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The Whistler - "Death of Mr Penny" (Old Time Radio, 1949) · The Whistler | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Writers Adrian Gendo and Joel Murcott set this March 20th,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: 1949 story at the snowbound Clear Valley Ski Lodge. It
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: is The Whistler, episode 354, Death of Mr. Penny, from
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: the CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil. There, Barbara
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Eklund and her husband Frederick, a ski instructor, appear to
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: be newlyweds enjoying a winter retreat. But a man watching
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: through field glasses has taken an interest in their marriage,
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: and secrets beneath the surface bring blackmail and danger to
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: the lodge. Gerald Moore, Dorothy Lovett, Jeff Corey, Doris Singleton,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: Marvin Miller, and Bill Foreman are heard in the cast.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: Gordon T.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Hughes directed. Now, back to the golden age of radio.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: The Signal Oil Program.
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: Yes?
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: The signal oil program, the whistler.
• 1:04
  Speaker 4: Whistling That whistle is your signal for the signal oil program,
• 1:17
  Speaker 4: the whistler.
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: Whistling I am the Whistler, and I know many things,
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: for I walk by night. I know many strange tales,
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: hidden in the hearts of men and women who have
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: of which they dare not speak.
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: Yes, friends, it's time for the Signal Oil program, The Whistler,
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: rated tops in popularity for a longer period of time
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: than any other West Coast program in radio history. And
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: signal gasoline is tops, too. Tops in quality. It takes
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: extra quality, you know, to give you extra mileage. And
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: signal is the famous go-farther gasoline. So look for the
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: signal circle sign in yellow and black that identifies independently
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: operated signal stations from Canada to Mexico. And now the
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: Whistler's strange story. Death of Mr. Penny.
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: On the icy slope high above Clear Valley Ski Lodge,
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: the two people, racing down together side by side, appeared
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: like two moving specks of black against a sea of white.
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: To the little man who had his field glasses carefully
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: trained upon them, the picture was far more complete. He
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: saw a very handsome couple, the woman fresh, radiant, and wholesome,
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: the man tall, athletic. And as they swung to a
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: stop at the end of the ski slope, their happiness
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: with each other seemed very apparent. Yes, Mr. and Mrs.
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: Frederick Eklund seemed perfectly matched. The little man with the
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: field glasses could not help but marvel at the strange
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: course of true love. How it could so neatly bridge
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: the gap between the fact of Mrs. Eklund's almost fabulous
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: wealth and the modest means of Mr. Eklund, the mere
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: ski instructor. And the little man had to admit that
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: the two were getting along famously.
• 3:29
  Speaker 5: Oh, darling, you're wonderful.
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: Your favorite ski instructor?
• 3:32
  Speaker 5: My favorite ski instructor.
• 3:34
  Speaker 6: Well, then you'll accept my criticisms a little more graciously, Mrs. E.
• 3:38
  Speaker 6: At last, Christy was bad. Fine way to turn an ankle.
• 3:41
  Speaker 5: And be carried home by the tall, bronzed instructor. I
• 3:45
  Speaker 5: think I'll do it.
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: I think you won't. We're heading back to the lodge
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: right now.
• 3:49
  Speaker 5: All right, darling, whatever you say. But I've still got
• 3:54
  Speaker 5: that headache.
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: Barbara.
• 3:57
  Speaker 5: Yes?
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: Something on your mind. You were so quiet up there
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: on the slope just before we came down.
• 4:02
  Speaker 5: Quiet? Just taking time to tell myself I'm not in
• 4:08
  Speaker 5: a dream. That we're really together.
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: Married.
• 4:13
  Speaker 5: And so happy.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: Are you sure that's all?
• 4:15
  Speaker 5: I'm sure that's all. And the headache can either be
• 4:18
  Speaker 5: cured or made worse by a dry martini. Shall we
• 4:21
  Speaker 5: go take the gamble?
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: Oh, you don't have to suggest that twice.
• 4:26
  Speaker 5: I wonder if you'll always be such an agreeable man.
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, as long as I'm thirsty. Let's go.
