August 18, 2025 • 24 mins
Rocky Fortune 1953-11-17 (006) Some Cat's Killed the Canary
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Frank Sinatra transcribed as Rocky Fortune. NBC presents Frank Sinatra
(00:26):
as that footloose and fancy free young gentleman Rocky Fortune. Hi.
(00:50):
When I was a kid, a couple of maiden aunts
made me practice the bull fiddle. The strengthened my character.
It didn't do much for my character because I hocked
the fiddle and ran away from home. Every once in
a while, though, I got a chance to pick up
a couple of bucks playing with a small combo at
a Polish wedding or above Midstram. The last job I
had was neither. It was more of a funeral my own. Yeah, Hey, dad,
(01:16):
I want to speak to Rocky boy. You you got him?
Rock This is Bugsy Bugsy bud Well Hi a jazz ball.
Where you've been? I mean a cat's a box loot
flee back called the hotel's aibal.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
You dig that place?
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I've been there. High is America's great as b Bob
Horn gain in altitude, man, gain an altitude getting tall? Yeah,
real high. You're looking for loot game for employment? You
mean music, dad, I don't mean bricklaying uggs. I ain't
played the bass for five years. Also, my instrument is
with an uncle. I huckd at for train, fair man.
That doesn't signify I we'll scuffle up a base for you.
(01:50):
How much in where there's amziba fifteen bucks in the
path for the night see and a half hour, solid,
solid glad you now in digulated. Whatever happened to that line?
I invest the subway token, and twenty minutes later I
am in the jungle room at the Hotel Zanzibar, which
(02:10):
is a cheap three story fleabag on Bleakman Street, on
the band's stand as Bugsy bought and as five bars
a box. Bugsy is a musician's musician, and the boys
are playing strictly from Memphis. After the set, Bugsy comes
over and sits down with me. This boy is five
feet wide across the chest, and he doesn't know from
his own strength.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Rock boy, give me some skin man easy.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Bugs, you're breaking up the metacoppos. What's up my bass
players on the sauce. I need somebody to take his
place tonight. Well, I ain't much of a bass player. Bugs.
That don't matter. Man, All you gotta do is stand
up there and wallop the willers. I just want to
cover the boy to keep the hotel manager from blowing
his top. Yeah, see what you mean? Where's the fiddle?
You go up to Johnny's Room two twelve, get his fiddling.
Come on down, Johnny, Johnny Lament Man the best double
(02:53):
bass you ever laid near drum on. Yeah, of course
he used to play with Goodman, didn't he. Oh this
Johnny's been all over town man. When he's sober, he
can play all over. That instrument hits every register with
the cash registered. Uh, what's wrong, girl? Trouble? You used
to have a little thrush called Evie Johnson. She and
Johnny had to fallen out. And he's taking it pretty hard.
Come on, man, you better hustle.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
We're on in ten minutes.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I hopped the self service elevator up to two and
look for room two twelve. It ain't very hard because
it's the only room with a built en trombone player. Yes,
this Johnny Lament's room. Baby, What do you want? I'm
Rocky Fortune, I'm sitting for Johnny. He comes in for
a landing, which won't be soon by the looks of him.
(03:42):
You still haven't said what you want. Oh, pardon me,
I need the fiddle. Don't you have your own instrument? Honey,
don't give me a bad time. I need the fiddle.
Come in, thanks, Listenny. Who's that? Take it easy? Johnny?
Eve he come back in? Is there you Eavie? Oh?
(04:02):
This kid's for Belleville Evee? Johnny, go back to sleep
and put some more music on. Baby, put me something sad.
If you see my baby, you send them home to me.
You see my baby? You see the shee me tell
(04:24):
my baby. I'm saying, is I can't be? Who's that cat?
Name's Rocky Fortune, Johnny. I'm sitting there with Bugsy and
the boys tonight. I need your fiddle? He sure? Man?
Anything you say? Man? You want a drink? Man at large, Sonny,
give you this righteous cat a little drink. Thanks. I
(04:45):
don't touch it, john say, man, you see my ev
any place around? See a little chick a butt so
high with the softest blonde hair. You see 'em? Man
freight not Johnny? Uh the fiddles in the closet, Rocky, Thanks, Baby.
I didn't catch his name. I didn't throw it. It's
Laris kine On, Bugsy's new singer. Pleased to meet you. Hey, Yes,
(05:10):
what's the gun on the shelf for Oh it's Johnny's.
Don't worry, I already threw the bullets out the window.
Club girl, thank you, I'm pretty too. Thank you, and
don't forget the bass fiddle. Yeah, oh sure, come in.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
It's eleven ten, miss Kane.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Oh write down, mister Quaid, in case.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
No one has informed you, Miss Kane, I pay you
and mister Barton to put on a show in my
club at ten thirty. It is now eleven ten.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I'm sorry, mister Quaid.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
We were just I can see what you were. Just
is this drunken Paganinny going to perform tonight?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Well, Johnny isn't feeling so good, mister Quaid. But mister
Fortune here is gonna take his place.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Fortune. I don't believe I've ever heard of it.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Rocky Fortune. Why, he's one of the greatest bass players
in the business.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I'm paying for the greatest Rocky.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Tell mister Quaid, are you and Dixie had him screaming
for mercy? At least was hot in Paris last year?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Well, yeah, I don't want to brag, baby, I'll go on. Wow.
