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The Shadow - "Preview of Terror" (Old Time Radio) · The Shadow | Old Time Radio

0:00
Speaker 1: Driving through a storm, Lamont Cranston and Margot Lane are
0:04
Speaker 1: diverted to an isolated old house where a Hollywood director
0:07
Speaker 1: has arranged an elaborate preview for a proposed mystery picture.
0:12
Speaker 1: It is The Shadow, Preview of Terror, first heard on
0:16
Speaker 1: June 5th, 1949, script series episode number 378. Brett Morrison
0:24
Speaker 1: is Lamont Cranston and the Shadow, with Grace Matthews as
0:28
Speaker 1: Margot Lane. Frank Kane wrote this broadcast. The planned theatrical
0:33
Speaker 1: scares soon give way to a real crime, leaving Lamont
0:37
Speaker 1: to separate staged effects from genuine danger in a house
0:41
Speaker 1: with secret passageways. The June 5th broadcast was heard over
0:46
Speaker 1: Mutual and Don Lee network stations. And now, the original broadcast.
0:54
Speaker 2: Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
1:21
Speaker 3: The Shadow knows. Once again, we bring you the thrilling
1:34
Speaker 3: adventures of The Shadow, the hard and relentless fight of
1:38
Speaker 3: one man against the forces of evil. These dramatizations are
1:42
Speaker 3: designed to demonstrate forcibly to old and young alike that
1:46
Speaker 3: crime does not pay. When the mayor says Morelli in
1:52
Speaker 3: that warning tone, you know there's something brewing. And you
1:55
Speaker 3: can bet, too, that when Morelli answers that call, she
1:58
Speaker 3: won't bother to keep a civil tongue in her head.
2:01
Speaker 3: Butch complicates things, too, because he can't make up his
2:04
Speaker 3: mind whether to do the mayor's betting or Morelli's. These
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Speaker 3: lovable characters are yours on your mutual Don Lee station
2:13
Speaker 3: every Sunday night.
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Speaker 4: At 7, with Lionel Barrymore as the mayor, Agnes Moorhead
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Speaker 4: as Marilly, and Conrad Binion as Butch. Tune in Mayor
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Speaker 4: of the Town tonight, 7 p.m., on your Don Lee station.
2:30
Speaker 4: And now, back to.
2:32
Speaker 3: The thrilling adventures of The Shadow. The Shadow, who aids
2:42
Speaker 3: the forces of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston,
2:46
Speaker 3: wealthy young man about town. Years ago in the Orient,
2:49
Speaker 3: Cranston learned a strange and mysterious secret. The hypnotic power
2:53
Speaker 3: to cloud men's minds so they cannot see him. Cranston's
2:57
Speaker 3: friend and companion, the lovely Margot Lane, is the only
3:01
Speaker 3: person who knows to whom the voice of the invisible
3:03
Speaker 3: shadow belongs. Today's drama, Preview of Terror. It is a
3:26
Speaker 3: wild and stormy night. A driving rain slashes at the
3:30
Speaker 3: closed windows of a late model coupe as it rockets
3:33
Speaker 3: along a deserted road miles out of town. Suddenly, there
3:36
Speaker 3: is a blinding flash of lightning. And in its eerie light,
3:41
Speaker 3: a strange figure stands revealed at the side of the road.
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Speaker 3: As the car approaches him, he waves a lantern.
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Speaker 5: Lamont, did you see that?
3:49
Speaker 6: The man up ahead at the side of the road?
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Speaker 3: Yes, Marguerite. He seems to be waving a lantern.
3:53
Speaker 6: Something must be wrong. He must need help.
3:55
Speaker 3: Apparently. Anyway, he wants us to stop. Flagging is down.
4:01
Speaker 3: What's wrong, mister? You'd better turn back. You can't go through.
4:05
Speaker 7: Lamont, we've got to get through.
4:08
Speaker 3: What's wrong up ahead? Road's washed out. You can't get through. Oh,
4:12
Speaker 3: how bad is it? Too bad to get through. Much
4:16
Speaker 3: too bad. It's important we get back to town fast,
4:18
Speaker 3: isn't there, some way? You might use the detour. Detour?
4:23
Speaker 3: What detour? Lamont, up the road a spell. It ain't
4:28
Speaker 3: very wide, but she's passable. I never knew of any
4:31
Speaker 3: detour on this road. I ain't saying how it's good riding,
4:36
Speaker 3: but at least you can get through.
4:38
Speaker 6: Let's take it, Lamont. It's our best bet.
4:39
Speaker 3: Now, where is this detour? First turn to your left,
4:44
Speaker 3: up through the hill. Huh? Couldn't be making a mistake
4:47
Speaker 3: about that being a detour.
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Speaker 6: Could you?
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Speaker 3: Never make mistakes, mister. But I still say you'd be
4:54
Speaker 3: better off if you turn around and go back the
4:58
Speaker 3: way you came. Much better off.
