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The Whistler - "Escape to Skull Island" (1950) · Old Time Mystery Radio | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Escaped convict Steve Henshaw reaches a barge near Skull Island
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: as police search the waterfront at night. From CBS, this
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: is The Whistler, Escape to Skull Island, episode 398, first
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: heard January 15th, 1950. Henshaw finds refuge with George and
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Melody Gromick, but the barge and its salvage connection draw
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: him into a search for hidden money. Faye Baker and
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Ted DiCorsia are heard in a script by R. Sprague Hall,
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: with music by Wilbur Hatch. Here is the original broadcast.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Follow Old Time Mystery Radio for more classic mystery and
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: detective broadcasts.
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: And now, stay tuned for the mystery program that is
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: unique among all mystery programs. Because even when you know
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: who's guilty, you always receive a startling surprise at the
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: final curtain.
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: In the Signal Oil program... The Whistler.
• 1:09
  Speaker 4: S-I-T-N-A-L Signal, Signal.
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: Gasoline Signal, the famous go farther gasoline, invites you to
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: sit back and enjoy another strange story. by the whistler.
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: For extra driving pleasure, the signal to look for is
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: the yellow and black circle sign that identifies signal service
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: stations from Canada to Mexico. And for Sunday evening listening pleasure,
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: the signal to listen for is this whistle that identifies
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: the signal oil program, the whistler.
• 2:04
  Speaker 5: I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for
• 2:07
  Speaker 5: I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden
• 2:11
  Speaker 5: in the hearts of men and women who have stepped
• 2:13
  Speaker 5: into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of
• 2:18
  Speaker 5: which they dare not speak.
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: And now, for the Signal Oil Company, the Whistler's strange story,
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: Escape to Skull Island. As the pistol shot shattered the
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: stillness of the night along the waterfront, the figure of
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: a man appeared suddenly running swiftly across the railroad yard. Hatless,
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: the man sprinted along the tracks, then crossed over into
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: the deserted cobblestone street, headed for the old pier at
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: the end of the block. Soon the area became alive
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: with voices, the wail of police sirens, the screeching of brakes.
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: As the shouts came closer, the man, running and stumbling,
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: reached the dock, ran at top speed to the end
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: of the wharf. Then he stopped, looked around frantically. Quickly
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: he stepped on a rickety wooden ladder and started down.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Then he swung himself under the old wharf and clung
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: to a crossbeam with bleeding hands.
• 3:20
  Speaker 4: All right, boys, all right, let out.
• 3:23
  Speaker 6: Got to be around here somewhere.
• 3:25
  Speaker 7: Fred, Jim!
• 3:27
  Speaker 4: Take the other side of the pier.
• 3:29
  Speaker 8: Right.
• 3:29
  Speaker 7: Hey, Schofield.
• 3:31
  Speaker 5: Hey, you and Harris.
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: Find a warehouse.
• 3:34
  Speaker 4: All right, the rest of you.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: This way.
• 3:37
  Speaker 4: You sure this guy is Steve Hensher, Lieutenant? I'm positive.
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: I've seen Steve Hensher too many times after recognizing him
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: that far back there.
• 3:44
  Speaker 8: Uh-huh.
• 3:45
  Speaker 4: Well, after the radio line came in, we had this
• 3:47
  Speaker 4: area covered in a matter of minutes. He won't get away.
• 3:50
  Speaker 6: All right, come on.
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: As the footsteps and the voices fade away, you know
• 3:55
  Speaker 5: there's only one thing you can do, don't you, Steve?
• 3:58
  Speaker 5: You let go and drop into the icy waters below.
• 4:09
  Speaker 5: It's your only chance, isn't it? You swim to the
• 4:12
  Speaker 5: edge of the pier, dive beneath the surface, and strike
• 4:15
  Speaker 5: out for the other side of the channel. Swimming underwater,
• 4:18
  Speaker 5: your heart pounds violently, but you keep going, driving yourself.
• 4:22
  Speaker 5: Escape the only thought in your mind. Finally, when you
• 4:25
  Speaker 5: feel your lungs are about to burst, you come to
• 4:27
  Speaker 5: the surface again. There are lights all around you. You
• 4:43
  Speaker 5: quickly go back under, and then you surface again... You
• 4:47
  Speaker 5: notice an old freighter has moved in between you and
• 4:49
  Speaker 5: the police in the dock. Gives you time to swim away.
• 4:52
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 4:54
  Speaker 5: Far enough away to lose the police light. But your
• 4:57
  Speaker 5: arms are lead weight and your legs stiff from the cold.
