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Richard Diamond, Private Detective - "Elaine Tanner Case" (1950) · Old Time Mystery Radio | Old Time Radio

0:00
Speaker 1: On February 12, 1950, NBC aired episode 43 of Richard Diamond,
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Speaker 1: Private Detective, The Elaine Tanner Case. Dick Powell is Richard Diamond,
0:12
Speaker 1: hired by millionaire Morris Clinton to locate Elaine Tanner after
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Speaker 1: she vanishes from her boarding house room. Diamond's first inquiries
0:21
Speaker 1: draw gunfire, and the search becomes involved with a murder,
0:25
Speaker 1: taking him from Clinton's household to the Blue Falcon nightclub.
0:30
Speaker 1: Ed Begley appears as Lieutenant Walt Levinson. Russell Hughes wrote
0:36
Speaker 1: and directed with music directed by Frank Worth. Here is
0:40
Speaker 1: the original broadcast.
1:05
Speaker 3: The National Broadcasting Company presents Dick Powell as Richard Diamond,
1:10
Speaker 3: private detective.
1:20
Speaker 4: Walk this way, Diamond. If I do, well, I tell
1:22
Speaker 4: my friends. Hey, this is the morgue. Yeah, wise guy.
1:28
Speaker 4: You should feel right at home here, Otis.
1:31
Speaker 2: Hello, Rick.
1:31
Speaker 4: Hiya, Walt. What goes here?
1:33
Speaker 2: I want you to take a look at someone. You
1:38
Speaker 2: know who this is, Rick?
1:39
Speaker 4: Oh, the poor little devil. He was murdered, huh?
1:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, shot right in the back.
1:47
Speaker 3: And here's another exciting half hour with Richard Diamond, private detective,
1:52
Speaker 3: starring Dick Powell.
1:54
Speaker 2: Dick Powell.
2:08
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, you want something?
2:10
Speaker 4: Uh, how do you do? Are you the manager of
2:12
Speaker 4: this little, uh, haven of rest?
2:14
Speaker 5: A boarding house, boarding house. I run it, I run it.
2:17
Speaker 4: I heard you both times.
2:18
Speaker 5: Uh, what do you want, huh?
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Speaker 4: What do you want? Information, information. You're moved.
2:22
Speaker 5: You nuts or something, huh? You nuts?
2:24
Speaker 4: I'm looking for a girl.
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Speaker 5: What's the matter? Read the sign. Read the sign. It
2:28
Speaker 5: says rooms for rent.
2:29
Speaker 6: Rooms.
2:30
Speaker 2: Beat it. Beat it.
2:31
Speaker 4: You know, if you ever get around to running at
2:32
Speaker 4: 33 and a third, you'll save a lot of breath.
2:34
Speaker 5: Smart guy. Real smart guy. Now, I got to work.
2:38
Speaker 7: Got work.
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Speaker 4: Wait a minute. Now, wait. Here's $ 5 if you can
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Speaker 4: tell me about a girl named Elaine Tanner.
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Speaker 5: For ten bucks, I couldn't tell you a thing. Don't
2:45
Speaker 5: know her, don't know her.
2:46
Speaker 4: She lived here?
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Speaker 5: So it's a secret from me, a secret.
2:50
Speaker 6: Now.
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Speaker 4: Here, here, here, here, here. Take a look at this snapshot.
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Speaker 4: A man and a girl. Do you know the girl?
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Speaker 5: Mister, I got maybe ten, twenty, thirty different people every month,
2:59
Speaker 5: every month. They come, they go, they pay rent. That's
3:02
Speaker 5: all I care. They pay rent.
3:03
Speaker 4: All right, all right. Did this girl ever pay rent here?
3:07
Speaker 5: Maybe I remember her face.
3:08
Speaker 4: I never remember.
3:09
Speaker 2: No names.
3:10
Speaker 4: No names. Is anybody living in her room now? Why,
3:13
Speaker 4: you want to know?
3:13
Speaker 2: Huh?
3:14
Speaker 5: Huh?
3:14
Speaker 4: Well, I'll tell you a secret, bud. The girl is
3:17
Speaker 4: my sister. When we were little kids, my mother and
3:19
Speaker 4: father ran away from home to become acrobats in a circus.
3:23
Speaker 4: This broke up my sister, and she left, too. Now,
3:25
Speaker 4: Mama and Papa are back, and I want the whole
3:27
Speaker 4: stinking family together again so we can take the light
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Speaker 4: out of the window.
3:31
Speaker 2: Sure.
3:32
Speaker 5: For ten bucks. For ten bucks, maybe I show you
3:34
Speaker 5: her room.
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Speaker 4: All right, you're in business. Here's your ten.
3:37
Speaker 5: Thanks.
3:37
Speaker 4: The fingers are mine.
3:39
Speaker 5: This way, down this way.
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Speaker 4: How long does she live here?
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Speaker 5: Oh, not long, not for long. Maybe two weeks.
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Speaker 4: Then what?
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Speaker 5: Then comes an old guy one day. Yeah, an old
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Speaker 5: guy and.
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Speaker 4: And what?
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Speaker 5: She goes away with him.
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Speaker 4: And.
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Speaker 5: You know what else?
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Speaker 4: Yes, I know what else. The old guy was the
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Speaker 4: same guy in the snapshot I showed you a minute ago.
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Speaker 4: He was with a girl. Sure, sure.
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Speaker 5: Okay, look around, look around. She ain't any of them drawers,
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Speaker 5: she ain't. Or that cupboard, she ain't.
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Speaker 4: She ain't no place. Now tell me, did she leave
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Speaker 4: anything here at all?
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Speaker 5: Just junk, junk. Newspapers, magazines, newspapers.
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Speaker 4: So she was a bookworm. Well, okay, I guess that's it.