5:01
Speaker 2: Marge, you think we're on the right road?
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Speaker 6: It's so dark and narrow.
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Speaker 3: Certainly doesn't look as though it gets much use, Margo.
5:23
Speaker 3: That's funny.
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Speaker 6: What?
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Speaker 3: Up ahead there, the road stops. Marge, that's no road.
5:29
Speaker 6: Just a driveway for that old house.
5:31
Speaker 3: It's a weird looking place.
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Speaker 6: Do you think we've gotten off to a detour?
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Speaker 3: I don't know, Margo. Something's strange about all this. Look.
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Speaker 6: Somebody turned the front light on as though they were
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Speaker 6: expecting us.
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Speaker 3: Nonsense, Margo. Probably just heard the sound of our motor.
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Speaker 7: What are you going to do?
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Speaker 5: Nothing.
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Speaker 3: Just ask for some directions and leave.
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Speaker 5: Come on.
5:55
Speaker 3: Frankenstein slept here, all right.
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Speaker 6: Doesn't seem to be any bell.
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Speaker 5: Come in.
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Speaker 6: Come in.
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Speaker 5: We've been waiting.
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Speaker 3: I'm sorry. We're not the ones you're expecting. We just
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Speaker 3: lost our way. It was you we were expecting.
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Speaker 5: Come in.
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Speaker 3: Come in.
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Speaker 7: What's he talking about?
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Speaker 3: I don't know, but it might be a good idea
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Speaker 3: to telephone and say we'll be delayed.
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Speaker 5: That's it. Come right in and make yourselves at home.
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Speaker 6: Come on.
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Speaker 3: We should phone, Marco. Come on.
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Speaker 5: You were late, but I knew you wouldn't disappoint us.
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Speaker 6: Really, I think you should understand that we merely lost
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Speaker 6: our way.
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Speaker 5: Oh, you're so pretty and young.
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Speaker 6: So young.
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Speaker 3: Where is the telephone?
6:32
Speaker 5: You took longer than most to arrive.
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Speaker 6: I don't understand. An old man down at the road
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Speaker 6: flagged us down. He said this was a detour.
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Speaker 5: Yeah, that would be Jeb Ethan.
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Speaker 3: Oh, you know him, then?
6:42
Speaker 5: Know him, man and boy, 60 years. When he was alive.
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Speaker 6: When he.
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Speaker 3: What?
6:48
Speaker 6: When he was alive?
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Speaker 5: Yeah, went to his funeral 10 years ago.
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Speaker 6: Fine funeral, Jeb.
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Speaker 5: He liked it. Keeps talking about it.
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Speaker 6: Now I know we'd better go, Lamont.
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Speaker 3: I think you're right, Martin.
7:00
Speaker 5: You'll stay. You'll stay a long time.
7:05
Speaker 3: I'm sorry, but we're going now.
7:07
Speaker 7: Hickey!
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Speaker 3: Hickey! Yes? You call me? But look! He's a giant!
7:14
Speaker 3: Why is that distributor? Where did they come from?
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Speaker 5: Herky likes to make sure people stay. He pulls their
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Speaker 5: motor apart. Show them their rooms, Herky.
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Speaker 3: Rooms this way. Stay back, you. Stay back. This way.
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Speaker 6: You can't hurt Herky, mister.
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Speaker 3: Herky can hurt you.
7:32
Speaker 6: Lamont!
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Speaker 3: Head case.
7:34
Speaker 5: Pick the man up and take him to the room.
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Speaker 3: Lady, come to.
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Speaker 6: Stay back.
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Speaker 3: Stay back. Lady, come to.
7:40
Speaker 7: Lamont?
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Speaker 3: Lamont, can you hear me? Oh, my head. What happened?
8:01
Speaker 6: Lamont, we've got to get out of here.
8:02
Speaker 7: Those awful people.
8:04
Speaker 3: What's happened?
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Speaker 6: A giant. He hit us. They tied us up and
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Speaker 6: left us here.
8:08
Speaker 3: Did he get loose, Margo?
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Speaker 6: I don't think so. The rope is so tight.
8:13
Speaker 3: I think mine's giving just a little bit. What's that?
8:18
Speaker 3: Could be mice, but somehow I don't think it is.
8:21
Speaker 3: A section of the wall. A secret panel of some sort.
8:24
Speaker 5: What?
8:25
Speaker 6: Lamont, it's a hand. A human hand.
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Speaker 3: Quiet, Margo. Somebody.
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Speaker 6: Somebody's coming into the room.
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Speaker 3: It's a girl. Exceptionally beautiful girl, isn't it?
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Speaker 6: Who said that?
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Speaker 3: Over here in the corner.
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Speaker 7: They've got you too, haven't they?
8:42
Speaker 3: Can you untie us, please?
