Latest / The Shadow | Old Time Radio / The Shadow - "Prelude to Terror" (Old Time Radio)

Transcript

The Shadow - "Prelude to Terror" (Old Time Radio) · The Shadow | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: William Johnstone stars as Lamont Cranston, with Agnes Moorhead as
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Margot Lane, in a Mutual Broadcasting System presentation sponsored by
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Blue Coal. From January 29th, 1939, this is episode 145
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: of The Shadow, Prelude to Terror. Professor Baker's murder is
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: followed by a citywide threat concealed in the most ordinary
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: of places, electric lightbulbs. As explosions disrupt businesses, public buildings,
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: and apartment houses, Cranston works with Commissioner Weston to trace
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: the scheme from Baker's laboratory to those directing it. Ladies
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: and gentlemen, The Shadow. Now, back to the golden age
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: of radio.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: The Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: The Shadow knows.
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: Your local blue coal dealer presents The Shadow. His half-hour
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: dramatizations are designed to forcibly demonstrate to old and young
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: alike that crime does not pay.
• 1:23
  Speaker 4: Before today's shadow story begins, here's a suggestion that will
• 1:26
  Speaker 4: save every householder time, trouble, and money. When you order
• 1:30
  Speaker 4: your next supply of fuel, make sure you ask for
• 1:33
  Speaker 4: blue coal. Unlike many other hard coals, blue coal burns
• 1:38
  Speaker 4: itself steadily and evenly with little attention. It gives you
• 1:41
  Speaker 4: every bit of the heating comfort and performance you're paying
• 1:44
  Speaker 4: for with far less heat lost up the chimney and
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: no unburned or partially burned coal in your ash pit.
• 1:51
  Speaker 4: Join the thousands upon thousands of American homeowners who found
• 1:55
  Speaker 4: perfect home heating satisfaction with Blue Coal. It's the finest
• 1:59
  Speaker 4: quality Pennsylvania anthracite money can buy. Order a supply from
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: your neighborhood Blue Coal dealer tomorrow. The shadow, mysterious character
• 2:11
  Speaker 4: who aids those in distress and helps the forces of
• 2:13
  Speaker 4: law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston, wealthy young
• 2:17
  Speaker 4: man about town. Cranston's friend and companion, the lovely Margot Lane,
• 2:22
  Speaker 4: is the only person who knows to whom the unseen
• 2:25
  Speaker 4: voice belongs. The only one who knows the true identity
• 2:28
  Speaker 4: of that master of other people's minds, the Shadow.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Today's story, Prelude to Terror. Come in. Oh, it's you, Cooper. Yeah,
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: Professor Baker.
• 2:49
  Speaker 5: I thought you'd like this cup of hot.
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: Tea, sir. Yes, yes, thanks. Helps to keep me awake.
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: And I have a lot of work to do tonight.
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: Shall I pour it, sir? Yes, please. Isn't this your
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: night off, Cooper? Yes, sir. I passed the house on
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: my way home and saw your lights on. I know
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: how you enjoy a late cup of tea. Very considerate
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: of you, Cooper. Very. But it's late, and you must
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: get your rest. Oh, the doorbell. Hmm. Hmm. I wonder
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: who that could be at this hour of night. Shall
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: I answer it, sir? Yes, Cooper, yes. I'll take care
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: of the tea. All right, all right.
• 3:28
  Speaker 5: Amy.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: Amy.
• 3:34
  Speaker 5: What are you doing here?
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: Cut the gab.
• 3:36
  Speaker 5: Close the door.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: I know.
• 3:38
  Speaker 5: Braden sent you.
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: Where's old man Baker? Upstairs in his study. Okay. Hey, wait.
• 3:42
  Speaker 5: I won't let you do this. I won't let you
• 3:43
  Speaker 5: hide him. Keep your mouth shut unless you want to
• 3:45
  Speaker 5: go back and.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: Finish out that prison term you ran out on.
• 3:48
  Speaker 5: Hey, leave Professor Baker alone.
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: Please.
• 3:50
  Speaker 5: I'm not going to be in on this.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: I'm getting out. Well, who was the late cop? Oh,
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: I thought it was Cooper. Gee, you're sure jumpy tonight, Brayden.
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: What are you walking up and down like that for?
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: Something on your mind?
• 4:25
  Speaker 6: Yeah, big things.
• 4:27
  Speaker 7: Things you'd never understand. I wonder what's keeping Heaney. Should
• 4:30
  Speaker 7: have been here half an hour ago. Think he might
• 4:32
  Speaker 7: have muffed things, boss.
• 4:33
  Speaker 6: I hope not.
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: There he is now. Open up. Okay, boss. We were
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: just talking about you.
• 4:41
  Speaker 6: Well, Heaney, what happened?
