August 11, 2025 • 28 mins
This detective series follows a private investigator as he solves crimes with a mix of toughness and humor, often getting entangled in complex cases. The narratives are engaging and fast-paced. Explore a world of immersive, ad-free audio experiences from nature sounds to timeless stories at https://www.adfreesounds.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The National Broadcasting Company presents the adventures of Sam Spade, Detective.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Sam Stay Dejative Agency, Me.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Sweetheart, dam A man named five Dollars Frankie call up
and said he's putting two dollars in your name on
a sure thing at some track or other. Well, that's
nice to hear. I don't think it is at all.
You know, I don't approve of your gambling day, Effie.
You do some things I disapprove of. But do I
snipe at you? No? No, but's about it? And besides,
I didn't place the bet. It was placed for me.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I don't care.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
It's the principle of the thing I don't like. I
suppose I put it this way, ef that two dollars
bet on a sure thing was more than just a
money bet. It was a gamble on the inherent goodness
of the human soul. Oh, Sam, you're just trying to
confuse me, I am, But I'll straighten everything out to
your satisfaction, I trust. When I appear at the office
with a highly stylized and rather charming saga of horse
players and the world they live in, what else but
(01:00):
the sure Thing Caper or NBC William Spear radio is
outstanding producer, director of mystery and crime drama brings you
the greatest private detective of them all in the Adventures
of Sam's Baid. Yes, and I hope you always are
(01:25):
at the wages.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I pay you.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
I'm glad you brought that up stairs when I pay them.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I don't want to start an argument, but I do
need some new clothes.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
You want me to put up a good front, don't you.
I will rephrase my answer. Yes, Well, if you can
hold warp and looks together for a few weeks, I
have a feeling we'll be rolling in dough, driving big
cars and wear and make oh you mean that all conjecture?
Enough of your sneering. Can you hear me out? Weigh
the evidence, and maybe you'll feel different. I doubt it.
(01:53):
No good comes of playing the horses dates fill it
in two five dollars Frank a care of five dollar Fran.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
What does that?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I don't think he has one f as I get it.
He was born just before a gold cup Handedicatapimicole, and
they didn't have time to give my last name and
place a vet too, so they chose the bet. Oh sand,
that's awful. What do you mean awful at horse paid
eighteen to one. Well well to get on two five
dollars Frankie, care of Patterson Smoke Shop, Myrtle Street, City,
from Samuel Sucker Spade, San Francisco, license number one three
(02:22):
seven five nine six, subject the sure Thing Caper dear,
five dollars Frankie for you to be seen at the
r of one pm post time anywhere but at the
track is truly a veritable, unbelievable occurrence. So in my
door pivoted open Monday it said R. And a short
gent with thirty six shoulders and a forty four long
(02:43):
plaid coke came in My eyes told me it was you,
but my mind screamed no. I checked your wide brim
pork pires zuke gabardine slacks swayed and alligator winged fifth shoes,
and it's still repeated.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
You you, you, Sammy, look as if you have just
lamp for ghosts. It is I five dollars frankly.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
But at this hour, Frankie, what is it? You're watch broken?
Did you lose your way? Your sleepwalking?
Speaker 4 (03:08):
What?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
No, sam I am in complete possession of my faculties
good and I came here with the full knowledge of
my intellect. I even see through the crystal of my
time piece that it is one o'clock, the hour from
which they break from the barrier.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Right, But I have not.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Been drinking, and as far sleepwalking. That is strictly for
gents with unhappy marathal relationships.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
All right, Frankie, I'm forced to agree with you that
you're standing in front of me instead of the five
dollar window. Now what's the dope.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, ordinarily I do not resort to hiring a strong
arm to consummate my business dealings, naturally, there being a
full supply of such muscles lying around the back room
of Patterson Smoke Shot loose. But when the.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Job calls for both packed and muscle, I am forced
to roam far abroad in sight of the same. You
mean you have a job for me, a real, honest
to seabiscuit job that'll pay money.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Well, with the ordinary shamus, I might try to offer
a little paduct chatty you know, yes, you Sammy. With you,
I will tender coin of the realm good. I will
pay you, of course, in five dollar bills, as is
my wont in advance ten twenty thirty twenty fifty ten.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Times five figures.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Now, do you veritably consider yourself in my employees?
Speaker 1 (04:15):
I am veritably in the race.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Frankly, good now, Sammy, leave it to be understood by
both parties that I am not powdered you off on
any sour deals. A rather curious situation has arisen, and
I will explain it to you candidly, as they say
at Citan novels, which I have not read well. Most
novels lose so much in the translation true truth. Yeah,
my narrative begins yesterday, to be exact, yesterday. There heels
(04:39):
and pose into the back room of Patterson smoke Shop
a Jim whose face was once as familiar to.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Me as my own by name, said Jen.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
They call him a gentle Joe Higgins, Gentle Joel, Yeah,
a horse trainer by profession, which in our civilized society
stands second only to jockey's an.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Important granted, granted, no argument. Well, I say.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
To gentle Joel, it is in some time, gentle Joe,
since I see you round and about, And he says,
I have gave up the old life for the new,
as I no longer am welcome at the track. Since
a certain embarrassing incident five years ago?
Speaker 1 (05:11):
What incident was that Frankie?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
A horse doping job, the illegal type, all which depresses
me to relate, so I will not ethics.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Well, gentle Joe looks a little voice for the wear,
his clothing being littlely shabby.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
M Oh, I figure a touch, and I.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Am preparing a story that will ring tears from.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
A tax collector.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Even what what?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Gentle Joe does not mention the word touch. Instead, he
announces he has a sure thing. Sammy, you know how
those words do to a horseplay.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
It's like throwing a bail of catnip to a lion. Oh.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
My arter is open to let the blood through faster.
My nerves give off loud, ringing noises, and my mind
is already computing.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Of course.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Well, before I can.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Stop myself, I have pressed five hundred rocks in gentle
Joe's hand, begging him to place them on the same
sure thing.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I'd have done the same thing under the circumstance, of course, But.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Gentle Joe says it will take at least fifteen hundred
rocks to pull off the deal.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
He further advises me that the horse in question is
due to retain twenty rocks to one, so.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You gave him the other times well.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Not having it in my jeans at the time. I
cut two other business and professional friends in on the
grave Dinosaur, Thorelli and bones molten, five bills a pitch,
and then gentle Joe rushes out of Patterson's.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
And has never been heard from again.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
A sad tale.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Do you think he just stole the money?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Sam, gentle Joe Higgins is a horse player, not a
common sneak bee.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I'm sorry, sorry, but did he leave time?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
He did not, or the advice of certain informers. I
tracked this gentle Joe to a ramble shack or rooming
house on clod Street two forty one to be sad Am,
and there the trail gets very cold, very cold and deep.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
He's made his move.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
No, no, no, but he had a landlady who would
not let me in. Oh she is a frightening person
to behold. She is indeed half wild cat and half witch.