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Speaker 4: Let's go. Let's get out of here. Who's in that
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Speaker 4: house next door where the shots came from?
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Speaker 2: People. Thanks.
4:34
Speaker 4: They shooting at you?
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Speaker 5: They shooting at you?
4:36
Speaker 4: Know anybody who wants to get rid of you? Nobody, nobody.
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Speaker 5: Oh, mister, please go now.
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Speaker 3: Now.
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Speaker 4: Look, look. There's 20 bucks more if you do me
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Speaker 4: a favor.
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Speaker 5: I do you one favor and get shot at. Who
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Speaker 5: knows what'll happen for 20, huh?
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Speaker 2: Who knows?
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Speaker 4: Twice as much fun. Now, look. Go through the stuff
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Speaker 4: she left here.
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Speaker 5: I told you there was not nothing.
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Speaker 4: Well, go through it anyway. If you find anything that
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Speaker 4: might give me a lead, call me up. Here. Here's
4:56
Speaker 4: my card.
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Speaker 5: But... Which diamond private did that... Hey, it says you're
5:01
Speaker 5: a dick.
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Speaker 2: A dick.
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Speaker 4: Strictly private. Now, is it a deal?
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Speaker 5: Twenty bucks now?
5:06
Speaker 4: There'll be more if you find something for me.
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Speaker 7: Okay, okay.
5:08
Speaker 6: No, no, no.
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Speaker 5: Please beat it and don't come back here no more.
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Speaker 4: No more.
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Speaker 5: Window glass cost dough.
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Speaker 4: I knew it wouldn't do me any good to look
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Speaker 4: at the house where the shots came from because whoever
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Speaker 4: played me for a clay pigeon would get out fast.
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Speaker 6: Now.
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Speaker 4: Only one person knew I was likely to visit that
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Speaker 4: boarding house, the man who sent me there. And his
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Speaker 4: name was Morris Clinton. Vocation, multimillionaire. Avocation, or hottie, wolf.
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Speaker 4: And an old one at that. But why should he
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Speaker 4: take a shot at me? Thinking like that figured out
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Speaker 4: to a heart-to-heart talk with Clinton, so I went to
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Speaker 4: see him. But if he knew anything, he played it straight.
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Speaker 2: Shoot at you. But that's ridiculous.
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Speaker 4: Well, I agree. I agree, Clinton. But look at my
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Speaker 4: side of it. This morning, you sent your chauffeur to
5:57
Speaker 4: my office to bring me here. Then you hired me
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Speaker 4: to find a girl for you. A girl named Elaine Tanner.
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Speaker 2: And she wasn't there.
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Speaker 4: Right, right. She wasn't there. Just an empty room in
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Speaker 4: a boarding house.
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Speaker 2: That's all the information I could give you about her.
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Speaker 4: I'll even buy that. I've worked on less information before,
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Speaker 4: but here's my point, Mr. Clinton. I was shot at.
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Speaker 4: I'm used to it, but I don't like it.
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Speaker 2: I told you, I know nothing about that.
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Speaker 4: Believe me, Mr.
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Speaker 2: Diamond, I know nothing about it.
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Speaker 4: I do believe you. We'll just say someone doesn't like
6:21
Speaker 4: my poking around that boarding house. Have you got any
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Speaker 4: idea who that might be? No, I haven't.
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Speaker 2: I swear it.
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Speaker 4: Okay, okay. I'll wrap it up right now. As I said,
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Speaker 4: I've been shot at before, but you've been so pleasant, Mr. Clanton.
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Speaker 4: From here, the price goes up.
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Speaker 2: You don't want to go on with the case?
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Speaker 4: Not at these prices.
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Speaker 8: All right, forget it, then. I gave you $ 100 this morning.
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Speaker 4: Keep it.
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Speaker 2: And forget you ever saw me.
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Speaker 4: Oh, you're so sweet. It'll be a pleasure.
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Speaker 2: Diamond, just a moment.
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Speaker 4: Yeah? Yeah?
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Speaker 2: What has happened? Is it between you and me?
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Speaker 4: Oh, yes, but yes. Oh, I will have to report
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Speaker 4: those shots.
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Speaker 2: What? Sure.
6:57
Speaker 4: The police don't like to have people taking pot shots
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Speaker 4: at each other. It makes for confusion in a big city.
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Speaker 2: Wait, Diamond, wait.
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Speaker 4: Something else, Mr. Clinton?
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Speaker 8: I have my own reasons for not wanting anyone else
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Speaker 8: involved in this. I'm sure you and I can come
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Speaker 8: to an agreement.
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Speaker 4: Oh, well, it's just possible, Maury, that you and I
7:13
Speaker 4: may not see wallet to wallet.
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Speaker 8: What would you say if... If I offered you $ 1, 000
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Speaker 8: bonus to keep on the case.
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Speaker 4: Offer or suggestion?
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Speaker 2: I'll make it a deal.
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Speaker 4: Put it on paper. A check.
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Speaker 2: Can I trust you?
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Speaker 4: Ah, okay, Clinton, if you feel that way about it.
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Speaker 4: Postdate the check. A week from today. If I don't
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Speaker 4: show up with Elaine Tanner by then, the check is
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Speaker 4: yours again. Uncashed.
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Speaker 2: Very well. Here you are.
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Speaker 4: Thanks. So long, Mr. Clinton. I'll keep in touch.
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Speaker 2: Where are you going now?
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Speaker 4: Back to my office to wait for a phone call
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Speaker 4: from the little guy at 118 Parker Avenue. Oh, hello. Well,
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Speaker 4: hello there. Did you hear everything you wanted to? I
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Speaker 4: beg your pardon.
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Speaker 2: I was just coming in to ask Mr. Clinton if
7:57
Speaker 2: I should drive him anywhere this afternoon.
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Speaker 4: Oh? Mr. Clinton, come in here.
