Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio. I'm Boise, Idaho.
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a monthly newsletter for me giving you updates on what we're planning with various shows
and projects. Well, this week we're doing our twice Told Tale, and
it's going to be a special one as the first telling of this tale didn't
actually air. I think this is an interesting one to share as we've recently
finished the Sam Spade series and we talked about Howard Duff and how and how
the series was canceled due to Duff's being named as a Communist sympathizer and read
channels from everything I've read stuff was no com Communists. His dismissal for listener
discontent and led to an avalanche of postcards and letters by people who wanted Sam
Spade back on the air, and NBC brought Sam Spade back, but not
with Duff in the role. Instead, the role went to Steve Dunn Well.
I think that Don did a good job. The series failed to attract
a sponsor, and the series would be canceled for good at the end of
April nineteen fifty one, the same week that Sam Spade was about to be
canceled, the man most associated with that role, Howard Duff, actually recorded
a pilot program for NBC for a new detective series called The McCoy. And
here is that unaired audition from April twenty fourth, nineteen fifty one, one
three Wayward Girls. This is the McCoy. A National Broadcasting Company presents The
McCoy starring Howard Up. Come on, door open. What do you want
me to say to your door? Sesame? All right, sesame? There
is anything I hate is a door that has to be coaxed. Take that
for the file, Mike McCoy Criminal Investigations File number three five four twenty two
April nineteen five to one, Los Angeles, California. Where else case the
Three Wayward Girls. It was five point twenty of a dirty day. The
sun beat through the smog and still had strength enough to kiss the summer dresses
walking sunset strip, the girls walking their poodles home to Daddy, who'd had
a hot day at the office. Having nothing better to do, the dogs
and I chatted. I took my leave, and I tipped Heed through the
Cadillacs, patted their saucy fish tails, watched my hand turned green, then
walked into Shay Mason's on the strip. The kindly picture folks were already there,
exchanging pills from matching poison at pillboxes and discussing the high cost of nervous
breakdowns. Then herm he saw me, Ad lived his way through all that
box office Gold offered me two things, Mabel nose she'd phone three times,
and especially of the house, add no hearty girlash with mass of balls.
I took the massa bralls. The fork was cutting through their delicate contours.
When there was a hand on my hand fool than I am, and annoyed
me. But when I saw that the moist hand on mine belonged to Phil
Gardner, peddler talent agent show for plaid dinner jackets, it annoyed me even
more. Only a minute, Mike scooch over a little bit. I'll sit
down next to you. You want something, huh, Phil, I'll tell
you how. I know. You keep licking your lips your handshakes, which
reminds me take back your hand. I've had it, Mike. I want
you to go to work for me right now, from this minute. You're
all salary, yeah, with expenses per diem Philsey, My masser balls are
growing colder. It's for Toby, Toby Drake. I'm putting you on the
payroll. You remember Toby build you up to it, gave you a lock
down to it. You got a season's pass with her. You remember Toby
a slatisol the girl getting lonely for the McCoy again, Lonelier than you know,
Mike. The girl's being threat with phone calls, with poison letters.
You're doing real good, fella, Mike. Mike, listen, listen close,
because I'm going to almost whisper. Well, I should be refreshing,
but not so close. Somebody's going to kill her. Yeah, murder her
dead. Toby's my client. It shouldn't happen to my client. Would die
from an anonymous threat? You try it, fell, You really did a
phone call for you? Where do you take it here? Thanks? Jolly
Mike. You've gotta pay attention to me. A gotto, I got monster
balls, gardeners speaking, snap it out, I'm busy. Huh huh no,
yeah, huh no, yeah, Phil, Why don't you talk to
me like that? When you talk to me, you had dynamite with monosyllables.
Oh but now you'll believe skeptic. Toby's dead, No jokes, fella,
not in the mood. Her boyfriend just called. I should be the
first to know. I tell you she's dead dead. If you're kidding me,
Look, I'll I go over my cat. I'll put a top down.
Mike, Sure, sure, you wouldn't want to go to a funeral
any other way? Where's your feel? His way? Day? You see?
You see, Mike? What did I tell you? She did?
