Leon Janney stars as ex-con “Pete Wilson” in an entertaining Robert Arthur story about a robbery that uses a coffin to sneak the money out. Wilson is night superintendent of a municipal crematorium and is persuaded by his old cell-mate Al Thomas to participate in a three-million-dollar robbery. The supposed foolproof plan has Pete and Al double-cross a local mobster and his gang who have been planning to rob the Dollar Delivery Company for months. The gangsters do the dangerous part of the holdup. The gang used a nondescript little horse-drawn milk delivery wagon to move the money from Dollar Delivery. Al’s plan is to rob the money from the gangsters. Pete is told he has to “drive” a “horse,” which he does once they hijack the milk delivery wagon. Al has arranged a sparkling clean hearse, and an empty coffin, that they will use to bring the money to the crematorium. When they get there, they will remove the money, and then put the coffin through the cremation process, with all of the official paperwork for the cremation of “Mr. Albert G. Cash.” There are mishaps along the way, including Al getting knocked in the head by the milkman they hijacked, and dying from his injury. The police arrive to search buildings in the area for some of the money, and Pete diverts their attention. Then he finds out his own attention was diverted and the grand plan fell apart.
CBS publicity was a little loose with the facts. Press releases stated that the episode was “Robert Arthur's original story written for Suspense.” The story was originally written for The Mysterious Traveler and broadcast on 1951-03-20 CBS publicity was a little loose with the facts. Press releases stated that the episode was “Robert Arthur's original story written for Suspense.” The story was originally written for The Mysterious Traveler and broadcast on 1951-03-20 as A Coffin for Charley. It was also published as a short story in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine May 1958 edition. True: it was written by Robert Arthur. True: it was an original story when he wrote it. False: it was not written for Suspense. Less loose with the facts: it was an original Arthur story, and it is now being used for this particular broadcast of Suspense.. It was also published as a short story in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine May 1958 edition. True: it was written by Robert Arthur. True: it was an original story when he wrote it. False: it was not written for Suspense. Less loose with the facts: it was an original Arthur story, and it is now being used for this particular broadcast of Suspense.
The program was recorded on Tuesday, March 22, 1960. Rehearsal began at 3:00pm and ended at 6:30pm. Recording was done from 6:30pm to 7:00pm.
Two recordings have survived. The network recording is a WROW aircheck and is very listenable. The Armed Forces Radio Service recording (AFRS#779) has cleaner, richer sound, and is the preferred one of the two.
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TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
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https://archive.org/details/TSP600327
THE CAST
Leon Janney (Pete Wilson), Mandel Kramer (Al Thomas), Joseph Boland (Officer Hunt), Bob Donley (Officer Connell), Sam Raskyn (Danny), Sam Grey (Milkman)
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