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The Whistler - "Murder in Haste" (Old Time Radio, 1947) · The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: In December of 1947, CBS Pacific Network carried episode 290
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: of The Whistler, Murder in Haste, with Signal Oil as sponsor.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: The story begins in Miami, where a wealthy woman dies
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: and her husband, Albert Taylor, boards a northbound train under
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: a suspicious detective's watch. Bound toward New York and desperate
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: to leave his past behind... Taylor sees a chance to
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: assume the identity of a celebrated mystery writer. Bill Foreman
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: is the whistler in this December 17th broadcast written by
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Eleanor Beeson and produced by George W. Allen with David
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: Ellis and Joan Banks. And now, the original broadcast.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: The signal oil program, the whistler. Whistling That whistle is
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: your signal for the signal oil program, The Whistler.
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: I am the.
• 1:18
  Speaker 4: Whistle. And I know many things, for I walk by night.
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: I know many strange tales, hidden in the hearts of
• 1:38
  Speaker 4: men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yea,
• 1:42
  Speaker 4: I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak. Yes, friends,
• 1:51
  Speaker 4: it's time for the Signal Oil program, The Whistler. Rated
• 1:55
  Speaker 4: by Independent Research, the most popular West Coast program in
• 1:58
  Speaker 4: radio history. And Signal Gasoline is top two, tops in quality.
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: It takes extra quality, you know, to give you extra mileage.
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: And Signal is the famous go-farther gasoline. So look for
• 2:10
  Speaker 4: the Signal circle sign in yellow and black that identifies
• 2:14
  Speaker 4: friendly dealer-owned signal stations from Canada to Mexico. And now
• 2:21
  Speaker 4: the Whistler's strange story, Murder in Haste. Albert Taylor was
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: two people. To the cafe society crowd in Miami, he
• 2:37
  Speaker 4: was the charming young husband of a silver fortune from Denver.
• 2:41
  Speaker 4: To his wife, Helen, aged 45, amply mature, the silver fortune.
• 2:46
  Speaker 4: He was something else again, an unpleasant little boy whose
• 2:49
  Speaker 4: unpleasantness had a tendency to make the large fortune into
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: a smaller one. This made for friction, of course. After
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: three years of marriage, Helen was heartily sick of both Elbert.
• 3:01
  Speaker 4: And Elbert, too, had reached the saturation point. As a
• 3:04
  Speaker 4: matter of fact, the unpleasant little boy was on the
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: verge of a tantrum.
• 3:08
  Speaker 5: Elbert, is that you?
• 3:10
  Speaker 6: Yeah.
• 3:10
  Speaker 5: Elbert, I'm awfully upset.
• 3:12
  Speaker 6: Oh, what now? My bracelet, the diamond and emerald one.
• 3:15
  Speaker 7: I put it in the drawer of my vanity last
• 3:17
  Speaker 7: night after the party.
• 3:18
  Speaker 8: Well, what about it?
• 3:19
  Speaker 6: It's gone.
• 3:19
  Speaker 5: I've questioned the servants. Did you call the police?
• 3:22
  Speaker 6: No.
• 3:22
  Speaker 5: Good.
• 3:23
  Speaker 6: What do you mean? I told you I wanted to
• 3:26
  Speaker 6: buy some things, Helen.
• 3:27
  Speaker 9: I see.
• 3:29
  Speaker 5: And what did you do with it?
• 3:31
  Speaker 6: I sold it, of course. You sold it?
• 3:34
  Speaker 7: Well, that's very interesting.
• 3:36
  Speaker 5: Didn't occur to you, of course, to consult me.
• 3:38
  Speaker 6: It occurred to me. I rejected the idea after due deliberation. Why, you.
• 3:43
  Speaker 8: I don't want a scene about it, Helen. I took it,
• 3:46
  Speaker 8: I sold it, period. And through consulting you about anything,
• 3:49
  Speaker 8: you understand? There'll be no more sitting up and begging.
• 3:52
  Speaker 8: That's what you want, isn't it? Come one, come all.
• 3:54
  Speaker 8: Watch Elbert, the trained terrier. Eats, sleeps, walks, talks, thinks
• 3:59
  Speaker 8: like a human being.
• 4:00
  Speaker 5: That's enough, Mel.
• 4:00
  Speaker 8: You bet it's enough. I'm sick of it. I'm through
• 4:02
  Speaker 8: with being your favorite charity.
• 4:05
  Speaker 5: You don't know how right you are.
• 4:07
  Speaker 6: What do you think you're doing?
• 4:08
  Speaker 7: I'm going to call the police and tell them you've
• 4:10
  Speaker 7: stolen my bracelet.
• 4:11
  Speaker 6: Give me that phone. Now.
• 4:15
  Speaker 5: I told you what I'm going to do, Elbert.
• 4:17
  Speaker 6: Let go of me. You want to watch me jump,
• 4:19
  Speaker 6: don't you? You want to crack the whip and watch
• 4:21
  Speaker 6: me jump.
• 4:22
  Speaker 5: Albert, don't.
• 4:23
  Speaker 4: Please, Albert.
• 4:23
  Speaker 6: Well, I'm through with that, Helen. I'm through with you
• 4:26
  Speaker 6: and your whip cracking. All through. Helen. Helen, I'm sorry. Helen. Helen.