Mike climbed shut up. The place was swarming with new things, new chintz
curtains, fresh upholstery, and Beverly Hills orient on knickknacks cluttering the Grand Rapids
High Boy. There was a big overstuffed chair near the door that I remembered,
and Phil climbed into it and put his chin in his hands to watch.
I walked over to the three piece sectional. Tobe Drake was lying there,
her hand trailing down on the floor. I couldn't see her face until
the big man stood up. Somebody wrapped that black silk stocking too tight around
her neck. You know her, Mike, Yeah, I knew her.
When she looked better, I liked it. She laughed at my jokes.
He only asked because you're a hop on coscar. I only asked because if
I were a cop, I had asked. The call came and said get
here because there was a dead girl named Toby Drake. And on the way
down I toyed with the name. Then I remembered she used to laugh at
your jokes, and all of a sudden, you're here. Why ask Kim,
what is it something they have around time? An agent? He's Toby's
he's an agent. I got a look, you're an agent? Eh?
Well no, well, well let me bend my face close because I've never
seen one of you before. Talk to me, agent, I want to
hear. Well, tell just detective Costcar, go ahead, go ahead.
It was like this. Mike and me sit there at Mason's two are five
and the phone was brought over. The man on the other end says it's
Roy Fulton and he says his girlfriend's dead. Honest time. I'm broken up
about this. Well no, well, well you wrapped the stocking agent me
Wave Milan Costcar Wave Malone agents only kill other agents. Thanks a lot,
Mike. I'll jot it down out on the book. You've been hired,
Mike. I was, and I don't know if I'm still working. You're
working all the way, Mike. Find out somebody who killed Mike client Toby,
Oh you're hired of these guys employ you? Huh? What? Cast
guy? I got a crummy license and I'm in a crummy business because people
sneak up dark alleys, because people hate people, rob people strangle. That's
where my money comes from, because people do all those things. What do
you want me to do apologize for earning up buck? You want me to
crawl or maybe just bow low enough so you can pat me on top of
the head and say, oh, now, Mike, on ah, Mike,
yeah, where's her boyfriend? He's in the bedroom. He's a guy,
but the name of Roy Fulton. He hardly says a word to me.
Maybe you're not his type. Well, go talk to him, Mike,
Go tell him it's okay that you should talk me. Dead and bread
and read twins feeling. Go on, go on, I like it.
Who you. I'm Mike McCoy. I'm a criminal investigator. Toby's dead.
She was murdered, mister Fulton. I'm trying to find out who did it.
We had a date. I came here. I told her I didn't
lose my head. I called her regent, then I called the police.
Did you kill him? No? But you should have been more careful,
girls, I could. What kind of a girl did you think? She
was? Very pretty? In my whole grief, in my childhood's faith,
I loved me with a love mister Fulton seemed to lose with my lost saints.
I love you with the breath, mister Fulton, tears of all my
life, and if God choose, I shall be. I couldn't get through
to him anymore. The poetry. He spotted stood between us in his own
way. Mister Fulton was grieving, so I got out of the place.
Then are fascinating twenty minutes on the center lane of Picco Boulevard, getting dared
by the pedestrians and the swarms of cars on both sides of me. The
parking lots are just hung there, fifty cents still closing signs. When I
drove up to the office building on Olive, then to the corner being Ryan
a few reminiscences about Toby Drake, Toby a kid who had once won a
title something like Miss to Go Tweet and Patterson New Jersey expenses paid the Hollywood
shake hands with the size lunch at the derby, A nice kid, a
pretty kid now dead. I bought a paper and went upstairs, Sesame.
I had a runting office at once belonging to a Persian rug merchant and good
evening MACA baby, many calls for me? You know who? Mike Mabel
four times? What happened to a girl when she goes out with you?
She's got a call every half hour, an a half ro I'm delicate.