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: You have any trouble? Not much.
• 4:45
  Speaker 8: I just put two slugs under the old guy, Professor Baker.
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: He's dead. The rest was easy.
• 4:50
  Speaker 6: What about Cooper?
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: He was scared stiff.
• 4:52
  Speaker 5: He let out.
• 4:52
  Speaker 6: You let him get away?
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you don't have to worry about that guy. He's
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: too scared to talk.
• 4:57
  Speaker 6: You should have put the silencer on him anyway.
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: You're the boss, Braden. What do you want me to do?
• 5:01
  Speaker 6: Take no chances. Big Cooper up and close his trap
• 5:04
  Speaker 6: for keeps.
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: Okay, boss. I'll take care of him.
• 5:07
  Speaker 6: You get the stuff I sent you after?
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, sure did.
• 5:10
  Speaker 6: Let me have it.
• 5:11
  Speaker 5: Hey, let's see.
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: Now get it right inside here. Yep. Here you are, boss.
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: The old professor had it right where you said.
• 5:18
  Speaker 6: Yeah. This is it, all right.
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: What is it, Braden? Looks like an empty bottle to me.
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: It's a colorless, odorless gas.
• 5:27
  Speaker 7: The most powerful explosive in existence.
• 5:30
  Speaker 6: Enough to blow up this whole city.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah?
• 5:32
  Speaker 6: This is all there is in the world.
• 5:33
  Speaker 5: Yeah? What are you going to do with it?
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: You'll find out. Hey, Engenstall. Yes, boss? What's on your mind?
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: You used to be.
• 5:40
  Speaker 6: A chemist, right?
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: Still am. The best outside the law.
• 5:43
  Speaker 7: All right, I want you to take this gas out
• 5:45
  Speaker 7: of this little bottle and seal it in that crate
• 5:46
  Speaker 7: of light bulbs I got last night.
• 5:48
  Speaker 5: You think you can do it?
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: I guess so. How much gas to the bulb? Wait,
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: I'll help you. Morgan, Greggs, all of you, come here.
• 5:55
  Speaker 5: What's up, Reagan?
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: Plenty.
• 5:57
  Speaker 6: When we get these explosive light bulbs fixed up, I
• 6:00
  Speaker 6: want you to go out and plant them in light
• 6:02
  Speaker 6: sockets everywhere.
• 6:03
  Speaker 8: In stores, houses, public buildings, all over the city.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: What's the big idea, Braden?
• 6:07
  Speaker 7: I'm going to plunge the city into total darkness for
• 6:10
  Speaker 7: one night.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: Total darkness?
• 6:12
  Speaker 5: How are you going to make them douse their lights?
• 6:14
  Speaker 7: Look, we get these bulbs planted before noon tomorrow. When
• 6:19
  Speaker 7: it gets dark, they'll turn on lights. In some of
• 6:22
  Speaker 7: these places, it'll be blown to bits. The next night,
• 6:25
  Speaker 7: they won't dare turn on a light.
• 6:27
  Speaker 5: Yeah?
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: Where do we come in?
• 6:29
  Speaker 5: What does that get us?
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: What does it get us, you sap? Don't you see?
• 6:33
  Speaker 6: When the city blacks out, we move in and take over.
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: Wow.
• 6:37
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 6:38
  Speaker 7: I've drawn up a chart showing exactly where the explosive
• 6:41
  Speaker 7: bulbs ought to be planted.
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: You ain't missed a trick, huh, Brady? This is a
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: big job.
• 6:46
  Speaker 7: Now we'll need plenty of help for the cleanup. Round
• 6:48
  Speaker 7: up every dip, rod, man, gangster, any crook you know.
• 6:51
  Speaker 7: Have them here in the mill tomorrow night.
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: Okay, don't worry.
• 6:54
  Speaker 6: As soon as everything's set, we'll move in under cover
• 6:56
  Speaker 6: of darkness.
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: The poor cops, they will be helpless.
• 6:59
  Speaker 6: Yeah, we'll rob stale pillage to our heart's content. We'll
• 7:04
  Speaker 6: take everything that's not nailed down.
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: Boy, what a stunt.
• 7:06
  Speaker 5: Boy, that's a crook's paradise. Greatest idea I've ever heard.
• 7:09
  Speaker 6: It's the greatest idea in the history of crime.
• 7:12
  Speaker 7: I'm going to create a reign of terror like this
• 7:14
  Speaker 7: country's never known.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: I say to Potter.
• 7:20
  Speaker 5: Here's a wild dog. Something for a youngster, you.
• 7:23
  Speaker 7: Say, madam?
• 7:24
  Speaker 5: Yes, I don't exactly know what I want.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: Well, is it a boy or a girl? A girl.
• 7:30
  Speaker 5: I'm her grandmother.