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: And you know you'll never reach the other side of
• 5:02
  Speaker 5: the channel. Desperately, you struggle to keep afloat. But gradually
• 5:07
  Speaker 5: your strength leaves you, and there's a strange whirling sound
• 5:11
  Speaker 5: in your ears, and you feel yourself spinning, sinking deeper
• 5:16
  Speaker 5: and deeper into a warm velvet fog. Then out of
• 5:30
  Speaker 5: the whirlpool voices, faintly at first, but voices growing and
• 5:34
  Speaker 5: coming closer, Oh.
• 5:37
  Speaker 9: Sure, sure, sure.
• 5:38
  Speaker 7: He'll be all right.
• 5:39
  Speaker 9: Easy, my boy, easy. Yeah, now take a drink of this.
• 5:42
  Speaker 4: It'll do you good.
• 5:44
  Speaker 6: I said a good long drink.
• 5:48
  Speaker 5: We better get him below now. I'll get him into
• 5:51
  Speaker 5: some dry clothes. You don't remember a thing after that,
• 6:00
  Speaker 5: do you, Steve? Only darkness again and warmth spreading through you.
• 6:05
  Speaker 9: And the strength returning to your arms and legs. Then
• 6:09
  Speaker 9: suddenly you're awake again.
• 6:11
  Speaker 4: Morning.
• 6:12
  Speaker 5: The sun is streaming in through the open porthole, and
• 6:15
  Speaker 5: you feel the motion of the boat under you. You're
• 6:18
  Speaker 5: in a small cabin, but you're not alone.
• 6:22
  Speaker 8: Hello there. Feeling better this morning?
• 6:25
  Speaker 9: Yeah, yeah, I guess so.
• 6:27
  Speaker 8: Nothing like a good night's rest. You've been asleep for hours.
• 6:31
  Speaker 9: Feels like years.
• 6:33
  Speaker 8: I gave you one of my sleeping powders.
• 6:34
  Speaker 9: That stuff that tasted like fire water?
• 6:36
  Speaker 7: Oh, no.
• 6:38
  Speaker 8: That would be George's special kind of brandy. He consumes
• 6:41
  Speaker 8: it by the gallon.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: George?
• 6:44
  Speaker 8: My husband, George Gromek. He fished you out of the
• 6:48
  Speaker 8: channel last night. My name's Melody. You were pretty far gone.
• 6:54
  Speaker 8: Good thing we happened to come along when we did.
• 6:56
  Speaker 9: Where are we?
• 6:59
  Speaker 8: Approximately three miles off the coast of Lower California. We're
• 7:04
  Speaker 8: on a business trip, but that's why we couldn't turn
• 7:06
  Speaker 8: back last night after we picked you up. You don't mind.
• 7:10
  Speaker 9: What's our destination?
• 7:12
  Speaker 8: A little island about three hours from here. Skull Island.
• 7:17
  Speaker 9: Sounds real cozy. What's that?
• 7:20
  Speaker 8: Ever hear of the Gromick Salvage Company? No, no, of
• 7:25
  Speaker 8: course not. Well, George just finished a job there. He's
• 7:28
  Speaker 8: just going down to wind things up.
• 7:30
  Speaker 9: I see.
• 7:31
  Speaker 8: The trip will do you good. Take your mind off
• 7:33
  Speaker 8: your troubles. You do have troubles.
• 7:37
  Speaker 9: Who hasn't?
• 7:39
  Speaker 8: Yours must be king size. Mine don't drive me to suicide.
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: Suicide?
• 7:45
  Speaker 8: Last night, remember? Or were you practicing for the English Channel?
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: Well, well, well.
• 7:52
  Speaker 7: Good morning, good morning. Yeah, feeling better, are we, my boy?
• 7:56
  Speaker 9: Uh, yeah, I guess so.
• 7:58
  Speaker 7: Good, good. I brought along my brandy bottle. Thought you
• 8:01
  Speaker 7: might like a little nip, huh?
• 8:02
  Speaker 4: George.
• 8:02
  Speaker 7: My dear, I'm only thinking of our guest. One little nip, sir.
• 8:06
  Speaker 9: Uh, no, thanks.
• 8:07
  Speaker 8: Oh, well.
• 8:08
  Speaker 6: Suit yourself. Uh, Melody, how about a little breakfast, huh?
• 8:12
  Speaker 6: I'm famished, and I'm certain our guest, Mr.
• 8:14
  Speaker 7: uh... By the way, what was your name?
• 8:17
  Speaker 9: Uh, Slauson. Fred Slauson.
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: Slauson.
• 8:20
  Speaker 8: Mm-hmm.
