Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / The Saint: The Case of the Previewed Crime (EP1455)
Transcript
- Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, send it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com slash Radio Detectives. Before we get started, I do want to remind you the program is brought to you by the financial support of our listeners. I want to thank mark so much for support. Send access to the premium site as we do with all donations of seven dollars or more, and you can support the show at support dot Great Detectives dot net. And there's even a mailing address there if you'd like to mail in Achac. Well. Now it's time for us to get back to a regular order of the Saint. The original air date is July thirtieth of nineteen fifty and the title is the case of the previewed crime, The Adventures of the Saint, starring Vincent Price. The Saint, based on characters created by Leslie Trotter, loans millions from books, magazines, and motion pictures. The robin Hood of modern crime now comes transcribe the radio darling Hollywood Brilliant, and tell of the actor Vincent Price, the Saint. Mister Templar, mister templar, I'm asleep, mister templar. Noisy dream, You're not dreaming, that's what you say. I'm alone in my bedroom. I'm embedded all but you're not alone. I'm here. Go away. I'm sorry I didn't climb into your bedroom in the middle of the night. Menutly to go away again? What did you expect a twenty one gun salute? I expect your attention. You can't see me, can you. No, I'd be even happier if I couldn't hear you. But I can see you. However, you're silhouetted against the window behind you. That was cunning of me. It helps me aim the gun I'm pointing at you. I'm so glad. I'd hate to have your aim suffer. What do I do? Now? Get up with the lights on? You don't do anything of the cut. Now? Why are you shy? Yeah, let's say I'm shy. That's why you insist on holding this conversation with me in the dark. The conversation, obviously there wouldn't be about the weather. What would it be about. Well, I'm a writer, a writer and shy. No, I need some advice. The only advice I can give all writers is don't I'm writing a book about murder. I'm calling it the story of a Perfect crime. Sounds interesting? Thank you. What I came here for was to have you tell me whether or not the murder my book deals with is really a perfect crime. Go on. The man to be murdered in my book that is suffers from heart disease. He's a completely unpleasant character, a financier and a crooked one, a man who deserves to die, and he suffers from heart disease. For this condition, he takes daily, at stated hours, capsules containing medicine, capsules upon which his life depends. Now, then the murderer in my book that is decides to poison the financier. Well, that's not cracking. Now, it's murder murder. That will be poisoning without poison. I'm waiting breathlessly for the next chapter. The murderer steals one of the capsules, pours the medicine out, and replaces the medicine with powdered sugar. He returns the capsule to the financier's pillbox. In due course, the financier reaches the capsule, takes it his weak heart, lacking the medicine he needs favors. And there you have poisoning without poison. HM. Very ingenious, HM, I think so. The poisoner can't be traced through the poison he purchased, because he didn't purchase any. The murdered man is assumed to have died a natural death. An autopsy will show no poison in his body, since there wasn't any. Well, is it the perfect crime? I can't see any flaws any good? And if you can't, I don't imagine the critics will. Don't you mean the tala? Why should the police be interested in the book? I'm ready? Why should the critics be interested in the murder you're committing. You're not serious? You are? I? I rather think I must leave now, beginning light soon. No, no, don't move. I still have the gun pointing at you. If I had to shoot you, it wouldn't be a perfect crime, but you'd be dead. Nonetheless, that wouldn't interest you, would it. Well? Good night, mister Templar and pleasant dream than love coffee Templar and the morning paper. Thank you are play this morning, aren't you? I couldn't sleepy? Any resemblance between his toast and toast is purely coincidental. What does your chef do? Tan this tiff? Or normos the template? He probably uses old shoe Leave it well, samella. Don't you like the headlines? Can't say that I do. Frank A. Clark noted financier dies of heart attack as police arrest him for alleged embezzlement. Was he a friendly mister Temple? No, but he was a financier. He was crooked and he had a weak car. I wonder he died when he got arrested. It depends on whether he took medicine in capsule. What depends on that? Suff murder, my friend murder? I see hey, taxi, I oh no, Louis, Oh yeah, Louis out of all the tacticabs. And then did hey, why do I keep getting yours? Out of