September 13, 2025 • 37 mins
Original Release Date: July 3, 2023
Today's Mystery:Sam is hired by a 9 year-old who claims to have been robbed of a toy panda
Original Radio Broadcast Date: December 29, 1950
Originated from HollywoodStarred Steven Dunne as Sam Spade, Lurene Tuttle as Effie, William Conrad, Wally Maher, Tommy Cook, Cathy Lewis, Sidney Miller, Tony Barret
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
Give us a call at 208-991-4783Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives
Today's Mystery:Sam is hired by a 9 year-old who claims to have been robbed of a toy panda
Original Radio Broadcast Date: December 29, 1950
Originated from HollywoodStarred Steven Dunne as Sam Spade, Lurene Tuttle as Effie, William Conrad, Wally Maher, Tommy Cook, Cathy Lewis, Sidney Miller, Tony Barret
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
Give us a call at 208-991-4783Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(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,
(00:53):
slash Great Detectives. If you areenjoying this podcast, please follow us using
your favorite punk past software. Today'sprogram is brought to you in part by
the financial support of our listeners.You can support the show on a one
time basis at support dot Great Detectivesdot net, and you can also become
one of our ongoing Patreon supporters forus little last two dollars per month at
(01:18):
Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net.Well, now it is time for this
week's episode of Sam Spade. Theoriginal aired eight December twenty ninth, nineteen
fifty and the title as the ProdigalPanda Keeper. Junal Broadcasting Company presents the
(01:41):
adventures of Sam Spade, Detective DetectiveA Field Please Sweetheart, married twenty ninth
of December two Sam, did youtake a little bit? Why? Yep,
Well, not exactly. F howto make a couple of emergency stops.
(02:04):
But we got there. What doyou mean, Well, I got
my weekly knot on the head forone thing, Madam, just taking the
little boy hole. Like I said, I we were derailed. There was
a dash of poison, for instance, a couple of pounds of thousand bucked
notes, and an infernal machine thatnearly blew up half the mission district.
But other than that, we hada peaceful ride home. By this sounds
like a temper, which is justwhat it is. Angel, get out
(02:28):
our special holiday bottle of Napa ValleyWine and we'll get in our premature regards
to the new year. Following dictationof a report entitled the Prodigal, Are
you sure that's the right word.Certainly, I'm sure the wanderer will return
to the roost, you and yourbig fat roost with our last bedtime story
for nineteen fifteen, namely The ProdigalPanda Caper for NBC, William Spear Radio's
(02:59):
outstanding her director of mystery and crimedrama brings you the greatest private detective of
them all, in the Adventures ofSam Spade. Effie, Miss Perry,
I've been looking in the dictionary.Dam you've fallen into the trap again.
(03:20):
Prodigal here not see prodigal given toreckless extravagance. It doesn't mean wandering at
all. See how people think justbecause the prodigal fun wandered that? What
are we talking about? The prodigalpanda caper? How can a panda be
given to reckless extravagance? Let mesee? Oh here definition three prodigal yielding
(03:40):
abundantly luxuriant panda. You mean thoseblack and white right right? See note
below It says you're ready for thenote below. Oh alight, Master,
Roebuck Dozier, twenty three eighteen DelanneyStreet, City, from Samuel Spade,
license number one three seven five ninesix, subject the product dap right,
(04:01):
Dear Roby, I'd spent a relativelypleasant day running down a case of slow
play in North Beach, and,flushed with success, had returned to my
office for a final check of thefile underwood Helen, not sure, Roderick,
Pardon Dolly, where are the ohspirits holidays? I sat down,
(04:30):
put my hat on my feet onthe desk, and was loosening my collar
when I noticed, just the rightof my off ankle, one large bag
of jelly beans sighting past it.I saw in the corner chair an open
copye of a magazine featuring on thecover a blonde and a low cut dress
taking a thirty eight slug from aslack jawed bug. In the background,
under big red letters spelling out thrillingcrime comics, and behind all this sound
(04:54):
asleep? Was you? Hey?Hey, sunny, Sunny? Hey,
wake up? Well, yeah,come on, Radley's blowing? Oh hi,
Hi, how long you been here? A long time? I guess
what's your name? Robe? Shortfor Robock? Well what can I do
for you? Rob? I've beento the police. They wouldn't do anything.
(05:15):
They said I should come to you. I mean you got a job
from me? Yeah? Dangerous?Yeah. A hoist? You mean a
heist to bear? Oh? Someonestolen? Yeah, it's not mine really.
I bought her from my little brotherBarney. He's five, and he's
always wanted one. So when Igot the junk money I don't money,
(05:35):
oh, bottles and papers and stuff. I collected it from the neighbors and
there in six stars and fifteen cents, and Varney wanted the pan to bear,
so I bought it at Lacy's departmentstore today and they stole it.
Stolen. Well, there was thisman in the checkered coat and the lady
in the red silk dress, justlike the store in the comic. Here
(05:55):
the man looked like that. Thelady looked different. She had care and
a red dress and her eyebrows wentup this way instead of sideways. I
was walking down the street with mypanda bear and the lady called me over
to a car she was sitting inand started to talk to me, and
right away the man in the checkeredcoat ran up and grabbed it my panda
(06:16):
bear, and they chased me upa fire escape, and the man pulled
out a big black gun and saidif I didn't come down and give him
the panda, he chooted me andBarney and Mom. So I came down
and gave him the panda. Wow, that's quite a mom Oh, excuse
me, Robbie. Hello Sam,Yeah, Dundee, this is Dundee.
Oh Zam is a little fella abouteight years old, on his way over
(06:40):
there. Oh he's here now,lieutenant, what's the deal? He gave
us quite a story. Now wetook it down. I got it right
here sowhere. Let me see.It's about a man in a checkered coat
and a lady in a red silkdress. Oh, here it is quote.
I was walking down the street withmy panda bear and the lady called
me over to a carsh Okay,Dundee, he hasn't changed it. We
got hold of his mother runs anelevator in the rust building. She says
(07:03):
he reads too many comic books.You better send him home, okay,
Lieutenant, thanks, Come on,Robie, you've got to send me home.
Lieutenant Dundee called your mother. Ohman, you don't believe me either.
Oh it's not that, Roby.It's just I can't go home without
the pan to beer. What doI tell Barney? I promised him my
own brother. Oh he's home nowwaiting. Yeah, Well tell you what
(07:28):
I'll do, Robie. You letme put you in a taxi and send
you home, and I'll take thecase. You'll get my pan to that.
It wouldn't be at all surprised.So if Barney's face hits the floor,
just tell him Samuel Spade Incorporated's workingon it. Only one thing.
I haven't any money left. Ohyou got jelly beans? Eager? Yeah,
okay, and pay me off injelly beans. Come on, let's
find a taxi, which we did. Robie like the psychology book said that
(07:57):
I didn't discourage the child imagination,but I did try to touch you off
thrilling crime comics and under Alice inWonderland. This I could see would takes
some doing. There was almost closingtime when I got to Laces, when
I talked my way past the manat the door and hustle up to the
sixth floor and the toy department.The clerks were doing whatever clerks do at
five thirty, but I found ahandy floor walker. Dear mean missus Spade,
(08:18):
I just don't know. I justdon't know. You mean you counted
your cash and everything, but notthat, mister Spain. I am perfectly
willing to stretch a point to pleasea little fellow. We like to think
we are a human here, youknow. Oh that's nice that you like
to think. So, I mean, would you see something very strange happened
this afternoon? Had come over thisway, sir, by the escalator.