8:43
Speaker 6: Yes, of course. Will you help me? I need help
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Speaker 6: so badly. What's the matter? My husband. They've got him
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Speaker 6: locked in the attic. Dear, your arms are free.
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Speaker 3: Thanks. I'll untie Miss Lane.
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Speaker 6: You've got to help me before they murder my husband.
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Speaker 3: What kind of a house is this?
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Speaker 8: It's evil, horrible.
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Speaker 3: What are you doing here?
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Speaker 6: It was the old man. The old man with the lantern. Lamont,
9:01
Speaker 6: it must have been the same one. He said the
9:03
Speaker 6: road was washed out, that this was a detour. We
9:05
Speaker 6: came to this awful house. The old lady got us
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Speaker 6: to come in and the huge man disabled our car.
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Speaker 3: And your husband?
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Speaker 6: He tried to fight, but they beat him.
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Speaker 7: Now they're going to kill him in the attic. I.
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Speaker 6: I discovered the passage between the walls. I was going
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Speaker 6: for help. We'll help, won't we, Lamont?
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Speaker 3: Of course, Margo. This passage leads to the attic? I'll
9:22
Speaker 3: show you the way. I think you'll be safer if
9:23
Speaker 3: you wait here. We'll be back as soon as we can.
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Speaker 9: Come on.
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Speaker 6: This passageway between the walls couldn't have been used for years.
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Speaker 6: Cobwebs and dust.
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Speaker 3: That must be the door to the attic now. Seem
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Speaker 3: to be anyone in there. Spring or something that moves
9:59
Speaker 3: that tent. There it is.
10:02
Speaker 6: There's no one here. Just a lot of junk.
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Speaker 3: Probably tied up somewhere. Let's have a look around.
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Speaker 6: Not a sign of anything. I wonder what this door is.
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Speaker 8: Probably just the closet. There's a body.
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Speaker 3: Hang it.
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Speaker 6: Lamar, is he dead?
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Speaker 3: No doubt of it. The rope around his neck weren't enough.
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Speaker 3: That dagger in his heart would be.
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Speaker 5: Dagger in his heart?
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Speaker 3: Got to notify the police. This really is a murder mansion, Margo.
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Speaker 10: Listen.
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Speaker 3: Voices. They come from the room directly below us.
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Speaker 6: Sound like they're having a fine time talking and laughing.
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Speaker 6: What's going on here, Lamar?
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Speaker 3: I don't know, Margo. Let you and I join this
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Speaker 3: party and see if it strikes us as funny as
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Speaker 3: it's striking them.
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Speaker 8: No noise now, Margo.
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Speaker 3: I want a surprise.
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Speaker 6: This is the room, I think.
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Speaker 3: Let's go in. I could have let him know how
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Speaker 3: hard he could hit. I had to drop him before
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Speaker 3: he dropped me.
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Speaker 6: Did you see his eyes pop when you saw the
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Speaker 6: size of him?
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Speaker 7: I almost blew my lines right in his face, telling
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Speaker 7: him about my poor husband.
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Speaker 6: Cranston. Pecky. We'll take this.
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Speaker 5: Young woman here.
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Speaker 3: Never mind the routine. We're on to it now.
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Speaker 6: You mean to say that was all a joke after
11:37
Speaker 6: almost turning my hair gray?
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Speaker 3: Yes, and speaking of hair... Oh, that wig.
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Speaker 6: Costs money, Mr.
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Speaker 3: Cranston.
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Speaker 6: A wig? I suppose you're on stills.
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Speaker 3: No, don't get mad, Miss Lane. Like Cranston says, it's
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Speaker 3: all a gag. We were just playing our part. Whose
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Speaker 3: idea was this elaborate practical joke?
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Speaker 6: We can't tell you, Mr.
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Speaker 3: Cranston. Oh, yes, you can, and what's more, you will.
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Speaker 7: Well, it's all over, Ginger.
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Speaker 6: We might just as well let them in on it.
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Speaker 3: Sure, the boss can tell them himself. That's a good idea.
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Speaker 3: Let's meet this boss.
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Speaker 6: Okay.
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Speaker 5: Come along, Mr. Cranston.
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Speaker 6: I'm sure he's just as anxious to see you as
12:04
Speaker 6: you are to see him.
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Speaker 3: Well, if it ain't the old Ghost Breaker himself. Come in, Kranz,
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Speaker 3: my boy. Come in, come in. Grubel Bennett, the bad
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Speaker 3: boy of Hollywood, I might have known. In person, my
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Speaker 3: good fellow, in person.
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Speaker 6: Grubel Bennett.
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Speaker 3: You remember Mr. Bennett, Margo, the Hollywood director. We met
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Speaker 3: him on the coast a few years ago. Oh, don't
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Speaker 3: tell me you've forgotten the old king of comedy himself,
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Speaker 3: Miss Lane. What are you doing here in the East, Bennett?
