Call, starring Russell Collins.
11:12Where you been pal, we've been waitin' for you.
11:41Come on, honey.
11:42Listen, we're going to take Mrs. Kelsey over to our house, and she can lie on the sofa
11:48and watch us dance and have fun.
11:50You can't let her spoil all your fun, Mr. Kelsey.
11:52No, we're going to make a seat for her, like this, see?
11:55She can sit right up here and it won't bother her a bit.
11:59No, no, no, please, please, please don't go in there.
12:01Why, what's the matter?
12:02Well, she, my wife, she doesn't like to be disturbed.
12:04She's asleep.
12:05Oh, are you kidding?
12:08Nobody goes to sleep this early on New Year's Eve.
12:10She does.
12:11She hates New Year's.
12:12She hates to see the world, the years pass by.
12:14Why aren't you going to answer it?
12:17Leave it alone.
12:18That's the funniest thing I've ever heard in all my life.
12:20Don't touch it.
12:21You silly, you need a drink.
12:23Hello?
12:24Who's this?
12:25Yeah, what are you talking about?
12:28No, this is not Mrs. Kelsey.
12:30This is Mrs. Haskell from next door.
12:32Who is this?
12:33Hello?
12:34Hello?
12:36Those things people think up to do on New Year's Eve.
12:39Oh, what did they want?
12:40What did they say?
12:41Oh, you kid.
12:42They said, we know what you're doing.
12:43We saw you.
12:44Oh, please, Mrs. Haskell, let's get out of here.
12:46Come on, we must get out of here.
12:47Kelsey!
12:49Mrs. Kelsey!
12:56She's asleep, all right.
12:57Come on.
12:58Shh.
12:59She's not bothered.
13:00Shh.
13:01Shh.
13:02Shh.
13:03Shh.
13:04Shh.
13:05Shh.
13:06Shh.
13:07Shh.
13:08Shh.
13:09Shh.
13:10Shh.
13:11Shh.
13:12Shh.
13:13Shh.
13:14Shh.
13:15Shh.
13:16Shh.
13:17Come on, Jesus, sleep.
13:19She won't even miss you, and a couple of drinks will do you good.
13:22Well, I'll be with you just in a minute, but I got
13:25to clean up first.
13:27Oh, you promise now?
13:29I promise.
13:30OK.
13:31Well, I'll be with you, just in a minute.
13:34I've got to clean up first.
13:36Oh, you promise now?
13:38I promise.
13:39OK.
13:53Hello?
13:54Hello?
13:56You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Mr. Kelsey,
13:59treating your wife like that.
14:01We saw what you did.
14:03Where are you?
14:03Wouldn't you like to know?
14:05You're in the building.
14:08You can't get away with it, Mr. Kelsey.
14:10What floor?
14:11What apartment?
14:12We're on your floor, but we're not
14:13going to tell you what apartment.
14:15Oh, you're driving him nuts.
14:18Hi.
14:22Kathy, did you really see what he was doing?
14:25Did you?
14:26No, I didn't see a thing.
14:28You didn't?
14:31Who else can we call, Kathy, huh?
14:33Well, let's call his neighbor, the Haskell.
14:37OK.
14:39Gee, this is more fun than going to a circus.
14:42And it's cheaper.
14:43I never had so much fun.
14:45Hello?
14:45Hello?
14:46Mrs. Haskell, this is Joan of Arc.
14:49Who?
14:50Arc, you know, like in arc, arc, velour.
14:57Let's check the party on this deck.
14:59I want to go up on the pole deck.
15:01Oh, never mind the poop deck.
15:02Jim!
15:05This ain't Jim, you jerk.
15:07Excuse it, mister, she'll kiss anything.
15:09I'm sorry.
15:12Say excuse me for the nice man, Isabella.
15:14Happy New Year!
15:15Come on, have a drink with us, OK?
15:17Don't go yet, mister.
15:18Isabella's going to apologize.
15:21Apologize.
15:22No.
15:22Never mind.
15:23Wait a minute.
15:25You're being rude to the young lady.
15:27You apologize to her, see?
15:28That's right.
15:29I apologize.
15:30Shut up.
15:31I'm giving the orders.
15:33And what do you want?