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Speaker 2: Right away, Mr. Clinton. Excuse me, Mr.
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Speaker 4: Diamond.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, sure.
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Speaker 4: So long, Christopher.
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Speaker 2: Oh!
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Speaker 4: The minute I left Clinton and Chris, I began to
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Speaker 4: get that lousy feeling again. The only thing that made
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Speaker 4: me feel anywhere near normal... was the thought of the
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Speaker 4: thousand bucks that would be mine in seven days. For
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Speaker 4: a thousand bucks, I'd stand up for target practice for
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Speaker 4: the big mole. I didn't have much to go on.
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Speaker 4: Just the knowledge that old man Clinton wanted me to
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Speaker 4: find Elaine Tanner... and that somebody who up to now
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Speaker 4: had proved to be a bad shot... didn't want me
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Speaker 4: to find her. With that peaceful thought in mind, I
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Speaker 4: sat in my office... hoping for a call from the
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Speaker 4: little manager of the boarding house on Parker Avenue... I'd
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Speaker 4: been waiting about an hour, and then.
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Speaker 4: Ah, save your knuckles and use a fire axe. Come
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Speaker 4: on in.
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Speaker 2: Hello, Mr.
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Speaker 8: Diamond.
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Speaker 4: Well, well, well, Christopher. All your driving finished for the day? Mr.
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Speaker 2: Clinton sent me to see you, Mr. Diamond.
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Speaker 4: This is the second time today. What's he trying to do,
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Speaker 4: make dear friends of us? Not exactly, Mr.
9:01
Speaker 2: Diamond. He wants that check back. What? He's changed his mind.
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Speaker 4: From what I know of him, it needs it.
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Speaker 2: He wants to call off the whole thing.
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Speaker 4: Something happened. Elaine Tanner show up? No. Oh, and he
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Speaker 4: sent you to get the $ 1, 000 check back?
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Speaker 2: That's right, Mr.
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Speaker 4: Diamond. I know an easier way. Why doesn't he just
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Speaker 4: stop payment on the check? I'm only carrying out Mr.
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Speaker 4: Clinton's orders. Are you? Why do you ask that? It
9:23
Speaker 4: seems a little offbeat, Chris. This morning he hires me,
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Speaker 4: then he fires me, then he hires me, now he
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Speaker 4: fires me. Monotonous, isn't it?
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Speaker 2: May I have the check, Mr. Diamond?
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Speaker 4: Not before I call Clinton and ask him a few things.
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Speaker 2: You just don't seem to understand, do you?
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Speaker 4: I want Mr. Clinton to explain. Take your hands away
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Speaker 4: from that phone. Oh. Oh, gun, huh? I know how
9:43
Speaker 4: I hate them. No need to be afraid of this
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Speaker 4: one unless you get stubborn. Let's give Clinton a ring.
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Speaker 4: Keep your hands on top of the desk, palms down.
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Speaker 4: So we're going to play table tilting, maybe? And stay sitting. Listen, Cray,
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Speaker 4: I'm not... How do you like your hair parted, Diamond?
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Speaker 7: On the side or right in the middle?
10:05
Speaker 4: When I opened my big blue eyes, my office was dark.
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Speaker 4: And the neon light on the hotel across the street
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Speaker 4: flashed the news that it was dark outside, too. I'd
10:13
Speaker 4: been out cold for a long time. When the room
10:16
Speaker 4: stopped spinning, I reached out, grabbed a piece of it,
10:18
Speaker 4: pulled myself up, went to the water cooler, splashed myself alive.
10:23
Speaker 4: I started toward the light switch when... This time I
10:26
Speaker 4: was going to be ready. I got behind the door
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Speaker 4: and waited. Hey, what's the idea?
10:39
Speaker 2: Hey, let go.
10:40
Speaker 4: Oh, for the love of my God, Sergeant Otis.
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Speaker 5: What do you expect, gorgeous George?
10:45
Speaker 4: Maybe I'll go on my neck. Oh, I'm sorry, Otis.
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Speaker 4: I guess I just can't resist you. You crazy shamas. Hey,
10:53
Speaker 4: it's dark in here. It was a lot darker a
10:56
Speaker 4: couple of minutes ago. Hit the light, will you?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks.
10:59
Speaker 4: Oh, I got enough troubles, and the first thing I
11:02
Speaker 4: see when I wake up is you. Holy mackerel. What
11:06
Speaker 4: you been doing with your head, Diamond? I got mixed
11:08
Speaker 4: up in a handball game.
11:10
Speaker 3: Oh?
11:10
Speaker 4: Yeah, some friends needed a ball. It's hard work, but
11:12
Speaker 4: you get used to it. Oh, got worked over, huh? Well,
11:17
Speaker 4: them bum jokes, they'll catch up with you sometimes. Yeah, I... Hey,
11:21
Speaker 4: wait a minute. What are you doing here? I come
11:23
Speaker 4: to get you. Lieutenant Levinson wants to see you. Well,
11:26
Speaker 4: go back and describe me. That's all he gets tonight.
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Speaker 4: I think you better come, Chalmers. It's important. I think
11:31
Speaker 4: you better go, Otis. That's important.
11:33
Speaker 2: Now, look.
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Speaker 4: Lieutenant Levinson sends me over to get you. There's something
11:37
Speaker 4: he wants to ask you. All I know is name, rank,
11:39
Speaker 4: and serial number. Now go back and tell Walt I
11:41
Speaker 4: don't want to play games. Yeah, Seamus, I got news
11:45
Speaker 4: for you. Murder ain't a game no more. That's all
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Speaker 4: Otis would tell me, but I didn't like the way
11:55
Speaker 4: he kept looking at me all the way to see Levinson.
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Speaker 4: Then we got to headquarters. Not to Walt's office, but
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Speaker 4: down the long marble corridor that led back to other places.
