“THE CAT IS DEAD” #594 (Originally aired on February 2, 1977) Starring Marian Seldes, Ian Martin, Court Benson (Written by Ian Martin)
PLOT:
Years later, a husband and his wife return to France to attend the funeral of an old friend. In the city of love, they reminisce the past and remember the first time they met when she was a member of the French Resistance and he, an American soldier.
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Welcome to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater archives the only YouTube channel which has the Original Classic episodes of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater in order with no ads thank you for listening and now enjoy the show Come in welcome I’m EG Marshall I think it was Charles Kingsley that notable 19th century clergyman and novelist who said there are more ways of killing a cat than choking it to death with cream I leave it to you to decipher exactly what he meant to suggest by that
I bring it up only because this is a story of a cat with Many Lives who at length without violence had to end his career the police are coming back you better report it to him Ni No Josh but if you love me and you want to marry me
Say nothing let me do the talking I’m it’s see you withed uh you didn’t find the man you were chasing no as usual he has given us this s who is he I wish we know a burglar who roams the rooftops like a cat that is the police forces’s only name for him L our mystery drama the cat is dead was written WR especially for the mystery theater by Ian Martin and stars Maran selis and Ian Martin it is sponsored in part by Buick motor Division and contact the 12-hour cold capsule I’ll be back shortly with act one are you a people Watcher I mean
Whenever you pass or sit with others on the street a bus wherever can you resist the impulse to speculate who your fellow Travelers are what they do what kind of people they are for example we’re on flight 8:43 bound from New York to Paris and across the aisle is a tall slim
Still stunning woman in her early 50s beside her in the window chair is a ramrod straight all whip CT and steel man whose age is only attested to by his almost silver white hair who would you get guess them to be well why guess we’re about to find out Nikki Nikki I’m awake
Josh I just wanted to be sure your belt was fastened a signs up I didn’t have to see it I felt us losing altitude you oh I never take mine off habit I love you because I keep my seat belt fastened mm- just habit now there’s a left-handed compliment well I mean
After 30 years no Josh not even a general can make me fall into habit I wake up to it fresh every morning what time is it 5:00 a.m. Paris time midnight our time American happy anniversary Dearest didto 30 years how’s Paris you were looking at it out the window oh Paris it’s
Incredible as always what is the mo for me no no no for coming to our other Home mine not yours except that I am American now and part of me will always be what you were my French siren oh thank you shash it is the most wonderful 30th
Anniversary present you can give me already I feel 23 again or younger well that makes two of us Nicole never ask a general to defend War except me because a war brought me you resistance because it brought me you darling Oh Mommy well we should be down any minute
He’s gone into his approach we don’t have anything to declare do we no why should we oh I don’t know if I like that hesitation are you up to something don’t you trust me wouldn’t I be a fool if I did it all the way you know you
Manipulate me like a puppet my BR good dear General Josh mayard I declare how can you talk that way Nicole oier where did you get that phony s it wasn’t phony all right was pretty good but um I still want to know about the hesitation oh that pause was
Only because I wasn’t quite sure what it was you thought I ought to declare shall I tell the Customs officer if he asks me that I love you oh all right forget it forget it the only reason I asked is that I’m so anxious to get to the hotel
Unpack and start prowling all the old aunts you uh don’t mind being on the left back oh Josh we’re here to return to the past and make it live again that’s the best present you you could have given me for my 30th anniversary to
Get rid of all those 30 years and to go back as near as we can to Where it All Began what’s on the agenda for today oh nothing part two we’re on vacation wasn’t too much of qu or B let me read my joural what’s in the news who knows who
Cares I’m in the back pages I thought maybe we could have a look at what’s playing at the comedy France or or what how easily we slip into the past wait a minute well what’s that it’s something I just ran across in the obituaries listen Miss
Paul Mayor of m a small town in Normandy died quietly last night in his sleep mayor cloa prominently identified after World War II as a leader in the resistance had been known for some time to be suffering from a heart condition as well he should what never