• 4:50
  Speaker 4: Why don't you do something, Albert? Why don't you go
• 4:53
  Speaker 4: over there to the hearth and pick her up? Or
• 4:56
  Speaker 4: perhaps you're not as dazed as you look standing there
• 4:58
  Speaker 4: in the middle of the room. Maybe even now you
• 5:01
  Speaker 4: know she won't ever get up because she struck her
• 5:04
  Speaker 4: temple on the andiron when you hurled her across the room.
• 5:08
  Speaker 6: Yes, Albert.
• 5:10
  Speaker 4: She's lying there so very still because she's dead.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: With the prologue of Murder in Haste, the Signal Oil
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Company is bringing you another strange story by the Whistler.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: You know, friends, while watching some Christmas shoppers this morning,
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: the thought occurred to me, if people would only choose
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: their gasoline as carefully as they pick out Christmas gifts,
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: a lot more drivers would be using Signal gasoline.
• 5:51
  Speaker 5: And for good reason.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: If you've traveled the West much at all, you already
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: know that from Canada to Mexico, Signal is famous as
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: the go-farther gasoline. But even more important to you is
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: the quality in Signal gasoline, of which that mileage is
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: your best proof. For after all, in order for a
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: gasoline to give you better mileage, it has to make
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: your engine run more efficiently. And when your engine runs
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: more efficiently, you naturally enjoy quicker starting, faster pickup, smoother
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: knock-free power. the kind of superior performance you expect of
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: a superior quality gasoline. That's why we say, to be
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: sure of the tops in gasoline quality, there are just
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: two things to remember. One, in gasoline it takes extra
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: quality to go farther. And two, signal is the famous
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: go-farther gasoline. And now back to the whistler.
• 7:07
  Speaker 5: Yes, Elbert.
• 7:08
  Speaker 4: There'll be no more ugly squabbles. No more jumping through
• 7:12
  Speaker 4: hoops for Helen. Because the last argument was final, wasn't it?
• 7:16
  Speaker 4: So final that your wife Helen lies dead in front
• 7:19
  Speaker 4: of the heart. A minute later, you've decided on the
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: only course of action possible. You leave her in her
• 7:24
  Speaker 4: bedroom and lock the door... The servants in their separate
• 7:27
  Speaker 4: quarters are used to your arguments and probably have paid
• 7:30
  Speaker 4: no attention. Two hours and 20 minutes later, you're standing
• 7:34
  Speaker 4: on the observation platform of the limited express bound for
• 7:38
  Speaker 4: Jacksonville and points north.
• 7:43
  Speaker 5: Nice night.
• 7:45
  Speaker 6: Oh, I didn't hear you come out.
• 7:46
  Speaker 5: It's all right. I say, it's a nice night.
• 7:48
  Speaker 9: Yeah.
• 7:49
  Speaker 5: Yeah. Saw you running for the train when we were
• 7:52
  Speaker 5: pulling out. Just made it, didn't you?
• 7:54
  Speaker 6: Yeah. Kind of close.
• 7:55
  Speaker 5: Been in Miami long?
• 7:59
  Speaker 6: Uh, no. I've been fishing off the Keys. Just a
• 8:02
  Speaker 6: week or so.
• 8:03
  Speaker 5: I see. Uh, my name's Ricketts.
• 8:07
  Speaker 6: Glad to know you.
• 8:08
  Speaker 5: I'm, uh, Brown.
• 8:10
  Speaker 6: Richard Brown.
• 8:11
  Speaker 5: Mm-hmm. Going up New York, Brown?
• 8:14
  Speaker 6: Yeah.
• 8:17
  Speaker 5: Well, I, uh.
• 8:18
  Speaker 6: I guess I'll be getting inside, Ricketts.
• 8:20
  Speaker 5: Good idea. Ain't it breezy out here? I'll go with you.
• 8:32
  Speaker 4: You knew it the minute he opened his mouth, didn't you, Albert?
• 8:35
  Speaker 4: Ricketts is a plainclothes cop. And there can be only
• 8:39
  Speaker 4: one reason why he's so interested in you. He's right
• 8:41
  Speaker 4: behind you as you walk back through the train to
• 8:43
  Speaker 4: your seat. And you're wondering if he'll sit beside you
• 8:46
  Speaker 4: when you stop there. And then, when you're ten feet
• 8:49
  Speaker 4: from your seat, it hits you. You realize why he's
• 8:53
  Speaker 4: following you. Your luggage with your initials E.T. on it
• 8:56
  Speaker 4: is in the baggage rack over the seat. And Ricketts
• 8:59
  Speaker 4: is just waiting for you to stop there. You hold
• 9:02
  Speaker 4: your breath and keep on going.
• 9:03
  Speaker 10: Brown?
• 9:06
  Speaker 5: Yeah? Isn't this your seat?
• 9:08
  Speaker 6: Why, uh, no. I have a compartment up ahead.
• 9:12
  Speaker 5: Oh, I see. Well, good night, Ralph.
• 9:15
  Speaker 6: Good night.
• 9:24
  Speaker 4: There's only one place to go, the club car and
• 9:26
  Speaker 4: the bar where you can sit for a minute and think.
• 9:30
  Speaker 6: Yes? Make it a Manhattan, dry. Dry Manhattan, yes, sir.
• 9:35
  Speaker 6: Is this your magazine?
• 9:38
  Speaker 5: Oh, no. No, go right ahead. You going to New York?