(08:41):
We had the giant tenders at discounthere, twenty five of the large side.
I assume that's what you're interested in, I guess so. And what
then? Well, for Christmas.They didn't do anything, just sat here.
Yes, but would you believe it'searth this afternoon? All twenty five
soul? Well, how do youcount from that? No year's gaiety?
(09:03):
Well, if you want my personalopinion, it's miss Greenbrier, the new
girl who came to work yesterday.She is endowed with I know just what
it takes to sell pandas well.How about the junior model A medium?
Yes, Now, let me see. There were a few under the counter
here where I was wrong. Hereis a big one. We're lucky me
(09:26):
how much hive seventy nine plus tactI'll make the slip out and you can
get your change. An impressive pandabear robe. Was hard to figure out
how you could lose anything that big, and harder still to figure out how
I'd explain this kind of thing topeople who stopped me on Market Street.
Be that as it may. Myfloor walker friend took my cash, tore
(09:50):
off the sail slip, and Iwas about to set sail with my panda
when I heard him make the kindof a noise floor workers make when they
see what he was looking at.Miss Miss Greenbar, Miss green Bar,
she pointed, weekly turned pale evenby floor walker standards, and sagged to
the deck. I turned in timeto see Miss Greenbrier collapsed at the top
(10:11):
of the escalator, and watched hercome down, draped across three steps like
the cover of one of your booksof bedtime stories, Roby. She was
the last passenger of the day,or so I thought. When I looked
closer, I saw she wasn't apassenger. She was freight at the lamp
counter on the floor above, busilyadding up receipts as if nothing had happened.
Was a doc type built along DragonLady lines closed. I want to
(10:35):
know about the girl who just wentdown the escalator, Miss Greenbrier, Yeah,
I noticed anything strange about her?Why is she? Yeah? Did
she look ill? I thought theremust have been something wrong. I said
hello to her, and she didn'tpay attention to me. It was only
a second ago. Where'd she comefrom? Around the corner? I think
she'd been at the wrapping desk.She had was a ten sized sheet of
(10:56):
heavy brown paper, a batch ofmetered postage tape, and a shipping able
to address to Master Frankie Carson twoeight one. Evanita Ruez Havanna Cuba.
Downstairs, I found my floor walkerfriend at cameran was bending over Miss Greenbrier
with an impressive looking gent with grayat the temples. Good heavens, it
can't be. It just cannot be, That's all I'm afraid she is though
(11:18):
in Lacy's. See it's unheard out. Why should you be, good heavens
in my department? Two? Excuseme floorwalking? Oh, this is mister
Speed. He was with me whenit Oh, dear, I'm doctor Kempthorne.
I was exchanging some Christmas gifts.To any idea what killed her?
Well, that's a pretty hot totell without an examination, and I don't
(11:39):
have my things with me. Hotpossibly natural causes, of course, why
do you have? Are more naturalplaces to die than at the top of
an escalator and in my department atLacy's too good? Well, who can
say? I have to look upthe girl's history if she had a hot
condition, well sure, sure.Meanwhile, I'll call homicide. I've nothing
(12:00):
to do. For a minute,I thought I'd been reading too many comic
books, Robbie. But things settledon when they pulled out the records and
found Miss greenbar had had a hardcondition of long standing, and the medical
examiner wrote it off as natural causes, so hoping you would consider a jelly
being bonus for pumpness. I pickup my panda and wins outside. I'd
(12:22):
gone about ten steps when hi,I'm free. It was Larry Healy and
a cop with Driss for Lieutenant Dondayis sitting in a patrol car. Oh
you and Bogard? Who's it fora little chid in the mission? How
come? What do you mean I'llcome. I'm buying a panda bear for
a little kid in the mission orlikes panda bears? Does that have to
be explained? Okay, Sam,Okay, okay, it just hit me.
(12:46):
The bear ain't turned out quite right. He needs an necktie. I
just happened to have one here.My brother in law got me for Christmas.
Here gimme nah see good Oh Larry, Larry, I don't as there've
been bad blood between you and yourbrother and la Dad blood. Listen.
Even when we were friends, hegave me ties like this, Eh yeah,
(13:07):
on your waist. Thanks. Thanks. Taxi cab let me out.
Near the end of the Landy andI started walking up the row of Dingy
pre earthquake flat stored your house,Robbie at the end of the street,
parked at the curve was a discordantnote in this hard press neighborhood. A
sleek, custom built red convertible,one of the kind that looks like it
(13:30):
can go ninety miles an hour standingstill. The same can be said for
the dame in it, also adiscordant note. You see, San Francisco
is a very big, large city. You just don't run into a dame
at the lamp counter in lacy'son ahalf hour later in a dumping neighborhood in
the mission, unless she wants itthat way. Well, hello, hello
(13:50):
dragon, Lady Siller. You youmust sell a passing and lamps the car.
But don't try and explain that now. Just tell me, whyn't you
followed my cat follow you? Why? Come on? Come on? What
is it you're embarrassing me? Iknow since that moment at the lamp counter
you can't get me out of yourmind. Well, that's a perfectly normal
reaction, but it's not that it'sthe panda bear. You want it in
(14:15):
the worst way. You're kind ofattractive as men go, mister Space.
Do you give me a light please? Sure? Holding the match up to
her cigarette. Three things hit me, the black hair, the red dress,
and eyebrows that went up instead ofsideways. At that point, the
(14:37):
sleeve of a checkered overcoat with abig arm inside it came around under my
chin from the rear. And thefourth thing hit me. How long I
dwelt in panda Land, I don'tknow, but it was real nice while
it lasted. I was a pandatwo, I remember, and I was
going somewhere with a big overstuffed privatedetect them under my arm when a lady
(14:58):
panneda batted her big brown eyes atme and began pulling my nose. She
seemed to have a very very highvoice. Mister Spade, ruffling boy,
I call it tennant. Tell memister speech. Sam's way, Oh here,
good Christopher Sam. What happened?Well, well it was this waye
(15:20):
dundee. I was walking down thestreet with my panda bear, and the
lady called me over to the carshe was sitting, and it started to
talk to the right away, theman in the checkered coat. Ups.
You are listening to the weekly adventureof radio's most famous detective, Sam Spade.
(15:56):
Van Heflin Stars. This Sunday andState Fair, another outstanding sixty minute
production by Theater Guild on the air. Co Starring in this exciting broadcast is
one of the leading families in showbusiness, Jeane Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart and
daughter June. It's a gala NewYear's Eve broadcast when Theater Guild presents state
Fair Sunday over most of these NBCstations also means another hour and a half
(16:19):
with Talulah Bankhead in radio's greatest spectacle, The Big Show. Among Talulah's guests
will be Ken Murray, Gloria Swanson, Margaret O'Brien, Jose Ferrer, and
many more. Now back to theprodigal pandacaper. Tonight's adventure with Sam Spade.
(16:48):
It was a humiliating experience Roway ridingback the headquarters in black defeat.
But dear good Lieutenant Dunde, however, with the soul of patience and understanding,
what do you take me for?Spade? And do you look done?
They? All I want you tounderstand is that this dame in a
hopped up, confined a lot,three rides on that merry go round now
and I'm sick of it. TheDame in the red dress and the guy
in the checkered coat. They takeyour wallet. No, your watch are
(17:11):
the valuable? No, just mypanda, Sam, Are you trying to
tell me there's a hot panda racketgoing on? Dundee boy, look closely
now that I take off my hat. See how as you know, my
head ordinarily does not come to apoint. But this protuberance was made by
(17:32):
a Gunbut not my imagination. Oh, someone slugt you. I believe that,
Sam, But this panda Dunne Yeahwhy yeah, yeah, you were
saying something about my panda. Thenthey ought to take it back. That
(17:53):
dame at the store this afternoon,the one who sold him, miss Greenbright.