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: An agreeable man. Yes, Fred, you've been that with Barbara,
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: haven't you? That and more. And you know that she
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: appreciates it. That you've made her very happy. But you
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: also know that there is something disturbing her this afternoon.
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: Something more than a simple headache. You worry about it yourself.
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: Bring it up again as the two of you sit
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: by the roaring fire of the lodge and... Look out
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: at the landscape through a giant picture window.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: You, uh, still don't feel any better, dear?
• 5:07
  Speaker 5: No. I'm afraid I'm going to have to go upstairs,
• 5:11
  Speaker 5: nap for a couple of hours before dinner.
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: Mind?
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: You know I don't.
• 5:16
  Speaker 5: What will you do to amuse yourself?
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: Oh, look at the scenery.
• 5:19
  Speaker 5: Well, it's not novel enough. You know it too well.
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: Oh, no.
• 5:23
  Speaker 6: I see something different every time I look out the window.
• 5:26
  Speaker 5: Here.
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: Here, I'll prove it. You ever see anything like that? Yeah.
• 5:30
  Speaker 5: I don't see what... You mean that little man on
• 5:35
  Speaker 5: the terrace? Uh-huh.
• 5:35
  Speaker 6: The one with the field glasses.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: Looks like an African explorer. Now, you can't say I
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: see anything like that every day. No.
• 5:45
  Speaker 5: But I didn't mean people. I... Frederick, I... If you
• 5:50
  Speaker 5: don't mind, I'm going upstairs right now.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: No, but you haven't finished your.
• 5:52
  Speaker 5: I'm sorry, darling. I don't want my drink.
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: Oh. Well, I'll go up with you, dear.
• 5:56
  Speaker 5: No, please. I... Frederick... You could do something for me.
• 6:03
  Speaker 5: That new book I want. The manager said they have
• 6:05
  Speaker 5: it in the village now.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: Oh, I'll drive right down. I'll get it for you.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: They are glad to. But are you sure you're all right?
• 6:10
  Speaker 5: Oh, I will be. Just give me an hour. I'll
• 6:14
  Speaker 5: be brought as a new penny. Brought as a dollar
• 6:19
  Speaker 5: by dinner time.
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: Sounds worth waiting for. Go ahead, darling.
• 6:23
  Speaker 5: Thanks, darling.
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: You watch Barbara turn away, go to the stairs. A
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: moment later, you get up, start outside as if to
• 6:35
  Speaker 3: get the car. But at the end of the terrace,
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: you stop and wait a moment. He goes right inside,
• 6:40
  Speaker 3: doesn't he, Fred? The funny little man that Barbara didn't
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: want to look at. You walk back and see him
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: hurry up the stairs after her. Ten minutes later, he's
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: back down, heading toward the cocktail lounge. You walk in
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: casually and slide into the booth beside him.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: Well, Mr. Penny, it's going very well. You got it?
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: I did. Five thousand, as usual.
• 7:00
  Speaker 3: Hmm.
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: I was a little worried this afternoon. Thought Barbara might
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: have guessed something. About you?
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: But I was wrong.
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Of course.
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: Oh, Barbara threatened me today. She said that this must
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: be the last payment. She's convinced that you'd be quite
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: understanding about those letters. Oh. I'll have to take a
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: different tack. Yes, or spoil the act. Oh, they're really nothing,
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: you know, the letters. She just feels that you'd be
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: very hurt if you ever knew there'd been another man
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: in her life once, a married man.
• 7:26
  Speaker 5: Ha, ha, ha.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: I heard. You know, Freddy, you are the odd one.
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: Long as I have known you, I always marvel. What
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: is it that keeps you from simply presenting your case
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: to these women, demanding all the money you want?
• 7:38
  Speaker 6: Obviously, my dear Penny, you'll never know women. There are
• 7:42
  Speaker 6: things that cannot be told. One of the things is
• 7:44
  Speaker 6: that love alone is not sufficient to hold their man.
• 7:47
  Speaker 6: You're right, I suppose. Well, I've always left that part
• 7:50
  Speaker 6: of it to you. Yeah, let's keep it that way, huh?