Mind that settles it settles what nck we’ve been talking about making a memory tour of Normandy haven’t we we decided not to I thought well now we can’t we have got to go back back to monar uhoh I was afraid of this back to mon are you crazy Nicole a darling don’t you
Remember yes too damn vividly look Nikki in spite of time 30 years technically we are still accessories after the fact and liable for arrest not me I’m an American but you well you know the French still consider you a citizen of label Republic on their soil is crazy just give me one
Solid sensible reason for returning to moname I have to because I have something to return you see Josh for all that happened to us there I never told you the full story oh happy anniversary now she’s ready to tell me one generation later look let me billboard it for you
Once upon a time a long time ago a war was fought to make the world safe for democracy that was its particular slogan its number was World War II the only point I would care to make for it is that one day it long last it end did and a sexy Sensational loving
Young woman named Nicole ucher who had saved the life of a young pilot who had crashed in France his name was Josh mayth you know you were the only one I helped pass through the underground and back to the eth air force that made me want to defect and keep you in France
Even in German controlled France oh you don’t mean that well of course not it’s just that I I loved you and I still do what do you think after I met you I was that eager to get back to Great Britain and start flying again and trying to get
Myself killed killed it was the best part I mean that you didn’t get killed well obviously now where was I after the war thank heaven oh yes when I found you again and I was still trying to persuade you to marry me well I wasn’t sure I had
Enough to offer you and face it you were not all that sure about me in the excitement I knew what I wanted you thought you knew no listen mon is seate for us don’t you remember after the day when we got together at last we took
That trip by car through Normandy o how could I forget all right and it all started with us getting lost oh what a lovely night in Autumn it was the moon Riding High tossed like a ship at Sea on scudding clouds 1946 over 30 years ago lights ahead Josh we’re coming to a
Town town oh we are it ought to be mon according to the map why are you stopping it’s a guy on a bicycle maybe you could recommend a pum oh we in luck who could be better at the J hey miss you scared the poor man so he
Almost fell off the bicycle you CAU me m I’m sorry I startled you very am sorry if I bars into the middle of your concert PARTA after all I paid nothing for the ticket but enough may I be a assistance oh yes we uh we haven’t been here for
Many years so many things have changed so we thought by now we would have been uh in mon carne mon but you are almost almost there we would like to stay overnight there must be an in or a you and your wife uh no not my wife my name
Is mayard I’m a major in the e8th Air Force oh then M major and uh this is my fiance Nicole aier My it is R you m you know me know you for young I remember so many many years ago you used to sing in P at no oh I just filled in I was not known oh you were to me you are kind to remember me
How could one for forg how you sing I was of course covered with shame why well every more I should have known who I was worshiping but those were the years of the war and the whole world was upside down are you still singing oh no I I have found a better career Oh no no this young American Soldier is still my fiance but you’ve got the right idea je marry is what I want to be you would be lucky Miss am and I think you too P shant these will be bad times for France after the war marry him and go to I’m
Going to take your advice I think but first Miss we need some place to stay for tonight of course if you are to reside in mon there’s only one choice L be down the road next turn to the right drive one kilom to the heart of town you cannot miss it on the
Left very small but for if it’s right for lovers it’s sure right for us oh brother I finally found it well it’s my fault I should have made you turn left I never can learn the difference between dwan and go in the world to come for the rest of our lifetime I think
You’d better well I don’t know about the right but I don’t expect to be bearing that far left it’s no time for a political discussion we need accommodations for the night go see looks pretty dark well it’s pretty late now go in and and see if you can
Wake up the conier ke no aren’t you coming with me no I think I’ll just stay for a moment and look at the Moon okay Moon lover won’t be a Minute what is it what’s wrong no time for the sake of all days I beg you hide me from home the police where in your car will lie on the floor in the back have no fear Johan you will be safe M pardon me but did a man run past you a
Man what man a thief I’m sure he came this way I was following him oh oh yes the man who was running he He Turned I saw him turn that corner down that way he du did you see him no Lieutenant when this lady see said he came your way and
