Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Pursuit: Pursuit of the Lonely Heart (EP1299)
Transcript
- 0:29Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
- 0:35is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, send it
- 0:38to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter Radio
- 0:44Detactives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com Slash
- 0:50Radio Detectives. Before we get started, I want to encourage you to check
- 0:54out my two other podcasts, The War The War dot Great Detectives dot net.
- 0:59We're going through a series of World War two programs and nearing the end
- 1:06of World War Two. And also check out the Old time radio Superman show
- 1:11Lasernsword dot com. Well, this is a new week and we bring you
- 1:19a new actor as Inspector Peter Black of Scotland Yard. Ted Decortia played Black
- 1:26during the first season and short summer series nineteen forty nine and fifty. Nineteen
- 1:34fifty one, CBS decided to bring back the series, but this time with
- 1:38Ben Right in the title role. Right was one of those character actors.
- 1:46He did not get a whole lot of starring roles, but he was very
- 1:49good at creating very strong characters. Probably his most famous radio role was on
- 1:57the radio version of Have done will Travel, where he played hey Boy,
- 2:06the Chinese bell boy, who appeared in most episodes of the series. This
- 2:10is one of two starring series roles that Ben Right had in radio. The
- 2:19other was the last star of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes franchise, starring in
- 2:25that series in the nineteen forty nine to fifty season. And we also heard
- 2:30him about a year ago starring in an adaptation of The Loss Special. So
- 2:36we'll see how he does. This is the fourth episode of the summer run
- 2:40from July and August of nineteen fifty one. The title is The Pursuit of
- 2:47the Lonely Heart original air ed eight July thirty first of nineteen fifty one.
- 3:02O perscue a criminal Stripes and Paine we back into the shadows of his own
- 3:15dark worlds, and then the man from Scotland Yard, the famous inspect of
- 3:21Peter Black, and the name is Relentless Pursue When Man hunts Man. Now
- 3:37with Ben Right Stard as the famous Inspector Peter Black of Scotland Yard, we
- 3:40bring you tonight's story, purscu of the Lonely Heart. I can't you know
- 4:14it? There? Oh here you have to alone besides, quite all right,
- 4:24dead is dead in the same rather than not hybrid canarian. It wasn't
- 4:30at all happy video stop that hybrids were so often? Yeah, yes,
- 4:40how many I thought you s a s of course, such lovely very seek
- 4:46the happy will be good enough to look at my card you know my name?
- 4:51How silly of this? Of course you would on the windows and he
- 4:58inspected pieces sling Yard. Oh man, I wonder if I may ask you
- 5:03a few questions, mister leif they concern your wife. We'd like to know
- 5:10what you did with her body. He was on an extraordinary little man,
- 5:23quite round, with an angelic face, crowned by a fringe of fine white
- 5:27hair. He was viously the kindest old man in the world. And unfortunately
- 5:31Scotland Yard also suspected that he'd murdered his wife esther at least two years before.
- 5:38There'd be no concrete evidence, only the woman's sudden disappearance, that and
- 5:42accumulated testimonies and clues gathered over a period of time. Therefore, there was
- 5:46no choice for the take him down to the yard for questioning. Terrifying experience,
- 5:54terrifying those you have no right to, no rights at all. His
- 6:00shocking expositions. No, right a, cos you are not under the rest
- 6:05I supposed to casually harmed has been Christine tests, I mean as aught,
- 6:11although you were quite long, I mean absolutely absurd this acposition, that's kind
- 6:16of belief. Then we may proceed terribly upset. Yes, of course,
- 6:24a least two years ago your wife after least disappeared. Yes, he left
- 6:29in her will and amount of money I believe it was two thousand fives.
- 6:32Yes, but it does not to be improved that she did. I have
- 6:36not collected one part. You were aware of the terms of the world's course,
- 6:43as she did, aware of the terms of mine. And where did
- 6:46you meet your wife? To a club? That it were? So?