• 7:53
  Speaker 6: I'll take care of the romancing. You stick with the
• 7:54
  Speaker 6: business end of the deal. Uh, if you don't mind,
• 7:58
  Speaker 6: I'll take my half the money now.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: To be sure, Freddy. To be sure.
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: As you conclude your present business with Mr. Penny, he
• 8:10
  Speaker 3: excuses himself and hurries away. A moment later, you're conscious
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: of the voice. The song that comes from the large
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: dining hall.
• 8:18
  Speaker 5: Monday, maybe Monday.
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: Susan, a delightful girl, isn't she, Fred? Talented and beautiful. Yes,
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: and since you met her a month ago, she's been
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: quite overwhelmed by your charm. You stroll across the lobby
• 8:33
  Speaker 3: and stand there at the entrance of the dining hall
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: and watch her as she sings.
• 8:37
  Speaker 5: She's beautiful, isn't she?
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: Oh, Penny, I thought you were leaving. I'm going in
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: to have dinner. Now look, Penny, Barbara will be coming
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: down soon. She isn't pleasant to be with when you're around.
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: Your wife is resting, Freddie. She won't be down for
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: some time. But, shh, I want to listen to this.
• 8:56
  Speaker 5: And so all else above, I'm waiting for the.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: Man I love.
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: That was wonderful, wonderful. Oh, Susan sings beautifully, does she not, Freddie,
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: my boy?
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. She's quite a girl. Quite a girl.
• 9:19
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: Another one of your many side interests. You've always had them,
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: haven't you? Frankie, my boy. Let us go out on
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: the terrace for a moment. I want to talk to you.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: Come along. The idea we've already talked everything out? No,
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: not quite, my boy. After you. All right, what's on
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: your mind, Penny? Susan. I want to speak to you
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: about Susan. Oh? You're quite interested in her, aren't you? Oh,
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: I don't know. Just for laughs, maybe. Oh, I see.
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: Then you won't mind if I ask you to stay
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: away from her. To stay away... You're asking me... Wait
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: a minute, Freddy. You don't mean that you.
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: You find it amusing, my boy. Why, she wouldn't even
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: look at you. But, Freddy, she has many times, so
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: often that I don't want you to see her anymore. Oh,
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: just like that, huh? And just what do you do
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: if I ignore your advice, lover boy?
• 10:18
  Speaker 5: Oh.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: I could make things rather unpleasant for you. Really, I could. Really?
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: Like what? Tell your wife that you're my business partner?
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: That we're blackmailing her together? You know what I'd do? No,
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: what would you do, Freddy? I'd tell her you forced
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: me into it a trick.
• 10:35
  Speaker 6: I was only playing along with you until I saw
• 10:37
  Speaker 6: my chance to turn you over to the police.
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: Barbara's very much in love with me, Penny. She'd believe it. Yes, yes,
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: I suppose she would. Well, in that case, I should
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: have to tell her about the Carson widow. The incident
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: at Sun Valley two years ago. What? That the police
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: are interested in finding the man who went skiing with
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: a Carson woman the morning she was killed. Accidentally. Now,
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: wait a minute, Penny. I could tell your wife what
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: really happened, Freddy. So be a good boy and stay
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: away from Susan, eh? With the prologue of Death of Mr. Penny,
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: the Signal Oil Company brings you another strange story by
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: the Whistler. Here in Hollywood, where the Whistler is produced,
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: this is the week when the movie folks decide who's
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: going to win the coveted Oscars. Too bad there isn't
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: an Oscar for gasoline, because I'm sure that Signal Gasoline
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: would run away with the honors for outstanding performance. Just
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: as some actors become typed in certain roles, you may
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: have typed signal gasoline for economy because of its reputation
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: as the go-farther gasoline. But economy, mind you, is only
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: half of signal story. You see, the thing which makes
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: signal's good mileage possible, the extra efficiency today's signal gasoline
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: coaxes from your motor, also makes signal the logical choice
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: for more dramatic performances, calling, for instance, starting, flashing pickup,
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: or smooth, effortless power. So if you want your car
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: to perform as if it had just won an Oscar,
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: just you keep these two points in mind the next
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: time you buy gasoline. One, it takes extra quality to
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: go farther. And two, signal is the famous go farther gasoline.