They worry. You worry about me, Judy, you worry about me,
don't you kid? I got another call with a message you wanted. Sure,
Judy, Sure, go ahead. I'll listen like this, First Toby,
then Stella Martin. You can't stop at McCoy. First Toby, then
Stella Martin. You had living, miss Judy. It says right here who
left the message. The man sat up and hung up? What sella Martin's
you mean? I wish I knew? Baby, we had a Stella Martin
to used this service a long time ago, and actress or something. I
need to get calls for you discontinued. You got an address hunter, no
more? Why don't you try Central Casting? Yeah? I should have thought
of that. Thanks a lot. Take this card, mister McCoy, take
it, yes, Miss Ford, fill it out. Central Casting wants to
know your age, weight, height, colorazed they do it does, Gosh,
you're fish, your new thell eat you up A color of eyes but
hot shattering Robin's big blue. I haven't been well this space where it's his
experience. Blank. I'll fill it in myself. Steady, girl too can
play at that game. It'll all be so simple. You put yourself in
these two hands. I devote myself to you, heart and brain make you
the most exciting thing in pictures, the most exciting steady girl. Hell,
he'll no back away from me. Don't be frightened of me, mister mccrue.
It's not that I'm frightened this for it. It's just that my metabolism's
a little sluggies today. You're a fool worres, a hard headed, stupid,
moronic, creaking fool, hard headed. They'll tell you outside what you
want to know. Get up? No, no, are you telling me?
Baby? Baby? What do you want? Well? Right now?
The address of Stellar Martin actress. After that will meet in kind plays.
I'll have to look it up in the files. Mm hmm mm hmm h
yeah, Stella Martin, drop from already file non payment of you, and
I must be in a dress where you'd done it. That's Florida Hotels,
FLA. I burned down last month. It should happen to you. Mister.
My car, come on, I'll open a door for you. No
hard feelings. I'm daby. This for a daby. I remember you always.
Bye, good kid. Make a note of car. I must wear
a chest protector. May mike over here in the car. I called your
full service Mike, I told me where you were. I've been looking for
you. You're taking my money. You don't even call me on a telephone.
You know a girl named Stella Martin PELSI, what you got to do
with Toby's done? You know her? Felsi. A couple of weeks ago,
got come in my office. Stella Martin pleaded that I should put her
on my clients list. Don't even no talent, you know what I mean?
The sooth a tears things face. I took her home. It's all
the way to Westchester. I've never been to Westchester, and make it come
true. Hum, felsy a. It was just nine o'clock when agent Phil
let me off in front of a redwood frame house in Westchester. Then he
suddenly remembered he had to pick up a client at the airport, and speedy
phill Gardener gained of the core went back into the traffic again. The walk
up to the house was lined with rose trees carefully tended, and on every
fourth one there was a rose. But there was only one door bell,
so I knew just what to do? You want to work, mister Stella
Martin? She live here? Oh, Mike McCoy investigations. You got a
cord, says that, let's go inside. Asked, you got a cord,
Just show me it's miss Martin here, no cod. If they say
yeah, she's here, then what happens? I said, inside, how
where is she? I'm glad you pushed me soon now I got a reason.
But no. When I opened my eyes, the guy was still there,
all seven feet on him. He ain't gonna take me, show me,
ain going to pick this time. I played at brainy. I peeped
first, he was gone. I got to my feet. I got to
my feet, fell down, then finally made it over to the hallway where
there should have been a bathroom and a towel and some water. The thing
that stopped me was the girl in the Negligee. She was sitting on the
floor against the wall. She was blonde, and her head was turned to
one side, as if she was wondering about me. There was a stocking
tied around her throat, and she was dead. And now back to the
McCoy starring Howard Duff. I didn't know whether I'd been out for a few
minutes or a few days. A sigh in the minutes, because the girl's
body was still warm, and death hadn't taken charge long enough to wipe the
puttiness out of her face. I'd seen her a couple of times long ago,
and the jungle picture spliced between the main feature and the Newsrael the girl
and the fatiz who gets chased by the lion Stella Martin. I stopped trying
to convince myself it wasn't real. It was real, all right, And
I didn't need the pounding on the door to knock it into my head.
I didn't need Cosca either, but I had him. What is this,
Mike? You wan a rampage? You want to know what happened? Or
you want to be a big man. Just be gentle with me. That's
all I want you to do. Mike, fifteen minutes ago, was in
a warm bed. Just be gentle. I got slugged a man seven feet
tall in a black leather jacket. Look, Mike. I spent five hours
questioning Roy Fulton about the murder of his girlfriend Toby. Nothing. He quoted
poetry. And I climbed into this warm bed and I was sleeping fine.