all the fasts in the city? Why do I keep getting you? You have a point there. I'll go right home and shop. You'll stay where you are. You want to go home with me? What's the matter with my home? Nothing? I lived there on My wife lives there. My kids live there. You have no children? Don't get pisonal. I'm sorry. Man spends every spare minute he has got hoping Louis. Did Julius Caesar have children? They are Alexander, the great half children to Napoleon have children? Yeah? Me, they didn't send an announcement to Louie. Will you please drive me to one eight nine three Waterview Drive. I'm in a hurry. Okay, okay, one eighth ninety three Water you drive? Who lives there? A gentleman named Frank A. Clark, except that he doesn't live there, Louis, he's dead there. You're going to keep company with a corpse, mister Templar. I am going to visit his surviving relatives, if any. Why does it occur to you that it might be none of your business? Sure, it's none of your business. Now that we got that clear, Why are you going to visit this? Really? Stop the clock, quick stop? What happens? We've reached one eight nine three? What have you drive? Oh? I'm jealous about little details like that, he Louis, And don't forget to mention it to your income tax collector. I'll write to them. Hey, don't you want me to wait. No, but you will, Louis, you will. Oh, hello there, Hello, This is the clock home, isn't it sure? And I'm a clock me and you're I'm a templar, an old friend of your uncle. You're not old, well, and you're not a friend of my uncle's. Come in anyway, thank you, because maybe you can be a friend of mine in here. Tell me do you need a friend? No, but I like him when they're as tall as you. And oh, my name is I named Francis. I'm very glad to know you, miss Francis. It probably won't be when you really get to know me. I realized perhaps I shouldn't have come today. You must be all broken up by your uncle to death. Who me, Well, perhaps the family. That's me. I'm the family. Your uncle must have been a lonely man. No, he didn't mind. He had me in the market and all those people he was swindling. Oh, and of course he had mister Hartzell and Charlie Melvin whop and Charlie Melvin. Charlie is sort of a weedy youth. Uncle's secretary very anemic. I ignore him, and uncle's lawyer, and I fondly suspect as big a crooker's uncle was, but very spatty, you know, fatty h on the shoes and Guardingia in the buttonhole. And I'm a sneaking suspicion whiskey and the liver. How I'm tidy at nobody else close to uncle? Nope? And then it boils down to one of you three. What does who's happy now that Uncle's dead? I am heartlers Charlie? Is that covers the fields? Why uncle had a lot of money? I get it now, Hartele stole some money from uncle. He won't go to jail now. Charlie was implicated, and Uncle's cook at deal. Charlie won't go to jail now? M And who has a deep, slightly hoarse voice. I don't know which means that you're not the one who came to my room last night. But if you asked prettily? Perhaps how comes the knife? Look at your etching? I don't have any etching? It brings them with me? Are the others around sitting around practicing grief? Stricken? Looks for the funeral? That's happy? Event? Is this afternoon? Better get dressed? Fine? But you are dressed, but not for a funeral. Do you excuse me for just a minute, of course? Oh, here you a greetings, mister Templar. This is Charlie, Charlie, this is mister Templar. Glad to meet you. How do you do? He doesn't, and he play mister Templar for me, Charlie, I gotta find a dress that's sad looking. I'd like to stay and attain you, but I've got a hurry. You see, I mister Clark's secretary. In his condition, he doesn't need a secretary. Well, I'm mister Clark's former secretary. No, no, I'm the former mister Clark. No, I get it. Relax. Oh, I'm relaxed. And then why are you in such a hurry? Well, I have to go out and hire some mourners, haven't I Why, Well, it wouldn't look nice if they're only three of us at the funeral. I know there's mister Hartseler myself. No, especially since you'll all be grinning from here to year. Ask your question, has your voice ever been deeper? Deep? Heaven't know? Good Harley, my boy, Oh, good morning, good morning. My name is Temper, and I heart is my name. I'm sorry I can't talk to you now. I'm in a hurry. Why my Taylor is expecting me, your tailor, You would hardly expect me to attend mister Clark's funeral in this would you impossible? You see? So if you don't mind, I'll just run along. Oh yes, what are you doing here? Looking for a man with a deep boy? Oh? Sorry, mine isn't. But why are you looking for a man with a deep voice? He told me how mister Clark was murdered. Well that explained it. What Yes, he was murdered, but mister Clark died of heart failure. Indeed, you must be I demand an explanation immediately. You've forgotten one thing, mister Harker. Your taylor is waiting, and