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: It came as a shock, didn't it, Fred? Mr. Penny's warning.
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: And you wonder if your odd little partner really means
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: to carry out his threats, to make trouble for you
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: if you continue to see Susan. He could make things
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: quite difficult, reviving the Carson incident at this time. It
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: would never do if your wife Barbara found out about that,
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: would it? But in the days that follow, you decide
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: to risk it, to test Mr. Penny's threats, And then
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: one evening at the lodge as you sit in the
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: cocktail lounge with Barbara.
• 13:17
  Speaker 5: Fred?
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Yes, dear?
• 13:22
  Speaker 5: Did you happen to run over to Shelville the night
• 13:24
  Speaker 5: before last?
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: Shelville? Where now?
• 13:28
  Speaker 5: Betty mentioned it this afternoon. She and Greg thought they
• 13:32
  Speaker 5: saw you there.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: No, no, they were mistaken. Oh, I did go down
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: to the village here. That's the night I ran into Higby,
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: an old friend of mine. You remember, darling. I called you.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: Told you I'd be late getting back.
• 13:40
  Speaker 5: Yes, I know.
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: As a matter of fact.
• 13:42
  Speaker 6: He'd be a nice man most of the evening at
• 13:44
  Speaker 6: the Buckhorn Cafe, talking over old times.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: See here, Barbara, you don't think I'd... I'd lie.
• 13:51
  Speaker 5: Of course not, darling. You know how Betty is, wrong
• 13:56
  Speaker 5: as usual. Um, see if you can get the waiter,
• 14:00
  Speaker 5: will you, dear? I think I'd like another brandy before
• 14:03
  Speaker 5: turning in.
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: Oh, Freddie, my boy. I could say that this is
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: a pleasant surprise, but it isn't really. I've been expecting you.
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: Can I come in? Well, I was about to retire,
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: but thanks. I won't take up too much of your time. Oh,
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: no hurry. Fix yourself a drink, my boy. Thanks again. Oh,
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: none for me. I have my glass of milk, you see. Well,
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: here's to you, Penny. The winner.
• 14:40
  Speaker 3: Oh?
• 14:41
  Speaker 6: It's all yours.
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: Susan, I mean. I'll stay away. Good, good. You, uh,
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: you told Barbara you saw me in Shellville the other night,
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: didn't you? Did I?
• 14:52
  Speaker 6: It was just a warning, just in case I had
• 14:54
  Speaker 6: any ideas about not playing ball, huh? Well, I could
• 14:56
  Speaker 6: have told her you were with Susan, but I didn't.
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: Thanks, thanks. It was big of you. I thought so. However, Freddy,
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: my boy, if you insist... I know, I know. I'll
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: stay away from Susan. It's all settled. Uh, settled? No, no,
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: not quite. I've been thinking, Freddy, my boy. What about it?
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: The money we collect from your wife. Five thousand every
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: three months. Well, it doesn't seem worthwhile. Now, wait a minute.
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: I wouldn't push Barbara too hard. Two thousand more isn't
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: such a push.
• 15:25
  Speaker 6: Yeah, but there might be trouble. I wouldn't try. Let's
• 15:28
  Speaker 6: leave it the way it is, huh? Five thousand's good enough.
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: Perhaps. But when one has to split it two ways...
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: I said it's enough. For you, perhaps, but not for me. Yes,
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: I've been thinking, Freddy. I've been thinking I should dissolve
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: our little partnership. What?
• 15:42
  Speaker 5: Yes.
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: I think that from now on, I shall keep all
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: the money. Wait a minute. I'm the one who gave
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: you Barbara's letters in the first place.
• 15:49
  Speaker 5: So what?
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: You think I'll hold still for you cutting me out? But,
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: my boy, there's nothing you can do about it. Because
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: of Sun Valley, Mrs. Carson... Why, you... Oh, please, don't
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: get excited. I ought to wring your scrawny little neck.