I'll deal with her he and tell gentle Joe that
I am not an overly suspicious prison but also relate
to him my position. Dinosaur Paurellian, bones molten are two
(07:17):
such gents, as it is wise not to cross rough
back fence. Gossip has it they are the Undertaker's best friend. Indeed,
it is also rumored they are behind their.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Quota for the month.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Well, oh when Sam.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
At Bay Meadows, Yeah, a bad cod nothing going today.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
In preparation for my meeting with this redoubtable landlady, I
ran through my repertoire of low mean places in front
of the mirror, leaving smoking holes in the glass, and
then I stamped out, heading for the rooming house on
Clark Street two forty one. The big exact my not
was answered by well, it was even worse when you
told me she was gumming a Sam sent What do
(08:05):
you stand in there for?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
You're shaking my geraniums?
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Oh? No, well, sir, meeacup seacock curly, I ain't that
old day madam? Perchance? Do you house in this quaint
colonial inn? The fine old gentleman called gentle Joe Higgins,
you the laark. No, I'm in business for myself, you
see this? Oh?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
One thing I hate version The lore is private detectives.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Can't trust them.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Nope.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
She never have any money, look, never want to pay.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Anything, always want something for nothing.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Surely no good out of pocket pickers.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Who should all be boiled and oil and throwed in
a pittel or snarling.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
One moment, madam, madam, look at this fool well, I's
kind of crinkling and like to hear. I thought you would.
You wouldn't mind having a masters to pull that green
paper curly. It is a pleasure, distinkly to be able
to present it to such a charming, witty and gay woman.
I guess as yourself. Now come in, come in right? Aye? Yes,
(09:06):
Now where did you say, gentle Joe could be located?
The door the left? Thank you kindly go knock somewhere. Yeah,
your timing, madam, and I should add defarge was a
little sadistic. Now give me my five back. You ain't
heard my proposition. I've heard enough, madam. You have acted
in a very hateful manner. Another five. I'll let you
(09:29):
wait in your room. Madam, you are a dressdend no
matter what anybody says. Tell the tower wave you lots.
Let's go. Let's have a ball once in general Joe's room.
I closed the door, thus separating myself from that skid
rowe bankhead. While I was waiting I kissed the room, spartan,
(09:52):
a bed, the chair, addresser, a racing form, some worn clothes,
various mementos and pictures of his better days at the track.
I was studying an old print of Equapoise when gentle
Joe turned up.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Yeah, she was a great stretcher, and it wasn't she eh? Yes,
indeed a violent one body one and nip and hardly
damp at the end.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, don't don't.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Look up set, that's the spade, Fanny. Fanny told me
that you were a detective waiting for.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Oh she's a swell chit.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Yeah, Fanny's impetuous, but a good sort.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
It keeps the right people out and lets the wrong
ones in.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Fine judge of characters. No, you're generous, sir.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
I'm about to have a cup of tea. Will you
join me?
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Be delighted.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
I'll just take the water out of the tap.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
It's loud enough.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Well, hell, gentle Joe, I'm I'm here on a rather
painful mission.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
How he didn't goes the tea?
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Uh five dollars. Frankly, he thinks you caged them out
of fifteen hundred dollars. And now for the water and
the two tough friends that they are looking for your scout.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Yeah, there we are.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
How will just let that steep a while and we'll
have us a pickups.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Do you hear anything I said?
Speaker 4 (10:54):
Of course, every word. I know why you're here. Those
men are worried about their money. The next time you
see them, you tell them not to worry.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
We like you said, the sure thing of yours was
going to return twenty to one eyes. That's a lot
of money.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Oh it will, It.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Will all of that, maybe even many times more. Yeah, yes,
it's a sure thing.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
You mean the race hasn't been run off yet.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Yeah, there we are.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Now I think the tea should be ready. Well, now
this is yours, thank you, and this is mine. Ah
ah hadajeeling flowering pico.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
There's no finer tea as an almond flavor.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Yeah, it's peculiar to the region, especially pronounced in last
year's crop.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
It's well, show me get back to business.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Yes, now you tell those gentlemen that they have no
need to fit about their money.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
It'll be returned to them.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Many times over, many many times over.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Are you feeling all right, mister spain groggy?
Speaker 4 (11:47):
They'll look back on this investment with considerable pleasure and pride,
and some day.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
They'll be able to say the thing too.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Stupid Sam. Nobody had to give me a salivat test
to guess what happened. That nice, sweet, gentle old man
had doped me right up to the ears. I tried
to stand up, at my legs were like two wet
pieces of spaghetti, and I went down. Gentle Joe went
right on talking and smiling until everything was nothing. When
I came to, Joe was gone, and so was my
(12:21):
faith and horse people Fanny. It made herself scarce too,
and I stumbled alone out into the daylight for resuscitation.
It took walking, coffee, whiskey, and a bowl of raspberries
to bring me around. I eventually found a safe haven
in my own office, Sam Spade, Detective Agency, Mister hangover Steak.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Mister Spade, this is general Joe.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
What listen.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Yeah, I know, I know how upset you must be
over my little deception.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Lit such.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
It was out to a good purpose.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Mister Space. You see, I had to get out of
there in a hurry with the minimum of discussion.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
I seem to remember. You were hustle out of the
racing game for doping a few three year olds.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Well that's what some official circle stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
But mister Spade, I want to apologize to you and
tell you that I.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Will be able to explain everything to you.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Were satisfaction for me?
Speaker 1 (13:07):
No, no matter?
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Say wait, hello, hello, hello, hello.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Somebody put the phone back on the hook. So I
hung up and dial a friend at the telephone exchange.
She quickly paced the number. The call came from the
Sunset stables out near Bay Meadows. I dialed back, but
nobody answered, so I beat it out there. It was
dark and the only person I could rouse was a
young stable boy. Now what do you want? My name's Spade.
A guy named General Joe was calling me from hearing
something happened for him, General Joe Higgins, that's what I said.
(13:39):
Oh I haven't seen him in two or three years. Now,
look don't give me that he called from here? Now
where is he? I love? Beat the way before I
screamed for the CODs. All right, I'll look myself. I say,
you can't know, but I did. There were two phones
inside the stables, both hanging on posts. The second one
had the number of the phone company had given me
(14:01):
and although someone had tried to cover it up with sawdust.