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Speaker 3: Give you the whole plot in a minute, Lamont. Right now,
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Speaker 3: I want you to meet the cast. Cast? Certainly. This
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Speaker 3: is the cast of Terror. The first in a series
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Speaker 3: of super-duper Bennett mysteries. Oh, and we've just seen a
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Speaker 3: preview of Terror, is that it? What did I tell
12:47
Speaker 3: you about this guy? Sharp, huh? Sharp? Now the credits.
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Speaker 3: This gorgeous little red-headed bundle of bluff is none other
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Speaker 3: than Ginger Johnson. star of stage and screen and leading
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Speaker 3: lady in all future Bennett mystery productions.
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Speaker 6: Ginger Johnson, well.
13:01
Speaker 7: I should have recognized you. I hope I didn't give
13:03
Speaker 7: you two too much of a scare, Miss Lane.
13:05
Speaker 6: You did pretty well.
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Speaker 3: My character woman, Lulu Summers.
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Speaker 6: How do you do, Miss Lane, Mr.
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Speaker 3: Cranston? My character man you met down the road with
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Speaker 3: the lantern. The heavy, Hercules da Costa.
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Speaker 6: You're the one who really scared me, Mr.
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Speaker 3: Da Costa. Yes, me too. The hotter I hit you,
13:18
Speaker 3: the less effect it had. Don't you believe it. If
13:20
Speaker 3: you tap me once more, I'd have gone down. Well,
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Speaker 3: I'm still waiting to hear what this is all about.
13:25
Speaker 3: I'm about to tell you, my impatient friend. As each
13:30
Speaker 3: and every one of you know, I, Screwball Bennett, directed
13:32
Speaker 3: and created the greatest comedies known to Hollywood. But of late,
13:36
Speaker 3: old Screwball has, shall we say, fallen on hard times.
13:41
Speaker 3: So to consummate a comeback, so to speak, I had
13:45
Speaker 3: the inspiration to make a series of super epics of
13:47
Speaker 3: suspense and terror. I wanted only the best. Ginger Johnson
13:52
Speaker 3: is my leading lady.
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Speaker 7: But after 15 years of custard pie cookies, I couldn't
13:55
Speaker 7: see Screwball doing suspense things.
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Speaker 3: Ah, they just can't seem to realize that because I
14:00
Speaker 3: made my name in slapstick that I also have an
14:02
Speaker 3: artistic side to my nature. So I had to prove
14:04
Speaker 3: it my own way. That I could stage a setup
14:07
Speaker 3: so realistic that even an expert criminologist would be doomed. Well,
14:11
Speaker 3: how about it, Lamar? Well, it wasn't exactly a routine
14:14
Speaker 3: police case. I'll admit I was fooled.
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Speaker 6: Lamont and I were test cases for your mystery, is
14:20
Speaker 6: that it?
14:20
Speaker 3: Guinea pigs, you might say, sweetheart. Guinea pigs.
14:24
Speaker 7: I guess I owe you an apology, screwball.
14:26
Speaker 6: If you can fool Mr. Cranston, that's good enough for me.
14:28
Speaker 3: And I'm sure Ward will.
14:30
Speaker 7: Hey, by the way, where is Ward? He should be
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Speaker 7: here by now.
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Speaker 3: Ward? Ward Warren, my leading man.
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Speaker 6: Young, good-looking, wearing a tweed suit. Lamont.
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Speaker 7: That's the man we saw hanged in the closet.
14:43
Speaker 3: It's merely an illusion, sugar pie. Merely an illusion. There's
14:46
Speaker 3: a harness under Ward's arm that the rope attaches to.
14:49
Speaker 3: The hanging was staged just to give you an added thrill.
14:52
Speaker 3: It gave me a thrill, all right, but it wasn't
14:54
Speaker 3: any illusion. What do you mean? Oh, you're nuts, Cranston.
14:57
Speaker 3: I rigged up that hanging gimmick myself. This man wasn't hanged, Bennett.
15:00
Speaker 3: He was stabbed to death. He had a dagger in
15:03
Speaker 3: his heart and he was dead. We'll return to the
15:23
Speaker 3: shadow in just a moment. Can you remember your first
15:28
Speaker 3: American history book and the exciting lives of the great pioneers?