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: But you will not. You will do nothing. Now, please, go.
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: I'm quite tired.
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: Good night, Freddy. For a moment you stand there staring
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: at the little man. You watch him as he calmly
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: drops the sleeping capsule into the glass of milk. As
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: he raises it to his lips, he smiles at you.
• 16:27
  Speaker 3: And you know he has you at his mercy, don't you, Fred?
• 16:31
  Speaker 3: You whirl and rush out into the corridor. And as
• 16:33
  Speaker 3: you hurry back to your room, the rage within you
• 16:35
  Speaker 3: mounts with each step. Yes, Mr. Penny has complete control
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: of the situation for the present.
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: But you're not going to let.
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: Him get away with it, are you? No, the money
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: he gets from your wife means too much to you.
• 16:49
  Speaker 3: And you know that somehow you're going to get rid
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: of Mr. Penny and the threat he holds over you.
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: It isn't until the following afternoon that you know just
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: how you're going to do it. On an errand for Barbara,
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: you stop at the village drugstore, Pop Grandin's Place.
• 17:09
  Speaker 7: That be all, Freddy?
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess so, Pop.
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 17:13
  Speaker 7: Oh, say, you going back up the lodge?
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: Yeah, why?
• 17:16
  Speaker 7: I wonder if you'd mind dropping off a prescription for me.
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: Oh, of course not.
• 17:19
  Speaker 7: You can just drop it off at the desk.
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: Come on back.
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: I'll make it up right away.
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: You walk with Pop Grand into the back of the shop.
• 17:27
  Speaker 3: Watch him as he prepares a prescription. Then your eyes
• 17:31
  Speaker 3: wander over the shelves lined with bottles. At the far
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: end of the lower shelf, you see a bottle filled
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: with tiny red capsules. Just like the one you saw Mr.
• 17:40
  Speaker 3: Penny drop into the glass of milk last night.
• 17:44
  Speaker 7: Oh, dreaded that telephone.
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: Excuse me, will you, Freddy? Oh, sure, sure.
• 17:49
  Speaker 7: I never saw it to feel every time I get
• 17:51
  Speaker 7: back here.
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: That doggone phone. Couldn't have picked a better time.
• 18:01
  Speaker 3: As you take the bottle down off the shelf, the
• 18:03
  Speaker 3: idea hits you, doesn't it? Yes, this could be the way,
• 18:07
  Speaker 3: couldn't it, Fred? Yes. Quickly, you unscrew the cap, drop
• 18:10
  Speaker 3: a capsule into your pocket and replace the bottle. Then
• 18:12
  Speaker 3: your eyes skip along the shelf and finally stop on
• 18:15
  Speaker 3: a small bottle filled with white powder marked poison. Deadly poison, Fred.
• 18:28
  Speaker 7: Sorry to be so long, Freddy. That was Mrs. Ferguson,
• 18:31
  Speaker 7: and you know how she is. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. Hey,
• 18:35
  Speaker 7: where was I?
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: The prescription.
• 18:37
  Speaker 3: Oh, yes, yes.
• 18:38
  Speaker 7: Well, I'll only be a minute, Freddy. Sure nice of
• 18:41
  Speaker 7: you to do this little favor for me.
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: Not at all, Pop. Not at all. It's a pleasure.
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: You're thankful that Barbara is out when you return to
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: your room at the lodge. Quickly, you empty the contents
• 18:57
  Speaker 3: of the red capsule into the wash basin. Then you
• 19:00
  Speaker 3: fill the capsule with the white powder you took from
• 19:02
  Speaker 3: the shelf at Grandin's drugstore. Moments later, you leave the room,
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: the capsule containing the deadly poison safely tucked away in
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: your pocket. Early that evening, you pay another call on Mr.
• 19:19
  Speaker 5: Penny.
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: Oh, come in, Freddy, my boy. Come in. Thanks. I'm
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: going out shortly. You don't mind if I finish shaving,
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: do you? No, no. Go ahead. Make yourself at home,
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: my boy. Pick yourself a drink. Thanks. I'll skip this one.
• 19:29
  Speaker 4: As you wish.