• 9:43
  Speaker 6: Yeah.
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: Oh, it ought to be cold up there this time
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: of the year. A lot of snow and all that. Yeah,
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: I suppose so.
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 9:49
  Speaker 5: I'm as excited as a kid. I haven't seen snow
• 9:52
  Speaker 5: for an age.
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: Matter of fact, I haven't set foot in America for
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: five years.
• 9:56
  Speaker 5: Oh, it's great to be back.
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: I get a kick out of just talking to an
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: American again.
• 10:00
  Speaker 5: Yeah. I was sitting in my compartment a few minutes
• 10:02
  Speaker 5: ago thinking that I.
• 10:03
  Speaker 6: You, uh, you, uh, got a compartment?
• 10:05
  Speaker 5: Yeah, a couple of cars ahead.
• 10:07
  Speaker 6: Uh, my name's Brown, Mr., uh.
• 10:09
  Speaker 5: Jameson. Leslie Jameson.
• 10:11
  Speaker 6: Jameson?
• 10:12
  Speaker 10: Yeah.
• 10:12
  Speaker 6: Wait a minute, you're not the, uh, the mystery writer. Oh,
• 10:15
  Speaker 6: I'm afraid I am. Hey, awesome. Try my hat.
• 10:19
  Speaker 5: Oh, thanks. Thanks. Well, here's to your... What's the matter? Nothing.
• 10:25
  Speaker 8: Say, uh, Jameson, why don't we go to your compartment?
• 10:28
  Speaker 8: It'll be quieter there. We can have the drinks sent in.
• 10:31
  Speaker 5: Why, of course. Well, that's a good idea. Yes, Albert.
• 10:40
  Speaker 4: The compartment would be quieter and you'd feel a little
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: more comfortable. Particularly since you noticed your friend, Mr. Ricketts,
• 10:46
  Speaker 4: stroll into the bar and sit down... Still hunting for
• 10:49
  Speaker 4: the occupant zone.
• 10:51
  Speaker 5: Your seat, no doubt.
• 10:53
  Speaker 7: Mr.
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: Jameson finds his compartment pleasant, too.
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: As it was, a man can't stay forever in Buenos
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: Aires and continue to write for the American public.
• 10:59
  Speaker 5: He's got to keep in touch, don't you think so?
• 11:01
  Speaker 6: Huh? Oh, yes, yes, of course. So, uh, you say
• 11:05
  Speaker 6: you left Buenos Aires?
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I'd planned to anyway, but I... I made it
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: a little earlier on account of that nasty business with
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: my assistant.
• 11:11
  Speaker 5: Oh, I see. I'll probably go back in a year
• 11:13
  Speaker 5: or so. Say, Brown, did you ever read anything of mine?
• 11:16
  Speaker 8: I can't say I've done much reading in the detective storyline...
• 11:19
  Speaker 8: You have a serial running in one of the magazines
• 11:21
  Speaker 8: right now, don't you?
• 11:22
  Speaker 5: Yeah, Murder in Haste. I don't suppose you've read it, huh?
• 11:26
  Speaker 6: No. I'm sorry.
• 11:28
  Speaker 8: If I'd known I was going to meet the author,
• 11:30
  Speaker 8: I'd have boned up on it.
• 11:31
  Speaker 5: Well, don't apologize, Brown. How about a nightcap before we
• 11:35
  Speaker 5: turn in, huh? Why, it's early, Jameson.
• 11:37
  Speaker 6: Surely you're not going to give up the ship so soon. Oh,
• 11:39
  Speaker 6: I've got to confess, I'm a little bushed. Tell me
• 11:42
  Speaker 6: more about your agent in New York. You were saying
• 11:44
  Speaker 6: you've never met him personally, huh?
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: Oh, you mean Farrell. You know, he's a great agent.
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: I've often wondered what he looks like. Sometimes I think
• 11:52
  Speaker 3: he must be a magician with a long beard. The
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: way he pulls royalties out of a hat. Sold my
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: leading character to a radio series.
• 12:00
  Speaker 6: You've never even been to New York?
• 12:01
  Speaker 5: No, never.
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: I'm probably the only man in the business who can
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: say that. Oh, Brown, it's close to midnight, and I think... Jameson,
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: what about this cereal you're running? Maybe you could bring
• 12:11
  Speaker 3: me up to date on it, and.
• 12:12
  Speaker 5: Brown, I'll tell you about it tomorrow. Right now, I'm
• 12:14
  Speaker 5: awfully tired.
• 12:15
  Speaker 6: It's early yet, Jameson.
• 12:16
  Speaker 5: Now, look here. I don't want to be rude, but I'll.
• 12:17
  Speaker 10: Have to ask you.
• 12:18
  Speaker 6: Hey, what's the matter?
• 12:19
  Speaker 9: What's that?
• 12:20
  Speaker 6: Hey, they're trying to stop. It sounds like something's... Hey, look!
• 12:22
  Speaker 6: Look out!
• 12:23
  Speaker 5: Hey!
• 12:23
  Speaker 6: Jameson! Jameson!
• 12:35
  Speaker 4: An open switch, a signal down, and the southbound local
• 12:39
  Speaker 4: is suddenly there on the same track without warning.
• 12:41
  Speaker 6: It's over in a split second.
• 12:43
  Speaker 4: Then you open your eyes, Albert. You're all right, miraculously
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: safe in the tangled network of steel and splintered wood
• 12:50
  Speaker 4: that used to be.