• 8:21
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 8:22
  Speaker 9: Something funny?
• 8:23
  Speaker 7: No, no, no, not at all.
• 8:26
  Speaker 6: Just thinking about a crazy idea I had last night
• 8:28
  Speaker 6: that you might be a guy called Steve Hensher.
• 8:32
  Speaker 7: Why?
• 8:33
  Speaker 6: A little while after I picked you up out of
• 8:35
  Speaker 6: the drink, a police launch stopped us. They were looking
• 8:38
  Speaker 6: for an escaped con broke out of Folsom two weeks ago.
• 8:40
  Speaker 7: Wanted to know if I'd seen him.
• 8:43
  Speaker 6: Description fitted you like a glove.
• 8:46
  Speaker 7: But I told him I hadn't seen anybody.
• 8:47
  Speaker 8: Oh, come on, George. You'd better take the wheel. I'll
• 8:50
  Speaker 8: fix breakfast.
• 8:51
  Speaker 7: All right, sweetheart. Well, take it easy, my boy. If
• 8:54
  Speaker 7: you need anything, feel free to let us know.
• 8:57
  Speaker 4: Thanks.
• 8:58
  Speaker 7: Melody and I, we're mighty glad to have you aboard, Mr.
• 9:01
  Speaker 4: Slauson.
• 9:03
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir, Mr.
• 9:04
  Speaker 3: Slauson.
• 9:04
  Speaker 7: Mighty glad.
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: Tonight's $ 20 signal gasoline book goes to Edward Tomasian of Ontario, California,
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: for this limerick. There was a young man from Montrose
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: who couldn't put thoughts into prose. Signal gas, murmured he,
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: means go farther. To me, where it flows, mileage grows.
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: Goodness knows.
• 9:43
  Speaker 4: Signal, signal, signal gasoline. Your car will go farther, go
• 9:49
  Speaker 4: farther gasoline.
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: Our congratulations to Ed Tamazian for his clever way of
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: describing the good mileage you enjoy with signal, the famous
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: go farther gasoline. Too bad a limerick isn't long enough
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: to include all the benefits you notice when you switch
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: to Signal. I mean Signal's quick cold weather starting, Signal's
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: peppy pickup, Signal's smooth responsive power. For it's a fact,
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: mileage and performance go hand in hand. to enjoy both.
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: Next time, treat your car to the gasoline that's packed
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: with gold.
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: Fill up with signal and go farther.
• 10:48
  Speaker 5: You're puzzled by the curious turn of events, aren't you, Steve?
• 10:52
  Speaker 5: Thankful for your miraculous escape from the police, you found
• 10:56
  Speaker 5: a strange refuge aboard a trim cabin cruiser now skimming along.
• 11:00
  Speaker 9: The waters off the coast of Lower California.
• 11:04
  Speaker 5: You wonder about the man who pulled you up out
• 11:06
  Speaker 5: of the icy waters of the Channel last night, George Gromick.
• 11:10
  Speaker 5: You wonder, too, about his attractive wife, Melody. You're almost
• 11:15
  Speaker 5: certain they know you're the escaped convict, Steve Hensher. Yet
• 11:19
  Speaker 5: when they had the opportunity to turn you over to
• 11:21
  Speaker 5: the police, they didn't. Now you lie.
• 11:24
  Speaker 9: In your bunk thinking about it and wondering what.
• 11:27
  Speaker 5: Lies ahead for you at Skull Island. Presently, George called
• 11:31
  Speaker 5: you to breakfast in the galley and then in the
• 11:34
  Speaker 5: early afternoon.
• 11:38
  Speaker 7: Well, there she is, Fred. Skull Island. Journey's in.
• 11:42
  Speaker 9: Nice place to hold an embalmer's convention.
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: Oh, look over there.
• 11:50
  Speaker 6: See in the cove there? That's one of my barges.
• 11:55
  Speaker 6: Melody tell you about our operations?
• 11:57
  Speaker 9: Not much.
• 11:58
  Speaker 6: We just finished here. Tug will be here in a
• 12:01
  Speaker 6: few days to haul the barge back to port. Start
• 12:04
  Speaker 6: another project in a couple of weeks. You keep pretty busy.
• 12:07
  Speaker 7: Yeah, I like to keep busy. As long as it
• 12:11
  Speaker 7: pays off. This job didn't.
• 12:16
  Speaker 8: Oh?
• 12:18
  Speaker 7: Fred, I've got a little something for you to do.
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: Huh?
• 12:23
  Speaker 9: I figured you would have.
