Father Brown: The Quick One

At a hotel, Father Brown tries to find out who killed an outspoken local man in a hotel bar.

Episode Transcript

(00:28):
Welcome to the Great Detectives of OldTime Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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(01:17):
and you can learn about the giftsthere, which include some colonial radio
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(01:41):
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(02:05):
permission of the Colonial Radio Theater onthe air. For those of you who
follow the post idea when I interviewedJerry Robbins of the Colonial Radio Theater about
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and in every Listeners Support campaign,Colonial Radio Theater dramas such as Zoro and

(02:31):
the Pirate Raiders and Their Father Brownand Perry Mason dramas are among highlighted items
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encourage their work with radio drama.They've they've got an incredible story. Began

(02:55):
doing this in nineteen ninety five andfor seventeen years they've been producing radio dramas.
They've been getting better of what theydo. They've done quite a few
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(03:16):
late Ray Bradberry. They did avery good adaptation of his Martian Chronicles.
And so I was appearing on apodcast to talk about podcasting and I mentioned
this what we do with the listenerssupport campaign as well as are including of

(03:36):
colonial radio theater dramas and what weoffer, and Jerry emailed me and offered
us that you can play one FatherBrown episode for your listeners. So I
decided to take him up on thisoffer. So for the first time ever,
we will be standpoint and sharing withyou on modern radio drama. And
this will also give you an ideaof kind of the quality of some of

(03:59):
the radio theater dramas that we're settingout during the listener support campaign. At
A's episode of Father Brown is calledThe Quick One. The Quick One was
a short story originally published and compiledin G. K. Chesterton's nineteen thirty
five Father Brown collection The Scandal ofFather Brown. This was also adapted as

(04:21):
part of the nineteen seventy four FatherBrown TV series that aired in the UK
over I TV. But to behonest, I prefer this version myself before
were to get started, I shouldoffer just a word of caution to parents.
Usually, because we're playing vintage oldtime radio, there's no swearing included.

(04:46):
There is, however, some swearingin this episode. And this is
actually consistent with the story that G. K. Chesterton wrote. And so
that is one thing colonial radio theaterdozes. They're very consistent with the stories
they tell, rather than trying tocreate their own span so with an advisor
and so it'd be about maybe PGfor language, so be advised. All

(05:10):
right, Well, now it's timefor today's episode. This special Father Brown
episode recorded June fourth of two thousandand eight, The Quick One The Father

(05:32):
Brown Mysteries starring J. T.Turner as Father Brown, dramatized radio by
M. J. Elliott from thestories by G. K. Chesterton.
Tonight's episode The Quick One Service.Hello, can we have some service here?

(06:02):
Please? An unmanned bar at thistime of the evening. Not to
worry, inspector do sit down oryou're not really that desperate for a drink?
Car you miles away from anywhere,forced to stay over night in a
dilapidated hotel until the next train backto London. I've stayed in far worse
establishments than the Maypole and Garland.I mean, look at it like some
sort of sham palace in a HollywoodArabian Nights fantasy. You see from the

(06:26):
faded patches on the wall that aflintlock used to hang there, a stuff
fished over there, and a picturehere, very likely a sporting prudant service.
Hello, have a seat, inspector. I may as well offer you
a penny for your thoughts rather drown, as nobody seems to want my pennies
for anything else. I don't knowwhy, but I was thinking how easy
it would be to commit a murderhere. Oh you mean those Turkish daggers

(06:48):
on the wall. There are plentyof things to commit murder with, but
no more than there are in anyordinary kitchen, carving knives or pokers or
whatnot. I wasn't actually thinking ofthe furnishings. It just has occurred to
me that, oh, we've gotcompany. Commercial travelers are in for a
big disappointment. If they're expecting tobe served, they move on wills.