• 12:51
  Speaker 5: A Pullman car.
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: And there's Leslie Jameson. He wasn't so.
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: Lucky, Albert.
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: There's nothing you can do for him now. The other
• 12:59
  Speaker 4: end of the coach is in flames and they're moving
• 13:01
  Speaker 4: towards you.
• 13:04
  Speaker 6: If I can make it out this window.
• 13:07
  Speaker 5: There. Here, let me help you.
• 13:09
  Speaker 6: Give me your hand. That's it.
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: Thanks.
• 13:12
  Speaker 5: You all right?
• 13:13
  Speaker 6: Yeah, I think so. I'm a little dizzy, scratched up,
• 13:17
  Speaker 6: I guess.
• 13:17
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I see you. Oh, it's you, Mr.
• 13:19
  Speaker 6: Brown.
• 13:20
  Speaker 5: Huh?
• 13:21
  Speaker 6: Oh, Ricketts.
• 13:22
  Speaker 11: Yeah, you're lucky. This car got it worse to war.
• 13:25
  Speaker 11: Look at that fire. Yeah, just got out in time.
• 13:28
  Speaker 5: Say, that fellow you were drinking with at the bar,
• 13:30
  Speaker 5: went to your compartment with you. Is he still in there? Huh?
• 13:34
  Speaker 6: My compartment?
• 13:34
  Speaker 5: I'm pretty sure he's Albert E.
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: Taylor.
• 13:36
  Speaker 5: Murdered his wife in Miami. Is he still there? Why, uh... Why, no. He, uh.
• 13:41
  Speaker 6: He left a few minutes before the crash.
• 13:43
  Speaker 5: Oh. Well, you better get on ahead, Mr. Brown. I
• 13:45
  Speaker 5: gotta give him a hand here. You make it up
• 13:47
  Speaker 5: to the crossing?
• 13:48
  Speaker 6: Yeah, I guess so.
• 13:49
  Speaker 5: Well, take it easy. There's a highway restaurant up there. Sure, sure.
• 13:51
  Speaker 5: I'm okay.
• 13:52
  Speaker 6: Thanks.
• 13:52
  Speaker 5: Okay, Brown. Take it easy.
• 14:00
  Speaker 4: Well, Albert, you stand there dazed for a minute watching
• 14:03
  Speaker 4: the fire move closer. Then you decide to take a chance.
• 14:07
  Speaker 4: Crawl back to Leslie Jameson's body, take his wallet, his ring,
• 14:11
  Speaker 4: and watch. Exchange them for your ring and watch engraved
• 14:14
  Speaker 4: to Albert with all my love, Helen. Then as the
• 14:17
  Speaker 4: flames move close, you find his.
• 14:19
  Speaker 6: Briefcase and bag and crawl out with him.
• 14:22
  Speaker 4: Ten minutes later, you stagger into the highway restaurant at
• 14:25
  Speaker 4: the grade crossing. Ten minutes later.
• 14:29
  Speaker 6: Say, I, uh, I wonder if you can help me. I, uh...
• 14:32
  Speaker 6: You hurt, mister? We got a doc in the back room.
• 14:34
  Speaker 6: Come on. No, no, no, I'm all right. I just
• 14:36
  Speaker 6: want to get out of here. I thought I could, uh,
• 14:38
  Speaker 6: hire a car or get a bus to New York.
• 14:40
  Speaker 5: You were in the wreck, mister?
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 14:41
  Speaker 5: Well, look, uh, I'm the news correspondent here. Could you
• 14:43
  Speaker 5: give me your name, please?
• 14:45
  Speaker 6: Uh, I'm, uh, I'm Leslie Jamison. Uh-huh.
• 14:48
  Speaker 5: Leslie Jamison.
• 14:50
  Speaker 6: Hey, wait a minute. Aren't you the fellow who writes
• 14:52
  Speaker 6: those murder mysteries? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Well, if
• 14:55
  Speaker 6: that ain't a coincidence, Frank.
• 14:57
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 14:57
  Speaker 6: Only last night you and me made that bet.
• 14:59
  Speaker 5: Well, sure. Now we can settle it once and for all.
• 15:01
  Speaker 9: Yeah, we was betting which one would turn out to
• 15:03
  Speaker 9: be the murderer in that magazine serial you're running.
• 15:05
  Speaker 5: Yeah, well, that's very flattering.
• 15:06
  Speaker 6: Say, I wonder if you could help.
• 15:07
  Speaker 5: Me about the bus, I mean. Say, Mr. Jameson, could
• 15:10
  Speaker 5: you give us an advance tip on the murderer?
• 15:11
  Speaker 9: Yeah, then I won't have to wait for the magazine
• 15:13
  Speaker 9: to come out tomorrow to collect from this guy.
• 15:14
  Speaker 5: Says you. Who was it, Mr. Jameson? Who?
• 15:18
  Speaker 6: Well, I don't think it would be fair to reveal the.
• 15:21
  Speaker 5: Give me a fast cup of coffee, will you? Yeah, sure.
• 15:24
  Speaker 6: Greg and Steve.
• 15:25
  Speaker 5: Oh, hello.
• 15:26
  Speaker 11: Pretty rough out there. Three cars gone. What are you
• 15:30
  Speaker 11: guys standing around here for? Have you been out there
• 15:31
  Speaker 11: and looked at it?