• 12:26
  Speaker 6: Sort of pay your way, you know. Nothing very difficult, understand?
• 12:31
  Speaker 6: Sort of a watchman. Give me a hand around the
• 12:34
  Speaker 6: barge when I hit it, you know?
• 12:36
  Speaker 4: Sure.
• 12:37
  Speaker 6: You'll find it very comfortable aboard the barge. Got regular
• 12:40
  Speaker 6: sleeping quarters for all of us. It's a nice galley.
• 12:43
  Speaker 7: Plenty of food. Does that sound good to you?
• 12:48
  Speaker 9: I've heard worse.
• 12:49
  Speaker 6: It'll be nice and quiet out there. No one to
• 12:54
  Speaker 6: bother you. I figured you'd like that.
• 12:57
  Speaker 4: I know.
• 13:00
  Speaker 9: What's down over there on the mainland?
• 13:02
  Speaker 7: Small village. You wouldn't be interested.
• 13:05
  Speaker 9: I just asked.
• 13:07
  Speaker 6: Last night watchman I had got lonely... Bob Wilson. Decided
• 13:12
  Speaker 6: to go into the village the night before last. Got
• 13:14
  Speaker 6: involved in a barroom brawl.
• 13:17
  Speaker 7: I'll have to go and bail him out.
• 13:18
  Speaker 6: Then I'm going to can him.
• 13:21
  Speaker 9: You don't have to worry about me.
• 13:24
  Speaker 7: I'm not worried about leaving you on the barge. Not
• 13:27
  Speaker 7: worried at all. I think you know a good thing
• 13:31
  Speaker 7: when you see it.
• 13:32
  Speaker 8: Everett?
• 13:34
  Speaker 7: Everett?
• 13:41
  Speaker 9: He knows, doesn't he, Steve? You're certain of it.
• 13:44
  Speaker 5: He calls you Fred, but you're certain he knows you're
• 13:47
  Speaker 5: Steve Hensher, and there must be a reason, a very
• 13:51
  Speaker 5: good reason why he's offering you this perfect hideout. And
• 13:55
  Speaker 5: you expect to find out soon what that reason is.
• 13:58
  Speaker 5: Then as the cruiser pulls in alongside the barge, you
• 14:02
  Speaker 5: climb aboard.
• 14:06
  Speaker 4: There you are, Fred.
• 14:07
  Speaker 8: Make yourself at home.
• 14:08
  Speaker 4: Thanks.
• 14:09
  Speaker 7: We're going over to the mainland now. Take care of
• 14:11
  Speaker 7: the Pop Wilson business.
• 14:13
  Speaker 9: Okay.
• 14:13
  Speaker 7: We'll be back before nightfall. Now, don't go away. Come on, Melody.
• 14:17
  Speaker 4: Let's go.
• 14:22
  Speaker 5: You watch the small cruiser pull out. Head across the
• 14:25
  Speaker 5: channel to the main. Then you turn and begin your
• 14:28
  Speaker 5: inspection of the barge. Finally, you wander into the galley
• 14:32
  Speaker 5: and make yourself some coffee. Your nervousness grows as the
• 14:36
  Speaker 5: afternoon wears on. Then you hear someone walking the deck outside. Instantly,
• 14:42
  Speaker 5: you're on your feet. Cautiously, you step out on deck.
• 14:47
  Speaker 5: See a short, gray-haired man standing at the edge of
• 14:50
  Speaker 5: the barge. He's standing near the winch, looking down at
• 14:54
  Speaker 5: some diving equipment.
• 14:55
  Speaker 9: Hey! What are you doing here?
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: What?
• 14:58
  Speaker 8: Oh.
• 14:59
  Speaker 4: Who are you?
• 15:00
  Speaker 9: Never mind. Answer my question.
• 15:02
  Speaker 4: Well, after Mr. Gromack fired me, I just rode out
• 15:05
  Speaker 4: to pick up some of my stuff.
• 15:07
  Speaker 7: Ah.
• 15:09
  Speaker 9: You must be Pop Wilson.
• 15:10
  Speaker 4: That's right. You the new man he hired?
• 15:15
  Speaker 9: Yeah.
• 15:16
  Speaker 4: Ever worked for Gromek before?
• 15:19
  Speaker 5: No.
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: Just wondered.
• 15:21
  Speaker 9: Mind if I ask a few now?
• 15:24
  Speaker 4: No, I don't mind.
• 15:25
  Speaker 9: What kind of a salvage job was this?
• 15:28
  Speaker 4: You don't know?
• 15:29
  Speaker 9: Would I be asking if I did?