(07:08):
These fellows are dieing a thirst here. I'm sure. I'm very sorry,
mister Jukes, but rather understaffed atpresent, and I had to attend to
something in the hotel. Now,who's first? Della Scouts a sort of
a mate? Would you look atthat bloody typical bigger? Pardon father,
oh you are forgiven. Now youare saying something about murder. Murders always

(07:30):
easy. They can't possibly be anythingeasier, Not that I intended, Father
Brown, But I could murder youat this minute more easily than I can
get a drink in this dawn,Inspector Craven, what's the matter, Oh,
good lord, A good evening,gentlemen. Mister Wills, mister Wills.
A glass of milk, please,certainly, reverend, And what about

(07:50):
your your friend? I will havethese same as the Reverend Price Jordan's two
milks coming right up, gentlemen,milk if you please. The doctor says,
I'm not to have these shocks,and then you come and drink milk
and cold blood before my very eyes. Well, this is turning into quite

(08:11):
an unusual evening. I must say, yes, I'm aware of the Reverend
David Price Jones from the newspapers.Prohibition and Purification of our land and the
Briton's overseas is his slogan, shunthe bowl and bring out the cow.
You mean you may ask, sir, why does our friend here said an
example to Christians in truly Christian selfcontrol and brotherhood? I wasn't asking why

(08:41):
does he stand here as a modelof true Christianity, of real refinement,
of genuine gentlemanly behavior amid all thequarrels and riots of such places as the
Maypole and Garland, Because whatever thedoctrinal differences between us, at least in
his soil, the evil plan tothe accursed harper Vine has never ever been

(09:05):
Mister Willis, is this a baror a temperance lecture hall? Someone else
will get served before me? Icondolences, inspector. Oh would you like
me too? No, no,father, I'm enjoying the show. This
akbar fellow doesn't say much, doeshe? And you will have your usual
mister Ragley, that's the only decentstuff you've still got, damreit. I
sometimes think the only English thing leftin England is Jerry Brandy. The crank

(09:28):
Brigade is out in force. Itseems as an infernal swindle going on now
in every inn in the country thatwould have raised a revolution in any other
country. Now I've found out athing or two about it. I can
tell you a man after our ownhearts. Mister Hackbar, oh dear,
what are you talking about? Prohibition? Mister Ragley, isn't it? And

(09:50):
it seems perfectly sensible to me thatif prohibition is right, I'll drink.
Sir, that if if prohibition isright, then some honor must be due
to the first prohibitionist. I refer, of course, to the prophet Muhammed.
I think the Reverend Price Jones hasconfused mister Ragley's idea of bad drink

(10:11):
with his own idea that drink isbad. I have of late corresponded with
the leaders of the Mohammedan religious thought, and have induced my distinguished friend mister
Akbarter come and lecture in England onthe ancient Muslim veto on wine. I
think things are about to turn nasty. Come on, father, why I
believe we in England would do betterto take a broader theological outlook of broader

(10:37):
damn your soul? Do you meanthat Englishman mustn't drink English bear because wine
was forbidden in a damned desert bythe dirt old humbug mohammeds Oh my,
you insolent dog, you insult theprophet. He's grabbing a night Get down,
Ragley, I blast your eyes,mister Ragley. Her name is Inspector

(11:07):
Craven, Scotland. Do you chargethis man? Charge him? Charge him
cause not. I'd stand him adrink if he were allowed any I hadn't
any business to insult his religions,Your good helper. Well, now he's
called us all skunks piece and harmonyseemed to be restored. I wish I
could charge that bloody teetotal lecturer.How the Reverend Price Jones, he was

(11:30):
the one who made all the mischief. Did you notice anything unusual in that
par Inspector, unusual? Rather,we just saw one man throw a knife
at another, and what do youcall unusual? Now, after mister Jukes
and his friends left for the commercialroom, did you happen to notice a
glass? I noticed several. Well, this one stood near the Reverend Price

(11:50):
Jones's glass of milk, and it'sstill held an inch or two of whiskey.
So well, you and I didn'teven get served. So who's whiskey
was it? Probably one of thecommercial travelers. They all had whiskey,
they generally do, But this glasswas left behind from an accident. I
suppose the man could easily get anotherin the commercial room afterwards. No,