On the floor under the phone, where three tea bags
and somebody had done a lot of bleeding, looked like
gentle Joel's parley had run out. You are listening to
the weekly adventure of radio's most famous detective, Damn Spade.
(14:37):
Three chimes mean Good Times on NBC. There's Music and
Mystery on NBC every Saturday night. For Music Tomorrow, your
Hit Parade brings you the top tunes in the land,
as elected by you and presented by Raymond Scott's orchestras
Nukie Lanson and Eileen Wilson. For Mystery Tomorrow, Herbert Marshall
stars as the Man called In all the strange and
(14:57):
far off places of the world, wherever there is intrigue,
danger and romance, there you will find the Man called In.
Hear him tomorrow night. And now back to the sure
Thing Caper. Tonight's adventure with Sam's Bade. I callored the
(15:23):
stable boy and questioned them about the blood under the phone,
and about what could have happened to General Joe Higgins.
Nothing just wouldn't talk, and he was too small to
beat up. So I went looking for the stable manager.
He lived in a small white house behind the exercise ring.
He wasn't too happy at being awakened, but when I
explained things, he came down to the stable with me.
I Canada sent a missus Spade. General Joe Higgins hasn't
(15:43):
been around here for at least two years with the
boy told me, you see, for doping a horse once
he can't come near a track or the stable. We
let him hang around here. The racing commissioner find us well,
he called from here and something happened to him. A
number of the phone company gave me matches up with
one of your phones there with a lot of blood
on the floor too.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Who we are?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Now?
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Which phone?
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Was it?
Speaker 1 (16:01):
That one? All right, let's look at it. This is
the phone and here is a wait a minute, come
in here, in here now, tell mister kemp here. What
was on the floor when I came in? Nothing? Nothing,
but I tell you other the word was blood? They Oh, no, honest, nothing,
mister Spade. This boy has been with me for five years.
He's perfectly reliable. Well so am I. But what do
(16:23):
you think happened? I think somebody used this old man
for a punching bag. Maybe you'd better go home and
sleep on it, mister Spade. We'll talk about it tomorrow.
Don't humor may make this kid talk, mister Kemp. This
guy's tappy, Danny. Are you certainly there was no blood
or no gettle Joe, mister Kemp, I'd swear on my
father's grave is necessary, you see, mister Spade. I calmed
(16:47):
down in a little while and searched the place myself.
I came up with exactly nothing but an attack of
hay thiever and a horsey smell. And I suddenly wondered
why I cared about dental Joe at all after what
he'd done to me. So I went home and qualified
dollar Frankie.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
You'll say you have convice.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
With gentle Joe twice, and both under rather trying circumstances. Frankie,
once I was doped, and once something happened to him.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
I take it he did not heed the message I
employed you took invY.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
So far he hasn't heeded anything.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
H then he is, without a doubt, in considerable trouble,
I would say. So, it seems that my business associates,
Dinosaur Parelli and Bone's Mowden have blown their tops and
gone looking for gentle Joe with something special in mind,
something like assassination.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I was afraid of that.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Mayhaps they have already contacted gentle Joe for an accounting.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Certainly may have. So I think they've already mowed him down, and.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
There is nothing further for us to convise about. Sam.
It is history, and it will be recorded fusly.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Well if you say so, And if I might.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Tender a bit of advice, I would say, pop into
the Simmons, Sammy, and knock yourself off. A few hours
of that. Ever, love and forgetfulness, and when you arise
you will have a race from your mind the names
of gentle Joe Higgins and yours truly five dollars Frankie
for some time to come.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
I was tired and it seemed smart to take his advice,
so I did. I went to bed. It must have
been three in the morning when something woke me up.
It was a ghost with a big white head tiptoeing
into my room. I thought was so absurd that I
turned over and started back to sleep. That's when the
ghost touched me and I grabbed for him.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Let me go to space, Let me go it's me,
gentle Joe.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Will I turn on a light?
Speaker 3 (18:28):
Of course I look a little different. The bandages around
my head looked like conturba.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
What happened to you?
Speaker 3 (18:33):
I was in mister Kemp's house when you were searching
the stave, stupid me.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I should have come out then, but I didn't. And
then I got to thinking I certainly owed you some
kind of an explanation, So I found your address and
came here.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
All right, I'll collect the explanation now. First, what was
a dope for?
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Well?
Speaker 4 (18:49):
I was afraid you might take me back to five
dollars Frankie in this French before I did what I
had to do.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Would you care to tell me what that was?
Speaker 4 (18:57):
I wanted to buy a horse their money, Yes, with
their money.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
They thought you were betting it on a horse. A
sure thing.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I know, I know, but let me explain. I was
thrown off the tracks for doping a horse. I needed money,
But that that's another story. After five years, I could
get my trainer's license back. Tell me more, do you
know what it is to love horse flesh and not
be able to go near it for five years?
Speaker 1 (19:21):
No? The bank tail bug never got me. You can't
con guys like frank and his thugs out of some
money to buy a horse whenever you want one.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
There's more to the story.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
The horse I dope didn't get into the race, and
the jockey had to ride another mount.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
He was thrown and killed.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Oh I was too bad.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
I felt that i'd murdered the man. His name was
Sandy Bean.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Andy Bean, that stable boy at Sunset Stables, any relative, his.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Son, Ah, His wife and son ran out of money,
and they'd had a hard time of it. I'd worked
as a janitor for the past five years trying to
raise enough money to buy them a.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Horse to help make up for what I did.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
How much did you say?
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Only fifteen hundred dollars?
Speaker 4 (20:01):
The horse I wanted a two year old name sure
thing costs three thousand.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Ah. Thanks are beginning to clear up now. How did
you figure you to take money from Frankie the lay well?
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Frankie and his friends made a lot of money off
Sandy Bean when he rode.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I figured it wouldn't hurt him to pay a little
bit back.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I don't think they'd see it that way.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
I wasn't stealing the money I was going to give
each of them a ten percent of the horse.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
I didn't dare pull up until after I bought it.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Well, General Joe, maybe they'll see the light, but I
doubt it.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
I was going to take ten percent for training, to
give the other sixty to missus Bean and her son Danny.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He'll make a good jockey, and sure thing is a
great horse.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
I know, I know they'll make a lot of money
off of it.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
It's a noble plan.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Tomorrow my five years is up, and I wanted to
give them the horse.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Then I see who ropped you up? When I was
talking to you on the phone.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Danny was backing a horse into the stable and it
got excited, it started kicking.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
And I was in the way.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
I thought maybe you'd been done in.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
I know.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
That's why I came to see you and explain things.