Yeah, they just finished the postmortem. No heart attack, she
was poisoned. It's a strange thing, mister Speed, very strange. I
(18:15):
leave my business thoughts at the store. Floor Walker, just try and remember
the dragon lady's name. Uh,Bagony, My good gracious, I can't
remember my own name. I'm soupset. Oh, I'll concentrate now.
Look. Dark hair, uptilted eyebrows, red silk dress, works in length
apartment on seventh floor. I canpicture her so plainly, dark Hare floor
(18:37):
Walker, dark hair, ump shot, eyebrows, eyebrows, and the red
dress scarlet, scarlet scarlet. That'sit easy, Now, I got a
list of employees right here outside thescarlet scarlet, scarlet, scarlet Townsend,
scarlet Townsend. That's the Dame BlueWalker, Scarlot Thompson. Yeah, she
(19:08):
lives dear right in this room.Good guy, we'll come, I said,
oh, comely, let me watchhim. Oh. I tried to
keep her on the right track,but her ain't. You can't call nothing
when you bring that no good gamearound here. I put my foot down.
(19:29):
I said scarlet, I said,I said scarlet, and I said
you, oh, good day?What's no good dame? My lady Christel
McCall. Oh here I found thisjust now. I was cleaning the room.
Picture of Christian McCall. Now,ain't that a swell way to have
their picture taken? The name ranga bell and soldier, the picture Crystal
(19:57):
herself and the auld again. WhenI got around of the face, I
made a startling discovery. Crystal wasalso the late miss Greenbrier. Don't look
at it all day, young man. When when'd you see this girl?
Last line? Lady morning A fellerin a kick or coat. Come around.
You pick up scarlet in a bigred open car. No the feller,
(20:18):
Nope, never show him before.But I showed all that car.
Oh you're see it. You're nottelling me a thing, Landlady, I
have in Los Angeles. I don'thave been dead. But San Francisco is
not a convertible town. I founda free phone and began calling on a
(20:40):
dealer. It's figuring a bright redcustom built convertible. It's something you remember,
whether you see it or sell it. Anara, this god may nowhere,
and I'd begun to wonder if thecar had been smuggled up from the
unmentionable side of the Tahachab when thewind changed. So the other one while
back flanks but near missus don't conferend. But the fire had it painted red?
Special job you're improving. Who's thebuyer? Kim Thorne, Doctor kim
(21:02):
Thorne, all right, doctor Juleskim Thorne lives our Motley drive and bulling
game. That's only red one.I know. Great, that's the only
red one I need. Mister Spade, this is utterly unbelievable, and I
(21:23):
certainly don't intend to stand here allnight discussing the pros and cons of Panda
Bay. All right, Kim Thorne, let's slide over into your field,
meaning what the sweet young thing atthe store. It turned out the dirty,
the heart attack, the poison attack, Well, suicide. Do you
suppose? What do you suppose?Well, I'm sure I don't know.
(21:44):
Look, why don't we hold handsand tell the truth. Huh, you'd
better run along, spade. I'vehad about all of this that I intended.
The dead dame was Crystal McCall.Does that mean anything to you?
Know, the same Crystal McCall wasrunning around with a hood named Frankie Cassella,
formerly of New York, now ofHavanna. By the potment of justice,
request this is all very interesting.What has it to do with me?
She was riding around on your redconvertible this morning? For one thing.
(22:07):
That's a hot car. You know. I took a close look at
it two hours ago and got slugged. I don't know how you score these
things, kem Thorn, But inmy book, this calls for a couple
of answers. You're right, you'reright, it does. Where's the car?
It's gone? Who has it?My chauffeur this is the last straw.
I guess there's no point in coveringup for a many longer. Who
(22:27):
is Lenny Flegel next? Con isn'the? Yes? I thought I could
straighten him out. He's been missingfor two days. This time he just
took the car and left. Iknew he had something to do with that
girl in the toy department at Lacey's, so I went there today. I
guess I was too late, youthink, Flegel Childer, I don't know.
(22:48):
I don't know where. Did yousee the car near the end of
Delaney Street? What's the license number? Forty nine eight two two. I'd
better report or it's stolen. Ifyou need me to testify, please feel
free to call that I will,Doctor ken Thorn. Bye. What I
(23:14):
had in mind, of course,was to call Lieutenant Dundee and having to
slap a twenty four hour tail onthe good doctor. But something intervened.
Halfway down the walk to the street, my eye fell on a round plastic
object about the size of a nickel, lying in the grass, curly the
eye of a giant panda. Sincetwo other eyes were obviously watching me through
Doctor ken Thorne's front curtains, Icontinued gaily onto my cab, drove up
(23:37):
a half block, got out,and walked back, just in time to
see Kenthorn pull away from the curbin his other car, heading towards El
Camino and points north. Elvis leftme free to pall at will, and
four match books later, I hadfound two more eyes, a pocketful of
panda skin, and a goodly scoopof panda upholstery. The trail led to
the garage. No wonder his carwas stolen. You must have had to
(24:02):
leave it on the street all nightbecause there was no room for it in
the garage, which had been turnedinto a kind of panda abatoire, crammed
to the rafters with panda bears,all the giant size too, in various
stages of disobee, legs, arms, eyes, and nards. A sight
to chill the heart of any butthe sturdiest private detective robe. But I
braced myself and carried on. I'ma side dandee, let's just Sam,
(24:37):
dundee, Sam, what are youcalling? From? Bone booth and a
drive in on El Camino. Listen, the license number on the red custom
job is forty nine eight two two, and the guy driving in his Lenny
flegel an x con. Do talkto me about that car, Larry,
heay pick it up to night goingnighty on the bay shot right, Why
what happened? Next time I seeone of them panda bears, I'm gonna
(24:57):
spit right in its side. SoLarry puts the guy down and first thing
he sees is the panda bear withthe necktie? What about the Dragon Lady
as she came? Second Alary canthink of is the hot panda bear.
Figures they stole it, So hetakes it back to the patrol car or
return it to the kit. No. Yeah, the time he got the
exhaust smoke out of his eyes,they were gone, oh what's that license?
(25:18):
Nowhere again? Eight two two?You're sure positive? I'm looking right
at it? I oh, SamDundee, Yeah, we're all at Anderson's
drive in on El Camino. Putit on the air, which just shows
(25:41):
you how slow I can think.Robe. The red job was staring at
me with its big chrome eyes outsidethe plate glass window. Legal and the
Dragon Lady BLUs somewhere having a SaturdayNight blue plate displayed effectively on the tray.
Wrecks hung from the car doors.I signed a lot of the phone
booth and through the kitchen, therebycoming up on the car from behind.
No, we gotta get going,plenty of time, mind if I join
(26:03):
your fliggle. He reached an eye, pushed, and instead of his gun,
he came up with half a hamburger. It was too harsh a light
for the Dragon Lady to operate effectively, and by the time Larry Healey and
the Powl car pulled up, theydecided to do it the easier way.
You're all comfy back there, lovely, Larry Flag, Dragon Lady shut up?
(26:26):
What about the red job? Whathe's gonna do with it? Larry?