• 15:31
  Speaker 4: My stuff's in here.
• 15:33
  Speaker 9: Help yourself. Well, what about it?
• 15:38
  Speaker 4: Huh? Oh, the job. Yeah. Well, you ever hear of
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: the Lady Luck? The gambling ship used to operate in
• 15:46
  Speaker 4: these waters.
• 15:48
  Speaker 9: Name's familiar.
• 15:49
  Speaker 4: She was raided one night a couple years back. The boss,
• 15:53
  Speaker 4: Gino Bravelli, got away in a small boat. Took over
• 15:56
  Speaker 4: 200 grand with him.
• 15:58
  Speaker 9: Oh, yeah?
• 15:59
  Speaker 4: Yeah. But Bravelli really didn't get away. His boat hit
• 16:04
  Speaker 4: the rocks. Went down. So did Gino. And the box
• 16:10
  Speaker 4: of money. Uh-huh.
• 16:12
  Speaker 9: That what Gromick was looking for?
• 16:14
  Speaker 5: Yep.
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: But he didn't find the dough.
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: So he says.
• 16:19
  Speaker 9: You think different.
• 16:21
  Speaker 7: Maybe.
• 16:22
  Speaker 9: Why would Gromick want to hold out?
• 16:24
  Speaker 4: He had backers. They put up the dough for this job.
• 16:28
  Speaker 4: All he furnished was the equipment, the winch, air pump,
• 16:31
  Speaker 4: a diving suit, and his experience. I see. So Gromick
• 16:35
  Speaker 4: was the only diver we had on board. Only guy
• 16:39
  Speaker 4: who ever went below. What do you suppose he's keeping
• 16:43
  Speaker 4: that diving equipment on board for if the job's finished?
• 16:46
  Speaker 9: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 16:49
  Speaker 10: You know, Pop, I'm getting curious. Real curious. It's been
• 16:53
  Speaker 10: gnawing at me for days. I'd like to find out.
• 16:57
  Speaker 10: Is it tough going below?
• 16:59
  Speaker 4: No. Been down lots of times myself. But not on
• 17:03
  Speaker 4: this job.
• 17:04
  Speaker 9: Could I handle the works on deck while you went
• 17:07
  Speaker 9: down for a look?
• 17:07
  Speaker 4: Sure.
• 17:08
  Speaker 8: Sure.
• 17:09
  Speaker 4: All you got to do is let me down and
• 17:11
  Speaker 4: pull me up. I'll tell you when over the phone.
• 17:15
  Speaker 4: In the meantime, you keep working that air pump.
• 17:18
  Speaker 9: Let's go.
• 17:18
  Speaker 5: It doesn't take long, does it, Steve? Pop tells you
• 17:29
  Speaker 5: exactly what to do. And once he's in the diving suit,
• 17:33
  Speaker 5: the winch started, you lower him into the choppy waters
• 17:36
  Speaker 5: along the barge.
• 17:39
  Speaker 9: Okay, Pop.
• 17:41
  Speaker 4: Okay, son.
• 17:42
  Speaker 11: Just keep working that air pump. Getting kind of close
• 17:46
  Speaker 11: down here.
• 17:47
  Speaker 9: Spot anything yet?
• 17:49
  Speaker 4: Not a thing. Keep lowering. Hold it. Hold it.
• 17:59
  Speaker 11: The boat's here all right.
• 18:00
  Speaker 9: Well, what do you know? Yeah.
• 18:03
  Speaker 4: Looks like she's wedged in between the rocks. I can
• 18:07
  Speaker 4: reach her.
• 18:08
  Speaker 11: Right from where I'm standing.
• 18:11
  Speaker 4: Just a sec.
• 18:15
  Speaker 9: What are you doing, Pop?
• 18:18
  Speaker 4: Pop. I'm trying to get aboard.
• 18:22
  Speaker 8: It's kind of slippery. I....
• 18:26
  Speaker 9: Hey, what's the matter?
• 18:29
  Speaker 4: I hurt my ankle. You better hold.
• 18:32
  Speaker 11: Me up, son.
• 18:44
  Speaker 10: Sure you're okay here? Yeah, I'll be all right. So
• 18:48
  Speaker 10: Gromick is lying. The boat is there, huh? It sure is.
• 18:54
  Speaker 9: How'd you like to split that 200 grand, Pop?
• 18:58
  Speaker 4: Fine, but I can't go down there again. Not with
• 19:02
  Speaker 4: this ankle. Besides, I'm afraid the job calls for a
• 19:06
  Speaker 4: younger man. I wouldn't have the strength.