Taylor's is sometimes very temperamental. Besides, we can discuss this some other times this evening, this evening. Here's my card. I'd appreciate at you're coming. If mister Kurk was murdered, something must be done about it, Something will be Who knocked at my gate? And templar? I live on sufferance and breathe with difficulty. Temple what happy winds off to hi? This? I'm in the suttle Desmond, I'm not an audience templar. I'm an old ham And contrary to what they say, Hams do not improve by aging. Still the gay venture, and I'm not especially gay at the moment murdered. Oh, the last murder that was of any interest to me was that elsinor thing. You know, when Claudius and Gertrude put their heads together and slipped Gertrude's royal husband a slug of poison in the ear? I remember it well. And the fat Prince Hamlet, I think his name was mooned about like an innisending Ophelia to a watery grave and the rest of the cat to a most bloody one. You would have made a good hemn bless you. Oh, I wanted to play Hamlet. Instead, they preferred me as a ventriloquist confound him. That's why I'm here. You've been a ventriloqual. I'm involved in a case which hangs on the identity of a voice. Desmond. Could anyone change his voice so that it would be completely different from his real voice? Oh? Yes, but you'd always know that the second voice wasn't natural. Does what Simon? Look Desmond? Three people wanted a man named Clark dead. Clark is dead. Presumably therefore one of the three killed Clark. Yes, now, I was told of the method whereby Clark was going to be killed by a very distinctive voice in the dark. Therefore, the problem was simple, find which of my three suspects had a voice like that and go on from there. Well, not one of the three has that kind of voice, which leaves me with an interesting problem, but leaves the murderer free to go on murdering. How was the copse, mister Pelas dead? Louis, I want the nearest bookstore. You can't have it. It belongs to a guy named Pescil Flight. Will you please drive me there quickly? Okay? What's the matter? Suddenly decided you want to cut up in front of a fire with a good book? For that, I'd rather have my ned No, Louis, I merely want to find out how a man can die of poisoning without being poisoned. You didn't stay in that book still very long? What's the matter? He didn't like pesel Flight. He didn't have the book I wanted. I know, a plan, Not that kind of book, Louis. What I wanted was a book on heart diseases like reading. Huh interesting heart disease. These doors had one book on heart disease in doc yesterday yesterday the book was sold to a man Pethel Dwaite told me who behaved in a strenuously agitated fashion, a man named Hotsto. Maybe the name was Bothering, which reminds me where am I taking you? Naturally, Louis to a man named hertzale Ian or any way to make the door mister templar it come in and come in it want thank you, juneral this afternoon, I see, well have you tried reading? It's very soothing. I have no patience with books now please, had even booked on heart disease? Oh why excuse me? Hello? Oh yes it is? What Oh how dreadful? Oh yes it once? Goodbye and you're pale. I'm shocked. Charlie Melvin you know him, mister Clark secretary. Yes, well, it seems that something's happened to him. He's dead. Tell him to hurry, tempt hurry almost there, mister Hart though, did I say who discovered the body? Oh? Yes she did. She'd been visiting some friends, returned home and couldn't have been an accidental death coincidence doesn't stretch that fire. You know, if he was murdered, you still think the police believe Clark was murdered too. Not the police me, oh, siren, I'll come in. Getting to be embarrassing all of a sudden death. It might be more than embarrassing, might be fatal. It was. But Charlie, how did it happen? They shot himself? The police? I just phone this is his room in here. I heard the shot when about an hour ago the two phoned hot so here only fifteen minutes ago. I didn't know it was a shot at first. Charlie was supposed to come upstairs. He didn't. I realized, well, there he is. Yes, he's definitely dead. And note, imagine that boy committing shoes. Shir see what the note says? I killed Clark because if he'd been arrested, I would have gone to jail too. But now the police suspect he was murdered, and they suspect me. I might as well get it over with before they do. And it's fine trying out. Oh that sort of clears up, that, doesn't it? Yes? Except for one thing? What's that Charlie's the voice wasn't deep enough, Alexander Graham Bell's little invention should sometimes be strangled. I'm asleep, and so should you be. Yes, so listen. I'm at the ancient club on truck of Darow. Yes, I couldn't go home Charlie's death so soon after cards. Anyway, Remember that voice you told me about. I remember it very well. I just heard it. What the man with a voice like the one you