(12:13):
no, no, you've got tosee these people as they are. And
these sort of men are mostly simplemen, and not one of them would
leave as whiskey unfinished. Now,I take it as certain that the glass
had been nearly emptied by somebody else, somebody we haven't thought about yet.
Supposing that's true, what does itmatter matter? No? Wait, probably

(12:35):
doesn't, but it's interesting all thesame. Don't you think? Good night,
father, see you in the morning. In fact, Becta Coby coming,

(13:09):
inspector. I'm so terribly sorry forwaking you, father. Is it's
still nighttime? Very early morning.I wonder if you would care to join
me in the bar. I say, this is rather like the business with

(13:31):
Lord Staines. Eh. Remember youwoke me early one morning by knocking on
my door. It's very early.What may you wanted me to see?
Yes? Of course I offered totake on some of the duties in the
neighboring parish, so I rose early. And when you passed the bar,
you saw mister Ragley dead with aheavy, hilted crooked dagger rammed through his

(13:56):
heart. The same dagger thrown athim by akbar Is. This is terrible,
mister Wills. Have any of yourguests left the hotel yet? No,
No, everybody's still here. Imean the Reverend Price Jones and that
and his friend aren't guests. You'llfind them in town if you'd care to
look for them. I mean,how could Ragley have lain there all night
without anyone noticing? Well, misterJukes and his colleagues retired to the commercial

(14:18):
room just before you retired. Gentlemen, mister Ragley was still alive when I
left. I can assure you noone is to leave. Do you understand
no one? I understand, Inspector. Oh, mister Wills, Yes,
Father Brown, yesterday evening when youwere serving at the bar, did you
serve anyone with whiskey? Our whiskey? They then left half finished, half

(14:39):
finished. I hardly think so,father, Not with my clientele. Oh,
thank you, mister Wills. Thatwill be all well, Inspector.
You are saying how easy murder canbe. It seems that someone is determined
to prove you correct by doing awaywith the argumentative mister Ragley. It's this
damned shiner is about owning up toa murder hes me father, This silly

(15:01):
modesty murderers have about their own masterpieces. You mean they insist on sticking to
this extraordinary fixed idea of killing peoplewithout being found out. Precisely, the
only difficulty is committing a murder withoutcommitting oneself as a murderer. But there's
one kind that can't ever be prevented, murder committed by a fanatic. Anybody

(15:22):
who doesn't mind being a murderer coulddo it. That's where the madman is
like the martyr, sort of beyondthis world. A real fanatic can always
kill anybody he likes. Do youhave anybody in mind, Inspector Craven,
What do you reckon to that fellowAkbar? Do you think he's the sorrow
who believes that if he's hanged,he'll go straight to paradise for defending the
honor of the prophet. I meanhe did try to attack Raggley with this

(15:43):
very dagger. If you're looking fora fanatic, Inspector, I suppose we
have the honor of entertaining in thisvery bar yesterday about the biggest and loudest
and most fat headed fanatic in themodern world. If being a pig headed
idiot with one idea is the wayto murder? Murder? I put in
a claim for my reverend brother PriceJones, a prohibitionist, and his glass

(16:06):
of milk was standing side by sideon the counter with the mysterious glass of
whiskey, and you think it wasmixed up with the murder. I don't
know whether you're really serious or not, Father, more in any case than
I am about the knife wound yousee, Inspector. In a way,
it doesn't matter who stabbed him.It doesn't matter. Is this the numerality?