• 15:32
  Speaker 6: I gotta stand by this counter.
• 15:34
  Speaker 5: Yeah, and I'm a reporter, pal. This is where they're
• 15:36
  Speaker 5: bringing them. This is where I get my stories. Yeah,
• 15:38
  Speaker 5: and I was getting a slow story... All right, skip it.
• 15:40
  Speaker 5: How do you feel, Brown?
• 15:42
  Speaker 6: Brown?
• 15:43
  Speaker 5: Well, that's Leslie Jameson, the writer. Huh? I thought your
• 15:46
  Speaker 5: name was Brown.
• 15:47
  Speaker 6: Well, uh, of course I, uh... You know how it is.
• 15:52
  Speaker 6: Here's your coffee. Thanks.
• 15:54
  Speaker 5: No, Mr. Brown, I don't know how it is. How
• 15:57
  Speaker 5: is it?
• 15:57
  Speaker 6: Mr.
• 15:57
  Speaker 12: Jameson, famous mystery story writer, traveling incognito, narrowly escaped death
• 16:04
  Speaker 12: when the crash.
• 16:04
  Speaker 6: You see, Ricketts, I didn't want people to know.
• 16:08
  Speaker 5: Oh, I get it.
• 16:09
  Speaker 9: We've been reading Mr. Jameson's serial, Murder in Haste. I
• 16:12
  Speaker 9: had a little bet with Frank here on who the
• 16:13
  Speaker 9: murderer was.
• 16:15
  Speaker 5: Well, I can tell you that. I read the last
• 16:16
  Speaker 5: installment last night. Yeah? Sure. Got it at a newsstand
• 16:20
  Speaker 5: in Miami.
• 16:20
  Speaker 6: Oh, we ain't got it here yet. Oh, come on, Mr. Jameson.
• 16:23
  Speaker 6: Who done it?
• 16:23
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 16:24
  Speaker 6: Well, uh, I don't want to spoil the story for you.
• 16:27
  Speaker 6: Gotta finish it.
• 16:27
  Speaker 5: Uh-huh.
• 16:28
  Speaker 6: Afraid we won't buy another copy of that magazine, huh?
• 16:30
  Speaker 5: Yeah. Come on, Jameson.
• 16:32
  Speaker 6: Well, you see, gentlemen, it's, uh... It's a matter of ethics.
• 16:35
  Speaker 6: A writer can't... What do.
• 16:36
  Speaker 5: You mean, ethics? I know how it ends. Sure, Jameson, sure.
• 16:39
  Speaker 5: I can tell the boys I got it straight from
• 16:40
  Speaker 5: the author's mouth.
• 16:41
  Speaker 6: Oh, come on. What gold? Well, I don't want a review.
• 16:44
  Speaker 6: I got you a car, Lieutenant.
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: Oh, good.
• 16:46
  Speaker 5: Be right with you.
• 16:48
  Speaker 11: Say, you guys know anyone who wants to go up
• 16:49
  Speaker 11: to New York? I got some unfinished business up there.
• 16:52
  Speaker 11: I'm hiring a car. I'd like to get somebody sharing
• 16:54
  Speaker 11: the driving.
• 16:54
  Speaker 6: Well, Jameson here.
• 16:55
  Speaker 5: Well, sure. You said you were going to New York,
• 16:57
  Speaker 5: didn't you, Jameson?
• 16:58
  Speaker 6: Well, as a matter of fact, the bus.
• 17:00
  Speaker 5: Come on. Give me a hand in the driving, huh? Well...
• 17:04
  Speaker 5: All right?
• 17:04
  Speaker 11: Good.
• 17:06
  Speaker 6: But first, give the boys a break.
• 17:07
  Speaker 5: Tell them who the murderer was. Yeah. I'm sorry.
• 17:10
  Speaker 6: It's against my principles.
• 17:11
  Speaker 5: Well, it's your business. Come on. It was the old
• 17:18
  Speaker 5: lady who did it.
• 17:19
  Speaker 6: I knew it! Pay me!
• 17:21
  Speaker 10: You got a hotel space in New York, Jameson?
• 17:32
  Speaker 5: Well, not yet. I, uh.
• 17:34
  Speaker 6: I thought I'd arrange when I arrived.
• 17:35
  Speaker 5: Oh. You haven't been around much lately, I see. Probably
• 17:39
  Speaker 5: isn't a room to be at.
• 17:40
  Speaker 6: Oh, is it that bad?
• 17:41
  Speaker 5: Worse. Well, I think I might be able to fix
• 17:44
  Speaker 5: it up for you at the Midtown. I know the
• 17:46
  Speaker 5: manager there.
• 17:47
  Speaker 6: Oh, I couldn't possibly.
• 17:48
  Speaker 5: Forget it, Jameson. Glad to help you out. Oh. Can
• 18:02
  Speaker 5: you fix him up, Walter?
• 18:03
  Speaker 6: I think so.
• 18:04
  Speaker 4: Just sign the register, Mr.
• 18:07
  Speaker 5: Jameson. Leslie Jameson, the writer. Well, why didn't you say so?
• 18:11
  Speaker 6: Look, I don't want to put you out. Nonsense.
• 18:13
  Speaker 5: We're honored, Mr. Jameson. I'm a mystery fan myself.
• 18:16
  Speaker 4: I want to tell you that murder in haste had
• 18:18
  Speaker 4: me fooled right up to the last page.
