Sam Spade: The 25-1235679 Caper

Original Release Date: June 26, 2023

Today's Mystery: A friend of Sam's asks him to find out why a street musician was nearly brained to death.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: December 15, 1950

Originated from HollywoodStarred Steven Dunne as Sam Spade, Lurene Tuttle as Effie

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Episode Transcript

(00:28):
Welcome to the Great Detectives of OldTime Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham.If you have a comment, email it
to me Box thirteen at Great Detectivesdot net. Follow us on Twitter at
Radio Detectives, and check us outon Instagram, Instagram, dot com,

(00:52):
slash Great Detectives. If you areenjoying this podcast, please follow us using
your favorite podcast software. Today's programis brought to you in part by the
financial support of our listeners. Youcan support the show on a one time
basis vrpapallink at support dot Great Detectivesdot net. You can also become one

(01:14):
of our ongoing Patreon supporters for aslittle last two dollars per month. Just
go to Patreon dot Great Detectives dotnet. Now it is time for this
week's episode of the Adventures of SamSpade. The original air date December the
fifteenth, nineteen fifty and the titlesand I want to be sure I say

(01:36):
this correctly, the two five dashone two three, five, six seven
nine, keeper, I know itjust rolls off the tongue. Let's go
ahead and take a lesson. TheNational Broadcasting Company presents the Adventures of Sam
Speed Detective Day Detectivation the sweetheart.What was that like? Nothing? That

(02:10):
was my teeth chattering? Oh?If you called out out where I was
fi, I've been swimming in December. Oh, San, you caught it
chill. That's true. If Icaught a real Russian chill. They're not
keeping San Francisco Bay as well heatedas they might today. Dan, you
were swimming in that where else?If you've been drinking only Brian Angel and

(02:35):
what helped U? S I couldscavenge helped you? Oh? It was
a taxing experience if a lesser mancouldn't have come through it. Lay out
some dry and clothes for me,makes me a hot grog. Get out
your pencil, it writes under water, and prepare to take down a narrative
of international and freak and espionage,which we will call Let's see you the
two five one, two three,five, six seven nine or the Russian

(03:00):
number is up. NBC invite youto listen to the greatest private detective of
them all, as William Spear,Radio's outstanding producer director of history and crime
drama, brings you the adventures ofSam's Fade. I was just calling a

(03:23):
janitor to see if you could turnon some more heat. So you you
goes very well. Well, Ihad a dry martini on the way over.
Doctor Ames called you a few hoursago, Doctor Oscar Ames. That
was nice. He was worried aboutyou. One who knows you've been found.
Yes, he said, you dorun a ferry boat. And they
just sent in to have a cupof coffee. And when he came down,

(03:44):
yes, if he yes, Well, can't keep the FBI waiting.
The FBI. Well, you don'tthink I was playing around with kids on
this caper. No, no,no, fam, I knew they were
grown up. I'll take a dialthere and this one, your uncle Sam
was working for his uncle Sam.They fill it in Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Washington, d C. Care ofj Edgar. Oh' no, that'd

(04:04):
be too much. Well why notfrom Samuel Speed License number one three seven
five nine six subject Boris Kargomenski.How do you sell that? Kargamenski?
Kr? I mean, oh,I should have known b l R I
S. Dear sir. Last nightI let my secretary off at five thirty

(04:30):
so that she could go and dosome Christmas shopping, although I've told her
repeatedly that all I want this yearis money. The fig was rolling in
off the bay and it was bittercold. As I came out onto the
street, pulling my overcoat corner uparound my ear. Seemed like the night
for spaghetti, A wonderful spaghetti dinnerand some pleasant Italian hospitality down at Mama
Pizza's restaurant on the Embarcadero, oppositethe Ferry Building. So that's where I

(04:55):
went. But Mama Pizza had morethan hospitality on her mind when she met
me at the door. Oh,I'm so glad to find you. I'm
just calling you off. What's thetrouble, mama? Someone been stealing ravioli.
It's my cousin Tony. They triedto kill him. Oh what happened,
mamma? Come on, you eatwith us table to tell you he's

(05:16):
gonna feels so good. But hecan talk? Or are you gonna see
you? She led me to theback of the restaurant, to the table
where the family generally sits. Herdaughter's Angelina and Patty were there with plates
of food in front of him,but they weren't eating any of him.
They were staring an awe at theman who sat next to him. He
was small to start with, buthe was even smaller. I's down in

(05:40):
his chair, miserably staring unseeing intoa glass of wine. On the table
in front of him was a batteredold concertina. The top of his head
was swayed in a clean new bandagesit down saw. This is about Corsini,
Tony, my good friend, misterSpacee. Hello, Tony, Hallo.