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: Oh, is that so?
• 7:32
  Speaker 5: Well, I have a little girl, too.
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: How old is your granddaughter?
• 7:35
  Speaker 5: She's just four months old.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: Oh, well, then you must see our modern nursery. The
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: infant things are all in there.
• 7:40
  Speaker 5: Will you come right this.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: Way, please?
• 7:42
  Speaker 5: Are you set right in? Thank you. Oh, it's rather dark,
• 7:49
  Speaker 5: isn't it?
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: Well, I'll put on more light. The switch is... Ah,
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: there we are. Watch out!
• 7:55
  Speaker 9: The killer!
• 7:56
  Speaker 5: Coming down!
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: Tom! Tom, where are you? Get out!
• 8:01
  Speaker 5: The walls are crumbling! Oh, my leg. I can't move.
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: Somebody, please give me a hand. There's a child buried
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: under here.
• 8:35
  Speaker 8: The whole front's blown out.
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: Oh, this is terrible.
• 8:39
  Speaker 9: Get back there.
• 8:40
  Speaker 5: Keep away now.
• 8:41
  Speaker 6: All right, lend a hand here, Ben.
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: We can't handle the wounded. Come on. Look! Look, there's
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: a girl in that window up there. She's going to jump. Don't.
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: Don't jump.
• 8:49
  Speaker 5: Wait. Oh! Oh!
• 8:59
  Speaker 6: All out.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: Castle Street car barn. Last stop. But, conductor, I'm going
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: all the way to Henshaw Terrace.
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: There'll be another car right behind.
• 9:05
  Speaker 6: You, mister.
• 9:06
  Speaker 8: Hey, you folks can sit in the waiting.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: Room over there. Pretty dark in this waiting room. How
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: about some light? There's a switch right behind you. Oh, yes.
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: I'll turn it on.
• 9:32
  Speaker 6: Anything else, Commissioner Weston?
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 9:33
  Speaker 8: Detail as many men as you can spare to the
• 9:35
  Speaker 8: Castle Street car barns. And swear in every able-bodied volunteer
• 9:39
  Speaker 8: you can find as a special deputy. I'll broadcast an
• 9:41
  Speaker 8: appeal to all doctors and nurses in this entire territory
• 9:44
  Speaker 8: to report there at once.
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: Stay right on the job, Rofy. Phone me again in
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: ten minutes. Okay, Commissioner Weston. Goodbye. I want Cranston to
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: see you, Commissioner. Cranston? Well, you tell him for me. No,
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: Commissioner Weston. Why don't you tell me yourself? I'm busy, Cranston.
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: What do you want? I came to see if there's
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: anything I can do to help in this horrible catastrophe.
• 10:03
  Speaker 8: If you can swing a pick, drag a hose, or
• 10:05
  Speaker 8: carry a stretcher, there's plenty for you to do. I've
• 10:07
  Speaker 8: already done my bit in that direction. For the moment,
• 10:10
  Speaker 8: I'm interested in the reason.
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: Wait a minute, Cranston.
• 10:14
  Speaker 8: I've got more on my mind than just sitting here
• 10:16
  Speaker 8: and satisfying your curiosity.
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: This is not just curiosity, Commissioner. I've got a theory.
• 10:21
  Speaker 8: So has everybody else. I've got no time for crackpot theories.
• 10:25
  Speaker 8: You certainly are flattering, Commissioner. Well, I'm not running a
• 10:28
  Speaker 8: school for amateur detectives.
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: No, I'd never suspect you of pedagogic inclinations, Commissioner. But
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: tell me, do you know how the explosions occurred last night? No,
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: I don't. All I know is that the two places
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: went up when the lights went on. Then I'm sure
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: I can help you.
• 10:43
  Speaker 8: If you have any evidence, any facts, I'm willing to listen.
• 10:47
  Speaker 8: But I don't want to hear any more theories.
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: All right, Commissioner. Calm yourself and I'll explain. I am calm.
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: Of course you are. Now, my theory is this. What?
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: All right, let's put it this way. My hunch is this.
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: Go ahead. Get it off your chest and let me
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: get back to work. You want to clear up the
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: mystery of these explosions, don't you, Commissioner? That, Cranston, would
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: seem to be the general idea. Then you Professor Baker.
• 11:12
  Speaker 8: Are you trying to tell me that there's a connection
• 11:14
  Speaker 8: between the death of Baker and these explosions?
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: I'm not just trying, I'm telling you. There is, definitely.
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: What makes you so sure about it? I happen to
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: know that Professor Baker was experimenting with an explosive, such
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: as might have been used in these two blasts. Where
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: does your theory go from there? Professor Baker was killed
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: for possession of that explosive. Find his killers, and you
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: found the men responsible for the other crimes. But where's
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: the motive?