Can you do anything to help me?
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Well, all right, I'm just staying up. There's no need
to wave a gun around here. Get up, you gentle
to Joe, we've been looking for you around in a bun.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Now dinosaur now we w Steeve and you joke.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Come look, you're not gonna take him out here without
a fight.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
We wouldn't mind this little as much as we become
a quipped with a little Tilly, I didn't still get
shut up.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
All right, all right, knock at all you want some
of the time, if you think you can do it.
And it turned out they could. Why not Torelli's gonna aside.
Hit him with a hard left and he didn't go down.
I'd try a right down and knee, then a couple
of elbow. I was just getting ahead of that game
when something hit me across the face in front of
Colt forty five, on my forehead. I know this sounds repetitious,
(21:43):
but I went out again, honest, I did. Really, I'm sorry.
Appropriately it was dawn when I woke up cold and headache.
Of course I was alone. General Joe Higgins was the
victim of a successful snatch, and I had an idea
of what might have happened to him. I dressed and
started looking all over time, but I didn't have any luck.
Kenny wasn't until I was eating breakfast and met a
(22:05):
police sergeant. I know that I got a tip born
in sand. Hello, sergeant, what happened you? I tried the kisser.
I didn't know they made those kendeens anymore. Let them.
I sit out a pleasure. Yeah, we got a homicide
this morning. Yeah who who knows?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Just no?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Man found him in the park. Somebody really worked you moving?
And what do you look like?
Speaker 4 (22:24):
Ooh?
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Five?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Ten?
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Watch?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Oh? Clothes?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Probably bum? Where's he morre?
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Eh?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Else he's putting a run down on him? Now, yell,
I'll see you later, Carter. Thanks, Hey, Sam, I haven't
finished your breakfast. They let me in my morgue and
I took a look at the corpse, and once I
saw it, I knew just where I had to go.
I caught a cab out of the Sunset stables. The
horses were just having a roller loas when I pulled
in and Danny Bean, the stable boy, was there, dressed
(22:50):
in his cleanest Levi's what do you want? Where's the
show going to be?
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Wat show?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
And gettle?
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Joe?
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Give you the horse? Isn't this a day? Okay? So
you know see, I'm sorry about last night, missus Spade.
I had to keep it a secret to get it.
To get it, he did the right thing. When's the
ceremony in about an hour? Right here? You want to wait?
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Sure? I would miss it for the world. Of course
I cheated a little. I didn't tell you who it
was I saw in the lorgue. The truth was, I
didn't know. It wasn't gentle Joe Higgins, though, And so
I reasoned dustly, if Torelli and Moulton didn't finish him
off in the night, he must have gotten out of
it somehow. It was a resourceful old man, and I
was sure nothing short of death would keep him from
(23:29):
presenting Danny with a horse on the day he played.
And I was right. An hour later he came walking
in leading the prettiest jestnut mayor I'd ever seen, and
was a smile two feet wide on his face. And
behind him, carrying blankets, a saddle and riding colors were
who else five dollars Frankie, Dinosaurs, Arelli and bone smoke.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Well, this is a surprise.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
It was a pleasant one.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Yeah, this is sure thing. Oh isn't she is? Indeed,
how did you do it?
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Gentle Joan?
Speaker 3 (23:58):
Where was the spade?
Speaker 4 (23:59):
I had them over to my place to have a
cup of tea?
Speaker 3 (24:02):
You get it?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Yeah, While we was half out to explain the whole
thing to us, Dan like, good.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Deal, and may we can win both ways? And the
tag the window.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
Horse just waiting to cross the finish line.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Sally boy, this is indeed a signal occasion.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Huh.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
This is the first time I have ever been this
close to a horse, and me being a horse player.
By sure, I am already talking to shure thing and
explain to her our financial position.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Oh, she has.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Assured me she will ramp home first more times than that.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Well, gentlemen, shall we do what we came here to do?
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Sure, leave us make the present. Come on, come on,
let's get in the business.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
You have the animal already, I agree, Danny.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
Yes, mister Higgins, Danny, the four of us are giving
you this horse sure thing in memory of your father,
the late great Sandy b.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Thank you, Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
He's a beauty is I feel like I was just
born writer Wilson.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Rider wealth.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
And I think he will period. End of report.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
It was so beautiful, A.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Simple old fashioned type story. If we feel we can
use one now and then. And I'm glad nothing happened
to anybody because I just love them all everything considered.
If they weren't half bad. Now, how about typing it up?
I love you three times mean good times. On NBC,
(25:45):
there's music and fun in the air tomorrow evening style
to suit your Saturday night of merriment. Dennis Day brings
you songs in comedy in his charming, boyish manner, and
then Judy Canova gets together with her frolicsome friends for
Mountain Melody and Mayhem, followed by grand ol Opera. He
was singing mc red Foley in his gang. It's a
Saturday night of fun designed for you all types up.
(26:14):
Let me say now, you captured five dollar Frankie's peculiar
style perfect. And that wasn't easy, Oh Sam.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I was just thinking we ought to contribute something along
with everybody else.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Did that horse? You know that sure Thing? I probably will,
Effie a few dollars here, a few there, whenever it's running. Well,
I didn't mean, Benny. What I mean is, for example,
it's it's gonna need a lot of hay, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Bails and bails?
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Well, my cousin's Frisby cuts. How long I'll have him
save the grass and send up the stable. Effie, you
are a noble creature, but I think sure Thing can
get along without your little loss.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Well, I've seen horses wearing stockings, couldn't.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
I need a pair, two pair, two pair. But let's
not lose our heads. Fire Dollar, Frankie and his pals
will take good care of sure thing. Aw about worrying
about taking care of me?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
All right?
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Yes? Did you use some grass, Effie? Knock off this
horse talk? Well, yeah, we're almost at the wire now.
People are just champing at the bit for the payoffs.
Let's finish neck and neck. Why not come here? Sure thing? Night,
good night sweet. The Adventures of Sam Spade are produced, edited,
(27:35):
and directed by William Spears. Sam Spade was played by
Stephen Dunn. Loreen Tuttle is Effie wally Meyer was Gentle Joe.
Script for tonight's adventure by John Michael Hayes, Musical scoring
by lud Gluskin, conducted by Robert Armbrewster. Join us again
(28:03):
next week, same time for another adventure with Sam Spade.
The fight against heart disease, the greatest killer in America,
goes on with increased intensity. But doctors cannot wage this
battle alone. They need your help for the eventual control
of heart disease through research, education, and community heart programs.