Oh oh, I'm pounded to letlayers through talking. Sammy, want
to go by way of the LaneyStreet? Yeah? Why Delaney Street?
Larry delivered the pandum huh shoulder thekid Robie doze year, I'll have to
go and pick it up plenty Yeah. What's it worth? Flag fifty thousand,
(26:47):
one hundred little kids gunning? Yeah? Oh, Arsela will be disappointed.
Flag. With the tax boys watchingboth him and christ to live,
looked like a safe way to getsome of his dough out of the country.
To him, it wasn't my idea. I hated him. I did
eight years for him, Spade,I could have killed him. I don't
care anymore to heck with it.Look, it wasn't me. The guy
who's running things for him here isdoctor Kempthorne. But Crystal had the dough.
(27:08):
He killed her. He took hera lunch to Danny. Go ahead,
Lenny, so he poisoned her.Then what she'd fixed up one of
the pandas he didn't know which stuffit with bills eighty one hundred thousand.
I don't know anyway, you'll findhim money in the red car, into
the back seat, under the seat. What are you talking about? It's
in the panda. The kid's gotit. Look, why do you think
I'm telling you this? Your stupidflat But I fixed that thing for our
Sola myself after we took the doughout. What kid, it's gotta bombing
(27:30):
it. I don't remember how muchabout the ride from then on, Robby,
all I could see with a whiteline on winding in the headlights.
But some highway got to the endof the Lanny's threating around that corner again,
Robbie Robie over here in the AlleyRobbie. Robbie heard no just resting.
(27:52):
Where is the pandit run through withpandas and so is Barney next junk
money. I'm gonna buy him anfor what happening? Eastman brought it.
I started homeless it when a cardrove up and a man with gray hair
got out him thorn what then thesame thing? He grabbed it and got
in his car and drove off.He's around the corner. They're playing with
it. Oh, I ask him, I don't care anymore. Around the
(28:14):
corner you may eat period and thereport highly inconsiderate thing to do to a
(28:36):
panaf But I'll give him one thing. What he had the good grace to
part in front of a vacant lotbefore starting to tear it apart, and
of course the coin of phrase.He saved the people some money. And
now, if you're a good,efficient girl and run that through your infernal
machine, who knows what I'll havein store for you when you through no
(28:56):
jelly beans? Still work is donenow. Scoop Scoop Scoop three times mean
Good Times on NBC Friday means anothervisit to that entertaining eat establishment. Duffy's
tavern. Archie the manager and hiswhimsical friends have cooked up another fresh half
(29:17):
hour of laughs and typical Duffy's tavernmadness, and you're all invited. There's
also another delightful adventure with chester ARiley played by William Bendix. Tonight on
the Life of Riley. Keep yourdial set to NBC for the very best
in radio entertainment. All official.I like Zack play off, playoff.
(29:48):
We're not favorting all the black lives. You're my favorites. Don't know,
Master robots here very well, Sam, I hope Roby a three. You
only just a kid. I'm gonnaappreciate me. I appreciate you well.
I appreciate you too, sweet Heart. You're so pretty and so efficient.
(30:08):
I'm so good about not kidding meall the time. For your back salary.
Yep. If when I stop andthink of you, I got all
chunked up. Come here, Angel, Yes, it's all yours. Here
the rest of the jollying, happymillion, Oh, good night, good
(30:37):
night, Sweeter. The Adventures ofSam's Spade are produced, edited, and
directed by William Spears. Sam's Spadewas played by Stephen Dunn. The Greene.
Title is Effie Rip for Tonight's Adventureby Harold Swandon, Musical scoring by
(31:03):
lud Gluskin, conducted by Robert Armbrister. Join us again next week, same
time for another adventure with Sam Spade. Enjoy the Magnificent Montague, then Duffy's
Tavern on NBC Welcome Back. Iloved this episode, such a funny episode,
(31:37):
and I think it's a perfect storyfor New Year's And this one will
definitely go on the list of episodesthat I rotate in for replays during our
New Year's Week vacation. Obviously wewon't play it for a few years anyway,
but it'll be in there. Imean, just so many great eight
(32:00):
moments, really charming and funny.I also appreciated Effie getting out the dictionary
and then addressing the fact that theword prodigal is often misused. I mean,
so we get a story here that'sfun, that's heartwarming, that's got
(32:20):
a decent mystery, and it playsto my tendency towards being a grammatical peditan.
So what more could I ask?This isn't This isn't just my favorite
Steve Dunne episode so far. Itprobably ranks up there as one of the
favorite episodes we played a Sam Spadeso really delighted. Now you might wonder
(32:45):
about the comics that Robie is reading, because we tend to associate comics that
were read by kids with superheroes.But the superhero genre underwent a decline after
World War Two, and many superherotitles had already folded by the time of
(33:06):
this episode. Captain America, forexample, had been canceled in nineteen fifty
and a few months after this,the only major superhero character still standing would
be Superman, Batman, and WonderWoman. So you had comics in a
wide variety of different genres urging tokeep these companies afloat. These included things
(33:32):
like western whore and sci fi andof course crime. Or you could blend
the genres, as one company didin creating a comic book series called Space
Detective. There were also comedy comics, including an Abbot and Costello comic,
(33:53):
and of course the greatest part ofthe DC you The Adventures of Bob.
Now, if you have any curiosityat all about the type of comics that
were available for Robie to read,you can go and visit Digitalcomic Museum dot
com It's one of my favorite siteson the internet. It has a wide
(34:16):
variety of different comic books that haveentered the public domain. Obviously not just
from the fifties, but also fromthe Golden Age of comics. There were
quite a few comic book companies thatwere opened and they folded and no one
ever purchased their rights, so thecharacters entered the public domain. So you
(34:39):
can take a look and see allof the stuff that was being put out
there. But now let's go aheadand thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to go ahead andthank James. James has been one
of our Patreon supporters since October oftwenty twenty two, currently supporting the program
at the detectives argent level of sevendollars and fourteen cents or more per month.
(35:02):
Thank you so much for your support, James, and that will actually
do it for today. If youare enjoying this podcast, please follow us
using your favorite podcast software. Andif you're enjoying this podcast on YouTube,
be sure to lock the video,subscribe to the channel, and mark the
notification bell. Sam Spade will returnin two weeks. Next week we'll be
(35:29):
our recording break week so we'll havean encore presentation next Monday. But join
us back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny, at all or where?
Tell me what was the depth ofthe ocean where the cruises sank. Oh,
it's only about fifty feet. I'vegot a savage company working out to
raise it. Get a diver downeyes, but he didn't find out much.
(35:51):
You couldn't get inside the whole.That's about the size of it.
Hum it is until they get thatcruiser raise so we can take a look
at it. And of course itmay not tell us a thing. What
about the currents along the reef wherethat boat went down, Oh, they're
pretty bad, strong and erratic.A body could be carried through the reefs
and on on out to see younever be found. What I was thinking
(36:14):
more of the possibility of a goodswimmer getting into shore. You've said they
were anchored only a mile and ahalf out. Yes, well it's possible,
but not very probable. You'd havebeen seen by Haynes or somebody else.
There was a heavy fog, wasn'tthere fairly heavy? And of course
Haines could be lying. Maybe hedid see him. I said it was
possible, but that's not the lineI'm planning to take mister Doling sewing yet.