(06:00):
Gont you tell us them? What'sto happen on you? Damn?
You have you done? At thesame time, don't forget tonight You're gonna
be my game. What are youluck to eat? I don't care,
mamma. What's that on the onyour plate? Angelina? You're gonna eat
that? We don't pass it overand waste, not want. That's what
I always say. Now, whathappened on you? Tony? Well,

(06:25):
I'm on the boat to say,yeah, boat, the ferry boat.
Ok, on the ferry boat.Don't you never hear my music on the
boat? Ah? You play theconcertina on the ferry ride? Sure?
My? No more. Tonight onthe six o'clock a boat, Oh boy,
tonight on the six o'clock boat.What I'm gonna play inside the first

(06:46):
to buy the sandwich. You play, and everybody say, oh boy,
Tony, you god you play goldto play some more a ten cents a
year, five or cents two quarterseven. Then I go upstairs, Oh
boy, oh boy. Then Igo out hand a deck. It's a
very misty, fog black kind ofsays nothing. I'm very happy. I

(07:09):
feel like I play somewhere. SoI'm gonna walk away back and open and
down to the deck, canna makea moves. And then all of a
sudden, I hear somebody some saysomething to me. I cannot see nobody,
but I hear him. What doyou think? He said to me?
What what corospitor cospitalor cospit door.Well, so I'm ana say back

(07:33):
to him cospital. I still cann'tsee nobody. Then I hear him and
say, is that you play Boris? So I get him mad. I
said, no, I don't playBois. I play paiachik My I donna
play Boris. That's a foreign stuff. I see. Then I'm sorry I

(07:55):
say that because it is so allow. His sounds are like he's a foreign
I'm inducer going to say, lookat mister, oh boy, what Tony,
what tongue. I get a headon the hit on the head to
smash a b tocke, I followdown. I'm a bleeding I dropped on
my concertine in my heads that gota bigger hold on the top. I

(08:16):
led on a bigger yellow Then I'ma black cowd oh boy. People are
coming running around and a good thelock. There's a doctor on the board
that carried me down the stairs andhe fixed me up. Otherwise I'm a
guy for shooting. Well what didit feel like what he hit you with?
Well? Do you feel like abaseball of beats? My? The
doctors? Oh look he he is? Is the doctor? Now? Just

(08:37):
to come in? Hey doctor?The doctor looked in my direction when Tony
called and strowed over to the table, A big six foot three blond guy
and the Joel mccraig Gary Cooper tradition. Yeah, I don't like him right
away. No bedside manners, doctor, Although he could have had as much
of it as he liked. Hewas all business and no kidding. I

(09:01):
thought, I told you to goto bed and stay there. Why,
doctor, I just do you wantto have a concussion, Tony. I'll
be back here in an hour andthen we'll take some X ray. My
name is Sam Spade. Doctor.I'm in front of the family as doctor
Roth Grahames. How are you?No? Thanks? Mama's mails wonderful,
but I haven't time. Oh Ihave cup coffee, ladies one time?
Make any go to bed? Yeahgoing, Now, Tony, go lie

(09:24):
down. I'll be back and wewill check you over. Get some rest
in the meantime. All right,all right, doctor James. I don't
know X ray is the whole thing. I don't know how I'm gonna pay
you. Never mind that. That'swhy we charge your Nabe Hill patients little
extra so we're able to do somethinglike this once in a while. This
will be on me, Tony.You'll go to the kind of man and
doctor. But I don't know whatto say. You go on and let

(09:46):
on, Tony, you're embarrassing thatdoctor. Screwy thing. This one isn't
that doctor? Sure is? Oh? Thanks man, Yeah, sure is.
Homo title maniacles like mister Spade,Spade, dam are you the detective?
Yeah that's right. Well I knowabout you. You did something for
a colleague of mine, Murphy afterRaoul Murphy Murphy. Yeah, I did

(10:11):
a job for him. Last summer. Yeah, he gave you a great
stand off, said, what isall this tonight? Down here? Detectives?
Police? Police? How do youmean? Well, I think they
were police, five or six plainclosed guys. They were waiting here on
this side when the ferry pulled intothe slip. They're still there holding the
boat. I just left him.Know what were they doing? Talk to
all the passengers as they came off, asks for identification? Hey, what

(10:31):
do they think about Tony's little experiencegetting knocked on the head. Oh,
they were mighty interested in actually,especially when I told him how I thought
the wound had been inflicted, whichwas gun butt gunbutty, I'd say so
order as I saw enough of thosein the war. The Russians used to
club prisoners over the head that wayto save the ammunition and then fling the

(10:52):
guys in the river. Oh,hey, I've got to go. It's
that dreary ride again. What theferry? Yeah, I got a patient
over and had to come back overhere to pick up some serum poured the
nurse and she met me just docther. Well, nice to see you,
Sam, or tell what's his name? Tony? Hey, wait a
minute, guy, I've got nothingto do. All right, over with
you. A little air won't dothis dinner any harm. We crossed the