• 11:37
  Speaker 8: What reason could they have had for blowing up those
• 11:40
  Speaker 8: places and killing all those people?
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: That I don't know.
• 11:43
  Speaker 8: There you are, in a blind alley. You have a
• 11:46
  Speaker 8: theory and nothing to support it. Now run along, Cranston.
• 11:49
  Speaker 8: Miners won't stand any more of this nonsense. You must
• 11:51
  Speaker 8: listen to me, Commissioner.
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: You've got to. Now I've got.
• 11:53
  Speaker 5: Hello?
• 11:55
  Speaker 6: Hello, Commissioner Weston.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: Yes, who's this?
• 11:57
  Speaker 6: Never mind that. I got some dope for you.
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: What do you mean?
• 12:01
  Speaker 6: Those two explosions last night were bad, huh? Well, that's
• 12:04
  Speaker 6: only a little sample of what's coming tonight.
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: What? What did you say?
• 12:08
  Speaker 6: You heard me. You're going to have a worse mess
• 12:10
  Speaker 6: on your hands if you don't carry out my orders.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: Orders?
• 12:12
  Speaker 6: I want this city in total darkness tonight.
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: Total darkness?
• 12:16
  Speaker 6: If there's an electric light, auto headlamp, or even a
• 12:18
  Speaker 6: flashlight turned on, you're going to get a bouquet of
• 12:21
  Speaker 6: explosions worse than yesterday.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: You must be stark mad. You'll never get away with this.
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: Try me and see.
• 12:28
  Speaker 6: Either the lights go out or.
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: The city goes up. Hello.
• 12:34
  Speaker 6: Hello, hello.
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: Cranston, did you hear that? Yes, I did, Commissioner.
• 12:40
  Speaker 5: What are we going to do?
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: It'll be dark in a few hours. Commissioner, that man
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: must be stopped. If he's not, this city will be
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: the scene of indescribable horror tonight. We've got to stop him.
• 12:54
  Speaker 5: Extra.
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: Extra. Explosive light bulb. Threaten more blasts. Mystery voice warns
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: Commissioner Weston.
• 13:00
  Speaker 9: Extra.
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: Extra.
• 13:02
  Speaker 5: Extra.
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: Extra.
• 13:04
  Speaker 5: Extra.
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: Extra. Extra. Extra. Hey, this is terrible. We won't have
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: any light. How are we going to see in the dark?
• 13:19
  Speaker 5: I'm not turning any light on in my place tonight.
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: Me neither. I don't want my family blown up.
• 13:23
  Speaker 5: Yeah, but what are we going to do? Can't they
• 13:25
  Speaker 5: stop this? Can anything be done about it? Emergency.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: Calling Dr. Martin.
• 13:36
  Speaker 5: Dr.
• 13:37
  Speaker 10: Martin.
• 13:38
  Speaker 5: Emergency. Call it.
• 13:42
  Speaker 6: Dr.
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: Martin, do something.
• 13:44
  Speaker 5: Please save my little Bambina.
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: Well, I'll do all I can, Mrs. Vanetti. Your child
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: is very sick. Oh, my Bambina, my baby.
• 13:51
  Speaker 5: What are we going to do, doctor?
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: That child won't last an hour if we don't operate
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: at once.
• 13:56
  Speaker 5: We can't do that. He don't dare turn on the light. Well,
• 13:59
  Speaker 5: we've got to do something. Couldn't we operate by candlelight?
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: Oh, that's impossible. The operation's too delicate.
• 14:04
  Speaker 5: Oh, please, doctor, help my baby.
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: Nurse. Yes, doctor?
• 14:08
  Speaker 5: I'm going to operate.
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: But.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: I can't stand here and see this child die. We've
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: got to take the chance. Turn on the lights.
• 14:16
  Speaker 5: Very well, Doctor. I'll turn them on.
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: Hello? Mayor Hamilton? Yes. Who is this speaking? This is
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: the Shadow. Shadow?
• 14:31
  Speaker 5: Shadow?
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes, yes. Now, what can I do for you? Mr. Mayor,
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: the hospital has just been blown up. What?
• 14:36
  Speaker 5: The hospital?
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: Good heavens, that can't be possible. It's true, Mr. Mayor.
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: I can hardly believe it. What hellish fiend can be
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: responsible for this? Mr. Mayor, you've got to act at once.
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: You must make any other explosions tonight impossible. Of course,
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: but how can I do that? Order the city power
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: plant to cut the main switch. The main switch? It's
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: the only way. You can't depend on all the people
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: keeping their lights out. But cutting the main power switch
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: will tie up everything in the city. It's that, Mr. Mayor,
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: or death, destruction, and panic. Very well. I'll order the
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: power cut at once. The End.