You see, we was playing a dog watch from twelve
to four, and suddenly Dixie gets off on Japanese sad Man.
Everybody said Dix was losing his lip, but that night
he was blowing up a storm. I'm just playing a
long one. Up he comes, boogerty, boogerty, open horn, and
every note was to look like it was greased and stuffed.
(06:22):
Pretty soon the cats were jumping in pandemonium, breaks loose.
French bankers were tearing their clothes off. You know. It
took one hundred and fifty gen downs a calum the
joint down.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
That's very interesting, mister fortune. But the next show was
due to start in three minutes. If you don't mind me,
I don't mind. See you later, Johnny.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Any sing you sing man. You see my ivy down there,
You tell her, Jenny says, come back here, You tell
her her. Johnny's been the weep city for and he
wants to back. I shoulder the fiddle down of the
jungle room. Just as Bugsy and the boys get off
(06:59):
on Sweeper. We start all playing with the French called
in time. We call it in the closet. After a while,
the joints starts jumping in. For the next five hours,
I slapped that base until the gut turns black and
blue also my hand. Half the time I'm in two
different keys, but nobody cares, and the fans figure on
another Eddie Safranski because I'm playing notes that don't even exist.
(07:20):
About four and a am, the whole deal bills crescendo
till I think the top of my head's gonna fly off,
and then suddenly we're playing sixteen bars of good Night's
Sweetheart and it's all over. I think, okay, cut, that
does it? Thanks? Rock Well? How did it go? Pal?
(07:42):
I tell you sweet and groovy like a ninety cent
movie man. Yeah, what happens now? You won't play a gainemar.
We got a room for you in the third floor.
If you need a pad for the night. Fifteen bucks
fifteen you got it solid. Here's the key. Say, how's
Johnny Lament?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Still on his hip?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
He's taking his thing kind of hardh What happened to him? Him?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
And I?
Speaker 1 (08:01):
You had a big thing tonight.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
She walked out, bag and baggage.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
That's rough. Yeah, it's dangerous for him. Invest heavy and
come out of light.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
See you in the am.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Do pardon the expression, but what time the boys stop
seeing double? About eleven? We reheish at twelve, I lugged
the bull fiddle up to the third floor and head
from my room. I don't get very far, however, because
halfway down the hall I hear's something which ain't music.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Hey, what's going on in there?
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Open up? Take it easy, babies, Wait a minute, just
a minute. What's wrong in the bedroom before I have
a look with your mind? Putting down the knife? Knife?
Unless that's ketchup on it? Baby, maybe you better tell
me what's in that room. It's it, It never is
(08:56):
for me. Well, I take a look, don't go away.
I spent for the bedroom, get the door halfway open,
and I stopped. There on the bed is the body
of a beautiful little blonde. One look tells it all.
Some cats kill the canary, all right, the lares, let's
(09:16):
have it? Can't be Come on, baby, what happened here?
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I finished singing my last number, and I had a
drink at the bar. Made me sleepy, and I came
up to the room and passed out.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
I woke a couple of minutes ago.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
He was lying on the bed. His snife was in
my hand.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Oh here, I didn't kill her.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I didn't. Just to take it easy. They didn't know it, did.
I swear to you it happened just the way I said.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
When I saw her, I screamed, and that.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Get easy, bit Look open your eyes, I said, open
your eyes, look at me. Okay, Oh what was that for?
Just checking? Honey? Somebody slipped your mickey? Your pupils are contracted.
It was to drink.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I know it.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
You know why anybody who want to frame you for
Eve Johnson's murder? Why should as somebody did? Baby? Now
come on, we gotta work fast. Whoever did this is
probably phone the gendarmes already. What can we do? I
don't know. At four a m. Wait a minute, listen,
you go on, press the elevator button. What are you
gonna do? Get rid of the body? Now get moving.
(10:31):
Dolorus holds the elevator while I carry Eve's body in.
Then I tell her to hold the button until I
can hustle down to the first floor. I hit the
lobby just as my good friend, Detective Sergeant Hamilton J.
Finger of Homicide comes on like Buster's gang.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Pardon me, Sam, yes, homicide. We gotta tip on a
budding room.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Pree ten Oh, there must be some mistake, Serge Well, well,
my old cell made Hamilton Finger.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Uh, I might a knowed? Is this one of your
practical jokes? Fortune?
Speaker 1 (10:55):
I don't know from what you're talking.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Side tip over the elevator with me.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
We'll go upstairs, Rocky anything you say? Look? Uh what
brings you here?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I ain't sure, but I think it's a carps.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
I jabbed the elevator button and we wait for the car.
My pumper is playing footsie with my Adam's apple as
the car comes down and the door is open, and
I nearly drop dead. The car's as empty as ever
it's feel in December. We ride up the room three ten,
which belongs to the Larus Kane. M Hey, sage, what's
(11:35):
it all about?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
You'll find out? Yes, open up baby homicide.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Sergeant Finger, Miss Kane and U uh, you've met the
lowest things for Bugsy, I've been sitting in that's musicians talk.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Huh you mind if I look around?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Help yourself? Do you mind if I ask you what
you're looking for?