(28:26):
Give now to fight heart disease. Send your contribution to
heart Hart in care of your nearest post office, join
the magnificent Montague. Then it's Duffy's Tavern on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company presents the adventures of Sam Spade, Detective.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Sam Stay Dejative Agency, Me.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Sweetheart, dam A man named five Dollars Frankie call up
and said he's putting two dollars in your name on
a sure thing at some track or other. Well, that's
nice to hear. I don't think it is at all.
You know, I don't approve of your gambling day, Effie.
You do some things I disapprove of. But do I
snipe at you? No? No, but's about it? And besides,
I didn't place the bet. It was placed for me.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I don't care.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
It's the principle of the thing I don't like. I
suppose I put it this way, ef that two dollars
bet on a sure thing was more than just a
money bet. It was a gamble on the inherent goodness
of the human soul. Oh, Sam, you're just trying to
confuse me, I am, But I'll straighten everything out to
your satisfaction, I trust. When I appear at the office
with a highly stylized and rather charming saga of horse
players and the world they live in, what else but
(01:00):
the sure Thing Caper or NBC William Spear radio is
outstanding producer, director of mystery and crime drama brings you
the greatest private detective of them all in the Adventures
of Sam's Baid. Yes, and I hope you always are
(01:25):
at the wages.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I pay you.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
I'm glad you brought that up stairs when I pay them.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I don't want to start an argument, but I do
need some new clothes.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
You want me to put up a good front, don't you.
I will rephrase my answer. Yes, Well, if you can
hold warp and looks together for a few weeks, I
have a feeling we'll be rolling in dough, driving big
cars and wear and make oh you mean that all conjecture?
Enough of your sneering. Can you hear me out? Weigh
the evidence, and maybe you'll feel different. I doubt it.
(01:53):
No good comes of playing the horses dates fill it
in two five dollars Frank a care of five dollar Fran.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
What does that?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I don't think he has one f as I get it.
He was born just before a gold cup Handedicatapimicole, and
they didn't have time to give my last name and
place a vet too, so they chose the bet. Oh sand,
that's awful. What do you mean awful at horse paid
eighteen to one. Well well to get on two five
dollars Frankie, care of Patterson Smoke Shop, Myrtle Street, City,
from Samuel Sucker Spade, San Francisco, license number one three
(02:22):
seven five nine six, subject the sure Thing Caper dear,
five dollars Frankie for you to be seen at the
r of one pm post time anywhere but at the
track is truly a veritable, unbelievable occurrence. So in my
door pivoted open Monday it said R. And a short
gent with thirty six shoulders and a forty four long
(02:43):
plaid coke came in My eyes told me it was you,
but my mind screamed no. I checked your wide brim
pork pires zuke gabardine slacks swayed and alligator winged fifth shoes,
and it's still repeated.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
You you, you, Sammy, look as if you have just
lamp for ghosts. It is I five dollars frankly.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
But at this hour, Frankie, what is it? You're watch broken?
Did you lose your way? Your sleepwalking?
Speaker 4 (03:08):
What?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
No, sam I am in complete possession of my faculties
good and I came here with the full knowledge of
my intellect. I even see through the crystal of my
time piece that it is one o'clock, the hour from
which they break from the barrier.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Right, But I have not.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Been drinking, and as far sleepwalking. That is strictly for
gents with unhappy marathal relationships.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
All right, Frankie, I'm forced to agree with you that
you're standing in front of me instead of the five
dollar window. Now what's the dope.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, ordinarily I do not resort to hiring a strong
arm to consummate my business dealings, naturally, there being a
full supply of such muscles lying around the back room
of Patterson Smoke Shot loose. But when the.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Job calls for both packed and muscle, I am forced
to roam far abroad in sight of the same. You
mean you have a job for me, a real, honest
to seabiscuit job that'll pay money.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Well, with the ordinary shamus, I might try to offer
a little paduct chatty you know, yes, you Sammy. With you,
I will tender coin of the realm good. I will
pay you, of course, in five dollar bills, as is
my wont in advance ten twenty thirty twenty fifty ten.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Times five figures.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Now, do you veritably consider yourself in my employees?
Speaker 1 (04:15):
I am veritably in the race.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Frankly, good now, Sammy, leave it to be understood by
both parties that I am not powdered you off on
any sour deals. A rather curious situation has arisen, and
I will explain it to you candidly, as they say
at Citan novels, which I have not read well. Most
novels lose so much in the translation true truth. Yeah,
my narrative begins yesterday, to be exact, yesterday. There heels
(04:39):
and pose into the back room of Patterson smoke Shop
a Jim whose face was once as familiar to.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Me as my own by name, said Jen.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
They call him a gentle Joe Higgins, Gentle Joel, Yeah,
a horse trainer by profession, which in our civilized society
stands second only to jockey's an.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Important granted, granted, no argument. Well, I say.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
To gentle Joel, it is in some time, gentle Joe,
since I see you round and about, And he says,
I have gave up the old life for the new,
as I no longer am welcome at the track. Since
a certain embarrassing incident five years ago?
Speaker 1 (05:11):
What incident was that Frankie?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
A horse doping job, the illegal type, all which depresses
me to relate, so I will not ethics.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Well, gentle Joe looks a little voice for the wear,
his clothing being littlely shabby.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
M Oh, I figure a touch, and I.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Am preparing a story that will ring tears from.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
A tax collector.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Even what what?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Gentle Joe does not mention the word touch. Instead, he
announces he has a sure thing. Sammy, you know how
those words do to a horseplay.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
It's like throwing a bail of catnip to a lion. Oh.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
My arter is open to let the blood through faster.
My nerves give off loud, ringing noises, and my mind
is already computing.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Of course.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Well, before I can.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Stop myself, I have pressed five hundred rocks in gentle
Joe's hand, begging him to place them on the same
sure thing.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I'd have done the same thing under the circumstance, of course, But.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Gentle Joe says it will take at least fifteen hundred
rocks to pull off the deal.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
He further advises me that the horse in question is
due to retain twenty rocks to one, so.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You gave him the other times well.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Not having it in my jeans at the time. I
cut two other business and professional friends in on the
grave Dinosaur, Thorelli and bones molten, five bills a pitch,
and then gentle Joe rushes out of Patterson's.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
And has never been heard from again.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
A sad tale.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Do you think he just stole the money?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Sam, gentle Joe Higgins is a horse player, not a
common sneak bee.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I'm sorry, sorry, but did he leave time?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
He did not, or the advice of certain informers. I
tracked this gentle Joe to a ramble shack or rooming
house on clod Street two forty one to be sad Am,
and there the trail gets very cold, very cold and deep.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
He's made his move.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
No, no, no, but he had a landlady who would
not let me in. Oh she is a frightening person
to behold. She is indeed half wild cat and half witch.