- 6:50Didn't the stress the advertised you know? But as perfectly respectable, Yes,
- 6:57I'm sure, and alas all of your neighbors have testified it. On the
- 7:00last night after last had been alive, a violent quarrels the place at your
- 7:04home. Nothing I did not. I did not love of quarrels. Perhaps
- 7:12the firement, you know. And the inquestor said that she left the following
- 7:16morning to take a holiday. Exact there was a strong woman. She felt
- 7:21that she needed to be apart for a few days in order to to the
- 7:28plenty or so. She didn't tell you where he was going yet for three
- 7:33months he didn't feel it necessary to notify the policemen. He didn't return.
- 7:38No, we would have done. I need to stay for my side was
- 7:42understatable types. Would you have those letters? There were teny postcards and I
- 7:50destroyed it when I realized he deserted me. I had no wish to commune
- 7:56with a pack. Well where were the cards posted from the please many place?
- 8:01Esther was one there? Plimouth as brief minute day ggated it brit Yeah,
- 8:09I mean well tell me Alice, there is your wife, own your
- 8:13shop and the flat above before you're marriage. We were a past before your
- 8:20marriage. See. I think that'll be all for the presence, unless you
- 8:26have something to add. Nothing in nothing at all except that I was successful
- 8:33doing an injury to my wife. We'll hear from my solicitor. Good morning.
- 8:48Now look here, Greg, I took guide this along the case because
- 8:52he wasn't making progress. Now you tell me that I natd misday. You
- 8:56asked me, so, all right, what would you have done? What
- 8:58I would have gone on? We're havings are left ket to watch on me.
- 9:01I'll let him know we perspected well obviously too late for that. Yes,
- 9:05last man, we've got to do something. It's the fellows and murder.
- 9:09He's been laughing it for two years. I'll do what I can,
- 9:11Commissioner, I want the body pants. That's what I want, and I
- 9:16want if he's our man, say you'll get him. He may if he
- 9:20saw that well, as I told you that, he didn't admit to the
- 9:24charge. Though until I can obtain the necessary proof, there's always the side
- 9:28count. But he did not, Skilly White, you know we can't do
- 9:33that. He's speaking exactly kind story. All right, I'm not, but
- 9:43of today, literally I know, I feel just about the same. I
- 9:48have floated the best. It was an asked the case. I was no
- 10:01doubted that, and putting the suspect on God, it made me even more
- 10:03difficult. I went to insector Adamsville's report, I note at one point to
- 10:09see the standards. The missing woman's nephew, Richard Paid, seemed very intensive
- 10:15in his belief that his aunt had no intention of going away, that it
- 10:18was most unlike had to do so, and since this was contrary the mister
- 10:22elicious statement. I decided to pay a call on the day. Gentlemen you
- 10:26on the guardads in the old Ken's Roads, Bob, were you thinking that
- 10:31job? They get us a blue mare teally will your oil? And why
- 10:35I beg your pardon? Can you tell me what I'll find? Mister Cade
- 10:39Richard Cage, let me Steve inspect a black stop and guards quiet again?
- 10:45Look here, one of your sets would be nosing around asking great in for
- 10:48three years. Now. I know what's the matter. They is giving the
- 10:52sect No, not exactly do they should have done? I don't notice my
- 10:56Auntie is turned up. But that's why I'm here at the gate. You
- 10:58suggest is that it's astutful that mister Lee would have taken as under any circumstances.
- 11:03That's for us killing them. Of course they didn't listen, or why
- 11:07do you say that? Look? I knew until beforet Mary that apples twine,
- 11:11you wouldn't get a step out of plants that he was born. He
- 11:15ever would die. Yeah, well you might have sent her mind, not
- 11:18Auntie, not her subon old leader Auntie was was mister come mom, some
- 11:24mom. You know as well as me that mister butter wouldn't held in your
- 11:28mouth standing le ditter in he and that girl of me here he is a
- 11:33fly one. Have you seen her works in toloy a selfishes? Uncle Sam's
- 11:39got that bomy looking at at really? Or are you sort of surprise coming
- 11:43either? Will it? It is quite a bit of good because I don't
- 11:48know as I blame him, and he did have a fast like a Stewart
- 11:50pudding. Still there's no reason to murder her. That is going to be
- 11:56fined as a Christmaster turd. Oh, I'm gry have taken up your time,
- 12:01that's all right. Hope to do better than the other one. I'd
- 12:03like to know that poor old aunt is not smoking about doesn't seem right?