15:32
Speaker 3: Do you recall how Daniel Boone's father painstakingly taught him
15:36
Speaker 3: the law of the forest, how to recognize the tracks
15:39
Speaker 3: of each animal, and how to use the long-barreled squirrel
15:42
Speaker 3: gun to feed and defend himself and his family? Life
15:46
Speaker 3: sounded so exciting and important for the head of a
15:48
Speaker 3: pioneer family on our young country frontier. Unfortunately, what some
15:54
Speaker 3: parents have lost sight of is the fact that our
15:57
Speaker 3: country is still young and growing and pioneering. And the
16:02
Speaker 3: mothers and fathers of today have an even greater responsibility
16:05
Speaker 3: to see to it that their children are properly trained
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Speaker 3: to meet the challenging problems they must face and solve. Today,
16:13
Speaker 3: the almost limitless frontiers of science extend before us. And
16:18
Speaker 3: proud pioneering parents are determined to equip their sons and
16:22
Speaker 3: daughters to tackle this frontier. Not with a squirrel gun,
16:27
Speaker 3: but with a good, solid education. Shouldn't that be your objective, too? Now,
16:37
Speaker 3: once again, back to the shadows. Lamont and Margot are
16:48
Speaker 3: lured into an old house. While there, all manner of
16:52
Speaker 3: weird things happen. Lamont finds the whole adventure was a
16:55
Speaker 3: hoax manufactured by Screwball Bennett, an eccentric Hollywood director. However,
17:01
Speaker 3: when Lamont mentions the body in the attic, laughter turns
17:05
Speaker 3: to horror. The body runs up the stairs to the body.
17:10
Speaker 3: There was no dagger in the deal with Ward. You
17:12
Speaker 3: sure you saw it, Clancy? It wasn't a screwball. It
17:14
Speaker 3: was Clancy the hilt in his heart.
17:15
Speaker 6: Not that I blame you for turning the tables on us,
17:17
Speaker 6: but if this is a gag... It isn't, Miss Johnson.
17:19
Speaker 6: I saw it, too.
17:20
Speaker 3: Well, I might have known Ward Warren wouldn't miss a
17:22
Speaker 3: curtain call unless it was something like this. It was
17:23
Speaker 3: here in the attic. In that closet over there. Unless
17:29
Speaker 3: it was a gag, he should still be.
17:32
Speaker 7: Here.
17:33
Speaker 6: It's Ward, all right.
17:35
Speaker 3: Not very pretty now, is he? Forget it, Bacosta. Help
17:40
Speaker 3: me get him down. Who would do this and why?
17:42
Speaker 3: Having a good time, Miss Summers? Here, put him down here.
17:45
Speaker 6: You're sure he's dead, Mr.
17:47
Speaker 3: Cranston? Positive, Ginger. Whoever used that knife knew exactly what
17:50
Speaker 3: they were doing. But it was to be a gag,
17:53
Speaker 3: a fake hanging, just to scare you two. Just so
17:55
Speaker 3: you said, Mr. McCoskey. What's so interesting, Cranston? This knife.
17:59
Speaker 3: Out construction. Oriental, I'd say. 45th Street, I'd say. Meaning? Theatrical.
18:05
Speaker 3: A prop used in some stage show, no doubt. Maybe so.
18:09
Speaker 3: How did this Ward Warren fit into this crazy scheme, Bennett?
18:13
Speaker 7: He was my leading man in the Broadway show we
18:15
Speaker 7: were in, Mr.
18:15
Speaker 3: Cranston.
18:16
Speaker 7: If I did this mystery picture for Screwball, I wanted
18:19
Speaker 7: him to do it with me.
18:20
Speaker 3: Anybody remember the last time they saw him?
18:22
Speaker 7: I guess I was the.
18:23
Speaker 6: Last one to see him alive.
18:26
Speaker 3: When was that?
18:27
Speaker 6: Just before I crawled into that secret passageway.
18:30
Speaker 7: He was going to the attic to make believe he
18:32
Speaker 7: was hung so that he could see your faces. To
18:34
Speaker 7: see if you were really scared.
18:36
Speaker 3: Anybody see him after that? Only the murderer... Mr. Cranston, I.
18:41
Speaker 7: Well, I think you ought to know that Ward and
18:43
Speaker 7: DeCosta had a fight a couple of hours ago.
18:45
Speaker 3: Giant?
18:46
Speaker 6: Ward loved to taunt DeCosta because.
18:48
Speaker 3: Of his size.
18:49
Speaker 6: And he threatened to break Ward across his knees.
18:51
Speaker 7: He didn't stop making cracks.
18:53
Speaker 3: Where is DeCosta? DeCosta? Well, he was here just a
18:56
Speaker 3: minute ago.
18:57
Speaker 6: He's gone.
18:58
Speaker 3: I'll try and find him. In the meantime, Margo, you
19:00
Speaker 3: notify the police. The rest of you stay here and
19:01
Speaker 3: watch the body.
19:02
Speaker 2: Lamont, you can't go after that giant alone.
19:06
Speaker 3: He'll kill you. Possibly, Margo. I don't think the giant's
19:09
Speaker 3: strength will have much effect against the shadow.
19:12
Speaker 11: I've got to.
19:24
Speaker 3: Get out of here. I've got to get out. Going somewhere, DaCosta?
19:29
Speaker 3: Who said that? Running away won't help you to escape.