(11:18):
street, went into the ferry building. Everything was normal enough for the main
waiting room, where I stopped tobuy cigarettes in a pocket flashlight. But
outside on the dock where the Oaklandboat was waiting to take off, there
were a number of extra characters whomyou wouldn't think would have chosen a dismal,
chilly night like this for waterfront lounging. There wasn't anybody I knew,
and in any gathering of plain clothesmanlocal variety, I generally spot one or

(11:41):
two familiar faces, Doctor Rames,and I got aboard, followed by three
of these gentlemen, the broadest onewho was built for endurance, exchanged pleasant
prays with us as the boat movedout into the water. Hello, doctor
Rames, I see you didn't missthe boat like they all say. No,
you're one of the colors I talkedto before and we landed. Yeah,
that's right. I don't think Igot your name, Connoly coment this

(12:05):
mister Spadin. Yeah, would thatbe Lieutenant Connolly or Sonsant? Maybe does
conno special title I was a littlefellow doing doctor COLOCHI Tony, he's undercar
he talk anymore, say anything interesting? I didn't talk to him, mister
Spade, here did ah? Really? Really? What do you have to

(12:28):
say? What do you see?I'm an old friend of his family.
What he told me was incompetence,and I really have to know a little
more about who I'm telling his secretstoo, I say, Spade, your
name was still is nice to meetyou. Speedine go Speggeine means nothing to
you, Mike go Speggean sounds likeanother word. Somebody might think you said

(12:50):
cuspado. That's very funny. Hey, you're gonna stay out here on deck.
We haven't made up our mind.That okay, how to go inside?
I have a little coffee at thisbackbar. It's comfortable, rides over
before you know it. Not here, it's foggy, wet, miserable.
Eh. Well, I'm going in. I'll say you later. Goodbye.
Doctor. Well maybe he's right,although I must say he's not my favorite

(13:15):
man in the world. That misterConnelly. It is strictly pneumonia weather out
here on deck. Shall we goin? Not just yet? For me?
Doctor, I think I'll stretch mylegs a little. Doc tell me
her. Was it that Tony gotcaught on the upper deck? I know?
But which side you were turned around? Now? Starboard to boud directly
above where we're standing. Yeah,don't point, doc, our friend Connelly.

(13:37):
And as the boys are on theirway out to see if it No,
they went back here. Do youthink they're as mysterious as they see?
Oh? Definitely that you know whatmade him turn back? Just now
decide it wasn't necessary to check whetherwe were still here? No? What
they can't make us out out here, it's too dark, but they can
see two lighted cigarettes, sam' spade, Detective m Look, even in the
faith of pneumonia, you want toget up there and look around? Or

(14:00):
Tony was? Don't you I do? We'll in hand me your a cigarette
and I'll smoke them both the yardapart, and we'll both be here except
you, Oscar Ames m d masterfulthinking, go ahead, I'll be here.
So I trowled the slippery stairs tothe upper deck. The fog was
as wet as rain. I couldn'tsee any more than inches ahead of me

(14:22):
with my flashlight. Finally I stoppedabout him midship and looked down over the
rail. Ames and his two cigarettes, tiny red dots of light that grew
brighter every now and then as hepuffed at him, were almost directly beneath
me, so I knew I wouldjust about right. A sudden noise over
my head made me shoot my lightup toward it. It came from a
piece of canvas that had suddenly rippedloose, the canvas that covered the top
of a lifeboat. I got upthere somehow, and perched precariously, holding

(14:46):
out of two steel supports with onearm. The piece of canvas had been
ripped open with a knife, awhole large enough for a man's body to
get through. And that's what wasin there, sprawled in the bottom of
the lifeboat, a man's body.He'd been stabbed in the neck. This
was the man who had slugged Tony, or so it seemed, because the

(15:09):
gun was still clenched in his righthand, barrel reversed. There's nothing in
his pockets, just a handkerchief andtwo dollars in change. But my flash
caught a speck of something white inone of his shoes. It was a
bit of paper with two type writtenline tid. I left myself down at
the deck, rubbed the circulation backinto my arm or i'd been holding on,
and prepared to read the note,and that's when my flashlight went dead.
I groped above, cursing him fornot checking their batteries, until I

(15:33):
found a faint, ghostly glimmer oflight overhead out over the edge of the
ship, on the outside of therail. I climbed over, steadied myself
against lurching, and lit a coupleof matches. It said international postcard shot
Dairy Street s f reading card forBoris. I put a bit of paper

(15:54):
in my pocket and turned to climbback over the rail. And then something
came at me from the flash.I taught me pull on the center of
the forehead, and if I staggered, came again like a black wood right
on the top of my head andmade it burn with sudden fire, tiny
points of light good. And theblackness came rushing toward me and grew larger,
and I fell, crashing over theside. They tell you a lot

(16:19):
about what you remember when you're goingdown for the third time. You know
what I remember. I remembered thatGus Fyeen is Russian for Comrade Sam Spade,
Detective. You are listening to theweekly adventure of radio's most famous detective,

(16:40):
Sam Spade. Imagine the greatest namesin stage, screen and radio,
people like Bob Hope, Rosalind Russell, Meredith Wilson, Frankie Lane, and

(17:03):
many many others. Imagine an hourand a half of the very finest in
comedy, music and drama. Imagineall this rolled into one wonderful program resided
over by the distaff Dynamo. ToLula Bankhead, Well, NBC has the
program It's the Big Show, heardevery Sunday night over most of these stations.
All this and to Lula two,no wonder It's the Big Show.