- 12:07Somehows you're anxiety as your credit me to change. I'll let you know what
- 12:13happened. Thank you so much. This was something that had not been in
- 12:28Adamsville's report. A girl Ada willis that piece of information from the morning,
- 12:35nephew. I hope to bring us a step closer to the murderer. So
- 12:39I went to Stoviridges and to the toy department. It was early afternoon and
- 12:43the floor wasn't truded. Girl at the Meccano counter pointed out data Willards to
- 12:48me, he was finding a tiny mechanical star when I saw her, and
- 12:54I remember how it's extraordinarily beautiful A hands were if Willis wasn't quite what I
- 13:00had expected. Oh, I'd like to see one of those dolls. How
- 13:11hard does it work? I'll show you how much it? No the police.
- 13:22He's such a happy little chap. He's my favorite too. You like
- 13:26to listen. I don't know that one. I never thought about it,
- 13:31really. I'm oh I could have said that when I first told you,
- 13:35because I'm here on a pisful business. Oh no, I understand. I
- 13:43asked you some questions that would rather waiting for to get up? They can
- 13:46turn stand the leaf not loved to captimistic. You're hardly that, are you?
- 13:54No? My name's Black, step Pea Black. I know Janey.
- 14:01He said you might find out about you, and he wanted to warn me.
- 14:05You know why. Yes, you think he murdered his wife. Oh?
- 14:11He told her about that, oh some time, and I accept you
- 14:15believe that I had something to do with it too? Did you no at
- 14:22least planning to marry him? Yes? Mary? In December? Rather funny
- 14:28Are you going to marry him if I have to? If you have,
- 14:33yes, unless I can find out what I want before that happens, I'm
- 14:37not sure that I follow you. You suspect that Stamer killed his wife,
- 14:45Well, I know that he did, and I'll know him if I have
- 14:48to concluded. Now, do you understand you've heard of the pictures worth ten
- 15:05thousand words, But do you realize that you're worth ten thousand pictures? Or
- 15:11whatever you do? Reflect on America? And this reflecting on other persons is
- 15:16a big thing in life. It means that we should go out of our
- 15:20way to show our neighbors overseas what America really means. Don't forget you're an
- 15:24important part of the American way of life, you might say, a living,
- 15:28moving illustration of the folks back home. So here's a real chance to
- 15:33be a good will ambassador in the service of your country. Remember you are
- 15:37worth ten thousand pictures. Now the second act of percu of the Lonely Hearts,
- 16:04you say that you know Samry Lee to his wife. Yes, if
- 16:08you have no proof, this is Leeke's product. Someday I'll find out what
- 16:14he did with it. Why is it so important? To you, and
- 16:18then did I want to answer this? And you want to help the police
- 16:21learn the truth? Can't you? I'm not interested in finding out myself.
- 16:25You hadn't done that for two years. There's only one thing what makes you
- 16:30so certain about Lee? Because if she's gone away, if he said to
- 16:34this, who would have listened to me? And she would have come on?
- 16:38How do you know? Said? I can't kill you? But don't
- 16:44you know that it's to lead you and arrest I have to find out nice
- 16:47spature. But at the moment I can do more than you can, even
- 16:51if you have to marry him. Isn't that? At that point there was
- 17:03no earthly use in warning this willits that from her testimony to be held as
- 17:07a material witness. In the first place, I knew that should be uncooperative,
- 17:12and in the second it would only serve to get further warning to stand
- 17:15the leak if he was our man. I returned to the yard and in
- 17:21my office I once again went over to Inspector addamso supports on the case,
- 17:26but there was a diminutive mechanical police on my desk. I found myself thinking
- 17:30of the Troy Department in so produce and grand inquiries concerning the theater. Willis
- 17:37I learned a number of things, but not enough, so h not also
- 18:08anything doing. I would like my god mother, not particularly so you say
- 18:14the responsibility, No, missus, Robin wouldn't be very happy. And I
- 18:19couldn't like some of the things you have to do. You're implying that I
- 18:22like it. I know you don't do anything I can do to tea.