(16:27):
Father? Oh, I didn't sayit didn't matter who murdered Ragley.
Of course, the man who stabbedhim might possibly be the man who murdered
him, but then again it mightbe quite a different man. Of course,
you'll want to work on the hiltfor fingerprints, but don't take too
much notice of them. I canimagine other reasons for people sticking this knife

(16:48):
in the poor old boy. Notvery edifying reasons, of course, but
quite distinct from murder. Of course, what a damn fool I am.
There is enough blood for the daggerto be the murder woman. It must
have been stuck in the corps whenit had been called for hours. Well,
I suppose there'll have to be anoptopsy, but why was Ragley stamped
in good time? Inspector, there'ssomeone I have to speak to you first,

(17:12):
as you wish, Father minded pizza. Oh, I'm so sorry.
I wonder could you please stop scrubbingfor a moment. There's something I'd like

(17:33):
to discuss with you. Excuse me, Officer Inspector Craven. Yes, I
wonder how much longer are we goingto be stuck here? I've got several
more clients to visit before the daysout. I'm in wines and spirits,
you see, I see very impressive, mister Jukes, Jasper Jukes. I

(17:57):
have important matters to deal with.Your customers. Will just have to be
patient, Officer Inspector. It'll haveto wait, mister Jukes, blooming cheek.
And this is what we pay ourtaxes for. Yes, Father,
I remember him. He might havebeen a bag man. A bag man,

(18:18):
Oh you mean a commercial traveler,yes, sir, but he didn't
stick to the other bag man.He went in and came out again almost
immediately. I did anybody see him? I mean the staff of the hotel?
No, Father, I don't thinkanybody saw him, and yet somehow
he got a glass of whiskey fromthe bar. I must say, mister

(18:40):
Wills, I wished all murderers wentto pieces as easily as you do.
I'm not a murderer, inspector.I just I just you just stuck the
dagger into old Ragley after I foundhim dead at the end of the night.
I thought he must have been poisoned. Most likely he was. We'll
have to check that bottle of cherrybrandy. I just lost my head.
I suppose. I thought, ifyou found the body with the Turkish knife
in it, you'd think the fellowin the turban must have done it,

(19:03):
and he'd hang for it. So, in trying to prove yourself innocent of
Ragley's death, you'd be responsible forAcbar's. Sounds like murder to me.
No, you're just twisting things.You're the very last man who'd never would
stick a knife into a live person, Wills, but you've got the nerve
to stick it into a dead one. And you're the very first person to
be frightened of being charged with whatyou didn't do, and to make a
damn fool of yourself in the process. Megan, can you describe the man

(19:27):
you saw? I never really gota proper look at him. He was
wearing a sort of Inverness cape goodand he said he must reach Edinburgh by
next morning. That's right, he'sa scotsman. I didn't I remember that
before. Well, this is arum case, father rum and whiskey and

(19:48):
cherry brandy. The manager Wills isa slippery little toad. But I'm really
not sure we have anything against him. You don't seem surprised by his confession
though. No, I'm not inspectornot in the least. The primary suspicion
would rest on the manager. Thatwas why I didn't suspect him. You
see, I rather fancied somebody elsemust have thought the same thing. That's

(20:10):
why I said it would be easyto kill someone in this hotel. And
that's why I don't believe it wasany of the hotel people, because it
was made to look as if itmust be one of the hotel people.
Well, if Ragley was poisoned,and I dare see he was, they
were going to have a hard timelocating the poison. Of course, a
lot of officious servants must do theirduty and wash out all the glasses,

(20:32):
including the victims. If they weren'tfor somebody else's efficiency, we detectives might
be quite efficient. There's precious littleto go on. There is one glass
I should like to know more about. You mean Ragley's glass. No,
I mean Nobody's glass. Nobody,Oh, your phantom whiskey drinker. Let
us call him, for the sakeof argument, the quick One. I

(20:52):
want you to find the quick One, Inspector Craven, to follow him to
the ends of the earth, toset the hole infernal official machinery at work
like a dragnet across the nations,and jolly well recapture the quick One,
because he is the man we want. M Still no news on the quick

(21:22):
One. Are you sure about this, father, m Oh, yes,
quite sure, he's the one wewant. I've been having a look through
the local newspapers. The late misterRagley was really quite a character. I
wonder whether anyone will write his biography. Got it all in my notebook.
Wire were But he did once havea row with a man over his wife.
Details are a little vague, butthe man was a scots Land agent,