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Speaker 4: He wants me to bring you back here, Diamond. Where to?
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Speaker 4: The morgue. The morgue? Yeah, you heard of it.
12:10
Speaker 2: I heard of it.
12:11
Speaker 4: What's this all about?
12:13
Speaker 2: You'll see.
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Speaker 4: In here, Seamus. Lieutenant. Back here, Otis. Come on, then.
12:19
Speaker 2: Hello, Rick.
12:23
Speaker 4: Well, how's the other head look? I'll let you know
12:26
Speaker 4: when it speaks to me.
12:27
Speaker 2: Yeah. Meantime, I want you to take a look at someone.
12:30
Speaker 4: In here? Yeah, in here.
12:34
Speaker 2: You know who this is, Rick?
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Speaker 4: Oh, the poor little devil. The poor devil.
12:40
Speaker 2: What do you know about him?
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Speaker 4: Well, he was manager of a boarding house. Cheap walk
12:43
Speaker 4: up on Parker Avenue.
12:44
Speaker 2: That we know.
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Speaker 4: What else? He was murdered, huh?
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Speaker 2: Shot right in the back. Rick, unless I knew you
12:49
Speaker 2: were tied in, I wouldn't have you here. Want to
12:52
Speaker 2: talk about it?
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Speaker 4: Somewhere else, Walt.
12:53
Speaker 2: Sure. Come out.
12:56
Speaker 4: Before I answer any more questions, Walt, how'd you tie
12:59
Speaker 4: me in?
13:00
Speaker 2: He had one of your business cards in his hands.
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Speaker 2: He was shot while he was standing at the phone
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Speaker 2: in the hallway of that boarding house. Did he call you, Rick?
13:07
Speaker 2: I didn't get a call from him. Got any idea
13:09
Speaker 2: why he wanted you?
13:10
Speaker 4: Maybe, maybe not. It all depends.
13:12
Speaker 2: On what?
13:12
Speaker 4: Walt, listen.
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Speaker 2: I will in my office. Wait outside, Otis. And I'm busy.
13:17
Speaker 4: Get it?
13:18
Speaker 2: Sure. Sure, I get it. Wait a second, Rick. Here's
13:25
Speaker 2: a gun. 38th Police Special. Take a good look at it.
13:29
Speaker 4: I've seen it before. It's mine.
13:32
Speaker 2: Holistic support says this gun killed the little guy back there.
13:34
Speaker 4: Did you check it for fingerprints?
13:35
Speaker 2: Yeah, and they were all yours.
13:37
Speaker 6: Hmm.
13:38
Speaker 4: Will you have Otis come visit me and bake a
13:41
Speaker 4: cake with a file in it?
13:42
Speaker 2: Oh, cut it out, Rick. I know you didn't kill him,
13:45
Speaker 2: but I've got to tell the commissioner something. He's funny
13:47
Speaker 2: that way.
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Speaker 4: I was in my office when the guy was shot.
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Speaker 2: I was out cold.
13:49
Speaker 4: You got any proof for you or the commissioner?
13:51
Speaker 2: For the commissioner, you egghead. Now, listen on the way.
13:54
Speaker 2: To where?
13:54
Speaker 4: Have Otis bring the car on front. We're going to
13:56
Speaker 4: make a call on a guy named Morris Clinton and
13:58
Speaker 4: his errand boy, Christopher. On the way out, I told
14:05
Speaker 4: Walt the whole thing, how Christopher caught me off base,
14:07
Speaker 4: put me out, and then must have taken my gun
14:09
Speaker 4: to kill the little manager. But neither of us could
14:12
Speaker 4: come up with an answer to why. Why murder to
14:15
Speaker 4: keep me from finding Elaine Tanner? What was the connection
14:18
Speaker 4: between Clinton, his chauffeur, and the girl? I thought maybe
14:22
Speaker 4: Clinton would give her the answers when he learned there
14:23
Speaker 4: was a murder tabbing at his door. So you want
14:26
Speaker 4: to see Christopher, Lieutenant Leveson? If you don't mind, Mr. Clinton.
14:29
Speaker 2: No, no, not at all. I'll call him real loud, Mr.
14:32
Speaker 4: Clinton. Of course.
14:34
Speaker 2: Christopher? Christopher? You're sure he's here, Mr. Clinton? Yes, yes,
14:40
Speaker 2: I am, of course, Lieutenant.
14:41
Speaker 4: Call again.
14:43
Speaker 2: Christopher?
14:44
Speaker 7: Christopher?
14:45
Speaker 4: I don't think he'll hear you.
14:47
Speaker 2: Why not? I'm not deaf, Mr.
14:49
Speaker 4: Diamond. Rick, is that Christopher?
14:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, this is Chris, all right.
14:53
Speaker 4: And I owe him a haircut.
14:55
Speaker 2: Now, lay off, Rick.
14:56
Speaker 4: I'll handle this.
14:57
Speaker 2: Christopher. Yes, sir? Where were you about two this afternoon? Why,
15:01
Speaker 2: right here, working on the car.
15:02
Speaker 4: Correction. Working on me. I beg your pardon. Oh, come on,
15:06
Speaker 4: come on. Let's have it straight. Mr.
15:07
Speaker 2: Clinton, what about this? Christopher is right. Yes, he's right.
15:11
Speaker 4: Oh, you're scared stiff, Clinton. You're lying.
15:14
Speaker 8: I'm not. I wanted to go into town to keep...
15:18
Speaker 8: And the.
15:18
Speaker 4: Fuel pump on the car was stopped up. I had
15:20
Speaker 4: to take it apart. Oh, sure. And while you fixed it,
15:23
Speaker 4: Clinton stood.
15:28
Speaker 4: No, but when it was finished, it was too late
15:30
Speaker 4: for Mr. Clinton's appointment. He decided not to go.
15:33
Speaker 2: How about that, Mr.