Speaker 3 (11:54):
We got a phone call, so there was a dead
woman in this room.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
That isn't very flattering.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
What's in there? Take a look, eh, empty?
Speaker 1 (12:05):
I think somebody's been pulling your legs, sergeant, both of 'em.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Where's a bedspread in the hamper? Excuse me? Uh uh?
I suppose this is nail polish?
Speaker 1 (12:19):
How did you know?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Yogi? Mind? If I take it down the lab for analysis.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
If you'll have it laundered?
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Okay? What's in the closet?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Oh, that's a small dragon named Launcelot. Carefully, doesn't bite you, Ronnie.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Booh, Okay, I'll have the bedspread analyze for bloodstains.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I don't go away, either one of you.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
We wouldn't think of it. Not a knight side and
no more practical jokes.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
You understand?
Speaker 1 (12:46):
What did you do with it? What? The body is
in the elevator? Not anymore? It ain't What do you mean?
It never made The first floor of the car was empty.
It's impossible. Eve Johnson's body didn't walk out of that car. Baby,
somebody lifted it. But what that means somebody must have
stopped the car on the second floor. Correct. The next
question is who would want to steal a corpse? What
(13:06):
do we do? Well, Finger's gonna find bloodstains on that spread,
and when he does, he'll be back with some tickless questions.
And I got a hunch we better have the answers.
Let's move. We start a room in the room canvas
of the second floor. Delaorus takes one car and I
take the other, result a big fat goose egg. I
(13:28):
finish my car and go look for Dolors. She's gone,
but from the sound of voices, I figured she stopped
off to see how Johnny Lament is making out. I
started to go in, but I changed my mind. Johnny
cut it out. She's dead? Andin't she my little Levy's dead?
I don't be crazy. I ain't crazy, baby, not anymore.
What makes you think she's dead? I could see it
in your eyes when I asked you body, But it
(13:50):
matters so much. She walked out on you, didn't she
she'd come back if she was okay? I know Evie.
Come on to Lauris what happened to her? How should
I now? Old baby? You said you was gonna kill
it out of your head, she told me, she says,
Johnny boy, Dolors is jealousy you, and she says, if
if I don't stop seeing you, she'll kill me. Come on, baby,
(14:11):
I know you. We were married once. You may remember.
Now let's have it. What you do to eat nothing.
Don't wash, baby, they just don't wash. They're gonna tell me,
honeywere's Evie? What'd you do to Johnny? You're crazy? Dr
wear it talk Johnny. J all right, hold it john
(14:32):
get knock it off you all right baby, not that
I really care. I'm sit down, jazz boss. Your new
boyfriend baby is in the like his face, and I
think shames. Sit down, Johnny. He's all right. I had
to belt him and I had to clip you too.
I don't understand. I heard it, baby, I got big ears.
(14:55):
You didn't bother to tell me you were married to
Johny Lament, and you didn't bother to tell me you
and Eve had a slight. I had fallen out. I
wanted you to help me. I was afraid you wanted
a patsy baby, and you got one when you were
about to lose him. Because Rocky Boy's gonna walk away
from all this right down the nearest police station, Rocky.
Note all that builds about how you were framed, and me,
with my open mind, I got a hole in my head. Rocky,
(15:15):
it's not true. Well tell Dick the fun loving rover
boy when he comes to I leave his fiddle in
the band room. It's a long baby, and the next
time you want a corps moved, call the seven Santini brothers.
I don't belong to the right union. I put it
up to my room as mad as a centipede with
(15:37):
a hot foot, and lugged the big bass fiddle down
to the band room, which is right across the hall
from Johnny the men's room. The empty fiddle case is
standing in the corner. I start to lay it down
flat and weighs about a ton, And even before it
slips out of my hands, I know why. Holy smokes. Okay,
(15:57):
fly bolling, get him up high. So you're the guy
who was all busted up about losing his best girl
back against the wall. Real nice guy kills his doll
and tries to hang it on his ex wife. You're
a doll buster. She found out I was pushing dope
and threatened to go to the cops. I had a killer.
Why you crummy dope peddler. It's misfits like you to
(16:20):
give honest musicians a bad name. They'll run your mouth
and me for you. And if you'd have kept out
of it, you'd be all right. You're gonna have a
tough time trying to get rid of two corps. As
John boy, a fil case only holds one. I'll worry
about that. Turn around, sure, pal, anything you say, only
before I do. There's one thing I think you ought
to know. Ah do Laurus took the bullets out of
(16:42):
your gun? Hello? Hello, who is this the manager? What
is it? Please listen, Quaid? This is Rocky Fortune. I'm
up in the band room two fifteen. I listen. E
Johnson's Body's up here in the base fiddle case. And
I got the cat that killed it. And get the
(17:03):
cops and make it fast. You say you've got the
man who stabbed it, stretched out like a Harry. That's
just fine.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Fortune, stay right there, I'll call the police.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Make it fast.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I hear somebody coming now.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Don't worry. You will be taken care of.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
It takes about two seconds before lightning strikes. How did
Quaid know she was stabbed? And how did he know
it was a man? Suddenly little wheels start to spin
around in my noodle. Quaid is internet? Sure he is.