Turned the corner I just came from there ah my we meet again you know this lady can you for with my life luto you Thief he must have run off the road and perhaps he could be in the car I had the door closed I thought well
Look if you want I I just got out when I heard all the excitement I know the Melle you can trust her quickly M now will escape very well but our new Manel do not leave I will be back to ask you some questions all right joh they have
Gone like all times HH sure but what and no time for Words my Sher only for this God bless you over over but why should it be like old times when the war is over for more than a year or is It so now we know who the people we were watching are today and we’re begin begin to know who they were over 30 years ago before they became Brigadier General Joshua mayard and his wife Nicole who once was a member of the French underground we’ve opened the door want
To come into the past with me and find out where their story began all those years ago if you do I’ll be back to escort you with act two you’ll remember we left nicool in the year 1946 gazing after the two French policemen who were chasing a man named
Jean barer whom she had just hidden from them and that the moment they were out of sight she had released the man from the car where he was hidden that he had embraced her fervently kissed her and vanished also into the night now Josh a major in the US Air Force still in
Uniform in those days comes rushing out of the Inn to her Nicole Nicole are you all right s sh do not worry but I heard shots no not at me what was it all about just after the cops ran off I saw you helping some guy out of our car listen
To me quickly and understand I have just aided a man to escape from the police what why in the name of don’t ask question Josh please this man who escaped we were in underground the resistance together his name is Jean barer okay the resistance that was the
War and you had to up sides but now Nikki you don’t know what this guy has done he could have murdered someone no not Johan oh come on he didn’t kill anyone during the resistance it was different in peace Jean could not harm a soul he’s too gentle too kind too what
Would you say moral no I know him too well from the clinch I saw you know him very well I think you’re crazy to take any chances in the old days such a short time ago we took many chances together Jean and I you were one of them although
You never knew him you mean when I crashed during the sto guard raid he helped you and the others smuggle me out back to England he was the one who picked you up when you parachuted down he risked his life for you dragging an unconscious man in daylight right under
The noses of the Germans to one of our hideouts so my hats off to him but these are different times what different times to help any member of the underground is simply a reflex action as tonight and at any time I would trust Jean with my life I would always be sure that
What what is it oh something in the pocket of my coat he must have slipped it there when he embraced me what he a necklace a diamond necklace shh the police coming back you better report it to but if you love me if you ever want to marry me say nothing let me
Do the talking ah m i see you wa did that is good you didn’t find the man you were chasing no as usual has given us this lip who is he oh I wish we knew we know him only as this but G tells me that you and the are old
Friends I I didn’t not claim so close an acquaintance oh anyone who has sung together at the LA is an old acquaintance Mery and uh your companion major manard 8 Air Force and my fiance Z the at Air Force was the Savor well I wouldn’t go that far but I would so you and mzed are Beyond reproach I was going to ask to set your car oh go ahead go on you may what is all this excitement about H during the past few months Mel we have had a series
Of robberies in our town by a man who can climb buildings as quickly and the as he can since we do not know his name that’s what we call him L but what happened tonight tonight he robbed again and again as usual gave us the sleep
Will uh will you be staying here for tonight Mel Josh oh yeah they they have two rooms open for us but why Lieutenant did she the police would want to see you personally because believe me we are determined to catch and punish this man leer for he is a thief of the most Formidable Nicole it’s Josh just a moment look I have to talk to you is that all H haven’t you noticed I’ve changed since dinner oh oh well I’m sorry you look look can I come in I shouldn’t let you after the way you brush aside all the trouble I’ve gone through to make
Myself look beautiful for you nck I’ve been getting stewed about this whole thing and for the last few hours I please we discussed it after the police left we agreed to get settled in the hotel and forget about it for tonight but for Pete’s sake don’t you recognize