- 18:30You're perceptive, devil maney. You asked me, sir, what you need
- 18:34is along holiday and if I may say so, find yourself a nice girl
- 18:40and get married. Yeah. Well I didn't art, and you may not
- 18:44say them the part of the right, Well, that's not it. If
- 18:51you wanted to kill your wife, what would you do with her body?
- 18:55Never a said? Think about it hopefully? Yeah, I don't know.
- 19:02Ever in the garden it's too dangerous. Yes, that's a powerful and so
- 19:07into the thing that's been done. Did walk up sooner or later? Say
- 19:15bone doing something to give you away? Not if a fairly taken team.
- 19:22Third, it doesn't either, And mister I don't think it's God have taken
- 19:27the charms anyway? Have you noticed in the reports an interesting thing about me
- 19:33he's back on. He's took in a jack of little craster all I trade
- 19:38more like it. Undertaking hospital attendance accident, that's like that would have rather
- 19:47neat methods of disposing of the body the first job. See he get out
- 19:52of place. Now that's alone to missus Leath. He didn't have him anything.
- 19:56You run, long move, I'll see you in the one. But
- 20:11during the next week I went over every seat of information which had been gathered
- 20:14in the two years following up Felicia's disappearance. Market a nice question by friends,
- 20:19trades people, and the answers were uniform less similar. Each one suspected
- 20:26war and made direct accusations, but not one could give the slightest thread of
- 20:30evidence. I finally came to the next door neighbor who claimed to have heard
- 20:36signs of a violent quarrel between the least. He was a middle egged man
- 20:40who lived alone, and he had the appearance of a witness who would not
- 20:42be prone to exaggeration or malicious Goddess, I don't know much that I can
- 20:48tell you, Inspector two years ago. Now I give my evidence that other
- 20:52chapter ad wasn't it wors Mister Tanner Philly. If you don't mind, I
- 20:57should like you to refresh your mem do my best in your testimony. We
- 21:03will take it. It's the only phrase you were able to hear, because
- 21:07clearly was I won't have it in the house. That correct, right,
- 21:12It's bring it over and over. But about how long would you say the
- 21:17argument kept up? I don't know half records of an earth. I mind
- 21:22my own business, inspect listen since mister Banner, and I'll sorry that you
- 21:26did. And I'm to tell me did you know me to leap very well?
- 21:30Before you manage? You have a word or two nice women, i'd
- 21:33say sentimental about that game of loneliness. Would you say that until the time
- 21:38you heard the quarrel they were happy together? Yes, yes, I'd say
- 21:44that at the time. Would you poo thinks very carefully before you han't in.
- 21:51Did anything anything at all out of the ordinary takes place? Next door?
- 21:55Ask him? Missus leaps business? Either something you may have seen in
- 21:59the shop, Oh, that's in the flat in the garden. I'm not
- 22:07quite sure what would be out of the ortuman digging at night, Henry,
- 22:14I move to amount of smoke from the chimney, anything Nope, No,
- 22:21I don't think so. All right, what about the young woman Lily?
- 22:27To see that's an odd one. Can't make a better tale of it that
- 22:32you come here up? I wouldn't say a few times ear to be in
- 22:36to the cub. And when did the visit starts? First time I saw
- 22:41it was about a month ago. Thank you? Was determined, But they
- 22:45haven't been much help. I'll go you the door. No, what's that
- 22:55place? They picked it up stairs? In the flag you belong to her?