19:31
Speaker 3: You're too easy to recognize. Who is it? Who's in
19:34
Speaker 3: the basement? This is the shadow, Dick Custer. I didn't
19:40
Speaker 3: do it, Shadow. I didn't kill Ward Warren. You're running away.
19:43
Speaker 3: They'll try to pin it on me. They'll try to
19:44
Speaker 3: make me take the rap. Not if you're innocent. It
19:46
Speaker 3: looks bad. We had a fight just before. he was killed. Besides... Yes?
19:53
Speaker 3: I got a record. I got mixed up with the
19:55
Speaker 3: cops when I was doing a carnival act a couple
19:57
Speaker 3: of years ago, but I didn't kill Ward. I swear it.
19:59
Speaker 3: Then who did? I... I don't know. You sound as
20:03
Speaker 3: if you're shielding someone, DeCosta. If you didn't kill him,
20:06
Speaker 3: who did? I.
20:08
Speaker 3: Okay, I'll tell you. Why should I shield a murderer?
20:11
Speaker 3: I think I know who stabbed Ward. Listen, Shadow. It was... Acosta!
20:18
Speaker 10: Acosta!
20:21
Speaker 3: Acosta, can you hear me? I... Who did it, Acosta?
20:26
Speaker 3: Who murdered Warren?
20:27
Speaker 6: It.
20:29
Speaker 3: It was Ginger. Ginger Johnson. How do you know? The knife.
20:34
Speaker 3: The knife that killed him. It was hers. How can
20:37
Speaker 3: you be sure? In the play... Ginger used the knife
20:41
Speaker 3: in the play.
20:43
Speaker 10: It's her knife.
20:59
Speaker 3: Before he could tell me any more about the knife,
21:02
Speaker 3: he died. What a shame. The knife that was used
21:05
Speaker 3: in Ginger's Broadway play, huh? Yes. And the old lady
21:08
Speaker 3: and DeCosta were both in that play with Ginger. So
21:10
Speaker 3: he said.
21:11
Speaker 2: Mrs.
21:12
Speaker 6: Summers.
21:13
Speaker 7: She was the one who tried.
21:14
Speaker 6: To shift the blame to DeCosta in the first place.
21:16
Speaker 3: Wasn't she? Yes, she was, as a matter of fact.
21:19
Speaker 3: Where is Mrs.
21:19
Speaker 11: Summers?
21:20
Speaker 3: She and Ginger stepped out of the room for a minute.
21:22
Speaker 3: Said they'd be right back.
21:23
Speaker 6: Don't tell me they've disappeared, too.
21:25
Speaker 3: This is getting to be like the Ten Little Indians. Now, listen.
21:30
Speaker 3: Somebody's out in the garage.
21:31
Speaker 7: Maybe they're trying to get away.
21:32
Speaker 3: Yes, maybe they are, but I don't think they will.
21:33
Speaker 3: You two stay here. I'll take care of our friend,
21:35
Speaker 3: whoever it is. I don't think we want you to
21:50
Speaker 3: leave so soon, Ginger.
21:52
Speaker 6: Oh, Hugh Cranston. Get off the running board.
21:54
Speaker 3: First, we'll turn off that motor. I'll take those keys.
21:57
Speaker 3: Give me those keys. Thanks a lot, Ginger. Now we
22:00
Speaker 3: can talk more comfortably.
22:01
Speaker 6: You have no right to keep me here.
22:02
Speaker 3: The police might be very disappointed not to find you
22:04
Speaker 3: here when they arrive.
22:04
Speaker 6: I don't know anything that will help the police.
22:06
Speaker 3: Then why are you running away? Why? Because I'm going crazy.
22:09
Speaker 6: This whole wacky setup is driving me insane.
22:11
Speaker 3: That's why.
22:12
Speaker 7: I should have had sense enough not to get mixed
22:14
Speaker 7: up again with Scooball's wagging plot.
22:15
Speaker 3: You're not running away because you killed Ward Warren then?
22:18
Speaker 5: Why should I kill Ward?
22:19
Speaker 6: He was my leading man.
22:20
Speaker 5: I was....
22:21
Speaker 7: I was very fond of him.
22:23
Speaker 3: It was your knife that killed him.
22:24
Speaker 6: I don't know what you're talking about.
22:26
Speaker 3: You brought it with you. I did not.
22:27
Speaker 6: I left it in my dressing room.
22:28
Speaker 11: Smart, aren't you?
22:31
Speaker 3: How about DaCosta?
22:31
Speaker 6: How about him?
22:32
Speaker 3: He says you killed Warren. That's a lie.
22:34
Speaker 6: He couldn't say.
22:36
Speaker 3: Why didn't you finish? Why didn't you say he couldn't?
22:38
Speaker 3: Because he's dead. All right, I did know he was dead.
22:41
Speaker 3: I heard the shot.
22:42
Speaker 6: That's why I wanted to get out of here on this.
22:43
Speaker 3: That's the only reason?