(17:26):
And Sunday Evening also means Theater Guildon the air. This Sunday, Theater
Guild presents Boomerang, starring Kirk Douglas. And now back to the two five
one, two, three, five, six seven nine cabir Tonight's adventure with
Sam's fade. I found myself mechanicallykeeping a float somehow and trying to get

(17:56):
out of my overcoat. My eyesburn felt heavy and logged, as if
I had swallowed gallons of water.My head began to clear a little,
but with returning consciousness came increased pain. Pretty bad tool from out of a
misty blanket from every direction, anda dozen different keys from near and far,
the fog horn sounded. I knewthat by now the current had swept

(18:17):
me out of the path of theOakland fairies. The water was chilling,
and I turned over and began swimming, just hard enough to keep the blood
circulating. The legs of a boatcame at a sight suddenly, and I
threw back my head and yelled.But the horn, crying its warning,
drowned me out. And the moadwent on, and the fog closed in
behind me, and then I foundmyself full of a strange and wonderful weariness.

(18:48):
The water wasn't cold anymore. Iwas warm, with a comfortable,
soothing numbness, and I knew whatto do. I'd swim until I didn't
hear the noise of the horns anymore, and then the quiet of the friendly
fog go to sleep. So Ibegan to doze, and then some lights
came out of my eyes, andI wanted to stay in the dark.
I turned my face down into theembrace of the water and then I wasn't

(19:18):
where you'd expect at all. Iwas lying on a baggage truck that was
moving. People were clouding around walkingbeside the truck, staring at me.
The guy in uniform wheeling me noticedI had my eyes open. Wow,
Hello, heal, Welcome back tothe United States. Hello? What part
of the United States? Just landingin Tasselino? Lace till we'll take you
over to the hot sauce Solino?How long before this boat gets back to
San Francisco? Away, I'm goingYou are in no condition, thanks,

(19:44):
I'll be okay. Half an hourlater, shivering and shaking in my wet
clothes, keeping my mouth clamped heightson my teeth wouldn't sound like a dice
game. I climbed into a taxiat the Ferry Building and went to my
apartment. There, I swallowed halfa pint or whiskey and rubbed myself with
a coarse towel until my skin wassore. Then I looked in the pocket

(20:06):
of the saggy suit i'd hung upto dry. Was still there? A
piece of paper from the dead man'sshoe, damp but legible International postcard shop
Geary Street. That's a reading cardfor Boris. I got up to put
on a dry suit and then changedmy mind put the wet one back on.

(20:29):
Good evening. Are you the proprietorhere? Yes, that's right here,
six years at the same location.Oh my goodness, is it raining
out? You really got ob dousing? Yes? I did. Nice collection
of postcards from all over South Americaevery place. Yes, yes, I
pride myself on having the most completepossible selection. Was there something you had,

(20:49):
especially in line? Yes, therewas. I'm looking for a greeting
card for Boris. What's the matter, didn't Jeremy? Yes? And you
understand, well, well, what'sthat? I didn't exactly expect somebody like
you. What did you expect?Somebody slinking around in a false mustache,
wearing dark glasses and an invern esscape. No, you know, you know,

(21:14):
with your type of thinking, youmay not be the right man for
this job. Because pie no,no, wait, please, mister luff,
I thought you were. Did youdrown? Yeah? Who told you
that? You know? Yeah?Well I didn't drown. I jumped in
the water when I heard him coming. You can see how wet I still
act. Yes, yes, ofcourse, So you escaped easily enough.
Talk handed over a greeting card forBoris. Very well, let's see,

(21:38):
that's San Francisco. Of course,He turned and reached down onto the counter.
I slipped my hand under my armpitand held my thirty eight ready in
case he came up with something similar. But all he brought forth was a
box marked special and this he expectedsomething and handed it to me. I
took it with a knowing expression onmy face, but I didn't know from

(22:00):
nothing as to what it meant.All it was was an ordinary postcard,
that's all, a picture postcard showingthe Golden gate Bridge. Underneath it the
caption wonder Cities of the World,number twenty five, one, two,
three, five, six, sevennine, San Francisco, nothing else.
I was afraid my mouth was open. What's the matter matter? Don't you

(22:22):
know how to read the name.It's so difficult to come idiots, certainly,
I know how. I was justadmiring no work, that's all.
It is, excellent Disney. Lookyou'd better go now, you've been here
antly long time. We don't know, of course we don't. I'll go
Espedia usper. I'm sorry it willbe overly cast. There is no such
thing as over caution. Thank you, you were so well. You seem