(36:39):
They'll bring that hold of the surfacesome time tomorrow. Maybe we'll have
some evidence then, but maybe Marky'sbody he'll turn up in the next forty
eight hours, and if not,then, mister Dollar, I will petition
the probate court to declare him legallydead. I suppose you've got some reason
for all this rush. Yes,I want the fact of death established in
(37:00):
order to find the mud to chudge. I hope you'll be with us then.
In the meantime, do send yourcomments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives
dot net, follow us on Twitterat Radio Detectives, and check us out
on Instagram, Instagram, dot com, slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho.
(37:21):
This is your host, Adam Grahamsigning off.
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,
(00:53):
slash Great Detectives. If you areenjoying this podcast, please follow us using
your favorite punk past software. Today'sprogram is brought to you in part by
the financial support of our listeners.You can support the show on a one
time basis at support dot Great Detectivesdot net, and you can also become
one of our ongoing Patreon supporters forus little last two dollars per month at
(01:18):
Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net.Well, now it is time for this
week's episode of Sam Spade. Theoriginal aired eight December twenty ninth, nineteen
fifty and the title as the ProdigalPanda Keeper. Junal Broadcasting Company presents the
(01:41):
adventures of Sam Spade, Detective DetectiveA Field Please Sweetheart, married twenty ninth
of December two Sam, did youtake a little bit? Why? Yep,
Well, not exactly. F howto make a couple of emergency stops.
(02:04):
But we got there. What doyou mean, Well, I got
my weekly knot on the head forone thing, Madam, just taking the
little boy hole. Like I said, I we were derailed. There was
a dash of poison, for instance, a couple of pounds of thousand bucked
notes, and an infernal machine thatnearly blew up half the mission district.
But other than that, we hada peaceful ride home. By this sounds
like a temper, which is justwhat it is. Angel, get out
(02:28):
our special holiday bottle of Napa ValleyWine and we'll get in our premature regards
to the new year. Following dictationof a report entitled the Prodigal, Are
you sure that's the right word.Certainly, I'm sure the wanderer will return
to the roost, you and yourbig fat roost with our last bedtime story
for nineteen fifteen, namely The ProdigalPanda Caper for NBC, William Spear Radio's
(02:59):
outstanding her director of mystery and crimedrama brings you the greatest private detective of
them all, in the Adventures ofSam Spade. Effie, Miss Perry,
I've been looking in the dictionary.Dam you've fallen into the trap again.
(03:20):
Prodigal here not see prodigal given toreckless extravagance. It doesn't mean wandering at
all. See how people think justbecause the prodigal fun wandered that? What
are we talking about? The prodigalpanda caper? How can a panda be
given to reckless extravagance? Let mesee? Oh here definition three prodigal yielding
(03:40):
abundantly luxuriant panda. You mean thoseblack and white right right? See note
below It says you're ready for thenote below. Oh alight, Master,
Roebuck Dozier, twenty three eighteen DelanneyStreet, City, from Samuel Spade,
license number one three seven five ninesix, subject the product dap right,
(04:01):
Dear Roby, I'd spent a relativelypleasant day running down a case of slow
play in North Beach, and,flushed with success, had returned to my
office for a final check of thefile underwood Helen, not sure, Roderick,
Pardon Dolly, where are the ohspirits holidays? I sat down,
(04:30):
put my hat on my feet onthe desk, and was loosening my collar
when I noticed, just the rightof my off ankle, one large bag
of jelly beans sighting past it.I saw in the corner chair an open
copye of a magazine featuring on thecover a blonde and a low cut dress
taking a thirty eight slug from aslack jawed bug. In the background,
under big red letters spelling out thrillingcrime comics, and behind all this sound
(04:54):
asleep? Was you? Hey?Hey, sunny, Sunny? Hey,
wake up? Well, yeah,come on, Radley's blowing? Oh hi,
Hi, how long you been here? A long time? I guess
what's your name? Robe? Shortfor Robock? Well what can I do
for you? Rob? I've beento the police. They wouldn't do anything.
(05:15):
They said I should come to you. I mean you got a job
from me? Yeah? Dangerous?Yeah. A hoist? You mean a
heist to bear? Oh? Someonestolen? Yeah, it's not mine really.
I bought her from my little brotherBarney. He's five, and he's
always wanted one. So when Igot the junk money I don't money,
(05:35):
oh, bottles and papers and stuff. I collected it from the neighbors and
there in six stars and fifteen cents, and Varney wanted the pan to bear,
so I bought it at Lacy's departmentstore today and they stole it.
Stolen. Well, there was thisman in the checkered coat and the lady
in the red silk dress, justlike the store in the comic. Here
(05:55):
the man looked like that. Thelady looked different. She had care and
a red dress and her eyebrows wentup this way instead of sideways. I
was walking down the street with mypanda bear and the lady called me over
to a car she was sitting inand started to talk to me, and
right away the man in the checkeredcoat ran up and grabbed it my panda
(06:16):
bear, and they chased me upa fire escape, and the man pulled
out a big black gun and saidif I didn't come down and give him
the panda, he chooted me andBarney and Mom. So I came down
and gave him the panda. Wow, that's quite a mom Oh, excuse
me, Robbie. Hello Sam,Yeah, Dundee, this is Dundee.
Oh Zam is a little fella abouteight years old, on his way over
(06:40):
there. Oh he's here now,lieutenant, what's the deal? He gave
us quite a story. Now wetook it down. I got it right
here sowhere. Let me see.It's about a man in a checkered coat
and a lady in a red silkdress. Oh, here it is quote.
I was walking down the street withmy panda bear and the lady called
me over to a carsh Okay,Dundee, he hasn't changed it. We
got hold of his mother runs anelevator in the rust building. She says
(07:03):
he reads too many comic books.You better send him home, okay,
Lieutenant, thanks, Come on,Robie, you've got to send me home.
Lieutenant Dundee called your mother. Ohman, you don't believe me either.
Oh it's not that, Roby.It's just I can't go home without
the pan to beer. What doI tell Barney? I promised him my
own brother. Oh he's home nowwaiting. Yeah, Well tell you what
(07:28):
I'll do, Robie. You letme put you in a taxi and send
you home, and I'll take thecase. You'll get my pan to that.
It wouldn't be at all surprised.So if Barney's face hits the floor,
just tell him Samuel Spade Incorporated's workingon it. Only one thing.
I haven't any money left. Ohyou got jelly beans? Eager? Yeah,
okay, and pay me off injelly beans. Come on, let's
find a taxi, which we did. Robie like the psychology book said that
(07:57):
I didn't discourage the child imagination,but I did try to touch you off
thrilling crime comics and under Alice inWonderland. This I could see would takes
some doing. There was almost closingtime when I got to Laces, when
I talked my way past the manat the door and hustle up to the
sixth floor and the toy department.The clerks were doing whatever clerks do at
five thirty, but I found ahandy floor walker. Dear mean missus Spade,
(08:18):
I just don't know. I justdon't know. You mean you counted
your cash and everything, but notthat, mister Spain. I am perfectly
willing to stretch a point to pleasea little fellow. We like to think
we are a human here, youknow. Oh that's nice that you like
to think. So, I mean, would you see something very strange happened
this afternoon? Had come over thisway, sir, by the escalator.
(08:41):
We had the giant tenders at discounthere, twenty five of the large side.
I assume that's what you're interested in, I guess so. And what
then? Well, for Christmas.They didn't do anything, just sat here.
Yes, but would you believe it'searth this afternoon? All twenty five
soul? Well, how do youcount from that? No year's gaiety?
(09:03):
Well, if you want my personalopinion, it's miss Greenbrier, the new
girl who came to work yesterday.She is endowed with I know just what
it takes to sell pandas well.How about the junior model A medium?