And sergeant heard called it seems someone phoned in this headress. The sergeant heard
you were saying what Mike, she's in the hallway, propped it against the
wall. Show me, yes she is. She's young, and she's strangled,
and her name's Stella Martin. You want to clear it up for me.
You want to listen about a guy in a black leather jacket, seven
feet tall? Ain't yes, seven feet tall? Find him that shouldn't be
tough for a shot, fella like you. Now, don't be sour on
me, Mike. You took some lumps in you. You see this kid?
What this holding something in her hand? Well now, well, well
read it, Mike. Read what it says on the paper. There'll be
another one tomorrow, Macary, another one tomorrow, McCoy, McCoy, Well,
what makes me so popular? Oscar? Why doesn't it say your name?
Why doesn't it say sergeant hurt? Because it says McCoy, Because it
says the name of a guy I stumble over when I get out of a
warm bed, goes. You know things you're not telling me, and you're
not gonna tell me because you think it's clever to obstruct justice. What am
I gonna do with you? Mike? Take you downtown and sweatchin. Watchou
be a hero because you won't tell me what you know. Get out of
here, Mike, Get out and land in my room unless pomis pulled the
murphy bed down, adjust the beaten frame of the broken spring, and lulla
by yourself to sleep with. What makes two girls dead from a pair of
silk stockings? What made Stella Martin and Toby Drake so close they had to
hug death in the same way? And the next morning, Saturday, torn
out of sleep by the sign of the marcking bird screaming the name of Phil
Gardner, Agent I told him to button their bills and went there. Girls
dropped like flies where you walk, McCoy, turn your gyp sheet into my
girl in the cashier's case. She'll pay you off, kiss you goodbye for
the firm. She'll also give you all the messages from Mabel we've been taking
for you. What's the matter, fel Only yesterday we were in love you
and I. So what does it buy me? Allows he ride to a
place where the morning paper says a husband is dead. Call her by a
name, pel because you must have called her by name lots of times,
Stella Martin, Let me hear you say it. Okay, keep away from
me, Mike, I told you I hardly knew the day. Say a
name fell, She's dead. The least you can do for us to say
a name say it'll break my arm? Here, here, and here Stella,
Stella Martin, you killer fell my own Mike. Check how long have
your known Stella? Three months ago? Pick up from Doncus driving off Santa
Monica. A guy gets loadsome for the car hop, like Stella, A
friendly pickup, so healthy, you lovely pel Now tell me one thing more.
You know a man who wears a leather jacket her seven feet tall.
Somebody helped me. I got a mad by Felasie the two lovers like we
have made the morning stink. I got to the drive in on Santa Monica.
A cow girl with a menu and a pair of heavy duty sheer dungarees
drew a card on my windshield that said phillis on it Dorcas. She asked
back, why that's old Mel? Over that a way mixing up a parcel
of nuts and cheese for the superburgers. I mosey on over the old Mel,
but the critit saw me coming and snapped his gallaxies at me. Yep,
do tell Mike McCoy Criminal Investigation, Elvin Dorca short order failure. Howdy
howdy you the manager of this place? Mouth for him figures tender foot talk.
Don't let her throw you. I need some information. Mouth. Who
you say you be, Mike McCoy, Criminal investigations, ID, don't be
a gravel kicker, son speaker? What's on your mind? No? A
girl named Toby Drake mouth voter used to work here. One name's Stella Martin.
Yep, she's due to work this morning. She ain't gonna make it
though she's dead. Her and Toby joke in the gazette. I need your
help, mouth, Oh depotize me. Huh, Well, I don't know.
I just don't know if you don't help this lamble to be another dead
girl. Yeah, Vegy, Oh what's the matter of you? Son?
You got monkeys in you years, I said Peggy, Peggy Brian on account
of them, three girls with flicker in the bobcat's tail, do soick?
Gernaddy and Vegga used to work here too, drove to work in Toby's alto.