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: Tell me, to what do I owe the honor of
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: this visit? Well, I thought maybe you'd reconsider.
• 19:37
  Speaker 3: What?
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: After the way you double-crossed me with Susan? Not a chance,
• 19:40
  Speaker 2: my boy. Not a chance. I'd take a smaller cut.
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: And as a matter of fact, I've been seriously thinking
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: of asking your wife for more money. I told you before.
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: that would be a mistake. She won't pay it. We
• 19:51
  Speaker 2: shall see. We shall see. What are you doing, Freddy? Hmm? Oh,
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: just looking at this magazine on your nightstand. Holidays, huh?
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: Planning a trip? Perhaps. Oh, look, Penny, I need the money.
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: Why can't we make some sort of arrangement? You're wasting
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: your time, my boy. This is too good a thing
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: for me to share with anyone. I am rather surprised,
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: and Roy, too, that I didn't think of handling the
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: matter this way long ago. You, uh... You won't change
• 20:23
  Speaker 2: your mind? No. After all, you still have Barbara. She's
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: a wealthy woman. You begrudge me a few thousand dollars
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: now and then? All right. That's the way you want it. Yes,
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: that's the way I want it, my boy. Good night.
• 20:39
  Speaker 5: Good night.
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: No hard feelings, Freddy. No. See you in the morning, then. Yeah.
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: Maybe you will, Penny. Then maybe not.
• 20:55
  Speaker 3: It's done, isn't it, Fred? There were only four capsules
• 20:58
  Speaker 3: in the box. You replaced one with a capsule containing
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: the deadly poison. And now all you can do is wait.
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: And you know it won't be long... For Mr. Penny
• 21:09
  Speaker 3: takes a sleeping capsule every night. You're a little disappointed
• 21:18
  Speaker 3: the following morning at breakfast when you see Mr. Penny
• 21:20
  Speaker 3: sitting at his usual table. It was a little too
• 21:23
  Speaker 3: much to hope for, wasn't it, Fred? That he'd take
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: the poison capsule the first night. But then there are
• 21:29
  Speaker 3: only three capsules in the box now. The next morning
• 21:34
  Speaker 3: you're in for another disappointment. For as you enter the
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: dining hall, you see Mr. Penny again, sitting at the
• 21:39
  Speaker 3: table near the window. He looks up as you and
• 21:42
  Speaker 3: Barbara seat yourself only a few tables away. He smiles, nods,
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: then returns to his morning paper. And then something that
• 21:51
  Speaker 3: Barbara says startles you.
• 21:53
  Speaker 5: Only two left, Frederick.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: What?
• 21:55
  Speaker 5: Only two empty tables left. I'm glad we came down
• 21:58
  Speaker 5: to breakfast when we did. I hate to wait.
• 22:01
  Speaker 3: Oh.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes.
• 22:04
  Speaker 5: Oh, goodness, darling. You jumped, though. Something wrong?
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: No. Oh, no, of course not. I had my mind
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: on something else.
• 22:14
  Speaker 3: Yes. You were thinking of the capsules in the box,
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: weren't you, Fred? There are only two left now, and
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: it's an even money bet. However, the following morning when
• 22:29
  Speaker 3: you arrive at the dining hall, Mr. Penny is absent.
• 22:32
  Speaker 3: It's almost 11 o'clock when you and Barbara leave your table,
• 22:35
  Speaker 3: and there's been no sign of him. You're sure he's dead,
• 22:38
  Speaker 3: and you're free at last, aren't you, Fred? Yes. With Mr.
• 22:42
  Speaker 3: Penny out of the way, the Sun Valley incident is closed.
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: It'll be a simple matter with your connection to find
• 22:49
  Speaker 3: someone more trustworthy than Penny to do your blackmailing. As
• 22:53
  Speaker 3: Barbara hurries upstairs for her scarf, the desk clerk calls
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: out to you. Oh, uh, Mr.
• 22:59
  Speaker 5: Eklund.
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: Yes? What is it?
• 23:02
  Speaker 3: A message for you, sir, this envelope.
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: Oh, thank you.