- 22:57Oh, it reminds me of something what it should have been a couple
- 23:04of days or so after John, I remember it at about ten o'clock,
- 23:10the characters like that. About two minutes later, a least knocked on the
- 23:15door. He turned to see, what is something to put on it?
- 23:19Was it a bad man? Misaparmas was quite nicely. Could it have been
- 23:22caused by afterthing? I don't know. Is that different to a doctor?
- 23:27Yes, he said, he's turned it on the store. He must have
- 23:33kept his finger there for a long time to get it looking that way.
- 23:36It is important enough to tell the police all and I forgot exactly what I
- 23:41meant, mister Tamas, Thank you very much, indeed a Gottlan yard.
- 23:55We're in possession of several known facts concerning murder and the bitter guiles. We
- 24:00know, for instance, at approximately one hundred and forty murders will take place
- 24:03during a year, and some thirty five of these will occur in London.
- 24:07We also know that a great number of these times will be solved within hours.
- 24:12Others take longer, according to the difficulties encountered by the scientific laborities.
- 24:18In the pursuit of the Lonely Heart, however, we were faced with the
- 24:22problem of qu if any physical clue missing body. It was an outstanding example.
- 24:29But this fact, too, with the knowledge that we now had work
- 24:30in our favors in Britain, the murderer's chief disadvantage lies in getting rid of
- 24:37the body in the con confined to this island, exposes to mendous problems about
- 24:42this In mind, I find not at a task which I hoped would in
- 24:47a few hours lead us to the body of Missis stand Belief, whom I
- 24:51knew now without a doubt was dead. Then I obtained the home address of
- 24:56miss Ada Willis and went to everything I co mental moment, I'm doing well,
- 25:08I can't sleep too long. Thank don't you want to sit down?
- 25:14Thank you? I'm as Sunnis. Don't you tell me the truth? Now?
- 25:21What is it you know about missus Lee? Why are you so possible
- 25:26that he was murdered? I work to me because you're afraid lovely port.
- 25:37Yes, you're bating the students. No, and then got to resemblance.
- 25:47You haven't got a sister nor a brother. I'm married and you've been the
- 25:52boss for three years. I've got to go out an appointments with family.
- 26:00I think you had better tell me everything. I think we know a good
- 26:04deal already. It'll make it easier. I think although the information I received
- 26:18from Nada Willis was nearly enough, I made no arrest that evening. As
- 26:22a matter of fact, it took four more days to locate the body,
- 26:26and only then we'll be ready to proceed with the evidence at hand. I
- 26:30called the principal witnesses and the murderer to the yard. Now this wasn't done
- 26:34for the sake of a dramatic accusation, but rather with the hope that sometime
- 26:38hit by absolute proof, the killer would make a confess, thereby saving the
- 26:42court a considerable amount of money right, morbt singment, mister Leach, he
- 26:57said you appease as well as yeah the decade here and mister Parmer, yes,
- 27:07sir and shut Now to begin with, mister Leach, we know that
- 27:17your wife is dead, oh my, due to the circumstances surrounding her disappear
- 27:22in certain accusations to be leveled against you. I know, untie terrible acquisition.
- 27:27And mister kid, you stated that your aunt would never have taken a
- 27:32step away from London. That's right at they hated to travel. Never did
- 27:37she did, she did go. They were Mister Parmer, you tetified that
- 27:41you heard a quarrel, that the words were not distinguishable except for one place.
- 27:47I won't have it in the house. That's what he said, over
- 27:49and over, mister Leach. Would you care to tell me what it's preferred
- 27:53to? I don't quite relimber, but goods have been a baby, a
- 28:02baby that Missus Leech was planning to adopt. Would heaven know, miss Willis
- 28:07you said that had missus Leach gone away, he would have written her most
- 28:11personally return. Yes, I had a baby two years ago. It was
- 28:17going to northeast. Missus Leech was going to adopt it, since I couldn't
- 28:22take him back myself. If he does, he need to kill me.
- 28:26I was working at celfishly immediately stopped there. Quite after he became a friendly.