15:34
Speaker 4: Clinton?
15:34
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, Lieutenant.
15:37
Speaker 4: Christopher hasn't been out of my sight all afternoon.
15:39
Speaker 2: That's good enough for me. All right, Diamond, let's go.
15:42
Speaker 1: What?
15:43
Speaker 4: Are you crazy?
15:44
Speaker 2: No, that's why I'm putting the cuffs on you. I
15:46
Speaker 2: thought there was something fishy about your story. Gun taken
15:49
Speaker 2: away from you, people coming to see you, hiring you,
15:51
Speaker 2: firing you.
15:51
Speaker 4: Walt, your stomach has gone to your head. Never mind
15:53
Speaker 4: my stomach.
15:54
Speaker 2: Otis.
15:55
Speaker 4: Yeah, Lieutenant. Put the cuffs on this Shamas. Cuffs? On him?
15:59
Speaker 2: Close your mouth, Otis. Put the cuffs on.
16:01
Speaker 4: Walt, what in the world?
16:02
Speaker 2: Diamond, I've been waiting for a chance like this to
16:04
Speaker 2: comb you out of my hair for good.
16:06
Speaker 4: Otis, the cuffs. Yes, Lieutenant.
16:09
Speaker 2: All right, Shamas, pull them out.
16:11
Speaker 4: Mr.
16:11
Speaker 2: Clinton, thank you very much. Goodbye. Come on, Diamond. So... Lieutenant. Otis,
16:16
Speaker 2: I told you to close your mouth.
16:18
Speaker 4: I gotta breathe.
16:20
Speaker 2: Oh, shut up and come on.
16:23
Speaker 4: Walt. Outside, Diamond.
16:24
Speaker 2: Get going.
16:29
Speaker 4: You big bubblehead. What's the idea of making like a
16:31
Speaker 4: cop with me? I kind of liked it. How'd I do? What?
16:35
Speaker 4: Good performance, eh? Good performance. Oh, you big ham. You
16:39
Speaker 4: great big ham. Well, Lieutenant, are we going to put
16:42
Speaker 4: the shamus in the jug? Shut up, Otis.
16:45
Speaker 2: Take the cups off him.
16:46
Speaker 4: What? Here, Otis, start working. Oh, you're right, Rick.
16:49
Speaker 2: Clinton was scared stiff, and for some reason he backed
16:52
Speaker 2: Christopher's alibi.
16:53
Speaker 4: Well, I've got an idea. You better have.
16:56
Speaker 2: If I don't have something to tell the commissioner, I'll
16:57
Speaker 2: have to give up my ideas about a pension.
17:00
Speaker 4: I'm going back to that boarding house.
17:01
Speaker 2: Why?
17:01
Speaker 4: Well, the manager was going to call me. It's just
17:04
Speaker 4: possible he got a hold of a lead on Elaine Tanner,
17:06
Speaker 4: but Christopher killed him before he had a chance to
17:08
Speaker 4: tell me.
17:08
Speaker 2: That makes sense.
17:09
Speaker 4: Have you got a man there?
17:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, I have.
17:11
Speaker 4: Oh, good. I'll see you later.
17:13
Speaker 2: Rick.
17:13
Speaker 3: All right.
17:14
Speaker 4: Please.
17:15
Speaker 2: For the sake of my stomach, don't slip up. You're
17:18
Speaker 2: my only suspect without an alibi.
17:19
Speaker 4: Thanks, Walt. See you later. Yeah. No, Walt.
17:22
Speaker 2: What?
17:23
Speaker 4: Bottoms up on the bicarbonate.
17:33
Speaker 2: That's all the stuff there was in the basement, Diamond.
17:35
Speaker 4: Oh, thanks, Mahaffey. Everything neatly bundled but this one pile.
17:40
Speaker 4: A little guy must have gone through it.
17:41
Speaker 2: Got any idea what you're looking for?
17:43
Speaker 4: No. Give me a hand, will you?
17:43
Speaker 1: Sure.
17:44
Speaker 2: Sure.
17:45
Speaker 4: Hmm. Newspapers, magazines. I'm happy. Uh-huh. No one's been in
17:49
Speaker 4: here since the murder?
17:50
Speaker 2: Nobody. I've been on the door.
17:51
Speaker 4: And the manager had nothing on him?
17:53
Speaker 2: Only your card.
17:53
Speaker 4: That's funny. Very funny. He wouldn't have tried to call
17:56
Speaker 4: me if he hadn't found something. Maybe he came across
17:59
Speaker 4: something in this pile of stuff. Didn't take it out
18:02
Speaker 4: and then.
18:03
Speaker 2: Find something?
18:04
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah. This sheaf of withholding tax statements. Mm-hmm.
18:09
Speaker 2: The kind that come on the bottoms of paychecks.
18:11
Speaker 4: Made out to Elaine Tanner. Paid by the Blue Falcon Nightclub.
18:14
Speaker 4: That ain't parking here. That's where I'm going.
18:26
Speaker 5: Yeah, sure.
18:27
Speaker 1: Now I remember a kid that named Tanner.
18:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, used to work here in the line.
18:31
Speaker 4: Thanks, bartender. Where's she now?
18:33
Speaker 2: Well, Mr.
18:34
Speaker 3: Me, I know from nothing about her, but she was
18:35
Speaker 3: good friends with one of the dolls in the line.
18:37
Speaker 2: A gal named Gladys.
18:38
Speaker 4: Where can I find this Gladys?
18:40
Speaker 2: Dressing room, straight back, turn left.
18:41
Speaker 4: And knock on the door, huh?
18:43
Speaker 2: Well, they dress that way for the show anyway.
18:45
Speaker 4: I'll keep both eyes closed.
18:47
Speaker 5: Sure, straight back like I said, and first turn left.
18:50
Speaker 2: What do you want with her, handsome?