I'll deal with her he and tell gentle Joe that
I am not an overly suspicious prison but also relate
to him my position. Dinosaur Paurellian, bones molten are two
(07:17):
such gents, as it is wise not to cross rough
back fence. Gossip has it they are the Undertaker's best friend. Indeed,
it is also rumored they are behind their.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Quota for the month.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Well, oh when Sam.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
At Bay Meadows, Yeah, a bad cod nothing going today.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
In preparation for my meeting with this redoubtable landlady, I
ran through my repertoire of low mean places in front
of the mirror, leaving smoking holes in the glass, and
then I stamped out, heading for the rooming house on
Clark Street two forty one. The big exact my not
was answered by well, it was even worse when you
told me she was gumming a Sam sent What do
(08:05):
you stand in there for?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
You're shaking my geraniums?
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Oh? No, well, sir, meeacup seacock curly, I ain't that
old day madam? Perchance? Do you house in this quaint
colonial inn? The fine old gentleman called gentle Joe Higgins,
you the laark. No, I'm in business for myself, you
see this? Oh?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
One thing I hate version The lore is private detectives.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Can't trust them.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Nope.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
She never have any money, look, never want to pay.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Anything, always want something for nothing.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Surely no good out of pocket pickers.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Who should all be boiled and oil and throwed in
a pittel or snarling.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
One moment, madam, madam, look at this fool well, I's
kind of crinkling and like to hear. I thought you would.
You wouldn't mind having a masters to pull that green
paper curly. It is a pleasure, distinkly to be able
to present it to such a charming, witty and gay woman.
I guess as yourself. Now come in, come in right? Aye? Yes,
(09:06):
Now where did you say, gentle Joe could be located?
The door the left? Thank you kindly go knock somewhere. Yeah,
your timing, madam, and I should add defarge was a
little sadistic. Now give me my five back. You ain't
heard my proposition. I've heard enough, madam. You have acted
in a very hateful manner. Another five. I'll let you
(09:29):
wait in your room. Madam, you are a dressdend no
matter what anybody says. Tell the tower wave you lots.
Let's go. Let's have a ball once in general Joe's room.
I closed the door, thus separating myself from that skid
rowe bankhead. While I was waiting I kissed the room, spartan,
(09:52):
a bed, the chair, addresser, a racing form, some worn clothes,
various mementos and pictures of his better days at the track.
I was studying an old print of Equapoise when gentle
Joe turned up.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Yeah, she was a great stretcher, and it wasn't she eh? Yes,
indeed a violent one body one and nip and hardly
damp at the end.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, don't don't.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Look up set, that's the spade, Fanny. Fanny told me
that you were a detective waiting for.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Oh she's a swell chit.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Yeah, Fanny's impetuous, but a good sort.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
It keeps the right people out and lets the wrong
ones in.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Fine judge of characters. No, you're generous, sir.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
I'm about to have a cup of tea. Will you
join me?
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Be delighted.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
I'll just take the water out of the tap.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
It's loud enough.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Well, hell, gentle Joe, I'm I'm here on a rather
painful mission.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
How he didn't goes the tea?
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Uh five dollars. Frankly, he thinks you caged them out
of fifteen hundred dollars. And now for the water and
the two tough friends that they are looking for your scout.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Yeah, there we are.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
How will just let that steep a while and we'll
have us a pickups.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Do you hear anything I said?
Speaker 4 (10:54):
Of course, every word. I know why you're here. Those
men are worried about their money. The next time you
see them, you tell them not to worry.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
We like you said, the sure thing of yours was
going to return twenty to one eyes. That's a lot
of money.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Oh it will, It.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Will all of that, maybe even many times more. Yeah, yes,
it's a sure thing.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
You mean the race hasn't been run off yet.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Yeah, there we are.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Now I think the tea should be ready. Well, now
this is yours, thank you, and this is mine. Ah
ah hadajeeling flowering pico.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
There's no finer tea as an almond flavor.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Yeah, it's peculiar to the region, especially pronounced in last
year's crop.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
It's well, show me get back to business.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Yes, now you tell those gentlemen that they have no
need to fit about their money.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
It'll be returned to them.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Many times over, many many times over.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Are you feeling all right, mister spain groggy?
Speaker 4 (11:47):
They'll look back on this investment with considerable pleasure and pride,
and some day.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
They'll be able to say the thing too.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Stupid Sam. Nobody had to give me a salivat test
to guess what happened. That nice, sweet, gentle old man
had doped me right up to the ears. I tried
to stand up, at my legs were like two wet
pieces of spaghetti, and I went down. Gentle Joe went
right on talking and smiling until everything was nothing. When
I came to, Joe was gone, and so was my
(12:21):
faith and horse people Fanny. It made herself scarce too,
and I stumbled alone out into the daylight for resuscitation.
It took walking, coffee, whiskey, and a bowl of raspberries
to bring me around. I eventually found a safe haven
in my own office, Sam Spade, Detective Agency, Mister hangover Steak.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Mister Spade, this is general Joe.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
What listen.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Yeah, I know, I know how upset you must be
over my little deception.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Lit such.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
It was out to a good purpose.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Mister Space. You see, I had to get out of
there in a hurry with the minimum of discussion.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
I seem to remember. You were hustle out of the
racing game for doping a few three year olds.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Well that's what some official circle stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
But mister Spade, I want to apologize to you and
tell you that I.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Will be able to explain everything to you.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Were satisfaction for me?
Speaker 1 (13:07):
No, no matter?
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Say wait, hello, hello, hello, hello.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Somebody put the phone back on the hook. So I
hung up and dial a friend at the telephone exchange.
She quickly paced the number. The call came from the
Sunset stables out near Bay Meadows. I dialed back, but
nobody answered, so I beat it out there. It was
dark and the only person I could rouse was a
young stable boy. Now what do you want? My name's Spade.
A guy named General Joe was calling me from hearing
something happened for him, General Joe Higgins, that's what I said.
(13:39):
Oh I haven't seen him in two or three years. Now,
look don't give me that he called from here? Now
where is he? I love? Beat the way before I
screamed for the CODs. All right, I'll look myself. I say,
you can't know, but I did. There were two phones
inside the stables, both hanging on posts. The second one
had the number of the phone company had given me
(14:01):
and although someone had tried to cover it up with sawdust.
