The One Millionth Joe

Originally Aired: June 22, 1950 Suspense #390, "The One Millionth Joe," features Jack Carson as Al Gerzant, a public relations man who orchestrates a Fourth of July promotional stunt for the Bureau of Better Business Promotion. At the airport, Gerzant and his team wait to surprise the one millionth passenger through the gates with a lavish prize package including hotel accommodations, tickets, gifts, and a free airplane pass to anywhere in the world. When mild-mannered A. D. Thompson from Missouri emerges as the lucky winner, he seems oddly reluctant to accept his prizes, particularly interested only in the airline ticket to places south of the border. Complications arise when attractive blonde singer Vera Valerie insists that Thompson shoved her aside, making her the rightful winner, and threatens to sue unless she receives duplicate prizes. What begins as a routine publicity stunt quickly takes a sinister turn when Gerzant finds himself with a gun jammed in his back. As the story unfolds, the seemingly simple promotional event becomes entangled in something far more dangerous, and Gerzant realizes he hadn't counted on the explosive fireworks his innocent contest would trigger.