(21:48):
and the fellow whereafter is a scottThey say Raggley hated Scotsman. Perhaps
that's the reason. Perhaps, butthen all that tribe of Tory radicals dislike
Scotsman. Inspector. Yes, misterWills, there's an officer here to see
you, if you'll excuse me,father, of course, of course,
are you quite comfortable, father,Oh yes, quite comfortable, Thank you.
I've been reading about mister Ragley,Oh yes, yes. Apparently he

(22:12):
wrote a good many letters to thenewspapers. Of course, the newspapers didn't
print those letters, so he hadthem printed as pamphlets at his own expense,
and circulated to a hundred waste paperbaskets around Greater Ilford. But there
was a backing of facts behind hisfads. He knew this county in every
corner and curious detail, and hewas a sharp observer. But I only

(22:37):
stab if you'll forgive me, father, Are you asking for my forgiveness?
Mister Wills? What I mean tosay is I only did what I did
because I didn't want the hotel tobe involved in a scandal. Really,
but all this fuss over a localbusybody, I mean, he wasn't at
all important. Oh I disagree,mister Wills. Once we step off that

(22:57):
mystical level of equality. I don'tsee that most of the so called important
murders are particularly important, surely not. I mean to say, if the
Prime Minister had been murdered as aplain, practical man of the world,
I don't think the Prime Minister mattersat all as a mere matter of human
importance. I should say he hardlyexists at all. Do you suppose if

(23:22):
he and the other public men wereshot dead tomorrow there wouldn't be other people
to stand up and say that everyavenue was being explored, or that the
government had the matter under the gravestconsideration. Well, I suppose the masters
of the modern world don't matter,mister Wills. Even the real masters don't
matter much. Hardly anybody you everread about in a newspaper matters at all.

(23:48):
But Ragley did matter. He wasone of a great line of some
half a dozen of men who mighthave saved England. Didn't you see how
that old man, with the heartof a life iron stood up and forgave
his enemy as only fighters can forgive. He jolly well did do what the
temperance lecturer only talked about. Heset an example to us Christians and was

(24:11):
a model of Christianity. And whenthere is foul and secret murderer of a
man like that, then I dothink it matters, matters so much that
even the modern machinery of police willbe a thing that any respectable person may
make use of. Father bra FatherBran, Father Bran. I don't know
how you do it? Do it? You seem to have known he was

(24:33):
a murderer before anyone else knew hewas a man, Ah murderer. He
was nobody, he was nothing,He was just a slight confusion in the
evidence. Nobody in the hotel sawhim. The girl on the steps making
she could hardly swear to him.He was just a fine shade of doubt.
Found it on an extra dirty glass. But we've got him, oh
ah, yes, we've got thequick one, and very quick. He

(24:56):
was like quicksilver and making his getaway. Our men only just stopped him
off on a fishing trip to Orkney, he said. But he's the man,
all right, And he's the Scottishland agent who was carrying on with
Ragley's wife. He's the one whodrank Scotch whiskey in this bar and then
took a train to Edinburgh, andnobody would have known it. But you,
ah, yes, well what Imeant? Excuse me, inspector.

(25:22):
But I suppose there's no doubt thathe is the murderer, no doubt at
all. He very nearly murdered thearresting officer, and he's got a punch
like a kick of a horse,almost got away from five men. Oh
yes, we've got a real killerthis time, mister Wills. Where is
he outside in the van in handcuffs? I think it's the wisest course of
action to leave him there for thepresent. Oh my, I've done it
again. That's your half father.You've caught us another criminal. I really

(25:47):
don't understand why this always happens.I always try to say what I mean,
but everybody else means such a lotby what I say. What in
the world is the matter? Now? Will you seem to be all certain
that this man is a murderer.But I never said he was a murderer.
Of course you didn't. You saidhe was the man we wanted.