You know where I can find Peggy nor Hollywood. She lives and you
wait a little bit, all dig ut for raddress. You want to wait,
sun or do you got to be riding on? You'll wait, won't
I'll weight mouth, I'll wait, I'll wait. Don't tell you before you
kill me. Come on, you've got to kill me. Scream inside.
We ought to make talk to the neighbors inside. Hush girl, hush see,
I'll let you go. Nothing to be scared. Don't do that.
Scream, but don't do that. Kill me, get it over, whist.
I can risk kill me, right understand. I'm an investigator. I'm
hired out. Sometimes I keep people from dying. Sometimes I don't make it.
I'll help me, baby, so I can help you. That way
will save us both a lot of pain? Is it cut into fight?
Sure? No? Whoever killed Toby and Stella? Why would they want to
kill you? Tell me, Peggy? A woman was killed? We killed
what woman? I don't know. I can't even remember. Her name was
three years ago, Toby still a name, be a little car, Jillppy
One day, one day, one day, one this woman chrished into it.
It was hurtful, honest, it was hurtful, and she was killed.
A married woman. The police said it wasn't her fault. It's the
only reason, Why else would anyone want to did? It's Saturday? Peggy?
What do you do with yourself on Saturday? I shop for groceries for
a new hot drist sometimes I need a new one. We'll go buy you
one. And tonight, what do we do tonight? You mean, Jack,
give me for a date. What do we do tonight, Peggy?
Saturday night? I usually got Ocean Park. It's fun rides and people that
fellas. It's fun. Sure, it is Saturday night, Ocean Park.
We'll have fun. And then I made a lot of phone calls. Tobody
call to tell him I was going to Ocean Park with a girl named Peggy
Brian. They told me that Mabel was keeping her line open for me.
I told them to tell Mabel to keep it open. Then I called agent
Phil Gardner and let him know where I was going. Next, I got
Costca on the phone. I didn't tell him anything. I asked him something,
but no. Tall man in a black leather jacket was newly arrived in
the pokey. Finally I called Roy Fulton, Toby's boyfriend, the man who
quoted poetry, and let him know all about my plans of the evening.
And then nothing dotted. I took Peggy Brian by the arm, opened the
door for her, and bowed her into my car with a flury an ocean
plank, I bowed her out. The least I could do was to make
it gay for her. After all, she was my personal pigeon. Let's
just walk all night. Whatever you say. You're hungry, Peggy, Uh
huh, that's gone the roller coasting. Sure, Peggy, just stand still
for a moment. Look around, you see anybody you know? No,
it's gone the roller coaster, right like it? Huh? Sure? Sure,
I want to eat now. I always have pride shrimp when I come
to Ocean Park. Yeah, me too. I know what you're doing.
Sure you though, I'm on a Saturday night date with a nice girl.
Do you think you'll find me here much? Do you want me to level?
Don't you what You're gonna kill me? Not while I am here?
Come on, let's see the tickets places, let's go take us. Stay
close to me. Girl can get lost inside house. Hey, girl can
get lost perriod my, oh my, what's the matter, honey? I
think it's a good time you Ever been through that spinning barrel? I always
fall down. I'll hold your hands, Mike. What man a man over
there? Watch the fire ticket? Which man the tall one, the one
wearing that black leather jacket. Yeah, I say, Peggy, walk through
that spinning barrel. Fall down if you have to, but get right up
and get on on the other side. Go on. I'm right in the
back of you. Probably get out of the same class I'm staying. I've
been telling you. I've been waiting. Get out, get a all right,
not talk talkers, help me. You're crazy charm talk. You think
I killed her. I didn't kill Stella. She was dead when I got
there. I swear some sad yeah, yeah, sure she was. And
you come in. I went crazy. I wanted to kill something to get
even. Why are you following me because you're a Shamas. If you get
to the killer, I want to face of him. I didn't kill Tella.
You gotta believe me. You better, thank you. What's the matter?
There he was in the mirror, all right, his reflection in the
crazy rippled mirror of the funhouse. Roy Fulton's reflection, long and thin,
as have he been squeezed together? This time? There was no poetry,
just a gun. I called Peggy down on the floor with me. The
crowd scattered and there was nothing in Fulton's way. I was lucky. My
shot got to him and he kept coming. I had caught up with him,
but he didn't call Bolton. Excuse my wife, They cuse sassame.