(22:48):
like an American, so do you. I strode out out of the street,
touching my postcard, but I shovedit inside my sleeve a moment later,
because who I saw standing under themisty glimmer of a streetlight waiting for
me was my heavy set, mysteriousfriend from the ferry boat, Connolly.
I turned my head around and glanceddown the other end of the block behind

(23:11):
me. Two other guys were there, sure, and they advanced slowly toward
me with their hands raised, palmsout, as if they were showing me
they weren't carrying guns. I reachedmy hand inside for mine all the same,
but I never got to use itbecause Connolly rushed me from the other
side. I caught him on thechin and he went down, flattering into
an ash can. The other twoboys grabbed me and held my arms behind
me. Connolly got up, rubbinghis face, and I waited to get

(23:33):
murdered. But no, all right, Joe Louis, bring him along,
and so they did. We didn'tgo far, though, just around the
corner to a little Hamburger place thathad a sign on the door saying closed,
although there were lights inside. Connallyknocked on the door and a fellow

(23:53):
with an apron came and opened itand locked it after us. Conley gave
a nod and we sat down ata table while they brought his coffee spade.
We've checked on you. You seemto be okay. You're standing good
with the department. Friend. Whatdepartment would that be? Friend? This
department? I b I. Oh, maybe you can help anyhow. We
don't want you going around making anoise and messing it up for us.

(24:15):
So here it is. I'm allears. Do you ever hear of a
man called Boris Kargaminski? No,I know, not many people have,
even in Russia. Boris Kargaminski isthe top Soviet agent in America. He's
the headman. He organizes and runseverything for them. Here. I see
now. He came to this countryseven years ago and vanished. I've been
trying to find him ever since.False passport. Of course, that didn't

(24:37):
help. There's nothing anywhere on Kargamenski, no pictures, not even in Russia,
no fingerprints, nothing. Every leadwe had dead end, and then
we got word last week. Goahead, drink it. Oh, I'm
too interested. We got word lastweek that another region, an unimportant little
guy name of Lubov, was onhis way to San Francisco and that he
would definitely have to contact the BigGun, something they could do with a

(25:00):
Chinese war business that only Kagaminski isbig enough to handle. While a man
tail Yubov all the way out hereand then he lost him. The Oakland
ferry well didn't bother us very much. He called us, and we were
waiting on this end, but inpulls the ferry and no Yuba Luboff was
a dead man in the life boat. Right. He must have been up
there waiting to be contact and thenhe heard Tony and his concertina thought this

(25:22):
might be it. Then when herealized he'd made a mistake and uncovered him,
Selvi con Tony on the head,right, yeah, and his Soviet
contact got scared of investigations on theboat following Tony's hue and cry and stab
Lubov. So now we're back.While we started, every passenger on that
ferry was okay, what's that you'relooking at? Picture? Postcran on a
message on Luboff about the International postcardShop, and I'm greeting for Hey,

(25:45):
hey, you're greeting for Boris Boriskarga minski. Let me see that,
my bulldos the guy in the shopto let me have it. Looks like
nothing's just a picture. But hesaid he, he said, I could
read the name. Gimme it,go, little gate. These numbers wonder
Cities of the world number two five, one, two three, five,
six seven nine. Hey, waita minute, fine, they put out
the guy's name Boris. All right, b O R R leave a space

(26:11):
K hey r g A M En s k ye. Now I'll put
numbers. I'll wait a minute.The top numbers nine all right, put
one, two, three, fourfive over bars and then start again one
two three up to nine over kargamenski. H huh huh yeah yeah,
So all right, now for apostcard two five, one two three,

(26:32):
five, six seven nine. Okay, what's two two two is oh five
s os no kargo menski one ktwo three A R O s k A
R. Well, I guess weknow the rest of it. Five six

(26:53):
seven nine A M E S correctcorrect. Oscar Ames, doctor Oscar Ames.
But I was just thinking he wasworried about me catching pneumonia. I

(27:14):
called Mama Pizza, and from whatshe said, we knew where to go.
We picked him up at the emergencyhospital. He was just finishing the
operation on Tony's head. We watchedhim through the glass, and the other
young doctor standing alongside us said hewas one of the greatest surgeons they'd ever
seen. When he unrolled his glovesand took off his operating mask, he
looked up and saw me alive andthe other boys with me. His scalp
tightened for just a second, andthen he smiled because when he reached into

(27:37):
his bag that we rushed him beforehe could get the little red bottle to
his lips. Period and the report, Oh a sly story, Yes,
it was if everything a chase andbeing thrown on the water and mysterious people
and a code Nick had it keptyou awake? Angel? What is it

(27:59):
like not to want to be inAmerica, not to want to live the
way we do in America? Ican't imagine, sweetheart, I can't damn
about doctor Ames. Yeah, doyou think that, um? I mean
the way you describe him off.Do you think you made him sound too
sympathytic? Oh? I described himas he was, That's all, but
will anybody think that? Well,you know he was attractive. Well do