15:35This is a friend of mine.
15:37Come on, let's go for a drink.
15:38I don't drink.
15:39Oh, come on.
15:40We've got enough to launch the big moaner, sister.
15:42Yeah, I got to get out of here.
15:45Where are you going in such a hurry?
15:47We've been invited to a party down the hall.
15:49You, me, and Isabella.
15:53Isabella?
15:55That ain't your real name.
15:56Can't be.
15:57You're a Ruthie type.
15:59Maybe even a Shirley, but not Isabella.
16:02It'll do, sailor, won't it?
16:03I got to get out of here.
16:04You want me to get rough?
16:09What do you want of me?
16:11Be patient.
16:12And stop interrupting.
16:14Come on.
16:15No.
16:16Here, take this.
16:18It'll put you in the mood.
16:19Them's orders.
16:20Drink.
16:22And now we'll go to the party, the three of us.
16:24Come on, play.
16:25Play anything.
16:26Will you play something?
16:28Come on.
16:29Come on.
16:30Come on.
16:31Come on.
16:32Come on.
16:34Come on, honey.
16:35Pour him out.
16:36And then take the one behind you, baby.
16:38Come on, baby.
16:39We'll be next New Year's.
16:40What is that last New Year's?
16:41And did I get stinking?
16:43Honey.
16:44Honey, that.
16:45Come on, honey.
16:46Come on.
16:47Come on.
16:48Come on.
16:49Come on.
16:50Come on.
16:51Hey, baby, aren't you and I drunk?
16:53Look what I bared down the hall.
16:56Look at the banner.
16:58Look at the banner.
16:59Oh.
17:00Oh.
17:01Oh.
17:02Oh, heavens.
17:03Oh, you come with me.
17:06Hi.
17:07Hi.
17:08Oh, I'm so glad that you decide to leave your wife for a minute
17:14and have some fun.
17:16What are you so bashful about?
17:18Come on.
17:19You dance with Judy.
17:21Well, honey, come on.
17:23Come on.
17:24Well, honey, come on.
17:26Let yourself go like this.
17:30Oh, I just adore dancing with an older man.
17:34It makes me feel real today, like a middle-aged lady, you know.
17:38My name's, um, excuse me.
17:41My name's Judy Jackson.
17:43What's yours?
17:44Hey, I'm talking to you, Mr. Romeo Jones.
17:47Pay attention to me.
17:49I'm not sure I recognize your voice.
17:51Of course you don't.
17:52I never met you before in my life, Mr. Romeo.
17:54Uh, Kelsey.
17:55Everett Kelsey.
17:58You are Mr. Kelsey?
18:01You're sore.
18:04Well, excuse me for living on you.
18:06I'm not sure that I can.
18:07Hey, what's the matter with you anyway?
18:09It was only a joke.
18:10We called everybody in the building for fun.
18:13As you am.
18:14Ever heard of it?
18:15Who's we?
18:16Who else was there?
18:17Kathy Proctor and Phoebe.
18:19Directly across the court from my apartment.
18:21You saw what I did.
18:22I didn't see anything, Mr. Kelsey.
18:23It was Kathy over there.
18:24Yeah, Kathy, Kathy, yeah.
18:26Oh, he's having a good time at last.
18:29I'm glad.
18:31Would you look at that?
18:32He's going out into the hall with Kathy Proctor.
18:36What's the matter?
18:37What's up?
18:38I wanted to talk to you alone, Miss Proctor.
18:40Oh, sure.
18:41Go ahead.
18:42Well, uh, could we go somewhere where we're alone?
18:45Say, listen here.
18:46Well, now don't be worried, Miss Proctor.
18:49We're not strangers, you know.
18:51We all live in the same building.
18:53Well, all right.
18:55I live with my aunt down the hall.
18:58She's a professional babysitter.
19:00She must be working late tonight.
19:02Oh, yeah.
19:03Sometimes the Lockmans don't get home until after 5 AM.
19:08I work for the telephone company.
19:10I'm going to be a supervisor someday.
19:13Say, what's the matter with you?
19:15You're hanging on every word I say.
19:17Isn't that flattering?
19:18Oh, I never say anything important.
19:20Perhaps you wouldn't know.