• 15:15
  Speaker 4: Our cast begins the second act of The Shadow's Adventure
• 15:18
  Speaker 4: in just a moment.
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: But first, here's some important information for homeowners. Mr.
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: Roberts, at the opening of today's program, I believe you
• 15:24
  Speaker 4: said that blue coal was different from other fuels. Just
• 15:27
  Speaker 4: how is blue coal different? Well, blue coal is mined
• 15:30
  Speaker 4: from the northern Pennsylvania field. That's the rich anthracite region
• 15:33
  Speaker 4: which produces 40% of all American hard coal.
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: How about the preparation of blue coal? Is there a
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: difference there? Yes.
• 15:40
  Speaker 4: You see, the Glen Alden Coal Company, which produces blue coal,
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: is the nation's largest hard coal company. As each ton
• 15:46
  Speaker 4: of coal comes from their mines, it's carefully sized. Then
• 15:49
  Speaker 4: it's washed with twelve and one-half tons of water for
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: each ton of coal to.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: Remove any existing impurity.
• 15:56
  Speaker 4: But most important of all, each carload is submitted to
• 15:58
  Speaker 4: a thorough laboratory test by inspectors.
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: Only the coal which.
• 16:02
  Speaker 4: Meets Glenn Alden's high-quality standard is trademarked a harmless blue
• 16:06
  Speaker 4: and accepted for shipment to blue coal dealers.
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: How about the results homeowners receive from using blue coal? Well,
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: blue coal's.
• 16:13
  Speaker 4: Unchallenged record of first place for years in nationwide volume
• 16:16
  Speaker 4: of sales speaks for itself. Hundreds of thousands of American
• 16:20
  Speaker 4: families have found that Blue Coal banks and handles better,
• 16:23
  Speaker 4: gives longer intervals between firing periods, and perfect all-around heating
• 16:27
  Speaker 4: comfort and satisfaction. So, friends, if you haven't yet tried
• 16:31
  Speaker 4: Blue Coal, be sure and ask for it by name
• 16:34
  Speaker 4: next time.
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: You order fuel.
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: Your nearest Blue Coal dealer's name is listed in the
• 16:38
  Speaker 4: Where to Buy It section of your classified phone directory.
• 16:53
  Speaker 5: Gosh, it sure is dark.
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: I can't see where I'm walking. Wonder what street we're
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: on now. Does it matter? I'm lost. We're all lost.
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry, lady. I didn't see you.
• 17:07
  Speaker 5: Hold that lantern higher, Bill. We don't want to walk
• 17:10
  Speaker 5: off the viaduct. Okay, Fred. Boy, am I glad I
• 17:14
  Speaker 5: found this old wagon lantern. That's a swell idea. Yeah,
• 17:18
  Speaker 5: it's a swell target. It was shot right out of
• 17:20
  Speaker 5: my hand. When that gang said the city would have
• 17:23
  Speaker 5: to black out, they meant black out.
• 17:31
  Speaker 11: Joe, we can't keep flying around here all night. Our
• 17:34
  Speaker 11: gas is running out. We've got to set her down someplace.
• 17:36
  Speaker 11: I can't understand it. I couldn't possibly have missed the city.
• 17:39
  Speaker 11: We've cruised around for 20 minutes now, and I haven't
• 17:41
  Speaker 11: seen a single light. We just have to keep going
• 17:43
  Speaker 11: while the gas holds up.
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: Then what?
• 17:46
  Speaker 8: Then we start praying, brother.
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: Well, Margo, main switch is turned off. No lights, no power.
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: Nothing but bewilderment, uncertainty.
• 18:03
  Speaker 5: Oh, this is awful, Lamont. What are people going to do?
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: I'm afraid this is all leading to something worse, Margot.
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: A prelude to a greater terror.
• 18:10
  Speaker 5: Lamont, you must do something.
• 18:11
  Speaker 2: I've racked my brain for a solution, some faint clue,
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: and I'm stuck. I don't know what to do.
• 18:17
  Speaker 5: We just can't sit and wait for some new terror
• 18:19
  Speaker 5: to strike, Lamont.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: There must be some loose thread that might unravel this
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: whole vicious pattern. Margot.
• 18:27
  Speaker 5: Yes, Lamont?
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: I've got an idea.
• 18:29
  Speaker 5: Yes?
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: Professor Baker's hired man, Cooper. The police released him. They
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: said he proved that he was not in the house
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: the night the professor was killed. Yes? It just struck me.
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: The killer's fingerprints were on the handle of the door
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: to the old man's study. But there were none on
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: the knob of the street door. Don't you see it, Margo?
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: Somebody opened the door for the killer.
• 18:49
  Speaker 5: Cooper.
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: Perhaps.
• 18:51
  Speaker 5: But Lamar.