described was here, I'll be right over. He's gone now, But I followed him outside and heard him give the cab driver his address. Good boy, I have my car. I'll pick you up immediately. Fe we can go right after him. It's so distance outside the city. God traveled to the North Pole for him. You don't measure miles when chasing fathom. Of course, I can't be absolutely sure it's the man you want me. I'm grabbing at straws. But his voice did sound like your description. It was at a club to which clock belonged. To make it worth a try, will I needed to hear him say something, anything, a word or phrase, and I'll know. Oh, that shouldn't be difficult once we get to him. Once we get to him, anything worries me is yes, but his voice can still be heard by the time we get to him half way to the a polt. You didn't take me literally, did you? You shouldn't be much farther temperate here. I don't understand about Charlie. I can't see a murdering clock. Somehow, you don't believe he did it? Do you not a person thing? Oh? Why not? I don't know intuition. Maybe a little stranger likes the clusion, doesn't he? Evidently you know the police accepted that suicide note without question? Did they? There's the house? There had any lights showing? Well, he must have got here some time before us. It went to bed. I guess probably. I wonder do you think you recognize your Oh? Probably? I couldn't see him, but he saw me. That might be bad. Are you armed in case you're trajany? No, but we'll manage. Suppose he refuses to say anything at all that itself would answer our question, wouldn't we ring? Certainly nothing if not curtious. It's so dark, so far from anything. Yeah, dark and lonely. You put a beautiful he doesn't answer. Try the door very well. That is good. Then we can walk right in. I can't see you think, Wait a minute, a match there? The light switched to your left handle. Oh yes, yes, of course that's much better now then, m the very charming house you have here, mister Hut, What did you Shay? I said, you have a very charming house here, my house. But you didn't really think I was fool? Did you? That voice you heard in your club was the fiction? It had to be, I'd said, here was planned by you so that it would be alone. Oh, why why would I want that? The better to kill me my friend? Kill you you, Shay, that's a perfect wow. Why would I want to kill you because like yourself, I think that's your side. Note of Charlie's was a fake. Oh I never said I it is a fake? How did you know? The note ran to the effect that Charlie was committing suicide because the police suspected him of murdering Clark. But the police didn't suspect Clark of being murdered. Perhaps not, but you did. But Charlie didn't know that, mister Hartsel I didn't tell him. He very well, just stay right where you are. What a handsome revolver. I did kill Charlie so that there wouldn't be any investigation into Clark's death. I couldn't afford that you kill me. There will be an investigation, No, because no one knows you came here with me. You're not going to die, You're going to disappear. Oh, in my friends, I wouldn't like that too. Well, I'm afraid joe likes can no longer be considered. Oh in that case, I'll have a cigarette, which Parker hold on. Oh, you dropped your revolver. Now I have to you. You said you were not. I'm such a liar, But then you see, I knew when you asked me why you ask me? So perhaps I'll be forgiving the templar. I killed Charlie, but I didn't kill Clark. I swear I did. Mister Hartsel, I never for a moment thought you did a beautiful night time. Poor mister Hastle all shut up in a dungeon. Cell I'm afraid the beauties of the night are lost to him. Those beauties are also lost to Charlie and mister Clark. I don't think more. But they're better off dead. But it would have been nicer to leave that decision to them. Mister Hartsold Bless his fussy old soul was really an impulsive man, foolish on, let's not talk about him anymore. Let's talk why because hart Sol didn't kill him. A man came to me in the middle of the night, in the darkness so that I never saw him, and told me of a plan to murder mister Clark, with a good plan, absolutely undetectable man left. All through this case, I've been looking for a man with a voice like the one that told me of murder. And there were three people involved, yourself who'd get the money? If Clarke died, Charlie would be saved from jail, Hartzell would be free of impettlements. Uncle certainly spread a lot of joy when he died. Charlie was murdered by Hartzell. But Charlie's was not the voice that spoke to me, nor was Hartzell's. Then whose voice could it possibly have been? That's the central problem, all right? Why did the man come to me in the first place, According to you, to make sure his method of murder would never be detected? But in coming to me, my dear, didn't he make sure the very opposite. Oh well, then he must have wanted you to