19:22I must have heard your voice before somewhere, Miss Proctor.
19:25It sounds very pleasant.
19:27The telephone company thinks so.
19:29The voice with the smile, you know.
19:31Well, here's where I live.
19:33Sorry, I just can't believe your story, Mrs. Kelsey.
19:36I tell you, officer, he tried to poison me.
19:39Look, there is the empty bottle.
19:41I saw he acted funny all evening.
19:43I was afraid of him.
19:44I wouldn't drink the milk when he brought it to me.
19:47I just spilled it over myself, pretended.
19:49I wanted to see if he'd come back.
19:51I said, he's a good guy.
19:53He came back, and I said, I'll take care of him.
19:55I said, I'll take care of him.
19:57He came back, and I said, I'll take care of him.
19:59I said, I'll take care of him.
20:00He came back, and I said, I'll take care of him.
20:02I wanted to see what he'd do when he found out
20:04that I hadn't drunk it.
20:06Well, look, officer, now I don't know where he's gone,
20:09but I want you to go out, and I want you to go and find
20:12that man and arrest him for murder.
20:14All right, all right.
20:16All right, but then go and do it, will you?
20:19Get on with it.
20:20Always help me.
20:21What's the matter with you, anyway?
20:23Your friend said you saw everything I did, Ms. Proctor.
20:26I don't know what you're talking about.
20:28What friend?
20:29You let me out of here.
20:31You let me out of here this evening, Ms. Proctor.
20:33You took the liberty of phoning me.
20:35I never.
20:36Now I take the liberty of questioning you.
20:38I never telephone you.
20:39I.
20:40Oh.
20:41Oh.
20:42You're Mr. Kelsey.
20:45Oh, listen.
20:46I was only kidding.
20:48What did you see me do?
20:50Nothing.
20:51You're lying.
20:52You're lying.
20:53You're lying.
20:54You're lying.
20:55You're lying.
20:56You're lying.
20:57You're lying.
20:58What?
21:00That sly old devil.
21:02Look at him.
21:03He's trying to kiss her.
21:05I was trying to pick him up.
21:06The whole time he had a girl right here in the building.
21:08That's the mousy type you got to look out for, I always say.
21:11Secondhand Romeo.
21:13Mortimer, look.
21:15Something's wrong over there.
21:17That girl's in trouble.
21:20Hey, he's trying to choke her.
21:22Come on.
21:23Come on.
21:26You lie.
21:28You lie.
21:29You lie.
21:30You saw me pour the poison in her glass.
21:32No.
21:33No, I didn't.
21:34You lie.
21:35You saw me murder her.
21:36I don't know what you're talking about.
21:38You saw me.
21:39You saw me.
21:40I didn't do anything.
21:43You can't open that door.
21:45Don't open that door.
21:48All right, yes.
21:49I admit it.
21:50I killed my wife.
21:52I killed my wife.
21:53I admit it.
21:54Now, wait.
21:56But you're not going to get me.
22:06The window.
22:15Wait.
22:16What was that scream?
22:18Well, don't just stand there.
22:19Go and find out.
22:20Now, lady, listen.
22:21Don't yell at me.
22:22I'm not your husband anymore.
22:23Have you reported you?
22:24No.
22:25You'll see if I don't.
22:26I'm going to call.
22:29Well, what is it?
22:32I'm afraid we have some bad news for you, Mrs. Kelsey.
22:35What?
22:36I thought she couldn't walk.
22:37Never mind you.
22:39What is it?
22:41Your husband thought he poisoned you.
22:44There.
22:45Now, do you hear that, officer?
22:46Isn't that proof enough?
22:47I want you to go out there and find the reporters
22:50and the photographers.
22:52Well, there's no need for them.
22:54They'll be here anyway.
22:55They'll want pictures of your husband's body
22:58lying in the courtyard.
23:02What?
23:03What?
23:05Oh!
23:06What are you saying?
23:09Oh!
23:11Oh!
23:12Oh!
23:22Oh!
23:37Where is he?
23:39Where is he?
23:42Where is he?
23:43Where is he?
23:45Oh, he's here!
23:47Where is he?
23:48Where is he?
23:49Oh!
23:50You poor girl.
23:51♪
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