(26:10):
I did. He is. Wewant him very much, frightfully, you
see, he's the one thing wehaven't got in the whole of this horrible
case. A witness mister Grant,I can only apologize most sincerely for this

(26:30):
misunderstanding. Misunderstanding was it? Itwas brutala brutal, the plan unsimple.
Mister Grant. We need your help, help help, you can't get the
blazers and spectap yowner treated an Englishmanlike this too? True, alas father,
Really the scot comes from a pooragricultural land that became a rich industrial

(26:53):
land. He is able and active, and thought he was bringing industrial civilization
from the No. He simply didn'tknow that there had been for centuries a
rural civilization in the south. Whatmister Grant. I am greatly grieved at
the treatment you have suffered at thehands of the English police, but I
am sure you wish to serve theends of justice. Yes, go on.

(27:17):
What we want from you, misterGrant, is simply your evidence on
one very important fact. Send themin wills, very good inspector. This
way, gentlemen. And now,mister Grant, I believe you came into
the bar just after it opened athalf past five and were served with a
glass of whiskey. I hear that. So I would like you to look
around the room and tell me whetherthe barman who served you is in this

(27:41):
room. I eh is present.I'd know him anywhere. When I came
in, he was messing around witha buttler, Jerry Brandy. As it
happens, I already know who theman is, but I think the inspector
would like some independent verification. Whythere he is plain enough stop him.
It won't do you any good tostruggle, mister Jukes a known I suppose

(28:04):
not. Well, it looks asthough my customers are going to be kept
waiting even longer, Inspector. Atleast I won't be short of a stiff
drink on my way to the scaffold. Another hour. I will be back
in London. That should be justenough time for you to tell me how

(28:26):
your new Jukes was the murderer.Oh, I doubted leave and take an
hour, Inspector. It was allquite simple enough the instant we entered the
empty ballroom. My first thought wasthat if the barman left the place unguarded
like that, there was nothing inthe world to stop you or me or
anybody else lifting the flap, walkingin and putting poison in any of the

(28:48):
bottles standing waiting for customers risk you, though, imagine having to explain yourself
if you're caught tampering with the bottle. True, but it was quite simple
for Jukes. Don't you remember youtold me about the moment he accosted you
outside mister Will's office. I wonderhow much longer are we going to be

(29:08):
stuck here? I've got several moreclients that visit before the days out.
I'm in wines and spirits. Yousee, I see he traveled in bottles,
now do you see? Of coursehe brought the poison bottle with him
and substituted it for the ordinary bottle, which could be done in a flash.

(29:30):
Of course, it would hardly doto stop poisoning the beer or whiskey
that scores of people drink. Itwould cause a massacre. But when a
man is well known as drinking onlyone special thing, my cherry brandy,
and you will have your usual,mister Ragley, that's the only decent stuff
you've still got, dare it?I sometimes think the only English thing left

(29:53):
in England is jerry brandy. Cherrybrandy, of course, is in very
widely drunk. It would be justlike poisoning Ragley in his own home.
Only it's a jolly sight. Safer, because practically the whole suspicion instantly falls
on the hotel or somebody connected witha hotel. There's no earthly reason to

(30:18):
suppose that it was done by anyoneout of a hundred customers that by coming
to a bar. Even if peoplerealize that a customer could do it,
it was about as absolutely anonymous andirresponsible a murder as a man could commit.
And that's just exactly why Jokes committedit. He was obviously targeting Ragley.
What did he have against the oldphone, Not that he just was

(30:41):
a poliginal mildmouth Shirley. Oh,but Ragley told us the motive for his
own murder right there in the hotelbar. There's an infernal swindle going on
now in every inn in the countrythat would raise a revolution in any other
country. Now I've found out athing or two of how did I can
tell you? You wait till Ican get it printed, and people will

(31:03):
sit up. He said that hewas going to expose a scandal about the
management of hotels. The scandal wasthe pretty common one of a corrupt agreement
between hotel proprietors and a salesman whotook and gave secret commissions so that his
business had a monopoly of all thedrinks sold in the place, and Jukes