22:44
Speaker 6: Of course. Thomas, the old lady, she was in the plant.
22:47
Speaker 6: She had access to that knife.
22:48
Speaker 3: But you had the motive. You had reason to kill
22:50
Speaker 3: them both, didn't you, Ginger? Didn't you?
23:04
Speaker 6: I wonder what's keeping Lamont.
23:06
Speaker 3: Yeah, sure has been gone a while, hasn't he? Think
23:08
Speaker 3: we ought to go look for him?
23:10
Speaker 6: Lamont said to wait here for the police.
23:12
Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, here's old screwball right in the middle of
23:16
Speaker 3: trouble again. I pull an innocent little gag and what happens?
23:19
Speaker 3: Two down and one to go.
23:21
Speaker 6: One to go?
23:22
Speaker 3: Summers, the old lady, she'll have to pay for those
23:24
Speaker 3: two murders and I'll certainly give her the full treatment.
23:27
Speaker 6: I don't think Mrs. Summers committed the murders, Mr. Bennett.
23:30
Speaker 3: What?
23:31
Speaker 6: I think Ginger did.
23:32
Speaker 3: Ginger... Oh, now, look, Betty.
23:35
Speaker 6: It was her knife we found in Warren's body.
23:38
Speaker 3: How can you be sure?
23:39
Speaker 6: The caster told him that while he was dying.
23:41
Speaker 7: He was killed because he recognized the knife.
23:44
Speaker 3: But it doesn't make sense. She was crazy about Ward.
23:47
Speaker 3: He was a leading man.
23:48
Speaker 6: Perhaps Ward got in her way.
23:49
Speaker 2: How?
23:50
Speaker 6: Romantically. Perhaps she was tired of him, bored with him.
23:53
Speaker 3: He wouldn't leave her alone. Look, honey, you sound as
23:57
Speaker 3: if you knew a lot more than you would tell her.
23:58
Speaker 6: I do. And I've got the clipping to prove it.
24:01
Speaker 3: Clipping? Clipping. What clipping?
24:03
Speaker 6: I found it on the attic floor right near the body.
24:06
Speaker 3: Let me see that. Ginger Johnson, Hollywood attorney, legit telling
24:12
Speaker 3: friends that having the same torchbearer haunting her for a
24:15
Speaker 3: decade is tough on the nerves. You see?
24:19
Speaker 6: She had tired of him, but he wouldn't go.
24:21
Speaker 11: I see.
24:23
Speaker 6: For ten years he'd been dogging her footsteps at.
24:27
Speaker 3: Ten years.
24:30
Speaker 6: How old would you say Ward Warren was? 28. And
24:34
Speaker 6: 10 years ago. What?
24:36
Speaker 5: 10 years ago?
24:37
Speaker 6: He was only 18 years old.
24:39
Speaker 3: Kind of young to be so irresistible, huh, sugar?
24:43
Speaker 6: Then... Then it wasn't Ward Warren?
24:48
Speaker 3: What do you think?
24:51
Speaker 6: I think it was you, Mr. Benedict. You're the one
24:54
Speaker 6: that Clipping referred to.
24:55
Speaker 3: Ginger left me ten years ago in Hollywood. I wanted
24:58
Speaker 3: her back. I had to have her back.
25:00
Speaker 6: She didn't kill Warren.
25:01
Speaker 7: You did.
25:01
Speaker 3: Kill him? Exterminated him, you mean? That cheap little punk?
25:04
Speaker 6: Why did you kill DaCosta?
25:05
Speaker 3: He never did.
25:06
Speaker 6: Anything to you.
25:06
Speaker 3: He might remember too much, sweetheart. He might remember that
25:09
Speaker 3: it was I who had the prop knife, not Ginger.
25:11
Speaker 3: I borrowed it from a dressing room backstage after the
25:13
Speaker 3: show last night. And now, baby, for the unhappy ending
25:17
Speaker 3: to our little grade B opus.
25:19
Speaker 6: What are you going to do?
25:20
Speaker 3: Take care of you, baby. What else? You know the
25:22
Speaker 3: whole plot.
25:23
Speaker 6: You wouldn't kill me.
25:24
Speaker 3: No, you can't. Figure old screwball is a killer. Is
25:26
Speaker 3: that it? Look, angel, I'm in this too deep to
25:29
Speaker 3: get soft. Now, like the man said, they can only
25:31
Speaker 3: hang you once.
25:32
Speaker 2: Let me go.
25:33
Speaker 3: Come on, baby, make it easy on yourself. Somebody laughed.
25:41
Speaker 3: Somebody laughed at me. Where is he? I'll kill him.
25:44
Speaker 3: You used to like lots of laughs, Bennett.
25:46
Speaker 6: Shadow, thank heaven you got here.
25:48
Speaker 3: Shadow. Yes, the Shadow. And soon the police, Bennett. Stay
25:52
Speaker 3: away from me, Shadow. This knife worked once on one.