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: For a moment, you're puzzled. Stare at the envelope. Then
• 23:08
  Speaker 3: you rip it open. Suddenly, an icy hand closes around
• 23:12
  Speaker 3: your heart. As a tiny red capsule tumbles out of
• 23:15
  Speaker 3: the envelope into the palm of your hand. Penny has
• 23:21
  Speaker 3: known all along, hasn't he, Fred? He must have watched
• 23:24
  Speaker 3: you in the mirror when he was shaving. Saw you
• 23:26
  Speaker 3: place the poison capsule in the box. A cold wave
• 23:29
  Speaker 3: of fear sweeps over you as you realize what he'll
• 23:31
  Speaker 3: do now. Your first thought is for you and Barbara
• 23:34
  Speaker 3: to get away. You hurry to your room upstairs. And
• 23:38
  Speaker 3: as you're about to open the door, you hear Barbara's voice.
• 23:40
  Speaker 5: Well, yes. Yes, whatever you say.
• 23:45
  Speaker 3: What?
• 23:47
  Speaker 5: No, not here. I'll meet you at the point. Inspiration point. Tonight.
• 23:54
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 23:56
  Speaker 5: Nine o'clock, Mr.
• 23:56
  Speaker 3: Penny.
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 24:03
  Speaker 3: Penny isn't wasting any time getting his revenge, is he, Fred?
• 24:07
  Speaker 3: Your first thought is to get away. And then suddenly
• 24:09
  Speaker 3: you realize it's useless to run. He'd find you and
• 24:13
  Speaker 3: Barbara sooner or later. No, you've got to take care
• 24:16
  Speaker 3: of him now, once and for all. And this time
• 24:19
  Speaker 3: you can't afford to miss.
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: Mr. Penny.
• 24:27
  Speaker 3: That night, you're standing in the shadows of the fir
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: trees near the point. You see Barbara hurrying up the path.
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 24:34
  Speaker 3: Penny is not far behind.
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: Hello, Penny.
• 24:39
  Speaker 5: What?
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: Oh. Oh, it's you, Freddy. What are you doing here?
• 24:43
  Speaker 6: I could ask you the same thing, but I know
• 24:46
  Speaker 6: what you're doing here. Too bad you'll never keep that
• 24:49
  Speaker 6: appointment with my wife, Penny.
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: What? Take a look down there. It's an awful drop,
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: isn't it? What are you... What are you going to do?
• 24:57
  Speaker 6: You're a smart little operator, Penny. You ought to be
• 25:00
  Speaker 6: able to figure that out. The Whistler will return in
• 25:13
  Speaker 6: just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story.
• 25:18
  Speaker 6: When you passed a signal service station during the past
• 25:20
  Speaker 6: few days, you may have noticed a picture of the
• 25:22
  Speaker 6: happy bluebird on the sign outside.
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: Well, Mr. Bluebird is there to remind you that if
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: you want your motor to sing this spring, you'll be
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: wise to make your next oil change a change to
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: the improved type signal oil that does so much more
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: than just lubricate. Signal premium compounded motor oil. Naturally, signal
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: premium has 100% pure paraffin base, the finest lubricant known.
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: But in addition, signal premium contains scientific new compounds that
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: protect your motor in ways no regular oil alone can do.
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: For instance, One compound in Signal Premium compounded motor oil
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: actually cleanses your motor of carbon, gum, and varnish. A
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: second compound in Signal Premium protects costly bearings from corrosion.
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: And still other compounds do other important jobs to keep
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: your motor happy as a bluebird. Good reason, I'd say,
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: to make your spring oil change a change to Signal
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: Premium compounded motor oil. Sold only at Signal service stations.
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: It's all over, isn't it, Fred? Mr. Penny is out
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: of the way at last. The threat he held over
• 26:32
  Speaker 3: you is gone, and now you're free. Back at the village,
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: the Buckhorn Cafe. You spend the next several hours chatting
• 26:39
  Speaker 3: with old friends, and then shortly after midnight, you return
• 26:43
  Speaker 3: to the lodge, to your room. As you enter, you're
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: surprised to see Barbara pacing up and down.