On the floor under the phone, where three tea bags
and somebody had done a lot of bleeding, looked like
gentle Joel's parley had run out. You are listening to
the weekly adventure of radio's most famous detective, Damn Spade.
(14:37):
Three chimes mean Good Times on NBC. There's Music and
Mystery on NBC every Saturday night. For Music Tomorrow, your
Hit Parade brings you the top tunes in the land,
as elected by you and presented by Raymond Scott's orchestras
Nukie Lanson and Eileen Wilson. For Mystery Tomorrow, Herbert Marshall
stars as the Man called In all the strange and
(14:57):
far off places of the world, wherever there is intrigue,
danger and romance, there you will find the Man called In.
Hear him tomorrow night. And now back to the sure
Thing Caper. Tonight's adventure with Sam's Bade. I callored the
(15:23):
stable boy and questioned them about the blood under the phone,
and about what could have happened to General Joe Higgins.
Nothing just wouldn't talk, and he was too small to
beat up. So I went looking for the stable manager.
He lived in a small white house behind the exercise ring.
He wasn't too happy at being awakened, but when I
explained things, he came down to the stable with me.
I Canada sent a missus Spade. General Joe Higgins hasn't
(15:43):
been around here for at least two years with the
boy told me, you see, for doping a horse once
he can't come near a track or the stable. We
let him hang around here. The racing commissioner find us well,
he called from here and something happened to him. A
number of the phone company gave me matches up with
one of your phones there with a lot of blood
on the floor too.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Who we are?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Now?
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Which phone?
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Was it?
Speaker 1 (16:01):
That one? All right, let's look at it. This is
the phone and here is a wait a minute, come
in here, in here now, tell mister kemp here. What
was on the floor when I came in? Nothing? Nothing,
but I tell you other the word was blood? They Oh, no, honest, nothing,
mister Spade. This boy has been with me for five years.
He's perfectly reliable. Well so am I. But what do
(16:23):
you think happened? I think somebody used this old man
for a punching bag. Maybe you'd better go home and
sleep on it, mister Spade. We'll talk about it tomorrow.
Don't humor may make this kid talk, mister Kemp. This
guy's tappy, Danny. Are you certainly there was no blood
or no gettle Joe, mister Kemp, I'd swear on my
father's grave is necessary, you see, mister Spade. I calmed
(16:47):
down in a little while and searched the place myself.
I came up with exactly nothing but an attack of
hay thiever and a horsey smell. And I suddenly wondered
why I cared about dental Joe at all after what
he'd done to me. So I went home and qualified
dollar Frankie.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
You'll say you have convice.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
With gentle Joe twice, and both under rather trying circumstances. Frankie,
once I was doped, and once something happened to him.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
I take it he did not heed the message I
employed you took invY.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
So far he hasn't heeded anything.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
H then he is, without a doubt, in considerable trouble,
I would say. So, it seems that my business associates,
Dinosaur Parelli and Bone's Mowden have blown their tops and
gone looking for gentle Joe with something special in mind,
something like assassination.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I was afraid of that.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Mayhaps they have already contacted gentle Joe for an accounting.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Certainly may have. So I think they've already mowed him down, and.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
There is nothing further for us to convise about. Sam.
It is history, and it will be recorded fusly.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Well if you say so, And if I might.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Tender a bit of advice, I would say, pop into
the Simmons, Sammy, and knock yourself off. A few hours
of that. Ever, love and forgetfulness, and when you arise
you will have a race from your mind the names
of gentle Joe Higgins and yours truly five dollars Frankie
for some time to come.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
I was tired and it seemed smart to take his advice,
so I did. I went to bed. It must have
been three in the morning when something woke me up.
It was a ghost with a big white head tiptoeing
into my room. I thought was so absurd that I
turned over and started back to sleep. That's when the
ghost touched me and I grabbed for him.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Let me go to space, Let me go it's me,
gentle Joe.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Will I turn on a light?
Speaker 3 (18:28):
Of course I look a little different. The bandages around
my head looked like conturba.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
What happened to you?
Speaker 3 (18:33):
I was in mister Kemp's house when you were searching
the stave, stupid me.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I should have come out then, but I didn't. And
then I got to thinking I certainly owed you some
kind of an explanation, So I found your address and
came here.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
All right, I'll collect the explanation now. First, what was
a dope for?
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Well?
Speaker 4 (18:49):
I was afraid you might take me back to five
dollars Frankie in this French before I did what I
had to do.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Would you care to tell me what that was?
Speaker 4 (18:57):
I wanted to buy a horse their money, Yes, with
their money.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
They thought you were betting it on a horse. A
sure thing.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I know, I know, but let me explain. I was
thrown off the tracks for doping a horse. I needed money,
But that that's another story. After five years, I could
get my trainer's license back. Tell me more, do you
know what it is to love horse flesh and not
be able to go near it for five years?
Speaker 1 (19:21):
No? The bank tail bug never got me. You can't
con guys like frank and his thugs out of some
money to buy a horse whenever you want one.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
There's more to the story.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
The horse I dope didn't get into the race, and
the jockey had to ride another mount.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
He was thrown and killed.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Oh I was too bad.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
I felt that i'd murdered the man. His name was
Sandy Bean.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Andy Bean, that stable boy at Sunset Stables, any relative, his.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Son, Ah, His wife and son ran out of money,
and they'd had a hard time of it. I'd worked
as a janitor for the past five years trying to
raise enough money to buy them a.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Horse to help make up for what I did.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
How much did you say?
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Only fifteen hundred dollars?
Speaker 4 (20:01):
The horse I wanted a two year old name sure
thing costs three thousand.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Ah. Thanks are beginning to clear up now. How did
you figure you to take money from Frankie the lay well?
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Frankie and his friends made a lot of money off
Sandy Bean when he rode.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I figured it wouldn't hurt him to pay a little
bit back.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I don't think they'd see it that way.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
I wasn't stealing the money I was going to give
each of them a ten percent of the horse.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
I didn't dare pull up until after I bought it.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Well, General Joe, maybe they'll see the light, but I
doubt it.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
I was going to take ten percent for training, to
give the other sixty to missus Bean and her son Danny.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He'll make a good jockey, and sure thing is a
great horse.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
I know, I know they'll make a lot of money
off of it.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
It's a noble plan.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Tomorrow my five years is up, and I wanted to
give them the horse.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Then I see who ropped you up? When I was
talking to you on the phone.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Danny was backing a horse into the stable and it
got excited, it started kicking.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
And I was in the way.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
I thought maybe you'd been done in.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
I know.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
That's why I came to see you and explain things.
Can you do anything to help me?