25:55
Speaker 3: It'll work again on her. Put down that knife, Bennett.
25:58
Speaker 3: I used to be a stuntman, Shadow. One of my
25:59
Speaker 3: specialties was throwing a knife. I never miss. Yeah. Yeah,
26:06
Speaker 3: that's being smart. Nobody move. I'll drop you a post.
26:11
Speaker 3: That's enough, Bennett. Let me out of here. Let me out!
26:16
Speaker 3: I don't think so. The police will want to talk
26:19
Speaker 3: to you, Bennett. I'm going to keep you here until
26:22
Speaker 3: they arrive.
26:23
Speaker 5: Well, Lamont.
26:39
Speaker 6: Mrs. Summers, who seemed most guilty, was really the only
26:42
Speaker 6: innocent one of the plot.
26:43
Speaker 3: Yes, Margo, the police exonerated her completely.
26:46
Speaker 6: Was it all a fake, Lamont? The wild mystery story
26:49
Speaker 6: plot and everything, just to cover up the murder?
26:52
Speaker 3: The mystery movie was on the level, as I get it, Margo.
26:54
Speaker 3: Bennett planned to star Ginger in the film, and that
26:57
Speaker 3: way to get her back.
26:58
Speaker 6: But she wouldn't go back.
27:00
Speaker 3: Not as long as young Warren was around, is that it?
27:02
Speaker 10: No.
27:03
Speaker 3: So Bennett went completely off his rocker.
27:05
Speaker 6: What a madman he was, Lamont. I was never so
27:09
Speaker 6: frightened as when I saw his real character.
27:11
Speaker 8: Yes.
27:13
Speaker 3: Almost like seeing a clown turn into a boogeyman, eh, Margo?
27:16
Speaker 6: He had planned all along to kill Warren?
27:19
Speaker 3: No, Margo. Not until last night when he tried to
27:22
Speaker 3: effect a reconciliation with Ginger. Apparently, he talked to both
27:26
Speaker 3: her and Ward. They both laughed at him. Called him
27:29
Speaker 3: an old fool. Decided then that Warren had to die.
27:34
Speaker 6: But why was Ginger's dagger... He trying to throw suspicion
27:38
Speaker 6: on her?
27:39
Speaker 3: On his crazed mind, his lover turned to hate. He's
27:43
Speaker 3: going to have his revenge on her by letting her
27:45
Speaker 3: pay for Ward's death.
27:47
Speaker 6: What a horrible old man.
27:50
Speaker 3: Marco, what is it? Up there, Lamar.
27:51
Speaker 6: A man in the road, waving a lantern.
27:53
Speaker 3: Of course, Marco. It's a train crossing. For your Sunday
28:18
Speaker 3: night listening, stay on the Mutual Don Lee Party Line
28:21
Speaker 3: for 20 questions at 8, followed by Walter Winchell at 8.30,
28:25
Speaker 3: and Luella Parsons at 8.45. On 20 Questions, all the
28:30
Speaker 3: world and people, places, and things are either animal, vegetable,
28:34
Speaker 3: or mineral, a goldmine of subjects to stump the expert questioners.
28:38
Speaker 4: The regular 20 Questions panel, Bill Slater, Florence Bernard, Bobby McGuire, Fred.
28:43
Speaker 3: Vandervatter, and Herb Palese, will be on hand for the fun.
28:48
Speaker 3: Immediately following 20 Questions at 8.30, there's Walter Winchell with
28:52
Speaker 3: his news flashes and stories from the Broadway scenes. Then
28:56
Speaker 3: at 8.45, Luella Parsons with her scoops from among the
29:01
Speaker 3: Hollywood film world. So stay on the party line for
29:04
Speaker 3: 20 questions at 8, followed by Walter Winchell at 8.30,
29:07
Speaker 3: and Luella Parsons at 8.45. And by the way, that's tonight.
29:22
Speaker 10: BF-WATCH TV 2021.
29:31
Speaker 3: This story is copyrighted by Street and Smith Publications Incorporated.
29:35
Speaker 3: All names and places are fictitious. Any similarity to persons
29:39
Speaker 3: living or dead is purely coincidental. The weed of crime
29:46
Speaker 3: bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay. The Shadow knows.
29:55
Speaker 3: The Shadow knows. Next week, same time, same station, we
30:20
Speaker 3: bring you another strange and thrilling adventure in the Shadow's
30:23
Speaker 3: daring battle against the forces of evil. The part of
30:26
Speaker 3: Lamont Cranston was played by Brett Morris and margled by
30:28
Speaker 3: Grace Matthews.
30:29
Speaker 4: This program came to you from New York.
30:38
Speaker 1: The Shadow's Preview of Terror now comes to a close.
30:42
Speaker 1: Follow The Shadow for more classic broadcasts.