• 18:20
  Speaker 5: Peters. This is Mr. Leslie Jameson. Get the boys over.
• 18:23
  Speaker 5: We want to take a few pictures.
• 18:25
  Speaker 6: Pictures? Now, wait a minute. I don't want any pictures.
• 18:26
  Speaker 5: Nothing to it, Mr. Jameson.
• 18:27
  Speaker 6: Just a couple of boys from the papers.
• 18:29
  Speaker 5: I know you're tired, but it won't take long.
• 18:31
  Speaker 6: And, oh, Peters.
• 18:32
  Speaker 5: Yeah?
• 18:33
  Speaker 4: Have some flowers sent up to Mr. Jameson's room. We'll
• 18:35
  Speaker 4: have the pictures taken there. Peters is our press agent, Mr.
• 18:38
  Speaker 5: Jameson.
• 18:39
  Speaker 6: He'll take care of you.
• 18:40
  Speaker 5: Certainly will, Mr.
• 18:40
  Speaker 6: Jameson.
• 18:41
  Speaker 5: Right this way.
• 18:41
  Speaker 6: Now, look here, Peters. You look like a reasonable man.
• 18:46
  Speaker 6: I never have my picture taken, and I don't intend
• 18:48
  Speaker 6: to stand for it now.
• 18:49
  Speaker 3: You don't know New York newspaper photographers, Mr.
• 18:51
  Speaker 5: Jameson. It's much easier if you give in.
• 18:54
  Speaker 6: What'll happen if I refuse?
• 18:55
  Speaker 5: You'll find out. And you did find out, didn't you, Albert?
• 19:04
  Speaker 6: You were helpless.
• 19:05
  Speaker 4: There was nothing you could do. They came, they saw,
• 19:08
  Speaker 4: they took pictures. And all you could do was rage
• 19:11
  Speaker 4: and try to keep your face covered. And that only
• 19:14
  Speaker 4: made a better story for them. They were delighted, Albert.
• 19:18
  Speaker 4: The next day, there are pictures of you in the
• 19:19
  Speaker 4: tabloids hiding your face under the caption, Leslie Jameson, mystery author,
• 19:25
  Speaker 4: stages publicity scene in the room at Midtown Hotel. The
• 19:29
  Speaker 4: second page of the same paper carries news that you,
• 19:32
  Speaker 4: Albert Taylor, wanted for the murder of your wife in Miami,
• 19:36
  Speaker 4: perished in the train wreck. But you're all mixed up now,
• 19:40
  Speaker 4: aren't you, Albert? You almost wish Helen was with you
• 19:42
  Speaker 4: again to make the decision for you like she used to.
• 19:45
  Speaker 5: And then suddenly there's nothing for you to do. The
• 19:48
  Speaker 5: decision is all made. Yes?
• 19:54
  Speaker 6: Mr.
• 19:54
  Speaker 4: Jameson?
• 19:55
  Speaker 5: Yes?
• 19:56
  Speaker 6: Mrs.
• 19:56
  Speaker 5: Jameson's on her way up. What?
• 19:59
  Speaker 6: Your wife. I assumed it would be all right to
• 20:01
  Speaker 6: tell her. Oh.
• 20:03
  Speaker 5: Oh, yes. Mrs. Jameson.
• 20:12
  Speaker 6: Hello, Leslie. What?
• 20:16
  Speaker 5: What are you... Maybe I'd better come in.
• 20:22
  Speaker 6: Well? Well, what? What are you going to do about it?
• 20:27
  Speaker 7: You're an awfully simple sort, aren't you, Mr... whatever your
• 20:32
  Speaker 7: name is?
• 20:33
  Speaker 6: I suppose I am.
• 20:33
  Speaker 7: How did you expect to get away with it after
• 20:35
  Speaker 7: all the publicity?
• 20:38
  Speaker 5: Where is he? What have you done to him?
• 20:39
  Speaker 6: Now, wait a minute, Mrs.
• 20:39
  Speaker 5: Jameson.
• 20:41
  Speaker 6: I can explain everything. Maybe you'd better. Your husband was
• 20:43
  Speaker 6: killed in that train wreck in Florida. I had reasons
• 20:47
  Speaker 6: for wanting to disappear, so I took his identity. I
• 20:50
  Speaker 6: never meant to keep it up. If you'll just... Just what? Look,
• 20:56
  Speaker 6: there's nothing we can do for your husband now. He
• 20:58
  Speaker 6: was killed in the wreck. You believe that, don't you?
• 21:02
  Speaker 6: I don't know. Look, I'm going to leave town. All
• 21:06
  Speaker 6: I ask is that you forget you ever saw me. Oh,
• 21:09
  Speaker 6: I see. Well, what are you going to do? Well,
• 21:14
  Speaker 6: I could go to the police, of course. Oh, wait
• 21:17
  Speaker 6: a minute. I can make it worth your while. Oh,
• 21:19
  Speaker 6: stop simpering.
• 21:22
  Speaker 7: Does anyone know you're here in New York?
• 21:23
  Speaker 6: No.
• 21:24
  Speaker 7: That's very fortunate. You see, Leslie and I didn't get along.
• 21:27
  Speaker 7: As a matter of fact, we've been separated for some time.
• 21:31
  Speaker 7: He said he was cutting me out of his will.