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Well, all right, I'm just staying up. There's no need
to wave a gun around here. Get up, you gentle
to Joe, we've been looking for you around in a bun.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Now dinosaur now we w Steeve and you joke.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Come look, you're not gonna take him out here without
a fight.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
We wouldn't mind this little as much as we become
a quipped with a little Tilly, I didn't still get
shut up.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
All right, all right, knock at all you want some
of the time, if you think you can do it.
And it turned out they could. Why not Torelli's gonna aside.
Hit him with a hard left and he didn't go down.
I'd try a right down and knee, then a couple
of elbow. I was just getting ahead of that game
when something hit me across the face in front of
Colt forty five, on my forehead. I know this sounds repetitious,
(21:43):
but I went out again, honest, I did. Really, I'm sorry.
Appropriately it was dawn when I woke up cold and headache.
Of course I was alone. General Joe Higgins was the
victim of a successful snatch, and I had an idea
of what might have happened to him. I dressed and
started looking all over time, but I didn't have any luck.
Kenny wasn't until I was eating breakfast and met a
(22:05):
police sergeant. I know that I got a tip born
in sand. Hello, sergeant, what happened you? I tried the kisser.
I didn't know they made those kendeens anymore. Let them.
I sit out a pleasure. Yeah, we got a homicide
this morning. Yeah who who knows?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Just no?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Man found him in the park. Somebody really worked you moving?
And what do you look like?
Speaker 4 (22:24):
Ooh?
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Five?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Ten?
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Watch?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Oh? Clothes?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Probably bum? Where's he morre?
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Eh?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Else he's putting a run down on him? Now, yell,
I'll see you later, Carter. Thanks, Hey, Sam, I haven't
finished your breakfast. They let me in my morgue and
I took a look at the corpse, and once I
saw it, I knew just where I had to go.
I caught a cab out of the Sunset stables. The
horses were just having a roller loas when I pulled
in and Danny Bean, the stable boy, was there, dressed
(22:50):
in his cleanest Levi's what do you want? Where's the
show going to be?
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Wat show?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
And gettle?
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Joe?
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Give you the horse? Isn't this a day? Okay? So
you know see, I'm sorry about last night, missus Spade.
I had to keep it a secret to get it.
To get it, he did the right thing. When's the
ceremony in about an hour? Right here? You want to wait?
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Sure? I would miss it for the world. Of course
I cheated a little. I didn't tell you who it
was I saw in the lorgue. The truth was, I
didn't know. It wasn't gentle Joe Higgins, though, And so
I reasoned dustly, if Torelli and Moulton didn't finish him
off in the night, he must have gotten out of
it somehow. It was a resourceful old man, and I
was sure nothing short of death would keep him from
(23:29):
presenting Danny with a horse on the day he played.
And I was right. An hour later he came walking
in leading the prettiest jestnut mayor I'd ever seen, and
was a smile two feet wide on his face. And
behind him, carrying blankets, a saddle and riding colors were
who else five dollars Frankie, Dinosaurs, Arelli and bone smoke.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Well, this is a surprise.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
It was a pleasant one.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Yeah, this is sure thing. Oh isn't she is? Indeed,
how did you do it?
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Gentle Joan?
Speaker 3 (23:58):
Where was the spade?
Speaker 4 (23:59):
I had them over to my place to have a
cup of tea?
Speaker 3 (24:02):
You get it?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Yeah, While we was half out to explain the whole
thing to us, Dan like, good.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Deal, and may we can win both ways? And the
tag the window.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
Horse just waiting to cross the finish line.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Sally boy, this is indeed a signal occasion.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Huh.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
This is the first time I have ever been this
close to a horse, and me being a horse player.
By sure, I am already talking to shure thing and
explain to her our financial position.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Oh, she has.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Assured me she will ramp home first more times than that.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Well, gentlemen, shall we do what we came here to do?
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Sure, leave us make the present. Come on, come on,
let's get in the business.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
You have the animal already, I agree, Danny.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
Yes, mister Higgins, Danny, the four of us are giving
you this horse sure thing in memory of your father,
the late great Sandy b.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Thank you, Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
He's a beauty is I feel like I was just
born writer Wilson.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Rider wealth.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
And I think he will period. End of report.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
It was so beautiful, A.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Simple old fashioned type story. If we feel we can
use one now and then. And I'm glad nothing happened
to anybody because I just love them all everything considered.
If they weren't half bad. Now, how about typing it up?
I love you three times mean good times. On NBC,
(25:45):
there's music and fun in the air tomorrow evening style
to suit your Saturday night of merriment. Dennis Day brings
you songs in comedy in his charming, boyish manner, and
then Judy Canova gets together with her frolicsome friends for
Mountain Melody and Mayhem, followed by grand ol Opera. He
was singing mc red Foley in his gang. It's a
Saturday night of fun designed for you all types up.
(26:14):
Let me say now, you captured five dollar Frankie's peculiar
style perfect. And that wasn't easy, Oh Sam.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I was just thinking we ought to contribute something along
with everybody else.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Did that horse? You know that sure Thing? I probably will,
Effie a few dollars here, a few there, whenever it's running. Well,
I didn't mean, Benny. What I mean is, for example,
it's it's gonna need a lot of hay, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Bails and bails?
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Well, my cousin's Frisby cuts. How long I'll have him
save the grass and send up the stable. Effie, you
are a noble creature, but I think sure Thing can
get along without your little loss.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Well, I've seen horses wearing stockings, couldn't.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
I need a pair, two pair, two pair. But let's
not lose our heads. Fire Dollar, Frankie and his pals
will take good care of sure thing. Aw about worrying
about taking care of me?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
All right?
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Yes? Did you use some grass, Effie? Knock off this
horse talk? Well, yeah, we're almost at the wire now.
People are just champing at the bit for the payoffs.
Let's finish neck and neck. Why not come here? Sure thing? Night,
good night sweet. The Adventures of Sam Spade are produced, edited,
(27:35):
and directed by William Spears. Sam Spade was played by
Stephen Dunn. Loreen Tuttle is Effie wally Meyer was Gentle Joe.
Script for tonight's adventure by John Michael Hayes, Musical scoring
by lud Gluskin, conducted by Robert Armbrewster. Join us again
(28:03):
next week, same time for another adventure with Sam Spade.
The fight against heart disease, the greatest killer in America,
goes on with increased intensity. But doctors cannot wage this
battle alone. They need your help for the eventual control
of heart disease through research, education, and community heart programs.
(28:26):
Give now to fight heart disease. Send your contribution to
heart Hart in care of your nearest post office, join
the magnificent Montague. Then it's Duffy's Tavern on NBC
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.