He's probably supplying Johnny Lament with the stuff. And what's more,
(17:37):
he's undoubtedly on his way up here right now. I
start to pick up johny Lmt's forty five, and remind
myself that Dolores cann has removed the bullets. A hand
turns the doorknob, but it can't be quaid so soon.
I just pray that one of the cats is come
to get his instrument. The door opens. I freeze, Hey, hey, dad,
put the thing down. You gone, goonie, broxy brother? Am
(18:00):
I glad to see you? I'll put down a heater man.
What's going on in here? Take a look in a
fiddle case? Oh, he smokes e Yeah, here's the little
boy who did it. Johnny admitted it. I had to
flatten him. Well you did real good, not good enough. Listen, bugs.
The manager's on his way up here right now. And
(18:21):
unless I miss my guests, he's got heavy artillery. Quaid
is he in on this? He is? Now? I gotta
get out of here. What you gonna do? I got
a sudden brainstorm. Look, help me get Eve Johnson's body
out of this case. Come on, I'll get with it.
Come okay, okay, yeah, where too in the closet? Yeah
and a boy now, dump laughing boy into the bass
drunk right now. Open the door. Yeah, look you think
(18:49):
you can lift that case with me in it? Are
you kidding? I had a boy, muscle man, here goes?
All right?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
What you want me to do?
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Now? Look, you just walk out like you're on your
way to a jam session. Once I get past Quaid,
and there's till I'm all right? Okay, watch your hammer, higgles.
How you doing? Cut the lip dribble and get gone
before I get blue. The fiddle case fits me like
(19:19):
a fatal disease. But I squinched down and hold my breath,
and I figure maybe we'll make it. Bugsy boy picks
me up like I weigh into three pounds just as
a door opens. All right, Fortune, get your hi, mister Quaid.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Oh it's you.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
He was expecting somebody else.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
I was expecting Fortune. Did he get away? Fortune?
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Oh you mean the bass play?
Speaker 3 (19:39):
You know who I mean, muscle brain? Did he get out?
Speaker 1 (19:42):
You know me better than that, boss. I got rocky
Fortune right here inside the fiddle case. So there I
am smart. They don't come any smart and old Roco
(20:04):
Fortunado Jack. It never occurred to me that this hotel
might be operating a narcotics dodge, and that my pile
Bugsy might be in on it, but I'm real tricky.
I am, yes, sir, ree, I out with the crook
by crawling into a base fiddle case and let them
snap the catch on me. And there I hang like
a cured hand. Wait me boiled in hot fat?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
What do we do with him?
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Boss? Let me out of here? You're punk?
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Get him out of here.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Why don't we just drop him down the air shift?
It looked like an accident.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Don't be a jerk. Take him down to the river.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Anything you say, boss? Hey, yeah, I thought you shot
up for the whole mind. What a temper?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
This cat has got rumb on bugs. He don't breeze anything.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Who's that? Search? Me moping up? Who is it?
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Holy?
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Just a moment dropped out the window right.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Oh, I'm going up cod on suck. Okay, open the door.
What's going on here?
Speaker 4 (21:05):
I'd like to know, Officer. We came in and found
his musician knocked out on the floor.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Fortune. Fortune, I haven't seen him, have you, buggsy Fortune?
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Oh? Not a hide nor a hair either. Well, I
know he came in here to return the fiddle.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
You must have left. Then maybe he's in his room.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Yeah, yeah, he might have been here, buddy left.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Come on, miss, we'll go up to his room.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Something wrong, officer, Yeah, Fortune's wanted as an accessory of murder.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Hold it, Oh not, Rocky, what are you doing on?
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I don't believe this, sergeant, but I just climbed out
of a fiddle case. These hoodlums stopped me out of
the window under a fire escape one flight down.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
What He's obviously crazy, probably drunk.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
If I'm crazy, brother, then how about opening that closet
door because I've had a hallucination that Eve Johnson's body's inside.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
I'd like to oblige Fortune, but you see I've got
other plan. Rap him for it, buddy. All right, don't
move either one of you. I'm standing still. Open the closet.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Rocky had enough for your sergeants.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Yeah, it'll do for the time being. All right, let's go.
You two keep an eye on Dreamboat there.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Sure well, if he comes to I'll belt him with
a fiddle Let's go. Who boy, Are you alright, Rocky?
If I can have a straighten up, I'll be fine.
What happened up here? Oh?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
The sergeant came back when he found out those were bloodstains,
and I told him the whole story.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
We came down to look for you, and I guess
you know the rest. Uh huh? You sure you're all right, Rocky?
I'm fine, baby, But I was just thinking what what
they would have said if that fire escape hadn't have
been there. What would they have said? Man, dig that
crazy bass fiddle? Yeah. NBC has presented Frank Sinatra as
(23:02):
that footloose, fancy, free, and frequently unemployed young gentleman Rocky Fortune.
Tonight's cast included Jack Krushian, Gene Tatum, Tom Holland, Frank Gerstel,
and Bonnie Phillips. Tonight's script was written by George Lefferts
and Andrew C. Love directed. This is Eddie King speaking
now to tell you about next week's adventure. Here's Frank
(23:25):
Sinatra as Rocky Fortune. Did I ever tell you about
(23:46):
the Broadway actress who was involved in the murder of
a drama critic? And when I asked her for autographs,
she gave it to me with a forty five. Tell
you about it next week, See you around. Visit with
Febermaghee and Malay tonight on the NBC Radio Network. O
Frank Sinatra transcribed as Rocky Fortune. NBC presents Frank Sinatra
(00:26):
as that footloose and fancy free young gentleman Rocky Fortune. Hi.