(28:21):
you miss the whole point? Didn't? Your spies don't go around wearing monocles
and talking with heavy accents and actinglike spies, not the good ones.
It's the attractive, lovable, trustworthystrangers that are dangerous. Now, if
you'd met doctor Ames at a partysomewhere, you'd be out with him at
a nightclub right now, cooling overa drink and giving him the plans for
the Brooklyn Navy Yards. Sometimes Ican't, Sam, I don't even know
where Brooklyn is. Lucky for ourside, you don't hate me, do

(28:45):
you think? Oh? How doesthat answer your question? Completely? Good
night? Good night Tweeter. TheAdventures of Sam Spade are produced, edited,

(29:12):
and directed by William Spear. SamSpade was played by Stephen Dunn.
Loreene Tuttle is Effie. Script forTonight's adventure by William Spear, Musical scoring
by Lud Gluskin, conducted by RobertArmbrewster. Three Times Mean Good Times on
NBC. There's no cover charge atDuffy's Tavern. Just keep your dial Tune

(29:33):
to NBC. Later as Archie theManager and his delightful friends cook up another
Mad and Mary session at that remarkablerestaurant, Duffy's Tavern. This Sunday,
The Big Show comes your way onNBC again, an hour and a half
of the best in comedy, music, and drama, with guests Bob Hope,
Martin and Lewis Rosalind Russell, FrankieLane and Unpredictable to Lula as mc

(29:53):
go ahead, tell him about thething, oh s, Sam Spade and
fe asked me to remind you aboutthe thing Thing for Kids for Christmas?
You don't. The thing can beanything you think an underprivileged child would like
for Christmas in your town. Thereare civic groups who are cooperating with this
Thing for Kids campaign. Send yournew or youth toys to the collection centers

(30:15):
in your town and help make somechild Christmas brighter. It'll make you happier
too. Thank you. Join usagain next week, same time for another

(30:48):
adventure with them Spade enjoying the magnificentMontague. Then if Duffy's Tavern on NBC

(31:21):
welcome back. I'll say this,if the Soviets were using cipherers that could
be decoded by a private eye overcoffee without use of special books or equipments.
It's no wonder they lost the ColdWar, though it should be said
there's a reason that they call Sam'spadethe greatest Private Eye of them all,

(31:45):
and there's also explains why Sam wasable to return to San Francisco by boat
after nearly being drowned at death andprobably concuss having a recent concoct. Russian
is probably the normal state for SamSpade. It is the near superheroic resiliency

(32:08):
of the hard boiled Private Eye,at least over radio. Of course,
this episode is in the context ofthe trouble that the series had had as
a result of the Red Channels anddashal Hamlets ties to some radical groups,

(32:30):
although this would be far from theonly series to have a Cold War plot,
and you didn't have to be introuble with anyone to throw a little
cloaking dagger in. Pat Novac,for Higher, had a plot that did
that. These sort of plots werepretty popular with the public, and there
were a lot of different programs thatwould throw in Russian spies as a solution,

(32:58):
and it kind of makes variety.You know, it can turn out
to be counterfeiting drug smugglers or Russianspies. Really, you've got a gamut
of options, so I think toomany modern day listeners it'll automatically be assumed
to be entirely about the controversy aroundthe show, which I'm not certain that

(33:20):
that's the case, because logically,if you're tuning out because of dashal Hamlet
this, you know you wouldn't hearthis episode and it's not going to be
repeated, So essentially you're the peopleyou would be making this episode two or
targeting are no longer listening to theprogram. Then again, people don't always

(33:44):
act logically, and someone at thenetwork could have thought it was a good
idea to do this and may havemandated this sort of plot because people at
networks tend to act less logically thananyone else. All right, well,
listener comments and feedback. Now wehave a couple of reactions who are Maltese

(34:06):
Falcon special and we have a commentfrom Greg who writes over on Facebook.
I loved it, a totally enjoyablerendition of the Maltese Falcon. Keep up
the great work and then carry emailsin. I enjoyed hearing the lux Radio
Theater version of the Maltese Falcon.I agree that Edward G. Robinson's take

(34:28):
on Spade was different than Humphrey Bogart's, maybe a little less manic and or
more detached. I also agree thatRobinson is less attracted to a Shaughnessy,
which to me rings true. Theone complaint I have with the movie is
how Spade really does seem to fallfor her more than was merited Carrie.

(34:52):
That's a fair point of view.I keep going back and forth because I
think that there is something logical aboutthe way that Robinson portrayed Spade, and
I think you can make a goodcase that it's far closer to what Dashel
Hammitt wrote. But there's something aboutBogart's performance that just absolutely holds me.

(35:16):
It is maybe the manic turns ofit as well as if you've never read
the book or watch the movie.There's a certain unpredictable quality to him and
a question of what does he reallythink? What does he really fail?
And at the end you find howinvested and conflicted his take on Spade is.