Yes, Now, let me see. There were a few under the counter
here where I was wrong. Hereis a big one. We're lucky me
(09:26):
how much hive seventy nine plus tactI'll make the slip out and you can
get your change. An impressive pandabear robe. Was hard to figure out
how you could lose anything that big, and harder still to figure out how
I'd explain this kind of thing topeople who stopped me on Market Street.
Be that as it may. Myfloor walker friend took my cash, tore
(09:50):
off the sail slip, and Iwas about to set sail with my panda
when I heard him make the kindof a noise floor workers make when they
see what he was looking at.Miss Miss Greenbar, Miss green Bar,
she pointed, weekly turned pale evenby floor walker standards, and sagged to
the deck. I turned in timeto see Miss Greenbrier collapsed at the top
(10:11):
of the escalator, and watched hercome down, draped across three steps like
the cover of one of your booksof bedtime stories, Roby. She was
the last passenger of the day,or so I thought. When I looked
closer, I saw she wasn't apassenger. She was freight at the lamp
counter on the floor above, busilyadding up receipts as if nothing had happened.
Was a doc type built along DragonLady lines closed. I want to
(10:35):
know about the girl who just wentdown the escalator, Miss Greenbrier, Yeah,
I noticed anything strange about her?Why is she? Yeah? Did
she look ill? I thought theremust have been something wrong. I said
hello to her, and she didn'tpay attention to me. It was only
a second ago. Where'd she comefrom? Around the corner? I think
she'd been at the wrapping desk.She had was a ten sized sheet of
(10:56):
heavy brown paper, a batch ofmetered postage tape, and a shipping able
to address to Master Frankie Carson twoeight one. Evanita Ruez Havanna Cuba.
Downstairs, I found my floor walkerfriend at cameran was bending over Miss Greenbrier
with an impressive looking gent with grayat the temples. Good heavens, it
can't be. It just cannot be, That's all I'm afraid she is though
(11:18):
in Lacy's. See it's unheard out. Why should you be, good heavens
in my department? Two? Excuseme floorwalking? Oh, this is mister
Speed. He was with me whenit Oh, dear, I'm doctor Kempthorne.
I was exchanging some Christmas gifts.To any idea what killed her?
Well, that's a pretty hot totell without an examination, and I don't
(11:39):
have my things with me. Hotpossibly natural causes, of course, why
do you have? Are more naturalplaces to die than at the top of
an escalator and in my department atLacy's too good? Well, who can
say? I have to look upthe girl's history if she had a hot
condition, well sure, sure.Meanwhile, I'll call homicide. I've nothing
(12:00):
to do. For a minute,I thought I'd been reading too many comic
books, Robbie. But things settledon when they pulled out the records and
found Miss greenbar had had a hardcondition of long standing, and the medical
examiner wrote it off as natural causes, so hoping you would consider a jelly
being bonus for pumpness. I pickup my panda and wins outside. I'd
(12:22):
gone about ten steps when hi,I'm free. It was Larry Healy and
a cop with Driss for Lieutenant Dondayis sitting in a patrol car. Oh
you and Bogard? Who's it fora little chid in the mission? How
come? What do you mean I'llcome. I'm buying a panda bear for
a little kid in the mission orlikes panda bears? Does that have to
be explained? Okay, Sam,Okay, okay, it just hit me.
(12:46):
The bear ain't turned out quite right. He needs an necktie. I
just happened to have one here.My brother in law got me for Christmas.
Here gimme nah see good Oh Larry, Larry, I don't as there've
been bad blood between you and yourbrother and la Dad blood. Listen.
Even when we were friends, hegave me ties like this, Eh yeah,
(13:07):
on your waist. Thanks. Thanks. Taxi cab let me out.
Near the end of the Landy andI started walking up the row of Dingy
pre earthquake flat stored your house,Robbie at the end of the street,
parked at the curve was a discordantnote in this hard press neighborhood. A
sleek, custom built red convertible,one of the kind that looks like it
(13:30):
can go ninety miles an hour standingstill. The same can be said for
the dame in it, also adiscordant note. You see, San Francisco
is a very big, large city. You just don't run into a dame
at the lamp counter in lacy'son ahalf hour later in a dumping neighborhood in
the mission, unless she wants itthat way. Well, hello, hello
(13:50):
dragon, Lady Siller. You youmust sell a passing and lamps the car.
But don't try and explain that now. Just tell me, whyn't you
followed my cat follow you? Why? Come on? Come on? What
is it you're embarrassing me? Iknow since that moment at the lamp counter
you can't get me out of yourmind. Well, that's a perfectly normal
reaction, but it's not that it'sthe panda bear. You want it in
(14:15):
the worst way. You're kind ofattractive as men go, mister Space.
Do you give me a light please? Sure? Holding the match up to
her cigarette. Three things hit me, the black hair, the red dress,
and eyebrows that went up instead ofsideways. At that point, the
(14:37):
sleeve of a checkered overcoat with abig arm inside it came around under my
chin from the rear. And thefourth thing hit me. How long I
dwelt in panda Land, I don'tknow, but it was real nice while
it lasted. I was a pandatwo, I remember, and I was
going somewhere with a big overstuffed privatedetect them under my arm when a lady
(14:58):
panneda batted her big brown eyes atme and began pulling my nose. She
seemed to have a very very highvoice. Mister Spade, ruffling boy,
I call it tennant. Tell memister speech. Sam's way, Oh here,
good Christopher Sam. What happened?Well, well it was this waye
(15:20):
dundee. I was walking down thestreet with my panda bear, and the
lady called me over to the carshe was sitting, and it started to
talk to the right away, theman in the checkered coat. Ups.
You are listening to the weekly adventureof radio's most famous detective, Sam Spade.
(15:56):
Van Heflin Stars. This Sunday andState Fair, another outstanding sixty minute
production by Theater Guild on the air. Co Starring in this exciting broadcast is
one of the leading families in showbusiness, Jeane Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart and
daughter June. It's a gala NewYear's Eve broadcast when Theater Guild presents state
Fair Sunday over most of these NBCstations also means another hour and a half
(16:19):
with Talulah Bankhead in radio's greatest spectacle, The Big Show. Among Talulah's guests
will be Ken Murray, Gloria Swanson, Margaret O'Brien, Jose Ferrer, and
many more. Now back to theprodigal pandacaper. Tonight's adventure with Sam Spade.
(16:48):
It was a humiliating experience Roway ridingback the headquarters in black defeat.
But dear good Lieutenant Dunde, however, with the soul of patience and understanding,
what do you take me for?Spade? And do you look done?
They? All I want you tounderstand is that this dame in a
hopped up, confined a lot,three rides on that merry go round now
and I'm sick of it. TheDame in the red dress and the guy
in the checkered coat. They takeyour wallet. No, your watch are
(17:11):
the valuable? No, just mypanda, Sam, Are you trying to
tell me there's a hot panda racketgoing on? Dundee boy, look closely
now that I take off my hat. See how as you know, my
head ordinarily does not come to apoint. But this protuberance was made by
(17:32):
a Gunbut not my imagination. Oh, someone slugt you. I believe that,
Sam, But this panda Dunne Yeahwhy yeah, yeah, you were
saying something about my panda. Thenthey ought to take it back. That
(17:53):
dame at the store this afternoon,the one who sold him, miss Greenbright.