(00:50):
When I was a kid, a couple of maiden aunts
made me practice the bull fiddle. The strengthened my character.
It didn't do much for my character because I hocked
the fiddle and ran away from home. Every once in
a while, though, I got a chance to pick up
a couple of bucks playing with a small combo at
a Polish wedding or above Midstram. The last job I
had was neither. It was more of a funeral my own. Yeah, Hey, dad,
(01:16):
I want to speak to Rocky boy. You you got him?
Rock This is Bugsy Bugsy bud Well Hi a jazz ball.
Where you've been? I mean a cat's a box loot
flee back called the hotel's aibal.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
You dig that place?
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I've been there. High is America's great as b Bob
Horn gain in altitude, man, gain an altitude getting tall? Yeah,
real high. You're looking for loot game for employment? You
mean music, dad, I don't mean bricklaying uggs. I ain't
played the bass for five years. Also, my instrument is
with an uncle. I huckd at for train, fair man.
That doesn't signify I we'll scuffle up a base for you.
(01:50):
How much in where there's amziba fifteen bucks in the
path for the night see and a half hour, solid,
solid glad you now in digulated. Whatever happened to that line?
I invest the subway token, and twenty minutes later I
am in the jungle room at the Hotel Zanzibar, which
(02:10):
is a cheap three story fleabag on Bleakman Street, on
the band's stand as Bugsy bought and as five bars
a box. Bugsy is a musician's musician, and the boys
are playing strictly from Memphis. After the set, Bugsy comes
over and sits down with me. This boy is five
feet wide across the chest, and he doesn't know from
his own strength.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Rock boy, give me some skin man easy.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Bugs, you're breaking up the metacoppos. What's up my bass
players on the sauce. I need somebody to take his
place tonight. Well, I ain't much of a bass player. Bugs.
That don't matter. Man, All you gotta do is stand
up there and wallop the willers. I just want to
cover the boy to keep the hotel manager from blowing
his top. Yeah, see what you mean? Where's the fiddle?
You go up to Johnny's Room two twelve, get his fiddling.
Come on down, Johnny, Johnny Lament Man the best double
(02:53):
bass you ever laid near drum on. Yeah, of course
he used to play with Goodman, didn't he. Oh this
Johnny's been all over town man. When he's sober, he
can play all over. That instrument hits every register with
the cash registered. Uh, what's wrong, girl? Trouble? You used
to have a little thrush called Evie Johnson. She and
Johnny had to fallen out. And he's taking it pretty hard.
Come on, man, you better hustle.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
We're on in ten minutes.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I hopped the self service elevator up to two and
look for room two twelve. It ain't very hard because
it's the only room with a built en trombone player. Yes,
this Johnny Lament's room. Baby, What do you want? I'm
Rocky Fortune, I'm sitting for Johnny. He comes in for
a landing, which won't be soon by the looks of him.
(03:42):
You still haven't said what you want. Oh, pardon me,
I need the fiddle. Don't you have your own instrument? Honey,
don't give me a bad time. I need the fiddle.
Come in, thanks, Listenny. Who's that? Take it easy? Johnny?
Eve he come back in? Is there you Eavie? Oh?
(04:02):
This kid's for Belleville Evee? Johnny, go back to sleep
and put some more music on. Baby, put me something sad.
If you see my baby, you send them home to me.
You see my baby? You see the shee me tell
(04:24):
my baby. I'm saying, is I can't be? Who's that cat?
Name's Rocky Fortune, Johnny. I'm sitting there with Bugsy and
the boys tonight. I need your fiddle? He sure? Man?
Anything you say? Man? You want a drink? Man at large, Sonny,
give you this righteous cat a little drink. Thanks. I
(04:45):
don't touch it, john say, man, you see my ev
any place around? See a little chick a butt so
high with the softest blonde hair. You see 'em? Man
freight not Johnny? Uh the fiddles in the closet, Rocky, Thanks, Baby.
I didn't catch his name. I didn't throw it. It's
Laris kine On, Bugsy's new singer. Pleased to meet you. Hey, Yes,
(05:10):
what's the gun on the shelf for Oh it's Johnny's.
Don't worry, I already threw the bullets out the window.
Club girl, thank you, I'm pretty too. Thank you, and
don't forget the bass fiddle. Yeah, oh sure, come in.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
It's eleven ten, miss Kane.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Oh write down, mister Quaid, in case.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
No one has informed you, Miss Kane, I pay you
and mister Barton to put on a show in my
club at ten thirty. It is now eleven ten.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I'm sorry, mister Quaid.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
We were just I can see what you were. Just
is this drunken Paganinny going to perform tonight?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Well, Johnny isn't feeling so good, mister Quaid. But mister
Fortune here is gonna take his place.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Fortune. I don't believe I've ever heard of it.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Rocky Fortune. Why, he's one of the greatest bass players
in the business.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I'm paying for the greatest Rocky.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Tell mister Quaid, are you and Dixie had him screaming
for mercy? At least was hot in Paris last year?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Well, yeah, I don't want to brag, baby, I'll go on. Wow.