- 28:33I told her about the baby. Never had one of her own.
- 28:37After she married Leap, she decided to adopt man. Did she tell him
- 28:42about the idea? No? Nothingpused to make arrangement, but the orphan that's
- 28:49going She killed him the night of the night before your wife took her Christmaster
- 28:56lease in Craw, I admitted, but she said she was going away to
- 29:02his times. Think, mister Barner, you said that. Three things later
- 29:07mister Leech came over and asked for help. He had a burn on his
- 29:11finger with an apic, wasn't it you know? No? I sined it
- 29:18understand really, and I think just the unfortunate woman's body. Matt, you
- 29:25asked mister Buckley to come in. Mister, do you recognize any one of
- 29:41the persons who did hears? Yeah, that's gentlemen, just to nick.
- 29:47Yes, you tell what you know and there as I remember, about a
- 29:52year and ten months ago, he asked me if I'd be interested in buying
- 29:56something for the studio you've done business within the phone. Oh yeah, when
- 30:00he was in the taxi dammers business, you used to go as animals,
- 30:03and that's that. Your studio is a film company. That's right. I'm
- 30:07in the property department. Go on, mister Lee said he acquired a nice
- 30:12skeletons set. Oh oh yeah, all right, mates, I didn't go
- 30:22man, mister Buckley, you bought the skeletons. Yes, I had a
- 30:26bill of sire. Well, mister Leap, you so you couldn't need dental
- 30:33work in the scowl was identified. It was missus Lee yesterday. Workroom is
- 30:38examined, while and other substances were fined and exactly natural materials. He was
- 30:44in the skeleton, not where I lost. Who married her for her money?
- 30:52You quarreled and she proposed the adoption, and in a fit of anger
- 30:56told it I didn't mean to kill her. It was an accident. It
- 31:00was She was a good room lie. Stanley Leech. You are not obliged
- 31:04to say anything unless you wish to do so, but whatever you say will
- 31:07be taken down in writing and later given inevidence. Take him away, mort
- 31:12him. Our discovery of the skeleton had involved the city wide sex and has
- 31:25been based on the knowledge we possessed that Stanley Leach's background. Although the disposal
- 31:30of the body was desired, very nearly accompassed the impossible for the murderer,
- 31:36a perfect murder. Sada Willis was married a few weeks ago and can her
- 31:42baby is once again with this puit dea welcome back. Well, I've always
- 32:08enjoyed Ben Wright's interpretation of Inspector Black, and I think this is a good
- 32:15episode to illustrate that. I also really enjoyed the twist with the girlfriend and
- 32:22what she was trying to achieve in the story, and I thought, well,
- 32:25the solutions showed that the killer was kind of crazy as well as reckless.
- 32:35It was a clever solution to a problem that Inspector Black made clear was
- 32:39one of the big challenges any killer faced with committing a murder in England.
- 32:47I will admit that some of the characters and portrayals of the British seemed a
- 32:52bit stereotypical in this version, particularly the nephew who was very British in all
- 32:58of his responses, and I always have a bit of a mixed feeling on
- 33:05organ scores. The previous version of Pursuit had Leif Stevens orchestral score. This
- 33:14one has Eddie Dunstitter doing an organ score. And some of those I like,
- 33:19some of them I don't this one it seemed kind of overpowering others I
- 33:24like, such as the ones on Frank Race and Let George Do. It
- 33:29was decent as well, but this is the first episode in that era.
- 33:34The three prior episodes that we don't have or Pursuit in Petticoat Lane, Pursuit
- 33:40at Dunster Fair, and Pursuit of the Killer who Wasn't there. Well,
- 33:45actually, that will do it for today. We will be back tomorrow with
- 33:51Pat Novak for hire and join us back here next Monday for another great episode
- 33:55of Pursuit. In the meantime, sendra comments to box their teen at Great
- 34:00Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter Radio Detectives, and become one of
- 34:05our friends on Facebook, Facebook, dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from Boise,
- 34:09Idaho. This is your host, Adam graham Son and off