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: Come on, Margo. We've got to find Cooper. The shadow
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: has got to talk to that man. He may be
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: the thread I've hoped for.
• 19:02
  Speaker 5: Sure, that's the last candle I have in the house, Mr. Cooper.
• 19:05
  Speaker 5: They're very scarce now. But at least you'll be able
• 19:07
  Speaker 5: to finish your packing.
• 19:08
  Speaker 8: Thanks, Mrs.
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: Kelly.
• 19:09
  Speaker 5: Oh, my, no. I'm not sorry to see you go.
• 19:13
  Speaker 5: But I don't blame anybody for getting out of this
• 19:15
  Speaker 5: cursed city that I don't. Yeah, sure. Now, if you
• 19:18
  Speaker 5: don't mind, I've got a lot of packing to do.
• 19:20
  Speaker 5: Good night, Mrs.
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: Kelly.
• 19:21
  Speaker 5: Well, if that's the way you feel, goodbye and good
• 19:25
  Speaker 5: riddance to you, Mr. Cooper.
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: What's your hurry, Cooper?
• 19:31
  Speaker 5: Who's that?
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: What are you running away from? Me? What? Where are you?
• 19:36
  Speaker 5: I can't see you.
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: I'm the shadow, Cooper. The shadow? You know of me,
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: don't you? Now, listen, Cooper. I've got to talk fast,
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: and so do you.
• 19:45
  Speaker 5: I've got nothing to talk about.
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: Cooper, you share responsibility for the death and destruction... in
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: this city.
• 19:50
  Speaker 5: No, that's a lie. I had nothing to do with it.
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: You know the man who killed Professor Baker. You've got
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: to tell me who he is. I can't.
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: I can't.
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: You must. You alone can release the city from the
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: grip of terror that man has placed it in.
• 20:03
  Speaker 5: I don't know anything about it, I tell you.
• 20:05
  Speaker 6: You're lying, Cooper.
• 20:06
  Speaker 5: Cooper.
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: I know. You opened the door for the killer.
• 20:11
  Speaker 5: I wouldn't hurt the old man.
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: You were with him just before he died.
• 20:14
  Speaker 5: But I had nothing to do with his death. Honest,
• 20:16
  Speaker 5: I didn't.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: If you want to save yourself and clear your conscience,
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: you've got to talk. But I.
• 20:21
  Speaker 5: All right. All right, I'm going to get it off
• 20:23
  Speaker 5: my mind. I'll talk.
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: I'll talk. Heaney.
• 20:26
  Speaker 5: Heaney, what do you want?
• 20:28
  Speaker 6: Just delivering a little message from the boss, Cooper.
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: Here it is. Cooper.
• 20:33
  Speaker 5: Cooper.
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: Speak to me, Cooper. Oh, your throat. Try to talk, Cooper.
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: The fate of the city rests with you. I can't
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: understand you. For heaven's sake, man, you've got to tell me. Look, Cooper,
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: I'll put my ear close to your lips. Try to whisper. Try. Yes, yes,
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: I understood that. His name, Cooper.
• 20:54
  Speaker 10: His name, please.
• 20:54
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir. What?
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: Try again.
• 20:58
  Speaker 10: Where?
• 20:59
  Speaker 5: Where?
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: Quick, Cooper, quick. What happened?
• 21:02
  Speaker 5: I thought I heard a shot out here. Mr.
• 21:04
  Speaker 6: Cooper.
• 21:05
  Speaker 2: Somebody get a doctor, quick. Oh, no. No, no.
• 21:09
  Speaker 5: It's no use for a doctor now. Cooper's dead.
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: No.
• 21:18
  Speaker 6: Hey, Engelstahl, bring me that chart.
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: Yes, boss. Here you are.
• 21:24
  Speaker 6: Have you checked off every place where we planted bulbs?
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: Every one. They're all marked in red. What are we
• 21:29
  Speaker 2: waiting for, Britton? Yeah, let's go. Come on.
• 21:30
  Speaker 6: I'm waiting for the boys to come back from the
• 21:32
  Speaker 6: city and give me the lowdown on how things stand.
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: Say, Britton. How come we got lights with the city
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: power plant turned off?
• 21:38
  Speaker 6: I've been planning this job for over a year. I
• 21:41
  Speaker 6: put in my own power plant.
• 21:42
  Speaker 5: Well, that's smart, I'll say. Yeah, but how did you
• 21:45
  Speaker 5: manage the explosions?
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: See this bulb? Well, it was one of these that
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: blew up the.
• 21:50
  Speaker 6: Gullens department store.
• 21:51
  Speaker 2: Oh, hey!
• 21:52
  Speaker 6: All right, all right.
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: Don't worry. You're all safe.