(35:44):
Now, it does not actually makea whole lot of sense, but
it's so well performed it gets youto buy it. So it's just the
drama in my soul, I guessCarry also says regarding Laird Quigarman in the
radio program. I looked him upon Wikipedia and was saddened to learn that
he died at age thirty one,just two years after the Maltese Falcon radio

(36:09):
program. Apparently he went on acrash diet for his role in the Lodger
and it was so hard on hissystem that he had a heart attack and
died soon after. One of Kreegar'sroles was as a police detective in the
movie I Wake Up Screaming, whichalso starred Victor Masure, Betty Grable and

(36:29):
Carol landis. A bonus with thismovie is that it also has Elisha Cook
Junior, who of course played Wilmerin the Maltese Falcon movie. It's a
good and war movie and I'll definitelycheck that out, Carrie. It had
been on my list as one toview, and I'm read up on it

(36:50):
even more after Carrie's email, andit does look like a worthwhile experience.
I put up a poll on YouTuberegarding Sam Spade and Howard Duff's performance,
and we're saved a comment from Chriswho writes, when we were kids in
Ireland, we used to get potatocrisp, or as we call them,

(37:15):
the US chips called Sam spuds.And remember a picture on the bag of
a potato with a fottorah and atrench coat. Well, thanks so much
for that image, Chris, andI appreciate the story. And of course
there is that debate actually as towhat's better the crisp that you'll get in

(37:40):
the UK and parts of Europe orthe potato chips in the United States.
I've been curious about it, andI actually a small amount of British crisp,
and I'll give them a try andsee how a lock them. Are
we talking about again, Oh,Sam Spade. So we received some comments

(38:00):
regarding Steve Dunn his first episode andDone versus Howard Duff, and we're gonna
go ahead and go through those.And we start with Eric, who writes
nothing against Done, but I feellike he's still stuck doing a half impression
of the cadence of Duff while tryingto bring his own twist. It must

(38:21):
have been limiting as an actor tostep into spade shoes after the character,
having so many years of expectations abouthow Spade sounded back then. The character
was the thing, and they wouldoften swap out actors. They even swapped
Guilder sleeves when they swapped Johnny Dollers. It's still recognizably the same character but

(38:44):
with a slightly different field. Buthere it still seems like an imitation.
Well thanks for the comment, Eric, I think, and this was in
regards to the very first episode withSteve Dunne, which pretty much all the
calm we're going to be reading are. Anytime you have one of those shifts,

(39:05):
it can feel a little bit weird, Like I even think of the
first Emand O'Brien episodes of Johnny Dowleror the first John Lunn episodes of Johnny
Dowler. Oftentimes, as was thecase with the over My dead Body caeper,
they're using a script that was originallywritten for the previous actor, or

(39:30):
if they're not using a script thatwas for the previous actor, the writers
are still writing for the previous actor, for the previous portrayal and the way
that he played it. It cantake a while for both the writers and
the actor to really develop a rhythmand for them to come up with a

(39:54):
new interpretation and to have that fullyflashed out. I think don does that
quite a bit, though I candefinitely understand how that first episode had that
feeling of, you know, thisguy's trying to wear somebody else's shoes,
and it's always the challenge for theactor to make the role his own.

(40:15):
Ronser wrote over on YouTube, thisguy will never get anyone to forget Howard
Duff. That part is true becauseI think all these decades later, Duff
Spade is better remembered as is Duffhimself. Pete Wright's the theme of this
episode, Sam being presumed dead onlyto reappear very much alive would have been

(40:42):
a lot more poignant if Howard Duffhad been still playing the role. You
can try to kill him, butnot even the red scare can keep a
good detective or actor done with done. It's almost as if they're saying,
we know this isn't the same guy, but close enough even with no cigar.
I think it's fair to say thatthey were trying to have it both

(41:06):
ways, not having Howard Duff butstill trying to build on the success of
Sam Spade with a different actor.And I think it was something that people
at NBC didn't quite fully get allthe feedback that they got was not from
people who just wanted a series calledSam Spade. It was from people who

(41:30):
wanted Howard Duff back on the radioplaying Sam Spade. And without that,
it just doesn't stand out from allthe other detective series. I still think
there are some really good cases orcapers, but it's definitely not the same
series. And then another listener onYouTube rights, I enjoyed Steve Dunn more

(41:54):
than I thought I was going tolooking forward to the rest of the series
now. Actor in mister Dunn's predicamentis a thankless job, to be sure.
Ironically, Howard Duff found himself ina similar situation years later on Four
Star Playhouse, Dick Powell created awonderful character named Dante, and I think

(42:15):
he did four episodes to the runof that series. Dante proved popular enough
to warrant a series, but DickPowell didn't want to do a weekly show,
but as the show's producer, hecast Howard Duff to take over the
role. I just can't watch Duff'sDante. I feel like I'm being ripped
off, and being that it onlylasted one season, maybe everybody else did