M h yeah, h m hm m m. Hello, miss Ford.
Remember me? You wanted me for the talking pictures. Yeah, not Mike.
Oh you saw it in the papers. That's right. Roy Fulton,
his wife had been killed in the automobile, accidentally blamed those three girls for
it. He was definitely office rocket. Uh baby, baby, miss Ford,
what are you doing tonight? A ballet dancer instead of me? But
a ballet dancer, Miss Forward, Miss h m. They see your familiar
faces. Hello, Mabel. This is McCoy a McCay s Darring Howard duff
is written, directed, and produced by David freed Kin and Morton Fein,
with music composed and conducted by Walters Human. This has been an NBC Hollywood
Program Department presentation. Welcome Back. The opening line, this is the McCoy
is the entire reason for doing the audition, or at least it's the entire
reason for the show's name. The McCoy more commonly today, the real McCoy
is an idiom for the genuine article. The exact origins of this phrase are
or very murky. Some have tied it to a prohibition. There are nineteenth
century uses of the phrase, and some even suggest it may go back to
medieval Scotland. Historically, the McCoy is actually the correct term. Walter Winschell
wrote a nineteen thirty four column where he addressed it, saying the real McCoy
was redundant because the McCoy meant the genuine article, and he put the real
McCoy in the same classes things like stingy miser or exclusive scoop. Of course,
ninety years later, the real McCoy is looked on as the most popular
phrase. If you said the McCoy, most people would look at you oddly,
even though you'd be right. The series is an intriguing one. The
pilot had talented writers in that writing team of Morton Fine and David Freakin.
The theme was by Walter Schuman of Dragnet fame, and you had a really
good guest cast. Even though it wasn't credited, it sounded like Sheldon Reynold
played Costa in one of the least accented roles I've heard in play. I
also heard ed Max and Kathy Lewis, and then Barton Yarborough as the foreman
of the Drive to I guess that's a reminder that Yarborough still found time to
keep up a whole lot of extra radio work while playing Ben Romero on Dragnet.
The feel of the series is kind of odd. On one hand,
there are little nods to Sam Spade, such as the McCoy whistling and his
flirtatious interactions with women, and also some of the jokes. On the other
hand, you have signature, hard boiled writing and dialogue that define Fine and
Freakin's work with Lieutenant Danny Clover. So thus the series comes off as a
strange marriage between Sam Spade and Broadway as my beat. I don't know if
that contributed to it not being picked up. My two big guesses would come
down to. First of all, it was nineteen fifty one, and it
was very hard to launch a new radio detective program as television had already started
to bring in more revenue than radio. There were plenty of pilots recorded for
radio programs that didn't make it to air. That a year or two earlier
very well could have done. And two it was just too soon. Doff
had been fired from sam Spade seven months previously due to his inclusion in Red
Channels. I've heard duff situation described as a gray list. It wasn't that
he couldn't find work, it was that the work was limited. He would
appear in quite a few B movies, including a science fiction in film,
and really didn't get back to getting the sort of roles that he deserved based
on his talent, probably until nineteen fifty four. At any rate, the
series wasn't picked up and the script could be reused, and it was for
John Lon's run as Yours Truly Johnny Daller The script was reworked as The Starlet
Matter, which aired on January sixteenth, nineteen fifty three. Let's go ahead
and take a lesson from Hollywood. It's time now for John Lyndon as Johnny
Daller Ken, Johnny, Oh Hi Ken, I was Kansas City. I
take my word in Hollywood. It's better. Oh you always like hollywoodn't you,
Johnny? You want me to? That is a man there named Jill
Gardner's up to here in Starlet in why starlet young girls with big careers in
one of them. Till Gardner is an agent for him, so he needs
me. Oh we do, Johnny, Twin State Insurance Gardener's been calling me
every half hour. It's like this, Johnny Gardner's insured a few of these
starlets with us, one in particular for fifty grand. So so almostly.
Gardener has been babbling. He says this scarlet in particular might not live.