• 19:09
  Speaker 9: All right, all right. Anything wrong with me trying it?
• 19:11
  Speaker 4: No.
• 19:12
  Speaker 5: No?
• 19:13
  Speaker 4: I guess not.
• 19:14
  Speaker 9: Only you tell me what to do and I'll do it.
• 19:16
  Speaker 4: Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. You can't go
• 19:17
  Speaker 4: down there now. Better wait till the sea calms down. Wait.
• 19:21
  Speaker 9: I can't wait. Gromick will be back tonight.
• 19:23
  Speaker 4: Now, look. You're green at this. You never can tell
• 19:25
  Speaker 4: what might happen down there. Better not try it.
• 19:30
  Speaker 10: There's a couple of hundred grand down there, right?
• 19:32
  Speaker 3: Sure, sure.
• 19:32
  Speaker 4: But maybe you'll get yourself killed.
• 19:35
  Speaker 9: Wait a minute. I got an idea.
• 19:37
  Speaker 4: All right. So we wait.
• 19:40
  Speaker 9: Gromick comes back. Maybe I can handle him after all.
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: What do you mean?
• 19:45
  Speaker 9: Look, did he and his wife ever stay on board
• 19:48
  Speaker 9: the barge here?
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: Sure, all the time we were working.
• 19:51
  Speaker 9: Can you walk okay?
• 19:53
  Speaker 4: Oh, sure, sure, I can manage.
• 19:56
  Speaker 7: Why?
• 19:57
  Speaker 9: Come on. I want to see their cabin.
• 20:07
  Speaker 5: You follow Pop to the cabin. The one occupied by
• 20:10
  Speaker 5: George and Melody Gromick. It doesn't take long to find
• 20:13
  Speaker 5: what you're looking for, what you'd expect to find. A
• 20:16
  Speaker 5: small box containing Melody's sleeping powders. She'd given you some
• 20:21
  Speaker 5: sleeping powders last night, and you played a hunch, figured
• 20:24
  Speaker 5: she'd keep some aboard the barge, too. You send Pop
• 20:28
  Speaker 5: back on deck to keep an eye out for the
• 20:30
  Speaker 5: return of the Gromick. The moment he's gone, you reach
• 20:33
  Speaker 5: for the half-empty bottle of brandy on the shelf over
• 20:36
  Speaker 5: the top bunk.
• 20:37
  Speaker 4: Gromick's brandy.
• 20:38
  Speaker 5: Pour the sleeping powders into the bottle. Replace it on
• 20:41
  Speaker 5: the shelf. You know exactly what you're going to do now.
• 20:46
  Speaker 5: Exactly what's going to happen, Steve. A few drinks of
• 20:50
  Speaker 5: this brandy will take care of George Gromick. And you
• 20:53
  Speaker 5: smile as you close the cabin door.
• 20:57
  Speaker 4: Fred! Fred!
• 20:58
  Speaker 9: What's the matter?
• 20:58
  Speaker 4: They're coming, the Gromacs. Okay, okay. Look, look, I got
• 21:01
  Speaker 4: to get out of here.
• 21:01
  Speaker 9: It's too late now. They'll spot you. Where's your boat?
• 21:03
  Speaker 4: Portside.
• 21:04
  Speaker 9: Well, chances. They may not see it. Can you hide
• 21:06
  Speaker 9: anywhere in this tub? Well, yeah, yeah, I guess so.
• 21:08
  Speaker 3: All right, beat it.
• 21:09
  Speaker 9: Stay out of sight. I'll handle them.
• 21:16
  Speaker 5: You hurry out onto the deck. Peer through the half-darkness.
• 21:19
  Speaker 5: Watch Gromac's cruiser approach. You're a little surprised, aren't you, Steve?
• 21:24
  Speaker 5: when it pulls up alongside the barge to find that
• 21:27
  Speaker 5: Melody is alone.
• 21:29
  Speaker 4: Hello there.
• 21:30
  Speaker 8: Hi.
• 21:32
  Speaker 4: Give me a hand, will you? Sure, okay.
• 21:35
  Speaker 5: Got it?
• 21:35
  Speaker 9: She's sort of rough.
• 21:37
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 21:38
  Speaker 8: Might be it for a start.
• 21:42
  Speaker 9: Uh, where's Mr.
• 21:44
  Speaker 4: Gromick?
• 21:45
  Speaker 8: Had to go back to San Diego. Business. It was sudden.
• 21:50
  Speaker 9: Oh, I see.
• 21:51
  Speaker 8: Oh. Oh, it's getting chilly. You got any coffee on?
• 21:56
  Speaker 4: Sure.