18:58
Speaker 7: Why don't you get off here?
18:59
Speaker 4: You tempt me, sweetheart, but give me a rain check.
19:01
Speaker 7: Who waits for rain? But, um, why do you want
19:04
Speaker 7: to see Elaine?
19:05
Speaker 4: Maybe I want to tell her about some oil wells
19:06
Speaker 4: that came in.
19:07
Speaker 2: Yeah?
19:08
Speaker 7: You don't look like the type to talk about oil wells.
19:10
Speaker 4: Honey, honey, don't let the tassels on my shoes fool you.
19:13
Speaker 7: Oh, you're cute. Yeah, I know where Elaine is.
19:16
Speaker 4: Want to give?
19:17
Speaker 3: No.
19:18
Speaker 4: Sure.
19:19
Speaker 7: Oh, you've got a one-track mind.
19:21
Speaker 4: Maybe I can't switch it over yet.
19:23
Speaker 7: Okay, so I'll get a couple of days older meanwhile. Anyhow,
19:26
Speaker 7: I never did like her.
19:27
Speaker 4: So, I don't mind letting you know. No, why do
19:29
Speaker 4: I have to?
19:30
Speaker 7: Well, maybe a month ago she quit this job. This dump.
19:34
Speaker 4: All right, she quits. Go ahead.
19:35
Speaker 7: Yeah. But before she quits, she's acting funny. Like the
19:39
Speaker 7: night we're going home together.
19:40
Speaker 6: Walking along.
19:46
Speaker 7: This is the last time I take this walk. So,
19:49
Speaker 7: gonna fly to the moon?
19:50
Speaker 4: Him from work?
19:50
Speaker 5: I'm quitting.
19:52
Speaker 7: Well, if you like to eat grass, go ahead. I
19:55
Speaker 7: won't eat grass. Ever had a real mink coat, Gladys?
20:00
Speaker 6: I could have, but his lawyer's settled out of court.
20:02
Speaker 7: I'll have one. I'll do all right.
20:06
Speaker 4: You thinking about that guy Clinton who comes in the club?
20:08
Speaker 2: Uh-huh.
20:09
Speaker 7: Honey, there's wolves and there's wolves. I want to pick
20:13
Speaker 7: one with teeth. He likes me.
20:14
Speaker 2: Sure.
20:15
Speaker 7: Every time he sees you, he's got to push his
20:17
Speaker 7: eyes back in his head. Chris is working for him.
20:19
Speaker 7: His chauffeur. So this is new, so what?
20:22
Speaker 4: Money.
20:23
Speaker 7: Lots of it. Shakedown? Oh, now look, honey. They can
20:27
Speaker 7: give you trouble for that. Not a shakedown. This is
20:30
Speaker 7: safe and sure. Chris figured it. He figured it and I.
20:35
Speaker 4: And what? Nothing.
20:37
Speaker 7: Just forget it.
20:38
Speaker 2: Come on.
20:39
Speaker 8: Let's get some coffee.
20:45
Speaker 7: And that's all she says.
20:46
Speaker 4: Uh-huh. Now where can I find her?
20:49
Speaker 7: Oh, I'll tell you where I think she is. Here's
20:51
Speaker 7: the address I.
20:51
Speaker 4: Wrote it down. Thanks, Lois. I'll see you again?
20:54
Speaker 6: Yes.
20:55
Speaker 2: See more of me. Is that possible?
20:57
Speaker 7: This costume's for the first show. We save up for
21:00
Speaker 7: the second.
21:00
Speaker 4: I'll be here for the last show.
21:02
Speaker 7: Oh, what you said. So long, Hanson.
21:14
Speaker 4: A little while after Gladys gave me the address, I
21:16
Speaker 4: was buzzing at an apartment door. I kept my fingers
21:19
Speaker 4: crossed and then uncrossed them when the door opened.
21:23
Speaker 2: Yes?
21:23
Speaker 4: Hello there, Elaine.
21:25
Speaker 2: Who are you?
21:26
Speaker 4: Oh, the name's Hangtooth. Elmer Hangtooth.
21:28
Speaker 7: Who?
21:28
Speaker 4: Oh, I better come in.
21:29
Speaker 7: Hey, hey, what's the idea?
21:31
Speaker 4: Can't hear a thing you say, honey. My hearing aid
21:33
Speaker 4: just shorted out.
21:34
Speaker 7: Now listen, wise guys.
21:36
Speaker 2: Oh, Elaine, Elaine.
21:37
Speaker 4: Chris sent me.
21:38
Speaker 7: Chris?
21:39
Speaker 4: Yeah. He said to tell you everything's okay.
21:41
Speaker 2: The heat's off.
21:42
Speaker 7: How about that private eye?
21:44
Speaker 4: Diamond? Richard Diamond?
21:45
Speaker 7: Yeah, that's the one.
21:46
Speaker 4: Honey, you'll never be any closer to him than you
21:47
Speaker 4: are right now.
21:49
Speaker 7: I was afraid he'd quit. Hey, when's Chris coming?
21:53
Speaker 2: Soon, I hope.
21:55
Speaker 3: Oh.
21:57
Speaker 7: I've never seen you before.
21:59
Speaker 4: Have I? Well, you're young and life's full of surprises.
22:02
Speaker 7: Uh-huh. I like surprises.
22:04
Speaker 4: All right.
22:06
Speaker 7: Chris work you in on the deal?
22:07
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I did him a favor. Took care
22:09
Speaker 4: of Diamond. Liked doing it, too. By the way, what
22:12
Speaker 4: goes with you and Clinton?
22:14
Speaker 7: Honey, we had a common interest.
22:16
Speaker 4: Oh.
22:17
Speaker 7: Books, dearie.
22:18
Speaker 5: Books.