• 21:55
  Speaker 6: This won't go off unless it's put in the light
• 21:57
  Speaker 6: socket and the switch is thrown.
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: Just the same. I'd feel better if you didn't wave
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: it around like that. All right. Margo, pull right over here,
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: off the road.
• 22:13
  Speaker 5: There we are, Lamont. Good.
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: Now, you stay here in the car. Take this gun.
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: It'll be perfectly safe. Just keep out of sight.
• 22:21
  Speaker 5: But where are you going, Lamont?
• 22:22
  Speaker 2: There's an old mill someplace along here. If I understood
• 22:25
  Speaker 2: Cooper correctly, I'll find the man I'm looking for there.
• 22:28
  Speaker 5: You're not going in alone.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: I've got to, Margo. I phoned Commissioner Weston as the
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: Shadow and asked him to send some men.
• 22:34
  Speaker 5: Then why not wait for them?
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: I'm not sure they'll get here. I've got the hands
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: full on the city. There isn't a moment to lose.
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: The shadow's got to work, and work fast. Quiet. Quiet,
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: all of you.
• 22:50
  Speaker 6: Well, boys, what did you find out in the city?
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: Boss, you hit the bull's eye. The city's as dark as.
• 22:55
  Speaker 5: A landlord's look.
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: It's all set for us, boys.
• 22:58
  Speaker 6: All right, boys.
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: We got the green light.
• 23:00
  Speaker 6: Time to go.
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: Boy, this will be sweet.
• 23:03
  Speaker 6: Morgan, you take six men and go to the Macy
• 23:05
  Speaker 6: Street Bank.
• 23:06
  Speaker 7: You know what to do.
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: Draze.
• 23:07
  Speaker 6: Right, boss.
• 23:08
  Speaker 7: Take 20 men and clean out the Imperial Hotel.
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: Go through the rooms.
• 23:11
  Speaker 6: Don't leave anything you can carry. Right. Ewing and Stowe,
• 23:13
  Speaker 6: the post office. Five men can handle that.
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: I'm all set.
• 23:16
  Speaker 6: The rest of you got your spots. Work fast. If
• 23:18
  Speaker 6: anyone crosses you, use your guns.
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: Let them have it. I'm sure they won't ask enough.
• 23:22
  Speaker 6: All right.
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: All right.
• 23:24
  Speaker 6: Grab your flash lamps and let's go.
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: What was that?
• 23:30
  Speaker 5: Am I hearing things? Did anybody hear that laugh?
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I did. So did I. Quite a nice little
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: thing you've cooked up, Braden. But here's where there's another
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: ingredient added to your unholy brew. Say, what is this?
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: It's the shadow. Right you are, Braden.
• 23:43
  Speaker 6: Well, you're not scaring me. You're not stopping me either.
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: I wouldn't be too sure about that, Braden. Hey, I
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: don't see nobody.
• 23:49
  Speaker 6: Men, this guy's right here in the room with us.
• 23:53
  Speaker 6: He's got some trick so we can't see him. But
• 23:55
  Speaker 6: that don't mean we can't get him.
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: Draze. Yeah?
• 23:57
  Speaker 6: Stand by that door.
• 23:58
  Speaker 7: Keep your back against it and don't let anybody or
• 24:00
  Speaker 7: anything open it.
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: Now, Morgan, pick up.
• 24:02
  Speaker 6: That machine gun and spray the other end of the
• 24:04
  Speaker 6: room where that voice came from.
• 24:06
  Speaker 5: Somebody's down some lights.
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: Hey, I'm getting out of here.
• 24:08
  Speaker 6: All right, quiet.
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: Don't be afraid.
• 24:09
  Speaker 6: Take it easy. Somebody switch on that light.
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: You don't dare turn on those lights.
• 24:18
  Speaker 6: What do you mean?
• 24:19
  Speaker 5: If you do.
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: Every man here will be blown to bits. What are
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: you talking about? I took that explosive bulb you had
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: on the table in front of you.
• 24:27
  Speaker 5: What?
• 24:27
  Speaker 2: When I turned out the light, I put it into
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: one of the light sockets. Now, Mr. Braden, do you
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: want to turn on the lights? You're bluffing, Shadow. All
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: you have to do to prove that point is to
• 24:41
  Speaker 2: throw on the light switch. Hey, what's that? It's a
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: lot of cars driving up outside. It's the police, gentlemen.
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: They'll never take me alive. Alive or dead, Braden, you've
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: got to be taken.
• 24:50
  Speaker 5: Hey, what are we going to do? Come out in
• 24:55
  Speaker 5: ten seconds.
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: I will come in after you. You might as well
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: do as Commissioner Weston commands. Walk out the door with
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: your hands in the air.
• 25:03
  Speaker 6: There's nobody walking out of this place. I know I'm
• 25:06
  Speaker 6: chair bait.