That you’re compounding a felony that you’re making yourself an accessory after the fact yes all right so now will you march right down to the police station turn in the necklace and identify this this Jean barer as a thief no what oh don’t you see Josh it’s a little late for that
I am already an accessory after the fact whatever you call it yes but I don’t know I give up what are you going to do then something else I learned in the underground what wait for what for JE to get in touch with me I’m quite sure he
Will oh and then I suppose you’ll just turn the next is over to him no questions asked I don’t know it depends on what Johan will tell me oh fine well I just hope they run a clean jail in won car and the Chow’s up to scratch oh
Darling don’t be mad at me it’s very late and we should get some sleep but tomorrow this will all be straightened out and then we’ll talk about our plans for the future I wish I could be as sure of that as you pretend to be I mean it
Isn’t even so much this crazy thing you’ve done as the the guy himself what do you mean well the way you fact you could almost be in love with them I’m in love with you Josh can’t you trust me yes but you do sort of crumple it
Around the edges trust isn’t a matter of degree it is all or nothing you either have it or you haven’t you know something baby you’re quite right okay I’ll back you all the way down the line that’s all I need to know no D that’s good Happy M moderately ah
What now I just can’t help asking one more question were you ever in love with this guy I mean these last couple of years during the resistance like a fellow says in in those days in those days we were all in love Josh but not with each other
We were in love with a cause Good night darling Nicole Nicole open the window Say a moment now close it V draw the Cur so now we are safe enough you answered my signal quickly I was waiting for you I knew you’d come how could you be sure it was the old one Beethoven’s Fifth why did you come to thank you for
What you did for me earlier tonight there are no words none needed between old comrades and arms how many times you have saved my life yeah I’m POA what time do you have quter to 5 it’ll be light in a few minutes I have
To go and this time it must be at you that’s all you came for to bid me goodbye of course and to get the necklace obviously you found it I found it in my pocket then may I have it please no questions asked there never were in the past must
We start now oh times have changed my dear is the necklace yours no was it stolen from someone last night yes and have you stolen other things recently yes let me show you something here pictures of my wife my children you never knew about them you see during the war we were individuals
People with only a false name no background no fature but now you see here in mon I am a man of position the slightest Whisper of Scandal might ruin me the best for you for me is to give me the necklace leave mon carne and forget what has happened I
Have involved you enough already please give me the necklace and leave mon carne forever and the police if you say nothing more there’s nothing that they can hold you for I will give you the necklace on One Condition and that is that you will return it and everything else you have
Stolen to the rightful ers to their rightful owners the people they were originally stolen from do you agree I agree but it will take time why 24 hours should be enough right yes that should be enough time to complete everything then what I have promised to
Stay here in mon caret till the chief of police returns he’s out of town until tomorrow night I have no choice till he returns because the lieutenant is very suspicious of me and of the way you disappeared so you have until the day after tomorrow and if the stolen
Property has not been returned by then I will tell the chief of police everything I know yeah I shall give you my word that if you are not satisfied that the property is back in the right hands I myself will confess to the thefts and you will not be involved will it who
Said I don’t know but it could be the police I must go wait here the necklace up here now the window my thanks I commend you to Leon here it is you who needs the commending hurry Nikki think are you all right who is it it’s Josh just a minute hurry I’m
Coming what is it Josh come in I don’t know I thought I heard voices in here were were you talking to someone uh yes oh Johan yes where is he he’s gone the window yes and the necklace gone with him Nikki Nikki what are you letting yourself in for the man is a
Thief no perhaps but he was a comrade and a patriot he deserves a chance to redeem himself what chance he has promised to return every everything has stolen within 24 hours I gave him that chance you trusted him I trusted him I can only hope he will not fail my Trust anytime you reach for a quote it’s odds on that it will be from the Bible or William shakespare this time is from the latter and we’re going to take the liberty of substituting one one word the quote misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows change misery to war and do