(42:37):
too. Well. It's worth talkingabout ever so briefly, but Four Star
Playhouse was an anthology series where eachof the episodes featured one of four Stars,
although they've bent the rules a littlebit. Frank Lovejoyce started in an

(42:59):
episod, so that was a backdoorpilot to Night Beat, which we played
a few years back and wasn't oneof the four but that was the general
rule, and he did create thischaracter, Dante. He did four episodes
with Dante in season four, andI don't know how many are actually circlaculating
around, but he appeared eight timestotal in the course of the four year

(43:22):
run of the Four Star Playhouse,and Pow was really in the most fulfilling
part of his career where he wascreating rather than doing all acting all the
time. Four Star Playoffs ended innineteen fifty six, and they wouldn't actually
spin off Dante into its own seriesuntil nineteen sixty, So already that's not

(43:46):
a really striking While the iron ishot that the series only lasted one season,
I wouldn't read a whole lot intobecause there were a lot of good
television programs didn't make it more thana full season. One thing to keep
in mind is when You've only gotthree networks. The competition is s death.

(44:10):
You know, it's not like todaywhere you can attract one point two
percent of people and turn off everybodyelse and have a successful TV program.
But I don't know if that wasthe problem, the same one that Done
was confronting that Duff ended up dealingwith in taking over as Dante. He

(44:35):
goes on to say, my firstencounter with Howard Duff was as a child
watching a rerun of The Virginian.There's an episode in which Howard Duff and
i'd A Lupino, then married toeach other and also ironically a star on
four Star Playhouse guest starred. Ayear or two later, he co starred
in Robert Altman's obscure nineteenth seventy eightfilm The Wedding, which my grandmother and

(44:59):
I saw in the movie theater,I think, where we were one of
a handful of people in attendance.I don't know if it holds up forty
five years later, but at thetime I thought it was a great comedy
and should be better known. Itgot everybody from Desi Arnaz to Lillian Gish
to pre Mindy Pam Dauber in it. How could you possibly go wrong?

(45:20):
Well, thanks so much, appreciateyou sharing that experience. And then finally
we have this from James, whowrites, Howard Duff is so good that
it took me a long time torealize that I like Steve and done more.
I feel that the show became funnierwith him as Sam. Thank you
so much. I appreciate all yourcomments. And now it's time to thank
our Patreon supporter of the day,and I want to go ahead and thank

(45:44):
Jail. Jail has been one ofour Patreon supporters since November twenty twenty,
currently supporting the program at the Shamaslevel of four dollars or more per month.
Thank you so much for your support, Jail, and that will do
it for today. If you areenjoying this podcast, please follow us using
your favorite podcast software, and pleasewrite and review the show wherever you download

(46:09):
us from. We'll be back nextMonday with another episode of Sam Spade.
But join us back here tomorrow foryours truly, johnny'd all or where all
that's right? Mister Bennet, comein, Come in. I'm not gonna
ask you to sit down. Iknow why you're here. You have insurance
to investigator written all over your face. Well, in that case, we
can get right down to the businessat hand. What caused the fire?

(46:31):
They don't know yet. It wasdeliberate what Somebody started that fire, that's
what. And I know who.Get him and you'll save yourself from work.
Tony Midas. Tony Midas, who'sthat the crack pot that's set fire
to my building? He's out ofprison, out and he's swore he'd get
me. Look, maybe you'd bettertell me just who he is and why

(46:51):
he'd want to get you. TonyMidas worked for me once. I caught
him stealing money, and I prosecutedhim. He was sent to prison for
five years. And he's the oneyou want. It seemed pretty certain of
that. Of course, I'm certainof it. I know what enemies I
have, what friends don't tell me. I'm gonna have to pussy it around
with someone like you and get anyplace in this whole affair. Well,
there ares and witnesses who got alook at the man who started the fire.

(47:13):
At least it's a good bet he'sthe one we're after. So tell
me what does this Tony Midas looklike? I don't remember I hardly ever
remember faces. But you remembered histhreat. You bet your last Nicola remember
his threat, and he's the kindof screwy punk to carry it out.
Last week it was a small storyin the newspaper that he's being released from
prison. All I will certainly lookhim up and have a talk with him.
That's very good of you, I'msure. Oh. Now, look,

(47:37):
this can be a very difficult thingall the way around here. We
can all cooperate. Mister Bennett,I'll cooperate. I know why you're in
town. I know who you camewith. I met that glorified fire inspector
yesterday on the wood. You peopledon't fool me, and I'm not trying
to fool you. Get Tony Midasand you've got your man. Did you
tell a police about Midas? No, I was waiting for some bird like

(47:57):
you to walk in here with yourhigh handed attitude. Now I've told you.
Now you can get out and getbusy looking for him. I hope
you'll be with us then. Inthe meantime, do send your comments to
Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter our Radio Detectives,
and check us out on Instagram,Instagram, dot com slash great detectives
from Boise, Idaho. This isyour host, Adam Grahamson and Off