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: I'll die anyway.
• 25:09
  Speaker 6: But there's one thing I'm going to do first. I'm
• 25:12
  Speaker 6: going to take you along with me, Mr.
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: Shadow.
• 25:13
  Speaker 5: Hey, keep your hands off that switch! Get out of
• 25:15
  Speaker 5: my way! Hey, get out of my way!
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: Look out, Commissioner. Get back. Oh, Lamar.
• 25:29
  Speaker 5: Oh, Lamar.
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: Anyone alive in there, Captain? Not a single one, Commissioner.
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: It's all right, Margot. I'm safe.
• 25:37
  Speaker 5: Oh, Lamar, thank heaven. I thought you'd been killed in
• 25:39
  Speaker 5: that explosion.
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: It was close, Margot. But I got out when they
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: were trying to keep Braden away from the light switch.
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: You go back to the car now, Margot. I'll be
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: with you in a minute. Commissioner Weston. Commissioner Weston. Hello,
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: is that you, Shadow? Yes, Commissioner. Well, we're in a
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: fine jam now. They're all dead.
• 25:57
  Speaker 8: How are we going to find out where the other
• 25:58
  Speaker 8: explosive bulbs are planted?
• 26:00
  Speaker 2: It's all right, Commissioner. I got Braden's chart showing the
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: location of the explosives. Where is it? You'll find it
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: in the front seat of your car. Then the city
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: is safe. Yes, Commissioner. Good. All right, men, get in
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: your cars. We've got to gather up those lamps right away.
• 26:15
  Speaker 2: And my gratitude, Shadow, for a job well done. Come, Margo.
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: We're going home. The Shadow's work is done for tonight.
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: The reign of terror is ended.
• 26:30
  Speaker 5: Thanks to you, Lamont.
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: It was bound to end this way, Margo. The plots
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: and plans of criminals are the devices of their own destruction.
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: Law and life know no compromise with the evil to earth.
• 26:53
  Speaker 10: And now here's blue-cold heating expert John Barclay. Thank you,
• 26:57
  Speaker 10: Ken Roberts. This afternoon I have a hint for you ladies,
• 27:00
  Speaker 10: and you'll find it very useful, I'm sure. You know
• 27:03
  Speaker 10: how many colds your family suffers during the winter and
• 27:06
  Speaker 10: early spring. But perhaps you don't realize how many of
• 27:09
  Speaker 10: those colds are caused by the hot, dry air of
• 27:12
  Speaker 10: an overheated house. That kind of heat, in addition to
• 27:15
  Speaker 10: absorbing the natural moisture we need in the air, also
• 27:18
  Speaker 10: dries out and damages furniture. Yet it's an extremely simple
• 27:22
  Speaker 10: matter to remedy this condition and provide your home with
• 27:26
  Speaker 10: the right amount of moisture. Just get one of those long,
• 27:29
  Speaker 10: narrow hot water pans which attach right onto the backs
• 27:33
  Speaker 10: of the radiators. They're designed to hang out of sight,
• 27:37
  Speaker 10: and the water they contain is gradually evaporated by the
• 27:39
  Speaker 10: radiator heat, and so provides the needed moisture in the rooms.
• 27:44
  Speaker 10: you'll find that these pan humidifiers really do a wonderful
• 27:48
  Speaker 10: job of keeping rooms far more comfortable with helpful moisture.
• 27:52
  Speaker 10: And in this way, they reduce the chance of catching
• 27:55
  Speaker 10: or spreading colds and illness. And friends, remember this. Your
• 28:01
  Speaker 10: support of the great drive against infantile paralysis is urgently needed.
• 28:07
  Speaker 10: So join the March of Dimes. Send your contributions to
• 28:11
  Speaker 10: the White House, Washington, D.C., today.
• 28:20
  Speaker 4: Today's adventure is based on a story copyrighted by the
• 28:22
  Speaker 4: Shadow Magazine. All the characters and all the places named
• 28:25
  Speaker 4: are fictitious. Any similarity to persons living or dead is
• 28:28
  Speaker 4: purely coincidental. The Shadow Magazine is now on sale at
• 28:31
  Speaker 4: your local newsstand.
• 28:43
  Speaker 9: The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay.
• 28:52
  Speaker 9: The shadow knows.
• 28:55
  Speaker 4: Next week, same time, same station, Blue Coal, America's finest anthracite,
• 28:59
  Speaker 4: will again present another thrilling adventure of The Shadow.
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: Be sure to listen and.
• 29:03
  Speaker 4: Be sure to burn Blue Coal, the solid fuel for
• 29:06
  Speaker 4: solid comfort.
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: The Shadow has been heard in Prelude to Terror. Follow
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: The Shadow for more classic broadcasts.