(31:26):
had that arrangement going with Wills.It was a swindle at the expense of
everybody the manager was supposed to serve. It was a legal offense. So
the ingenious Jukes, taking the firstmoment, when the bar was empty,
as it often was, stepped insideand made the exchange of bottles. Unfortunately,

(31:47):
at that very moment, butterman awhisky, police a whis a whiskey,
and quickly I am in a hurry. Certainly, Sir Jukes was very
much relieved that the customer was aquick one. I think you're rather quick

(32:08):
one yourself. If you really didsuspect Jukes from the start, Well,
he sounded rather rich somehow, andI did sought to ask myself why he
should have such a disgustingly rich voicewhen all those other honest fellows were fairly
poor. But I think I knewhe was a sham when I saw his

(32:28):
big shining breastpin You mean because itwas a sham, No, No,
because it was genuine. But Iknew you couldn't arrest Dukes based on that
alone. And that was why Iwanted you to move heaven and earth,
so to speak, in order tofind the Quick One. Yes, indeed,
I had no idea that finding Ragley'skiller mattered to you so much.

(32:51):
It mattered to me, because allmen matter, You matter, I matter.
It's the hardest thing in theology tobelieve we matter to God. God
only knows why. But that's theonly possible justification of the existence of policemen.
But don't you see the law reallyis right in a way. After

(33:14):
all, If all men matter,all murders matter, that which He has
so mysteriously created, we must notsuffer to be mysteriously destroyed. Tonight's Father

(33:34):
Brown mystery, The Quick One starredJ. T. Turner as Father Brown,
featured where Hugh Metzler as Inspector,Craven Rick Pierce as Reverend Jones,
David Jesser as Wills, Ellie Hirshmanas Ragley, and Thomas Vittorioso as Jacks.
Also heard were Rebecca Stevens as Meghanand Joseph Zamparelli as Grant. Tonight's
program was directed by Jerry Robbins andproduced by M. J. Cogburn.

(33:58):
The executive producer was Vanderberg and themusic was by Kevin McCleod. Join us
again next time for the Father BrownMischiefs for the Colonial Radio Theater on the
air. This is David Ult speakingwelcome back. I loved how they how
Chesterton worked the original story in termsof having this the police just misinterpret what

(34:25):
he said in assuming that the quickOne was actually the killer. And by
the way, mj Elliott, whowrites this series, has also written a
series of adaptations of Sherlock Holmes storiesand some of those were from aired by
the Sherlock Holmes Society, and Ihighlighted those a few weeks back on the

(34:47):
Sherlock Holmes podcasting. He didn't dida really good job here. He actually,
without changing any of the words ofthe story, he made an improvement
by shifting an order around. Ifyou listen to Father Brown, a lot
of information in thoughts and philosophy comesout as he's in the course of this

(35:08):
investigation, and it's easy almost overlooksome of this stuff as it comes out,
such as the virtues of dirt.And the last statement that Father Brown
spoke in this particular episode was inthe original story kind of in the middle
of all that, by moving itto the end, it gave it a

(35:29):
certain emphasis that I think was reallyappropriate because it answers a kind of existential
question about Father Brown is a detective, that question being why is a priest
going around solving all these mysteries?And what we get in that statement is
a pretty good answer. I definitelyappreciate how this adaptation was done. As

(35:52):
far as I know, Colonial RadioTheater has adapted the most Father Brown stories
of anyone who's undertaken. Of thefifty two Father Brown short stories they've released
on CDN for audio download sixteen,and they are making more episodes right now

(36:15):
even as we speak. But mostanyone else is done is thirteen by the
BBCN by IV. All right,Well, that'll be about it for this
program. If you do want tosupport our listener support campaign, go to
support dot Great Detectives dot net.Colonial Radio Theater appears regularly on the book's

(36:37):
radio channel on Sirius XM. Tolet chet Colonial radio dot com for details
as well as a list of allof their existing titles as well as many
of their upcoming titles. Send yourcomments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot
net. Follow us on Twitter,at Radio Detectives and become one of our

(36:59):
friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Grahamsonand Off