• 21:57
  Speaker 9: Come on.
• 21:59
  Speaker 8: You've had rather a busy afternoon, haven't you, Fred?
• 22:02
  Speaker 4: Busy?
• 22:03
  Speaker 11: Oh.
• 22:04
  Speaker 9: Things have been kind of quiet.
• 22:06
  Speaker 8: Where's Pop?
• 22:08
  Speaker 5: What?
• 22:09
  Speaker 8: Pop Wilson. He's on board, I know. I saw him
• 22:13
  Speaker 8: roll out this afternoon. I've been watching your activities through
• 22:18
  Speaker 8: my glasses. Oh. You might as well call him. We
• 22:22
  Speaker 8: have work to do.
• 22:25
  Speaker 9: Look, what's on your mind, Melody?
• 22:27
  Speaker 8: I want that money. You and Pop are going to
• 22:31
  Speaker 8: help me get it. It's a two-man job, and I'm
• 22:34
  Speaker 8: not very good at the hand pump.
• 22:36
  Speaker 9: Where does George figure in on this?
• 22:38
  Speaker 4: He doesn't.
• 22:40
  Speaker 8: At this moment, there's a welcoming committee waiting for dear
• 22:43
  Speaker 8: George in San Diego. Of course, he doesn't know it.
• 22:48
  Speaker 8: You see, there are... There was an anonymous phone call.
• 22:51
  Speaker 7: Uh-huh.
• 22:54
  Speaker 8: I'm afraid George is going to have a lot of
• 22:56
  Speaker 8: explaining to do about several of his operations.
• 23:03
  Speaker 9: Coffee?
• 23:05
  Speaker 4: Steve? Steve, huh?
• 23:08
  Speaker 9: You know who I am?
• 23:09
  Speaker 8: We've known all along. Steve Hensher, escaped convict. Now, why
• 23:15
  Speaker 8: don't you get pop? We've got to work fast.
• 23:17
  Speaker 9: What's in it for us?
• 23:18
  Speaker 8: A share. $ 50, 000. Don't complain. That's more than George was
• 23:24
  Speaker 8: going to give you. He was going to make it
• 23:26
  Speaker 8: a bullet in the head. Now, run along, Stevie.
• 23:34
  Speaker 5: For a moment, you stand there staring at Melody. Then
• 23:37
  Speaker 5: she turns her back to you and pours her coffee.
• 23:40
  Speaker 5: Your plans have changed, haven't they, Steve? It isn't George
• 23:44
  Speaker 5: you have to take care of now.
• 23:45
  Speaker 4: It's Melody.
• 23:46
  Speaker 5: Quickly, you step through the door, slam a chuck, and
• 23:49
  Speaker 5: lock it. What is it?
• 23:53
  Speaker 4: Sorry, sweetheart.
• 23:54
  Speaker 9: Fifty grand isn't enough. I want the whole two hundred
• 23:57
  Speaker 9: thousand myself. No split with anybody.
• 24:12
  Speaker 2: Right now, during the rainy season, scientific lubrication is even
• 24:15
  Speaker 2: more important to your car to keep moisture from working
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: into vital moving parts and causing damage. That's why I
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: think you'll be interested in knowing about some of the
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: extras you enjoy when you have your car lubricated at
• 24:27
  Speaker 2: a Signal service station. First of all, Signal dealers don't
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: take any chance on memory when it comes to the
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: many lubrication points on your car. Instead, they check against
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: Signal's factory-recommended lubrication chart, which clearly shows every part. Then
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: they use nine specialized Signal oils and greases, so each
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: part will get the exact type of protection it needs.
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: And finally, just to make doubly sure not a single
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: part has been overlooked, they check each part again, which
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: is why it's called signal double-check lubrication. Now, that's the
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: kind of lube job you want if your car is
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: to give you the long, trouble-free service that was built
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: into it. And that's the kind of lubrication you get
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: from friendly, independent signal dealers.
• 25:16
  Speaker 5: Yes, Steve, you've made up your mind, haven't you? You
• 25:19
  Speaker 5: don't intend to share any of the $ 200, 000 with Melody Gromick.
• 25:24
  Speaker 5: And so you've put her out of the way temporarily,
• 25:27
  Speaker 5: locked her in the galley until you can dispose of
• 25:29
  Speaker 5: her for good. The weather has calmed down now and
• 25:33
  Speaker 5: you're on deck with Pop Wilson. He's helping you into
• 25:35
  Speaker 5: the diving suit, briefing you and cautioning you. And you
• 25:39
  Speaker 5: listen to him carefully. You're anxious to get it over with,
• 25:42
  Speaker 5: aren't you? And just a little nervous about your trip
• 25:44
  Speaker 5: below the surface of the water.