• 21:34
  Speaker 7: With Leslie dead, I don't get anything at all. But
• 21:38
  Speaker 7: with Leslie alive.
• 21:40
  Speaker 6: Wait a minute.
• 21:41
  Speaker 5: You wouldn't. Why not?
• 21:43
  Speaker 7: He could retire right now and live on his royalties
• 21:45
  Speaker 7: without doing another lick.
• 21:47
  Speaker 6: You mean you want me to keep this up?
• 21:50
  Speaker 9: Yes.
• 21:51
  Speaker 6: Don't be ridiculous. There are a dozen reasons why I can't.
• 21:54
  Speaker 6: I'll discover it in a week.
• 21:54
  Speaker 7: You have his identification. I know his signature. I can
• 21:57
  Speaker 7: imitate it perfectly. I know his background like a book.
• 22:02
  Speaker 7: You may as well get used to it, Mr.
• 22:05
  Speaker 6: Jameson. I tell you, I won't do it. It's It's
• 22:09
  Speaker 6: the most fantastic thing I've ever heard of.
• 22:10
  Speaker 7: There's a Lieutenant Ricketts down in the lobby. He seems
• 22:13
  Speaker 7: quite interested in our relationship. If you like, of course,
• 22:16
  Speaker 7: I could bring him up to date.
• 22:21
  Speaker 6: All right, Mrs. Jamison.
• 22:24
  Speaker 7: Darling. Just call me Ruth.
• 22:35
  Speaker 5: Ruth.
• 22:37
  Speaker 6: Ruth. Yes, what is it? I tell you, this can't
• 22:40
  Speaker 6: go on. You're spending money like a child.
• 22:43
  Speaker 8: $ 28, 000 in three months besides the deposits I made to
• 22:46
  Speaker 8: your account.
• 22:47
  Speaker 6: Behind in the rent, the maid hasn't been paid. Look
• 22:50
  Speaker 6: at these bills. Just look at them.
• 22:51
  Speaker 5: I haven't got a penny. Are you all through?
• 22:55
  Speaker 7: There's your quarterly royalty check due tomorrow.
• 22:58
  Speaker 6: Well, that'll only pay part of the bills.
• 23:00
  Speaker 7: It's not paying any of them, darling. That's going into
• 23:02
  Speaker 7: my account.
• 23:04
  Speaker 6: I see. Maybe you've got a fast way of getting
• 23:08
  Speaker 6: out from under these bills.
• 23:10
  Speaker 7: That's your worry, baby. Not mine.
• 23:26
  Speaker 6: Well, what is it now?
• 23:27
  Speaker 5: I'm afraid it's.
• 23:28
  Speaker 7: The same old thing, dear. I just can't seem to
• 23:31
  Speaker 7: hold on to money.
• 23:33
  Speaker 6: How much this time? Quite a bit, I'm afraid.
• 23:36
  Speaker 7: I want $ 25, 000, Albert. $ 25?
• 23:40
  Speaker 6: What are you talking about?
• 23:41
  Speaker 7: I have an obligation to meet. I need the money
• 23:43
  Speaker 7: this afternoon before the banks close. And don't tell me
• 23:45
  Speaker 7: it isn't there because the check covering movie rights to
• 23:48
  Speaker 7: stolen murder was deposited yesterday.
• 23:51
  Speaker 6: You know, you make very good sense.
• 23:54
  Speaker 7: You'd better hurry down to the bank.
• 23:56
  Speaker 5: It's after two.
• 23:57
  Speaker 6: Ruth, be honest with me. How long do you intend to.
• 24:02
  Speaker 5: Carry on with this?
• 24:04
  Speaker 7: Why, indefinitely, dear. I know when I have a good thing.
• 24:11
  Speaker 6: There's no end? There is if you want one.
• 24:13
  Speaker 7: There are those police.
• 24:15
  Speaker 6: You could be decent about it, you know. There could
• 24:18
  Speaker 6: have been plenty without bleeding me to death.
• 24:19
  Speaker 7: I think I've been pretty fair with you.
• 24:21
  Speaker 6: Six months now, no sleep. Found a day and night.
• 24:25
  Speaker 6: Can't eat.
• 24:26
  Speaker 7: Trying to dodge my shadow.
• 24:28
  Speaker 6: Getting nowhere. Afraid all the time. Dagger hanging over my head.
• 24:31
  Speaker 7: Albert, what's happened to you?
• 24:32
  Speaker 5: Get hold of yourself.
• 24:32
  Speaker 6: No way out now, is there? Trapped. Run into a corner.
• 24:38
  Speaker 5: No way to turn.
• 24:38
  Speaker 6: Albert, what are you doing?
• 24:39
  Speaker 5: Albert! Albert!
• 24:41
  Speaker 10: Get away from me!
• 24:51
  Speaker 6: Main floor. Yeah.
• 24:56
  Speaker 5: Just a minute, mister.
• 24:57
  Speaker 6: I'm sorry. I'm in a hurry.
• 24:58
  Speaker 5: You're Jameson, aren't you? Yes. In a hurry? I, uh.
• 25:02
  Speaker 6: I'm on my way to the bank. It closes in
• 25:04
  Speaker 6: a few minutes.
• 25:04
  Speaker 5: Take your time. There's always tomorrow, you know.
• 25:06
  Speaker 6: But I can't.
• 25:07
  Speaker 5: I've got to... Your wife's upstairs, isn't she?