You see, we was playing a dog watch from twelve
to four, and suddenly Dixie gets off on Japanese sad Man.
Everybody said Dix was losing his lip, but that night
he was blowing up a storm. I'm just playing a
long one. Up he comes, boogerty, boogerty, open horn, and
every note was to look like it was greased and stuffed.
(06:22):
Pretty soon the cats were jumping in pandemonium, breaks loose.
French bankers were tearing their clothes off. You know. It
took one hundred and fifty gen downs a calum the
joint down.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
That's very interesting, mister fortune. But the next show was
due to start in three minutes. If you don't mind me,
I don't mind. See you later, Johnny.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Any sing you sing man. You see my ivy down there,
You tell her, Jenny says, come back here, You tell
her her. Johnny's been the weep city for and he
wants to back. I shoulder the fiddle down of the
jungle room. Just as Bugsy and the boys get off
(06:59):
on Sweeper. We start all playing with the French called
in time. We call it in the closet. After a while,
the joints starts jumping in. For the next five hours,
I slapped that base until the gut turns black and
blue also my hand. Half the time I'm in two
different keys, but nobody cares, and the fans figure on
another Eddie Safranski because I'm playing notes that don't even exist.
(07:20):
About four and a am, the whole deal bills crescendo
till I think the top of my head's gonna fly off,
and then suddenly we're playing sixteen bars of good Night's
Sweetheart and it's all over. I think, okay, cut, that
does it? Thanks? Rock Well? How did it go? Pal?
(07:42):
I tell you sweet and groovy like a ninety cent
movie man. Yeah, what happens now? You won't play a gainemar.
We got a room for you in the third floor.
If you need a pad for the night. Fifteen bucks
fifteen you got it solid. Here's the key. Say, how's
Johnny Lament?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Still on his hip?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
He's taking his thing kind of hardh What happened to him? Him?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
And I?
Speaker 1 (08:01):
You had a big thing tonight.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
She walked out, bag and baggage.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
That's rough. Yeah, it's dangerous for him. Invest heavy and
come out of light.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
See you in the am.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Do pardon the expression, but what time the boys stop
seeing double? About eleven? We reheish at twelve, I lugged
the bull fiddle up to the third floor and head
from my room. I don't get very far, however, because
halfway down the hall I hear's something which ain't music.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Hey, what's going on in there?
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Open up? Take it easy, babies, Wait a minute, just
a minute. What's wrong in the bedroom before I have
a look with your mind? Putting down the knife? Knife?
Unless that's ketchup on it? Baby, maybe you better tell
me what's in that room. It's it, It never is
(08:56):
for me. Well, I take a look, don't go away.
I spent for the bedroom, get the door halfway open,
and I stopped. There on the bed is the body
of a beautiful little blonde. One look tells it all.
Some cats kill the canary, all right, the lares, let's
(09:16):
have it? Can't be Come on, baby, what happened here?
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I finished singing my last number, and I had a
drink at the bar. Made me sleepy, and I came
up to the room and passed out.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
I woke a couple of minutes ago.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
He was lying on the bed. His snife was in
my hand.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Oh here, I didn't kill her.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I didn't. Just to take it easy. They didn't know it, did.
I swear to you it happened just the way I said.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
When I saw her, I screamed, and that.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Get easy, bit Look open your eyes, I said, open
your eyes, look at me. Okay, Oh what was that for?
Just checking? Honey? Somebody slipped your mickey? Your pupils are contracted.
It was to drink.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I know it.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
You know why anybody who want to frame you for
Eve Johnson's murder? Why should as somebody did? Baby? Now
come on, we gotta work fast. Whoever did this is
probably phone the gendarmes already. What can we do? I
don't know. At four a m. Wait a minute, listen,
you go on, press the elevator button. What are you
gonna do? Get rid of the body? Now get moving.
(10:31):
Dolorus holds the elevator while I carry Eve's body in.
Then I tell her to hold the button until I
can hustle down to the first floor. I hit the
lobby just as my good friend, Detective Sergeant Hamilton J.
Finger of Homicide comes on like Buster's gang.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Pardon me, Sam, yes, homicide. We gotta tip on a
budding room.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Pree ten Oh, there must be some mistake, Serge Well, well,
my old cell made Hamilton Finger.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Uh, I might a knowed? Is this one of your
practical jokes? Fortune?
Speaker 1 (10:55):
I don't know from what you're talking.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Side tip over the elevator with me.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
We'll go upstairs, Rocky anything you say? Look? Uh what
brings you here?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I ain't sure, but I think it's a carps.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
I jabbed the elevator button and we wait for the car.
My pumper is playing footsie with my Adam's apple as
the car comes down and the door is open, and
I nearly drop dead. The car's as empty as ever
it's feel in December. We ride up the room three ten,
which belongs to the Larus Kane. M Hey, sage, what's
(11:35):
it all about?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
You'll find out? Yes, open up baby homicide.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Sergeant Finger, Miss Kane and U uh, you've met the
lowest things for Bugsy, I've been sitting in that's musicians talk.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Huh you mind if I look around?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Help yourself? Do you mind if I ask you what
you're looking for?
Speaker 3 (11:54):
We got a phone call, so there was a dead
woman in this room.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
That isn't very flattering.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
What's in there? Take a look, eh, empty?