master that's right. He wanted me to detect murder. But why obviously not because he was quite murder anyway, I don't understand. The only voice in this case that I haven't heard is the voice of your uncle. My uncle he was, But why why did he do it? Because nobody was going to murder him? What could he hope to accomplish what he did accomplish? And as your uncle was an old man with heart disease on the verge of being arrested for theft swindling, he knew he wouldn't survive even the shortest prison term. He probably suspected that the strain of the arrest itself might be fatal, and it was. But before he died, he wanted revenge on the lawyer who cheated him and on the secretary who decided him. So he came to me with his story, figuring that when he died perfectly naturally, murder would be suspected where no murder had taken place. I work them because Hartsill killed Charlie. Hartzell himself is going to die for Yes, your uncle must have been quite nymon, Yes there's a moon. We've talked of unhappy things long enough got any itches. Mm hmm, I word a minute, I thought you didn't have any of the last time I asked you, time you asked me, my dear, you were a suspect for murder. Now now now you're beautiful, You're blonde, and it's just plain murder. Oh you've been listening to another transcribed adventure of the Saints, the robin Hood of modern Crime, And oh, here is our star vincent price, Ladies and gentlemen. Poison doesn't always come in bottles, and it isn't always marked with the skull and crossbones of danger. Poison can take the form of words and phrases and facts. The venom of racial and religious hatred here in the United States, perhaps more than ever before, we must learn to recognize the poison of prejudice and the discover the antidote to its dangerous effects. Evidences of racial and religious hatred in our country place a potent weapon in the hands of our enemies, providing them with the ammunition of criticism. Moreover, group hatred menaces the entire fabric of democratic life. As for the antidote, you can fight prejudice first by recognizing it for what it is, and second by actively accepting or rejecting people on their individual worth, and by speaking up against prejudice and for understanding. Remember, freedom and prejudice can't exist side by side. If you choose freedom fight prejudice. This is Beincent Price inviting you to join us again next week at the same time for another exciting adventure of the Saint. Good Night. The nine Script of The Saint was written by Lewis Viddies. Our cast included Gene Bates, lou merriw Fred Howard, Jack Edwards Junior and Larry Dobkins. The music was composed and conducted by Von Dexter. The Saint, based on characters created by Leslie chotteris as a James L. Safier production and is directed by Helen Max. Vincent Price is soon to be seen co starring in RKO's production of His Kind of Woman. All you Saints Fans will be glad to know that The Saint comic books are now on sale. Of All News Fan. Your announcer is Don Stanley Programs, Get Your Programs Here, Tomorrow, Night Here, Night Beat. The adventures of newspaper reporter Randy Stone is portrayed by Frank Lovejoy Listen as Randy works the night beat of a newspaper in search of unusual interesting stories. That's night Beat, Tomorrow Night. Next, Sam Spade cuts the caper. Then Zeno Franciscatti plays on NBC welcome back premise for a story and a nice twist on the typical plot of an unpleasant man being murdered. This story was actually a script that was reused in the waiting days of the Golden Age of radio on Barry Craig Confidential Investigator in the episode Visitor at Midnight that aired on May twelfth of nineteen fifty five, and we played that episode in zero seven zero one back on July second of twenty twelve. So longtime listeners might have a bit of a sense of deje vous at this story. Now we do turn to listener comments and feedback, and we have a comment from Brian who says, I really enjoy Vincent Price as the Saints. Lots of quick humor in the writing. Never watched the TV show with Roger Moore, Not sure, but it didn't seem close to these radio shows. Well, it's a different story in some ways. You can argue that the Roger Moore version is more faithful to the book, and it's also got a bit of a nineteen sixties spy show feel to it, though the Saint isn't necessarily always concerned with espionage. I found it to actually be pretty enjoyable. It's not widely accessible on DVD and because many of the early sets have gone out of print, but if you can find it at a library or cheap use, it can be worth a watch. And the first episode is actually available for free on Amazon Instant Watch with ad so you can get a bit of a feel for the series at any rate. That will do it for today. If you have a comment, send it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook, dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and Off