• 25:47
  Speaker 9: Finally, you're ready.
• 25:49
  Speaker 5: The winch lifts you off the barge, swings you out
• 25:52
  Speaker 5: over the sea, and then lowers you slowly into the depths.
• 25:59
  Speaker 5: You stare through the little glass port in your helmet.
• 26:02
  Speaker 5: Look out at a cold, silent world before you. A strange,
• 26:06
  Speaker 5: fascinating world of weird shadows accented by your torchlight. Elusive
• 26:11
  Speaker 5: shapes that move stealthily around you.
• 26:13
  Speaker 4: In the water.
• 26:14
  Speaker 9: Finally, your feet touch bottoms. Hold it, Pop.
• 26:18
  Speaker 4: Hold it.
• 26:19
  Speaker 7: You okay?
• 26:20
  Speaker 9: Yeah, yeah, fine.
• 26:22
  Speaker 4: The ship's towards shore.
• 26:23
  Speaker 11: You see it?
• 26:25
  Speaker 3: Just a sec.
• 26:26
  Speaker 9: You turn slowly. Move your torch around. Watch the beam
• 26:30
  Speaker 9: of light spear the darkness.
• 26:32
  Speaker 4: And there it is.
• 26:33
  Speaker 9: The battered boat wedged in between the rocks. And you
• 26:37
  Speaker 9: move toward it.
• 26:38
  Speaker 4: Hey, Pop. Pop.
• 26:42
  Speaker 6: Yeah?
• 26:43
  Speaker 9: You slowing down on that air pump? It's getting stuffy
• 26:45
  Speaker 9: down here. Say, what's the matter up there? Something wrong? I.
• 26:51
  Speaker 11: I don't know.
• 26:52
  Speaker 9: Look, you better get me up. I.
• 26:56
  Speaker 11: I feel sort of dizzy.
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: Pop.
• 27:01
  Speaker 9: Start the winch. Start the winch.
• 27:03
  Speaker 4: Get that pump going.
• 27:05
  Speaker 11: I can't.
• 27:07
  Speaker 7: Funny.
• 27:08
  Speaker 4: Never had a slug of brandy hit me... Brandy? Like this.
• 27:15
  Speaker 3: What brandy?
• 27:17
  Speaker 8: In.
• 27:18
  Speaker 4: Gromack's cabin.
• 27:21
  Speaker 11: I took a few drinks from that bottle while you
• 27:27
  Speaker 11: were with Mrs.
• 27:28
  Speaker 4: Gromack.
• 27:30
  Speaker 11: I didn't think I.
• 27:33
  Speaker 5: I.
• 27:35
  Speaker 4: I... Pop!
• 27:36
  Speaker 7: Pop!
• 27:59
  Speaker 2: Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program,
• 28:03
  Speaker 2: The Whistler, each Sunday night at this same time. Brought
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: to you by Signal Oil Company, marketers of signal gasoline
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: and motor oil, and fine automotive accessories. Remember, if you
• 28:14
  Speaker 2: would like the fun of having your friends hear a
• 28:16
  Speaker 2: limerick of yours on The Whistler, the address to which
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: to send it is The Signal Oil Company, Los Angeles 55, California.
• 28:24
  Speaker 2: All limericks become the property of The Signal Oil Company.
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: Those selected for use on The Whistler will be chosen
• 28:29
  Speaker 2: by our advertising representatives on the basis of humor, suitability,
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: and originality.
• 28:34
  Speaker 3: So, of course, they must be your own composition.
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: Featured in tonight's story were Ted DiCorsia, Faye Baker, Tom Tully,
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: and William Conrad. The Whistler was produced and directed by
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: George W. Allen, with story by R. Sprague Hall, music
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: by Wilbur Hatch, and was transmitted to our troops overseas
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: by the Armed Forces Radio Service. The Whistler is entirely fictional,
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: and all characters portrayed on The Whistler are also fictional.
• 29:06
  Speaker 2: Any similarity of names or resemblance to persons living or
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: dead is purely coincidental. Remember, at this same time next Sunday,
• 29:16
  Speaker 2: another strange tale. by The Whistler.
• 29:32
  Speaker 4: S-I-G-N-A-L Signal, signal, gas, go!
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: The Whistler has concluded its January 15, 1950 broadcast of
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: Escape to Skull Island. Good night, and thank you for
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: keeping us company. Follow Old Time Mystery Radio for more
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: classic mystery and detective broadcasts.