Yeah, they just finished the postmortem. No heart attack, she
was poisoned. It's a strange thing, mister Speed, very strange. I
(18:15):
leave my business thoughts at the store. Floor Walker, just try and remember
the dragon lady's name. Uh,Bagony, My good gracious, I can't
remember my own name. I'm soupset. Oh, I'll concentrate now.
Look. Dark hair, uptilted eyebrows, red silk dress, works in length
apartment on seventh floor. I canpicture her so plainly, dark Hare floor
(18:37):
Walker, dark hair, ump shot, eyebrows, eyebrows, and the red
dress scarlet, scarlet scarlet. That'sit easy, Now, I got a
list of employees right here outside thescarlet scarlet, scarlet, scarlet Townsend,
scarlet Townsend. That's the Dame BlueWalker, Scarlot Thompson. Yeah, she
(19:08):
lives dear right in this room.Good guy, we'll come, I said,
oh, comely, let me watchhim. Oh. I tried to
keep her on the right track,but her ain't. You can't call nothing
when you bring that no good gamearound here. I put my foot down.
(19:29):
I said scarlet, I said,I said scarlet, and I said
you, oh, good day?What's no good dame? My lady Christel
McCall. Oh here I found thisjust now. I was cleaning the room.
Picture of Christian McCall. Now,ain't that a swell way to have
their picture taken? The name ranga bell and soldier, the picture Crystal
(19:57):
herself and the auld again. WhenI got around of the face, I
made a startling discovery. Crystal wasalso the late miss Greenbrier. Don't look
at it all day, young man. When when'd you see this girl?
Last line? Lady morning A fellerin a kick or coat. Come around.
You pick up scarlet in a bigred open car. No the feller,
(20:18):
Nope, never show him before.But I showed all that car.
Oh you're see it. You're nottelling me a thing, Landlady, I
have in Los Angeles. I don'thave been dead. But San Francisco is
not a convertible town. I founda free phone and began calling on a
(20:40):
dealer. It's figuring a bright redcustom built convertible. It's something you remember,
whether you see it or sell it. Anara, this god may nowhere,
and I'd begun to wonder if thecar had been smuggled up from the
unmentionable side of the Tahachab when thewind changed. So the other one while
back flanks but near missus don't conferend. But the fire had it painted red?
Special job you're improving. Who's thebuyer? Kim Thorne, Doctor kim
(21:02):
Thorne, all right, doctor Juleskim Thorne lives our Motley drive and bulling
game. That's only red one.I know. Great, that's the only
red one I need. Mister Spade, this is utterly unbelievable, and I
(21:23):
certainly don't intend to stand here allnight discussing the pros and cons of Panda
Bay. All right, Kim Thorne, let's slide over into your field,
meaning what the sweet young thing atthe store. It turned out the dirty,
the heart attack, the poison attack, Well, suicide. Do you
suppose? What do you suppose?Well, I'm sure I don't know.
(21:44):
Look, why don't we hold handsand tell the truth. Huh, you'd
better run along, spade. I'vehad about all of this that I intended.
The dead dame was Crystal McCall.Does that mean anything to you?
Know, the same Crystal McCall wasrunning around with a hood named Frankie Cassella,
formerly of New York, now ofHavanna. By the potment of justice,
request this is all very interesting.What has it to do with me?
She was riding around on your redconvertible this morning? For one thing.
(22:07):
That's a hot car. You know. I took a close look at
it two hours ago and got slugged. I don't know how you score these
things, kem Thorn, But inmy book, this calls for a couple
of answers. You're right, you'reright, it does. Where's the car?
It's gone? Who has it?My chauffeur this is the last straw.
I guess there's no point in coveringup for a many longer. Who
(22:27):
is Lenny Flegel next? Con isn'the? Yes? I thought I could
straighten him out. He's been missingfor two days. This time he just
took the car and left. Iknew he had something to do with that
girl in the toy department at Lacey's, so I went there today. I
guess I was too late, youthink, Flegel Childer, I don't know.
(22:48):
I don't know where. Did yousee the car near the end of
Delaney Street? What's the license number? Forty nine eight two two. I'd
better report or it's stolen. Ifyou need me to testify, please feel
free to call that I will,Doctor ken Thorn. Bye. What I
(23:14):
had in mind, of course,was to call Lieutenant Dundee and having to
slap a twenty four hour tail onthe good doctor. But something intervened.
Halfway down the walk to the street, my eye fell on a round plastic
object about the size of a nickel, lying in the grass, curly the
eye of a giant panda. Sincetwo other eyes were obviously watching me through
Doctor ken Thorne's front curtains, Icontinued gaily onto my cab, drove up
(23:37):
a half block, got out,and walked back, just in time to
see Kenthorn pull away from the curbin his other car, heading towards El
Camino and points north. Elvis leftme free to pall at will, and
four match books later, I hadfound two more eyes, a pocketful of
panda skin, and a goodly scoopof panda upholstery. The trail led to
the garage. No wonder his carwas stolen. You must have had to
(24:02):
leave it on the street all nightbecause there was no room for it in
the garage, which had been turnedinto a kind of panda abatoire, crammed
to the rafters with panda bears,all the giant size too, in various
stages of disobee, legs, arms, eyes, and nards. A sight
to chill the heart of any butthe sturdiest private detective robe. But I
braced myself and carried on. I'ma side dandee, let's just Sam,
(24:37):
dundee, Sam, what are youcalling? From? Bone booth and a
drive in on El Camino. Listen, the license number on the red custom
job is forty nine eight two two, and the guy driving in his Lenny
flegel an x con. Do talkto me about that car, Larry,
heay pick it up to night goingnighty on the bay shot right, Why
what happened? Next time I seeone of them panda bears, I'm gonna
(24:57):
spit right in its side. SoLarry puts the guy down and first thing
he sees is the panda bear withthe necktie? What about the Dragon Lady
as she came? Second Alary canthink of is the hot panda bear.
Figures they stole it, So hetakes it back to the patrol car or
return it to the kit. No. Yeah, the time he got the
exhaust smoke out of his eyes,they were gone, oh what's that license?
(25:18):
Nowhere again? Eight two two?You're sure positive? I'm looking right
at it? I oh, SamDundee, Yeah, we're all at Anderson's
drive in on El Camino. Putit on the air, which just shows
(25:41):
you how slow I can think.Robe. The red job was staring at
me with its big chrome eyes outsidethe plate glass window. Legal and the
Dragon Lady BLUs somewhere having a SaturdayNight blue plate displayed effectively on the tray.
Wrecks hung from the car doors.I signed a lot of the phone
booth and through the kitchen, therebycoming up on the car from behind.
No, we gotta get going,plenty of time, mind if I join
(26:03):
your fliggle. He reached an eye, pushed, and instead of his gun,
he came up with half a hamburger. It was too harsh a light
for the Dragon Lady to operate effectively, and by the time Larry Healey and
the Powl car pulled up, theydecided to do it the easier way.
You're all comfy back there, lovely, Larry Flag, Dragon Lady shut up?
(26:26):
What about the red job? Whathe's gonna do with it? Larry?
Oh oh, I'm pounded to letlayers through talking. Sammy, want
to go by way of the LaneyStreet? Yeah? Why Delaney Street?
Larry delivered the pandum huh shoulder thekid Robie doze year, I'll have to
go and pick it up plenty Yeah. What's it worth? Flag fifty thousand,
(26:47):
one hundred little kids gunning? Yeah? Oh, Arsela will be disappointed.
Flag. With the tax boys watchingboth him and christ to live,
looked like a safe way to getsome of his dough out of the country.