Speaker 1 (12:05):
I think somebody's been pulling your legs, sergeant, both of 'em.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Where's a bedspread in the hamper? Excuse me? Uh uh?
I suppose this is nail polish?
Speaker 1 (12:19):
How did you know?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Yogi? Mind? If I take it down the lab for analysis.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
If you'll have it laundered?
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Okay? What's in the closet?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Oh, that's a small dragon named Launcelot. Carefully, doesn't bite you, Ronnie.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Booh, Okay, I'll have the bedspread analyze for bloodstains.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I don't go away, either one of you.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
We wouldn't think of it. Not a knight side and
no more practical jokes.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
You understand?
Speaker 1 (12:46):
What did you do with it? What? The body is
in the elevator? Not anymore? It ain't What do you mean?
It never made The first floor of the car was empty.
It's impossible. Eve Johnson's body didn't walk out of that car. Baby,
somebody lifted it. But what that means somebody must have
stopped the car on the second floor. Correct. The next
question is who would want to steal a corpse? What
(13:06):
do we do? Well, Finger's gonna find bloodstains on that spread,
and when he does, he'll be back with some tickless questions.
And I got a hunch we better have the answers.
Let's move. We start a room in the room canvas
of the second floor. Delaorus takes one car and I
take the other, result a big fat goose egg. I
(13:28):
finish my car and go look for Dolors. She's gone,
but from the sound of voices, I figured she stopped
off to see how Johnny Lament is making out. I
started to go in, but I changed my mind. Johnny
cut it out. She's dead? Andin't she my little Levy's dead?
I don't be crazy. I ain't crazy, baby, not anymore.
What makes you think she's dead? I could see it
in your eyes when I asked you body, But it
(13:50):
matters so much. She walked out on you, didn't she
she'd come back if she was okay? I know Evie.
Come on to Lauris what happened to her? How should
I now? Old baby? You said you was gonna kill
it out of your head, she told me, she says,
Johnny boy, Dolors is jealousy you, and she says, if
if I don't stop seeing you, she'll kill me. Come on, baby,
(14:11):
I know you. We were married once. You may remember.
Now let's have it. What you do to eat nothing.
Don't wash, baby, they just don't wash. They're gonna tell me,
honeywere's Evie? What'd you do to Johnny? You're crazy? Dr
wear it talk Johnny. J all right, hold it john
(14:32):
get knock it off you all right baby, not that
I really care. I'm sit down, jazz boss. Your new
boyfriend baby is in the like his face, and I
think shames. Sit down, Johnny. He's all right. I had
to belt him and I had to clip you too.
I don't understand. I heard it, baby, I got big ears.
(14:55):
You didn't bother to tell me you were married to
Johny Lament, and you didn't bother to tell me you
and Eve had a slight. I had fallen out. I
wanted you to help me. I was afraid you wanted
a patsy baby, and you got one when you were
about to lose him. Because Rocky Boy's gonna walk away
from all this right down the nearest police station, Rocky.
Note all that builds about how you were framed, and me,
with my open mind, I got a hole in my head. Rocky,
(15:15):
it's not true. Well tell Dick the fun loving rover
boy when he comes to I leave his fiddle in
the band room. It's a long baby, and the next
time you want a corps moved, call the seven Santini brothers.
I don't belong to the right union. I put it
up to my room as mad as a centipede with
(15:37):
a hot foot, and lugged the big bass fiddle down
to the band room, which is right across the hall
from Johnny the men's room. The empty fiddle case is
standing in the corner. I start to lay it down
flat and weighs about a ton, And even before it
slips out of my hands, I know why. Holy smokes. Okay,
(15:57):
fly bolling, get him up high. So you're the guy
who was all busted up about losing his best girl
back against the wall. Real nice guy kills his doll
and tries to hang it on his ex wife. You're
a doll buster. She found out I was pushing dope
and threatened to go to the cops. I had a killer.
Why you crummy dope peddler. It's misfits like you to
(16:20):
give honest musicians a bad name. They'll run your mouth
and me for you. And if you'd have kept out
of it, you'd be all right. You're gonna have a
tough time trying to get rid of two corps. As
John boy, a fil case only holds one. I'll worry
about that. Turn around, sure, pal, anything you say, only
before I do. There's one thing I think you ought
to know. Ah do Laurus took the bullets out of
(16:42):
your gun? Hello? Hello, who is this the manager? What
is it? Please listen, Quaid? This is Rocky Fortune. I'm
up in the band room two fifteen. I listen. E
Johnson's Body's up here in the base fiddle case. And
I got the cat that killed it. And get the
(17:03):
cops and make it fast. You say you've got the
man who stabbed it, stretched out like a Harry. That's
just fine.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Fortune, stay right there, I'll call the police.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Make it fast.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I hear somebody coming now.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Don't worry. You will be taken care of.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
It takes about two seconds before lightning strikes. How did
Quaid know she was stabbed? And how did he know
it was a man? Suddenly little wheels start to spin
around in my noodle. Quaid is internet? Sure he is.
He's probably supplying Johnny Lament with the stuff. And what's more,
(17:37):
he's undoubtedly on his way up here right now. I
start to pick up johny Lmt's forty five, and remind
myself that Dolores cann has removed the bullets. A hand
turns the doorknob, but it can't be quaid so soon.