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: Uh.
• 25:12
  Speaker 12: Well, I saw her go up a few minutes ago.
• 25:14
  Speaker 12: I'm Sergeant Lake, Jameson. I want to see her, and
• 25:17
  Speaker 12: I'd like to have you along. Uh, after you.
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: The Whistler will return in just a moment with a
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: strange ending to tonight's story. Meantime, a message especially for
• 25:39
  Speaker 2: you drivers who have new cars or expect to be
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: getting one. Just any motor oil won't do, you know,
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: for today's high-efficiency motors, no sir. They need special protection
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: against corrosion, wear, and carbon if they're to give you
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: the long, trouble-free service you have a right to expect.
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: That's why Signal has brought out a new and finer
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: motor oil, especially created to give modern motors this extra protection.
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: Of course, Signal Premium has 100% pure paraffin base. But
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: in addition, a total of five scientific new compounds have
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: been added to Signal Premium motor oil. As a result,
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: actual tests prove that this new type signal oil keeps
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: motors six times cleaner and reduces cylinder wear one third.
• 26:25
  Speaker 5: Get that.
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: Motors actually stay six times cleaner and cylinder wear is
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: reduced one third with Signal Premium motor oil. So if
• 26:33
  Speaker 2: you want to keep the performance of your car young,
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: make your next oil change a change for the better.
• 26:39
  Speaker 2: Switch to the new type signal oil. It's your guarantee
• 26:42
  Speaker 2: of a sweeter running motor. Signal Premium Motor Oil. And
• 26:47
  Speaker 2: now back to the whistler.
• 26:56
  Speaker 5: And that's how it ended, Elbert.
• 26:58
  Speaker 4: With the two of you, you and Sergeant Lake, standing
• 27:01
  Speaker 4: over Ruth's body where you left it on the floor
• 27:03
  Speaker 4: of your apartment upstairs. It's over now, and somehow you
• 27:07
  Speaker 4: feel relieved. The hounding, the fear, the dagger hanging over
• 27:11
  Speaker 4: your head. They're gone now. And you lean back in
• 27:14
  Speaker 4: the chair in Sergeant Lake's office at police headquarters and
• 27:17
  Speaker 4: tell them the whole thing.
• 27:20
  Speaker 6: I couldn't take any more of it. I knew it
• 27:23
  Speaker 6: would go on for the rest of my life. Day
• 27:26
  Speaker 6: after day. Year after year.
• 27:28
  Speaker 5: I see. You, uh.
• 27:32
  Speaker 6: You know, of course, she's not my wife.
• 27:33
  Speaker 12: Yeah, that's why I was following her, and she knew it. Oh,
• 27:36
  Speaker 12: and incidentally, that's why she hit you for that $ 25, 000
• 27:39
  Speaker 12: this afternoon. It was the last big bite.
• 27:42
  Speaker 6: What?
• 27:43
  Speaker 5: There were plane tickets in her purse. She was on
• 27:45
  Speaker 5: her way out.
• 27:47
  Speaker 6: You mean it was the last time?
• 27:48
  Speaker 5: That's right.
• 27:50
  Speaker 12: But what I can't figure is why you let her
• 27:51
  Speaker 12: shake you down in the first place, after the jam
• 27:53
  Speaker 12: she was in in Buenos Aires.
• 27:56
  Speaker 6: Buenos Aires.
• 27:58
  Speaker 5: Wait.
• 28:00
  Speaker 6: She was the assistant.
• 28:01
  Speaker 12: Of course she was your assistant down there. What's the matter, Jameson?
• 28:04
  Speaker 12: Have a lapse of memory or something?
• 28:05
  Speaker 6: Assistant, yeah, yeah. He told me, I remember. On the
• 28:08
  Speaker 6: train that night, just before the wreck.
• 28:12
  Speaker 5: Tell me, Sergeant.
• 28:13
  Speaker 9: Yeah?
• 28:14
  Speaker 6: Down there in Buenos Aires. What was it she did?
• 28:19
  Speaker 12: You have lost your memory, Jameson. Ed was all over
• 28:23
  Speaker 12: Argentina six months ago. That's why I've been following her.
• 28:26
  Speaker 12: I was all ready to pick her up. She's wanted
• 28:28
  Speaker 12: down there for murder.
• 28:30
  Speaker 6: The End.
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: Let that whistle be your signal for the Signal Oil program,
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: The Whistler, each Wednesday night at this same time, brought
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: to you by the Signal Oil Company, marketers of Signal
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories. Signal
• 29:08
  Speaker 2: has asked me to remind you to get the most
• 29:11
  Speaker 2: driving pleasure, drive at sensible speeds, be courteous, and obey
• 29:16
  Speaker 2: traffic regulations. It may save a life, possibly your own.
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: Featured in tonight's story were David Ellis and Joan Banks.
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: Whistler was produced by George W. Allen, with story by
• 29:43
  Speaker 2: Eleanor Beeson, and music by Wilbur Hatch, and was transmitted
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: to our troops overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service.
• 29:50
  Speaker 2: Next Wednesday, for a full hour of mystery over most
• 29:53
  Speaker 2: of these stations, tune in a half hour earlier. Enjoy
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: The Saint, as well as The Whistler. Marvin Miller speaking.
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: The Whistler has left the air with murder in haste.
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: Follow the 50 greatest old-time radio shows for more classic broadcasts.