You have a true description of Nicole’s old comradeship with j or is he really an honest man who will live up to his promise I shall return shortly with act three examining that quote again misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows there is perhaps one other word that has
A bearing on our tail which affects only one in our cast of characters remember that we are back in the year 1946 that Josh is a young man deeply in love with but not yet married to Nicole so suppose we paraphrase the quote thus War acquaints a woman with strange bed
Fellows and with that in mind we can understand jer’s Fury as he bursts into Nicole’s womb the following day Josh what’s the matter oh nothing nothing at all I just thought you might like to see the afternoon paper don’t tell me we’re back at War just read it and
Weep L sha prows again daring robbery yields him over 200,000 Franks yeah there’s your knight in shining armor not only has he failed to return all the things he has told him as he promised but he laughed at you and did it again I can’t believe it I just can’t believe it
I would have trusted Johan with my life you’ve trusted him with part of it anyway Nicole if you have to confess your share in this I don’t see how you can stay out of jail what are you going to tell the chief of police I don’t have to tell him
Anything yet oh you’ve got to be kidding Nicole what were you and Jean barer to each other that you still can trust him comrades in arms and nothing else that gets a little hard to swallow when you’re willing to go this far out on a
Limb for him and if you think I’m going to stand by and see a generous impulse get you in trouble no need a few more hours I can cut myself free I gave Jean 24 hours and I will live up to that and then I’ll I’ll go to the chief of Police the shid police will see you now very well I’m going with you why are you afraid I won’t tell the truth I am sorry M but the chef wishes to see the M alone too bad about him I’m still going along please Josh don’t make a fuss okay I don’t like it
But okay just keep your fingers crossed hello Lieutenant what is the name of your shift police thank you Gerard Mar name what are you doing here I belong here because my true name is George Gerard and I am chief of police of mon like most others during the
Resistance I did not use my real name you knew me only as Jean barer but you actually are chief of police here in mon yes and you are also the criminal lha who committed a fresh robbery last night quite correct I could not explain fully to you because this one last job
Remained to be accomplished and as you so correctly pointed out values have changed now just what does that mean I was no longer sure that you would recognize the same values as I well one value I do recognize is a promise evidently you don’t that the money and
The Jewel should be returned to their rightful owners well have they I shall let you be the judge oh let me explain as perhaps I should have done before as you know situated where we are mon carne was an active center of the resistance movement until our
Underground was wiped out when one of our members betrayed us he is since dead and matters no longer but the rest of us had to escape many of us were helped by neighbors some betrayed but like everything else in the world nothing is black and white what do
You mean I mean that some of us were forced to deal with the gray people those who are willing to help us Escape but for a price more dear to feast and grow fat on the desperate and the helpless that is to forfeit all claim upon humanity and its rights the gray
People these are the people you have been robbing here is a list of the stolen goods stolen let me show you stolen last night from L the Jeweler 200,000 Franks in diamonds the price to the very soe that these Jackal demanded from my friend Moray to hide him in the
Back of his car and drive him through the German patrols to Holland on safety Moray who risked his life a thousand times for France and who lives now blind and alone in pis here is another 250,000 Franks stolen from from Blan the printer the price of a forged CTI to enable Pierre
Dunoir to escape Pierre long since dead but living behind him a wife and three children without Resources with little future and less hope I I could go on down the list but must I tell all the other sad and tragic stories they are substantially the same no no no need except the necklace
The necklace a bribe to poan CR at this moment our esteemed mayor of monar blood money to secure my own Escape except that it will never be turned into money it was it was my mother’s that cannot be returned to its rightful owner since my beloved mother is
Dead she has no need for Here it is I couldn’t bear for it to be owned for greed in place of Love well there you have it Nicole for myself I have no regrets I will stand on my own values of right and wrong but for my wife and children I am