I just pray that one of the cats is come
to get his instrument. The door opens. I freeze, Hey, hey, dad,
put the thing down. You gone, goonie, broxy brother? Am
(18:00):
I glad to see you? I'll put down a heater man.
What's going on in here? Take a look in a
fiddle case? Oh, he smokes e Yeah, here's the little
boy who did it. Johnny admitted it. I had to
flatten him. Well you did real good, not good enough. Listen, bugs.
The manager's on his way up here right now. And
(18:21):
unless I miss my guests, he's got heavy artillery. Quaid
is he in on this? He is? Now? I gotta
get out of here. What you gonna do? I got
a sudden brainstorm. Look, help me get Eve Johnson's body
out of this case. Come on, I'll get with it.
Come okay, okay, yeah, where too in the closet? Yeah
and a boy now, dump laughing boy into the bass
drunk right now. Open the door. Yeah, look you think
(18:49):
you can lift that case with me in it? Are
you kidding? I had a boy, muscle man, here goes?
All right?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
What you want me to do?
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Now? Look, you just walk out like you're on your
way to a jam session. Once I get past Quaid,
and there's till I'm all right? Okay, watch your hammer, higgles.
How you doing? Cut the lip dribble and get gone
before I get blue. The fiddle case fits me like
(19:19):
a fatal disease. But I squinched down and hold my breath,
and I figure maybe we'll make it. Bugsy boy picks
me up like I weigh into three pounds just as
a door opens. All right, Fortune, get your hi, mister Quaid.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Oh it's you.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
He was expecting somebody else.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
I was expecting Fortune. Did he get away? Fortune?
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Oh you mean the bass play?
Speaker 3 (19:39):
You know who I mean, muscle brain? Did he get out?
Speaker 1 (19:42):
You know me better than that, boss. I got rocky
Fortune right here inside the fiddle case. So there I
am smart. They don't come any smart and old Roco
(20:04):
Fortunado Jack. It never occurred to me that this hotel
might be operating a narcotics dodge, and that my pile
Bugsy might be in on it, but I'm real tricky.
I am, yes, sir, ree, I out with the crook
by crawling into a base fiddle case and let them
snap the catch on me. And there I hang like
a cured hand. Wait me boiled in hot fat?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
What do we do with him?
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Boss? Let me out of here? You're punk?
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Get him out of here.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Why don't we just drop him down the air shift?
It looked like an accident.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Don't be a jerk. Take him down to the river.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Anything you say, boss? Hey, yeah, I thought you shot
up for the whole mind. What a temper?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
This cat has got rumb on bugs. He don't breeze anything.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Who's that? Search? Me moping up? Who is it?
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Holy?
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Just a moment dropped out the window right.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Oh, I'm going up cod on suck. Okay, open the door.
What's going on here?
Speaker 4 (21:05):
I'd like to know, Officer. We came in and found
his musician knocked out on the floor.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Fortune. Fortune, I haven't seen him, have you, buggsy Fortune?
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Oh? Not a hide nor a hair either. Well, I
know he came in here to return the fiddle.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
You must have left. Then maybe he's in his room.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Yeah, yeah, he might have been here, buddy left.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Come on, miss, we'll go up to his room.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Something wrong, officer, Yeah, Fortune's wanted as an accessory of murder.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Hold it, Oh not, Rocky, what are you doing on?
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I don't believe this, sergeant, but I just climbed out
of a fiddle case. These hoodlums stopped me out of
the window under a fire escape one flight down.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
What He's obviously crazy, probably drunk.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
If I'm crazy, brother, then how about opening that closet
door because I've had a hallucination that Eve Johnson's body's inside.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
I'd like to oblige Fortune, but you see I've got
other plan. Rap him for it, buddy. All right, don't
move either one of you. I'm standing still. Open the closet.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Rocky had enough for your sergeants.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Yeah, it'll do for the time being. All right, let's go.
You two keep an eye on Dreamboat there.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Sure well, if he comes to I'll belt him with
a fiddle Let's go. Who boy, Are you alright, Rocky?
If I can have a straighten up, I'll be fine.
What happened up here? Oh?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
The sergeant came back when he found out those were bloodstains,
and I told him the whole story.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
We came down to look for you, and I guess
you know the rest. Uh huh? You sure you're all right, Rocky?
I'm fine, baby, But I was just thinking what what
they would have said if that fire escape hadn't have
been there. What would they have said? Man, dig that
crazy bass fiddle? Yeah. NBC has presented Frank Sinatra as
(23:02):
that footloose, fancy, free, and frequently unemployed young gentleman Rocky Fortune.
Tonight's cast included Jack Krushian, Gene Tatum, Tom Holland, Frank Gerstel,
and Bonnie Phillips. Tonight's script was written by George Lefferts
and Andrew C. Love directed. This is Eddie King speaking
now to tell you about next week's adventure. Here's Frank
(23:25):
Sinatra as Rocky Fortune. Did I ever tell you about
(23:46):
the Broadway actress who was involved in the murder of
a drama critic? And when I asked her for autographs,
she gave it to me with a forty five. Tell
you about it next week, See you around. Visit with
Febermaghee and Malay tonight on the NBC Radio Network. O
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