22:19
Speaker 7: He had one I wanted. When I finished with him,
22:23
Speaker 7: I could have walked out with a furniture.
22:25
Speaker 4: Yeah, I guess you could, baby. I guess you could.
22:27
Speaker 7: You think so?
22:28
Speaker 4: Why not?
22:30
Speaker 7: What did you say your name was?
22:32
Speaker 4: Well, the name's Appleknocker. Harold Appleknocker.
22:34
Speaker 2: Well.
22:35
Speaker 7: That's not what you said before.
22:36
Speaker 4: Oh, so you have been listening. The real name is Diamond,
22:39
Speaker 4: Richard Diamond.
22:41
Speaker 7: I see a kidder, huh?
22:42
Speaker 4: Well, if that makes you laugh, this ought to bring
22:43
Speaker 4: back Mahjong. Here, take a look at my license. My
22:46
Speaker 4: membership card, the Hopalong Cassidy Club, my Flash Gordon beanie.
22:50
Speaker 7: You dirty shummas, you stinking copper.
22:53
Speaker 4: Easy, baby.
22:53
Speaker 7: Let go of me.
22:54
Speaker 4: Easy, baby, easy.
22:55
Speaker 7: Let go, you dirty.
22:56
Speaker 4: Let go of me.
22:57
Speaker 6: Let her go, Diamond.
22:57
Speaker 7: Chris, Chris.
22:59
Speaker 4: Jackpot, Chris and Elaine all at once. Diamond, get your
23:01
Speaker 4: hands off her.
23:02
Speaker 6: Get them off.
23:02
Speaker 4: No. That's better. Now, Elaine, before I fill him full
23:05
Speaker 4: of holes, tell me what he's doing here.
23:07
Speaker 7: He said just send him, Chris.
23:08
Speaker 4: Sure, he would. Elaine, you ready to get out of here?
23:10
Speaker 1: Yeah.
23:10
Speaker 4: Okay, hand me a cushion from the sofa. Want to
23:12
Speaker 4: take a nap, Chris? I'll laugh at your funeral, Seamus.
23:14
Speaker 4: Hold a cushion over the gun. Nobody hears the shot.
23:16
Speaker 4: Better not, Chris.
23:16
Speaker 2: Elaine, start out.
23:17
Speaker 4: I'll be right behind you.
23:18
Speaker 7: Yeah, all right, Chris.
23:19
Speaker 2: Got the book?
23:19
Speaker 6: Yeah.
23:20
Speaker 4: What book? Shut up.
23:20
Speaker 5: Get going, Elaine.
23:21
Speaker 4: Chris, let's talk this over. Funny, you just finished talking, Diamond. Elaine,
23:25
Speaker 4: what are you doing? Give me my book.
23:27
Speaker 5: Give it to me.
23:28
Speaker 4: Duff, get out of the way.
23:28
Speaker 5: Diamond, you.
23:29
Speaker 6: Ow!
23:34
Speaker 2: Chris.
23:35
Speaker 4: Well, I owed him that partner's hair. Chris. All right, Elaine.
23:39
Speaker 4: Just creased. I wouldn't think of depriving the hot seat
23:42
Speaker 4: of such a good customer. My book. Where's my book?
23:45
Speaker 4: I want it. Give me my book. Sure, sure, sure, Mr. Clinton.
23:47
Speaker 4: But I'm afraid you'll have to explain to the police first.
23:50
Speaker 4: The End A telephone call to the 5th Precinct brought
24:00
Speaker 4: Walt and Otis to my rescue. Otis used the siren.
24:04
Speaker 2: Loved it.
24:05
Speaker 4: I told Walt the book old man Clinton kept screaming
24:07
Speaker 4: about had me a little confused, that I wouldn't be
24:10
Speaker 4: able to relax until he found out just where it
24:12
Speaker 4: fitted in the case. He promised to find out the
24:14
Speaker 4: answers as soon as he took Chris, Elaine, and Clinton
24:16
Speaker 4: back to the 5th Precinct. I told him to call
24:18
Speaker 4: me at Helen's.
24:19
Speaker 7: Rick, what about that check for $ 1, 000? Is it any good?
24:24
Speaker 4: Well, the check's post-dated. I doubt if Mr. Clinton will
24:27
Speaker 4: honor it now. It's too bad. We could have celebrated.
24:31
Speaker 7: So all you got for your trouble was a hundred
24:32
Speaker 7: a day in expenses.
24:34
Speaker 4: I'll get it. Grant's tomb, the general speaking.
24:37
Speaker 8: Eric?
24:38
Speaker 4: Yeah, Walt? Yeah.
24:40
Speaker 2: You sitting down?
24:40
Speaker 4: Why?
24:41
Speaker 2: You can tear up that check Clinton gave you.
24:43
Speaker 4: He won't honor it.
24:44
Speaker 2: He's mad about having to go to jail.
24:45
Speaker 4: Oh, I was way ahead of you about the check.
24:47
Speaker 4: Why did Clinton go to jail? What did he do?
24:49
Speaker 2: You know that book he was yelling about?
24:50
Speaker 4: What about it?
24:51
Speaker 2: Well, it's an original Sir Francis Bacon manuscript.
24:54
Speaker 4: How would you know?
24:55
Speaker 2: I hate to admit it, but Otis told me what
24:57
Speaker 2: it was. You know, Otis is a....
25:01
Speaker 4: Excuse me, Lieutenant.
25:03
Speaker 2: It's Bibliophile. Shut up, Hammerhead.
25:06
Speaker 4: Okay, so I work for nothing.
25:08
Speaker 3: Rick.
25:08
Speaker 2: Yeah? The book was worth $ 30, 000. It was stolen 18
25:11
Speaker 2: years ago from the Fine Arts Library in Washington.
25:13
Speaker 4: Old man Clinton bought it from a fence.
25:15
Speaker 2: That's why he couldn't go to the police.