To him, it wasn't my idea. I hated him. I did
eight years for him, Spade,I could have killed him. I don't
care anymore to heck with it.Look, it wasn't me. The guy
who's running things for him here isdoctor Kempthorne. But Crystal had the dough.
(27:08):
He killed her. He took hera lunch to Danny. Go ahead,
Lenny, so he poisoned her.Then what she'd fixed up one of
the pandas he didn't know which stuffit with bills eighty one hundred thousand.
I don't know anyway, you'll findhim money in the red car, into
the back seat, under the seat. What are you talking about? It's
in the panda. The kid's gotit. Look, why do you think
I'm telling you this? Your stupidflat But I fixed that thing for our
Sola myself after we took the doughout. What kid, it's gotta bombing
(27:30):
it. I don't remember how muchabout the ride from then on, Robby,
all I could see with a whiteline on winding in the headlights.
But some highway got to the endof the Lanny's threating around that corner again,
Robbie Robie over here in the AlleyRobbie. Robbie heard no just resting.
(27:52):
Where is the pandit run through withpandas and so is Barney next junk
money. I'm gonna buy him anfor what happening? Eastman brought it.
I started homeless it when a cardrove up and a man with gray hair
got out him thorn what then thesame thing? He grabbed it and got
in his car and drove off.He's around the corner. They're playing with
it. Oh, I ask him, I don't care anymore. Around the
(28:14):
corner you may eat period and thereport highly inconsiderate thing to do to a
(28:36):
panaf But I'll give him one thing. What he had the good grace to
part in front of a vacant lotbefore starting to tear it apart, and
of course the coin of phrase.He saved the people some money. And
now, if you're a good,efficient girl and run that through your infernal
machine, who knows what I'll havein store for you when you through no
(28:56):
jelly beans? Still work is donenow. Scoop Scoop Scoop three times mean
Good Times on NBC Friday means anothervisit to that entertaining eat establishment. Duffy's
tavern. Archie the manager and hiswhimsical friends have cooked up another fresh half
(29:17):
hour of laughs and typical Duffy's tavernmadness, and you're all invited. There's
also another delightful adventure with chester ARiley played by William Bendix. Tonight on
the Life of Riley. Keep yourdial set to NBC for the very best
in radio entertainment. All official.I like Zack play off, playoff.
(29:48):
We're not favorting all the black lives. You're my favorites. Don't know,
Master robots here very well, Sam, I hope Roby a three. You
only just a kid. I'm gonnaappreciate me. I appreciate you well.
I appreciate you too, sweet Heart. You're so pretty and so efficient.
(30:08):
I'm so good about not kidding meall the time. For your back salary.
Yep. If when I stop andthink of you, I got all
chunked up. Come here, Angel, Yes, it's all yours. Here
the rest of the jollying, happymillion, Oh, good night, good
(30:37):
night, Sweeter. The Adventures ofSam's Spade are produced, edited, and
directed by William Spears. Sam's Spadewas played by Stephen Dunn. The Greene.
Title is Effie Rip for Tonight's Adventureby Harold Swandon, Musical scoring by
(31:03):
lud Gluskin, conducted by Robert Armbrister. Join us again next week, same
time for another adventure with Sam Spade. Enjoy the Magnificent Montague, then Duffy's
Tavern on NBC Welcome Back. Iloved this episode, such a funny episode,
(31:37):
and I think it's a perfect storyfor New Year's And this one will
definitely go on the list of episodesthat I rotate in for replays during our
New Year's Week vacation. Obviously wewon't play it for a few years anyway,
but it'll be in there. Imean, just so many great eight
(32:00):
moments, really charming and funny.I also appreciated Effie getting out the dictionary
and then addressing the fact that theword prodigal is often misused. I mean,
so we get a story here that'sfun, that's heartwarming, that's got
(32:20):
a decent mystery, and it playsto my tendency towards being a grammatical peditan.
So what more could I ask?This isn't This isn't just my favorite
Steve Dunne episode so far. Itprobably ranks up there as one of the
favorite episodes we played a Sam Spadeso really delighted. Now you might wonder
(32:45):
about the comics that Robie is reading, because we tend to associate comics that
were read by kids with superheroes.But the superhero genre underwent a decline after
World War Two, and many superherotitles had already folded by the time of
(33:06):
this episode. Captain America, forexample, had been canceled in nineteen fifty
and a few months after this,the only major superhero character still standing would
be Superman, Batman, and WonderWoman. So you had comics in a
wide variety of different genres urging tokeep these companies afloat. These included things
(33:32):
like western whore and sci fi andof course crime. Or you could blend
the genres, as one company didin creating a comic book series called Space
Detective. There were also comedy comics, including an Abbot and Costello comic,
(33:53):
and of course the greatest part ofthe DC you The Adventures of Bob.
Now, if you have any curiosityat all about the type of comics that
were available for Robie to read,you can go and visit Digitalcomic Museum dot
com It's one of my favorite siteson the internet. It has a wide
(34:16):
variety of different comic books that haveentered the public domain. Obviously not just
from the fifties, but also fromthe Golden Age of comics. There were
quite a few comic book companies thatwere opened and they folded and no one
ever purchased their rights, so thecharacters entered the public domain. So you
(34:39):
can take a look and see allof the stuff that was being put out
there. But now let's go aheadand thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to go ahead andthank James. James has been one
of our Patreon supporters since October oftwenty twenty two, currently supporting the program
at the detectives argent level of sevendollars and fourteen cents or more per month.
(35:02):
Thank you so much for your support, James, and that will actually
do it for today. If youare enjoying this podcast, please follow us
using your favorite podcast software. Andif you're enjoying this podcast on YouTube,
be sure to lock the video,subscribe to the channel, and mark the
notification bell. Sam Spade will returnin two weeks. Next week we'll be
(35:29):
our recording break week so we'll havean encore presentation next Monday. But join
us back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny, at all or where?
Tell me what was the depth ofthe ocean where the cruises sank. Oh,
it's only about fifty feet. I'vegot a savage company working out to
raise it. Get a diver downeyes, but he didn't find out much.
(35:51):
You couldn't get inside the whole.That's about the size of it.
Hum it is until they get thatcruiser raise so we can take a look
at it. And of course itmay not tell us a thing. What
about the currents along the reef wherethat boat went down, Oh, they're
pretty bad, strong and erratic.A body could be carried through the reefs
and on on out to see younever be found. What I was thinking
(36:14):
more of the possibility of a goodswimmer getting into shore. You've said they
were anchored only a mile and ahalf out. Yes, well it's possible,
but not very probable. You'd havebeen seen by Haynes or somebody else.
There was a heavy fog, wasn'tthere fairly heavy? And of course
Haines could be lying. Maybe hedid see him. I said it was
possible, but that's not the lineI'm planning to take mister Doling sewing yet.
(36:39):
They'll bring that hold of the surfacesome time tomorrow. Maybe we'll have
some evidence then, but maybe Marky'sbody he'll turn up in the next forty
eight hours, and if not,then, mister Dollar, I will petition
the probate court to declare him legallydead. I suppose you've got some reason
for all this rush. Yes,I want the fact of death established in
(37:00):
order to find the mud to chudge. I hope you'll be with us then.
In the meantime, do send yourcomments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives
dot net, follow us on Twitterat Radio Detectives, and check us out
on Instagram, Instagram, dot com, slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho.
(37:21):
This is your host, Adam Grahamsigning off.
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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.