Afraid and for the good job I believe I have done here otherwise as Chief of Police so it’s up to you you can save me or ruin me which shall it be you make a very hard choice for M you ask me to condone crimes whatever good they were committed
For you ask me to join you in setting yourself Above the Law you ask me to trust you for the future to accept your word that your private Crusade is finished you ask a great deal see I see that I ask too much I want you to leave now Nicole and
As soon as you are gone I will surrender myself to the lieutenant of police and admit my crimes noan sit down again please I have something to do first I wish to make a statement would you send for a stenographer and may I have a witness he’s waiting outside who my
Future husband major Josh Menard Josh this is the chief of police jard with you as witness and aware that a transcript is being made of all I say I wish to make a statement three nights ago a man named Jean barer came running down the street
In front of a hotel with the police chasing him because of my past knowledge of this man believing in him and his basic morality I helped him to escape from the police Micky hold it don’t do this wait wait till you have a lawyer please Josh on thinking things over in spite of
The fact that I believe this man in my heart is innocent of any crime I deci Ed the best thing to do was to make this confession to the police and having identified the man leave it up to them to trace and find him that is all um one more thing Mel
What did you say the man’s name was Jean oh Jean barer Miss ger then I can promise you if this J ever shows his face again he will be punished to the full extent of the law and am I free to leave M Gerard yes Melle free to leave oh just one more
Thing yes am you are in love with this young lady too darn right then I ask you to forgive me this I have stolen a kiss young man I saw you Flinch but believe me oh please believe me sometimes there are Urgent reasons for stealing I don’t get it perhaps not but
I’m sure your bride to be understands I will leave it to her to explain only let me assure you this was not a kiss out of passion but out of love and respect B so now 30 years later at last you have the whole story Josh and you can understand why when I pick up a paper and learn that the mayor of mon carne is dead I have to go back to mon carne I’m sorry honey but I don’t
Understand why do we have to go back there it’s past history not quite oh you’re so anxious to see Jean whatever his name is again no I have something to return what the necklace you mean you’ve had it all these years as long as the estimable mayor of M was still alive obviously
Jean had no use for it since he heisted it from the mayor I see your point and besides I thought it was a good idea to hang on to it as a guarantee of well jaw’s good behavior oh okay darling you know I can’t refuse you anything oh I have to
Take it to him it was his mother’s and though she’s long since dead I think it belongs to his wife you know something what I love you still after 30 years of marriage after 70 80 100 and you and you know how I can prove it
How I’m still jealous of every other man now today tomorrow and yesterday in your life like like what like U when you see this cat burglar Patriot Top Cop again you uh you wouldn’t be planning to return anything else would you what for example well for example there’s still
The matter of that goodbye kissy swarmed all over you 30 years ago you still remember and I still resent it then I have a better idea I will let you return it right now oh now you’re talking oh well better than the um chief of police so much better
Darling that was a kiss that didn’t have much respect but it did have love and passion we can always go to mon carne tomorrow never put off till tomorrow what you can do today someone is responsible for that statement who Benjamin Franklin ah what does it matter it’s a piece of very
Specious wisdom especially in a case like this where love is concerned love is immediate demanding necessary and should be taken while it can be had so with that we draw the final curtain on General Josh Minard and his wife Nicole I’ll be back shortly and so the cat is dead not
Choked to death with cream perhaps but laid peacefully to rest because he had lived out all his lives and had no reason left to exist wouldn’t it be nice if all of us could bury our alter egos the cats that snarl in the back of our minds Prejudice hate despair
Envy our cast included Maran selis Ian Martin and Court Benson the entire production was under the direction of Heyman Brown Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in part by True Value hardware stores this is eg Marshall inviting you to return to our Mystery Theater for another adventure in the macabra until next time pleasant Dreams I hope you enjoy this episode of CBS Radio Mystery Theater if youve enjoyed this and want to hear more please sub subscribe to this channel you can also visit my other YouTube channel by searching Mr Brian McCarthy in the YouTube search bar till then thanks for listening