25:16
Speaker 4: Oh, so Chris and Elaine hijacked it, huh? Probably had
25:19
Speaker 4: a sale for it. Yeah, Rick.
25:20
Speaker 2: $ 1, 500 reward for that book.
25:23
Speaker 4: So what?
25:23
Speaker 2: It's yours. Hmm?
25:24
Speaker 4: Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute, Walt. Helen.
25:26
Speaker 2: Hmm?
25:27
Speaker 4: Put your ear next to the receiver.
25:28
Speaker 2: Oh, all right.
25:29
Speaker 4: Walt, say that again.
25:30
Speaker 2: Say what again?
25:31
Speaker 4: What you just said.
25:32
Speaker 2: Did I say anything?
25:33
Speaker 4: Well, sure you did. Are you sure? Oh, now cut
25:36
Speaker 4: it out, Walt. Say it again about the reward.
25:39
Speaker 2: Oh, that. There's a $ 1, 500 reward for the book.
25:42
Speaker 4: Thanks, Walt. Bye. Bye. Well, baby.
25:47
Speaker 7: Well, we're going to celebrate after all. $ 1, 500. $ 1, 500. Oh, Rick,
25:51
Speaker 7: that calls for a real celebration.
25:53
Speaker 4: Sure.
25:54
Speaker 7: Don't go away, darling. I'll be right back. I won't
25:56
Speaker 7: be long. Oh, Rick, there's a new song on the piano.
25:59
Speaker 7: Why don't you try it?
26:00
Speaker 4: Okay. I've set my pajamas and put on my prayers.
26:03
Speaker 4: That's pretty silly, but....
26:07
Speaker 6: My baby kissed me goodnight And I'm glad to relate
26:13
Speaker 6: That by the time I got home, I was feeling great.
26:19
Speaker 6: I climbed up the door and opened the stairs. I
26:23
Speaker 6: set my pajamas and put on my prayers. I turned
26:28
Speaker 6: off the bed, crawled into the light. And all because
26:31
Speaker 6: you kissed me.
26:33
Speaker 1: Good night.
26:34
Speaker 6: Next morning I awoke and scrambled my shoes. I shined
26:39
Speaker 6: up an egg, then I toasted the news. I buttered
26:42
Speaker 6: my tie and took another.
26:45
Speaker 4: Bite, and all because you kissed me.
26:48
Speaker 6: Good night. By evening I felt normal, so we went
26:55
Speaker 6: out again. You said goodnight and kissed me. I hurried
27:01
Speaker 6: home and then I climbed up the door and opened
27:07
Speaker 6: the stairs. I set my pajamas and put on my prayers.
27:11
Speaker 6: I turned off the bed, crawled into the light, and
27:15
Speaker 6: all because you kissed me.
27:18
Speaker 4: Goodnight.
27:19
Speaker 6: By evening I felt normal, so we went out again.
27:27
Speaker 4: You said goodnight and kissed me.
27:30
Speaker 6: I hurried home and then I lifted the preacher, called
27:36
Speaker 6: up the phone, spoke to the dog and threw your
27:40
Speaker 6: ma a bone. It was midnight and yet the sun
27:43
Speaker 6: was shining bright and I think how'd you kiss me? Goodnight.
27:50
Speaker 2: Oh, that was lovely, Rick.
27:52
Speaker 4: Well, how do I look? Oh, my, my, wonderful. What
27:55
Speaker 4: are you so dressed up for?
27:56
Speaker 5: For the celebration.
27:58
Speaker 4: Oh, that's right, yeah. Come on, let's go.
28:00
Speaker 7: Oh, where are we going, Rick?
28:01
Speaker 4: Oh, the Blue Falcon nightclub. We'll be just in time
28:03
Speaker 4: for the last show. The Blue Falcon?
28:05
Speaker 7: Oh, but why pick that play?
28:07
Speaker 4: Oh, but they've got a wonderful floor show.
28:08
Speaker 7: Yes, but the costumes are... Oh, they're nothing.
28:13
Speaker 4: Oh, what you said.
28:14
Speaker 2: Oh, what you said.
28:36
Speaker 3: You have just heard Richard Diamond, Private Detective, starring Dick Powell.
28:41
Speaker 3: Ed Begley played Lieutenant Walt Levinson. Also in the cast
28:45
Speaker 3: were Wilms Herbert, Francis Robinson, Ted Osborne, Gene Bates, and
28:49
Speaker 3: Paul Dubov. Music was under the direction of Frank Worth.
28:54
Speaker 3: Today's show was written and directed by Russell Hughes. Dick
28:58
Speaker 3: Powell currently may be seen in the motion picture version
29:00
Speaker 3: of the best-selling novel, Mrs.
29:02
Speaker 4: Mike.
29:04
Speaker 3: This is Eddie King inviting you to be with us
29:06
Speaker 3: next Sunday at this same time when we will again
29:09
Speaker 3: bring you Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, Private Detective.
29:16
Speaker 3: 2021 What's on NBC today? Ezio Pinza, dynamic singing star,
29:31
Speaker 3: plays his first starring dramatic role today on Theater Guild
29:35
Speaker 3: on the Air with Madeline Carroll and Linda Darnell co-starred.
29:40
Speaker 3: And you'll also want to listen to the Phil Harris
29:42
Speaker 3: Alice Faye Show and the Adventures of Sam.
29:45
Speaker 2: Spade right before Theater Guild.
29:48
Speaker 3: Don't forget, Ezio Pinza on Theater Guild on the Air today.
29:52
Speaker 3: It's all great entertainment today on NBC. Your tune for
29:57
Speaker 3: the stars on NBC.
30:12
Speaker 1: We leave Richard Diamond, private detective, and the Elaine Tanner
30:16
Speaker 1: case on this February 1950 NBC mystery.
30:21
Speaker 4: Good night.