• 26:49
  Speaker 5: Oh, Fred. Where have you been?
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: The village, dear. I told you I had to.
• 26:53
  Speaker 5: Fred, did you hear about it? The accident?
• 26:56
  Speaker 3: Oh.
• 26:57
  Speaker 6: The man who fell off the cliffs, yeah. They were
• 26:59
  Speaker 6: talking about it in the lobby when I came in.
• 27:01
  Speaker 6: Matter of fact, the sheriff is down there now talking.
• 27:03
  Speaker 2: To the manager.
• 27:04
  Speaker 5: The man's name was Penny.
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: You knew him?
• 27:08
  Speaker 5: Yes. He was blackmailing me.
• 27:13
  Speaker 2: What?
• 27:14
  Speaker 5: He came to me about a year ago with some
• 27:16
  Speaker 5: letters I'd written. Foolish letters. He wanted $ 5, 000 for each one.
• 27:22
  Speaker 5: I laughed at him. He meant nothing to me and.
• 27:26
  Speaker 5: I threatened to call the police.
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: You threatened?
• 27:28
  Speaker 5: Yes, I... I threatened to. Then Mr. Penny showed me
• 27:33
  Speaker 5: some other letters. A woman's letters. Mrs. Carson.
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: Mrs. Carson?
• 27:42
  Speaker 5: Her letters to you, Fred. When you were at Sun Valley.
• 27:47
  Speaker 5: He said the police would be anxious to see them.
• 27:49
  Speaker 5: I couldn't believe you'd done anything wrong. But then when
• 27:52
  Speaker 5: he said... He sent the letters to the Idaho police...
• 27:59
  Speaker 5: I was afraid.
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: He's been blackmailing you all this time because of those
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: letters to me?
• 28:03
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 28:04
  Speaker 2: Barbara, listen to me. I've got... It's not true, is it, Fred?
• 28:07
  Speaker 5: The skiing accident. You didn't kill it, did you?
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: He told you that?
• 28:10
  Speaker 5: This morning, yes. He called me on the phone, told
• 28:13
  Speaker 5: me he could prove it, that you'd killed him. Made
• 28:15
  Speaker 5: it look like an accident.
• 28:16
  Speaker 2: That's not true.
• 28:17
  Speaker 5: Then he was lying. Oh, I knew it, darling. I
• 28:26
  Speaker 5: knew it all along. But I agreed to meet him
• 28:29
  Speaker 5: at the point tonight. He said he'd bring all the
• 28:31
  Speaker 5: proof I needed. Letters, documents, all the evidence.
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: He... He had all that with him tonight?
• 28:37
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 28:39
  Speaker 5: But he never arrived. He fell off the cliff on
• 28:42
  Speaker 5: the way.
• 28:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, he fell off the cliff.
• 28:48
  Speaker 3: Oh, darling. Darling.
• 28:51
  Speaker 5: I'm so glad Mr. Penny was lying. If he'd had
• 28:55
  Speaker 5: any evidence on him... Police certainly would have discovered it
• 28:58
  Speaker 5: when they found his body. Wouldn't they?
• 29:01
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, I guess they would. I'll, uh... I'll go, Barbara.
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: I'm sure it's for me. Let that whistle be your
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: signal for the signal oil program, The Whistler, each Sunday
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: night at this time. Brought to you by the Signal
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: Oil Company, marketers of Signal gasoline and motor oil and
• 29:44
  Speaker 2: fine quality automotive accessories. Featured in tonight's story were Gerald Moore,
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: Dorothy Lovett, and Jeff Corey. The Whistler was produced by
• 29:54
  Speaker 2: George W. Allen, directed by Gordon T. Hughes, with story
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: by Joel Malone and Adrian John Doe, and music by
• 30:00
  Speaker 2: Wilbur Hatch. All characters portrayed on the Whistler program are fictional.
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: Any similarity of names or resemblance to persons living or
• 30:05
  Speaker 2: dead is purely coincidental. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: You have been listening to The Whistler, Death of Mr.
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: Penny.
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: Until our next broadcast, good night.