Babble. Somebody wants her dead. And he said, do you like Hollywood?
Johnny commissioned fat, real fat Hollywood. I like it, John Lunn,
in a transcribed Adventure of the Man with the Action Packed Expense account America's
Fabulous freelance insurance Investigator Yours Churley Johnny Dollar expense account submitted by special Investigator Johnny
Dollar to Twin State Insurance Company, Kansas City, Missouri. The following is
an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Starlet matter. Expencer count Item
one two hundred and twenty seven dollars and seventy cents airfare round trip on coach
out of LaGuardia Flight six oh one flying wets some three thousand bumpy miles later,
the plane circled Los Angeles and a part of the Pacific Ocean and taxi
down the runway at International Airport. It was three twenty of a dirty afternoon
Expencer count item two four forty cab fair to Sunset Ruxton Hotel, my home
away from home in Hollywood, where I checked in renewed old acquaintances with Judy.
The telephone girl put my pale cheek against her son ten and told her
I'd see her later. Spencer god Adam three two dollars even to Beverly Hills
office of Phil Gardner agent. He was not in the receptionist and silver Hair
pointed a silver fingertip across the street and said that's where Jay Scottie's restaurant,
and mister Gardner would be dressed with two vents in the back, a tattersaw
vest and blue suede sandals. And you know he was so you're the boy.
They sent him k c wait a scooch Overlilyn, sit down. Thanks.
What's your name? Dollar? Johnny Dollar? You want to see a
picture, Johnny, Yeah, take a look. That's Toby Toby, Toby
Drake. You've seen her in pictures. I have you're living, you must
have seen them in pictures. Loyal movie is like you were going to make
a star out of Toby. Well, I'm happy for both of you.
If she lives, somebody's going to kill her, Johnny, Murder her dead
now, She's a sweet kid. It shouldn't happen to her to die from
these anonymous threats. Look, why don't you give it to your present agent,
Johnny. Believe me on my knees, I tell you, if by
want publicity, I give it to the cops. I'm not kidding, Johnny.
The kids scared. She's in a lot of trouble. I'll pug it
in here. Oh thanks, Johnie gardness making stop it out. I'm busy.
Huh no, yeah, huh no, yeah huh I just called you
a skeptic. What's that name? Toby's dead? Her boyfriend called. I
should be the first to know. I'm sorry. Look, I will drive
you over there. You'll want to see. For insurance purposes, I'll use
the jag. I'll put the top down. Sure you wouldn't go to a
funeral an the other way? Would you feel? Eachwhere? Johnny? It
would get me something, A drink of water or something like that place swarming
with things Chintz curtains, bump upholstery, and Beverly Hills oriental knickknacks fluttering the
Grand Rapids highboy. I walked over to the three piece section. Toby Drake
was lying there, her hand trailing down to the floor. I couldn't see
her face until the big man stood up. Somebody wrapped that black silk stocking
too tight around her neck. You wrapped the stocking, luckbuster. A call
came to headquarters and said get here because there was a dead girl named Toby
Drake. Is all of a sudden you're here. Why something they have around
this time? An agent he's Toby's oh agent, Well talk to me agent.
Uh, just detective Costco Lieutenant. I'll never make go ahead. Well,
it was like this, Johnny and me sit there at Scotty's chewing fat
and the phone was brought over and the man on the other end says it's
mister Fulton, and he says his girlfriend's dead. Honesty, I'm broken up
about this. Well, you wrapped the stock. An agent, Johnny,
he's Johnny Dollar. He's from the insurance. Well you've been hire dollar.
Yeah, Twinn City insurance and for me too, Johnny all the way,
find out for me who killed Toby. Ah, these guys employ eh,
well little bulls there you carry a gun too? Well? Yeah, where's
her boyfriend in the bedroom named Roy Fulton. He hardly said a word to
me. Go talk to him, Dollar, don't tell him it's okay.
Who are you, Johnny Dollar, I'm an insurance investigator. Toby. He
was murdered, mister Fulton. I'm trying to find out who did it.
We had a date and came here. I saw her. It didn't lose
my head. I called her agent and I called the police. Did you
no? No? But you should have been more careful girls like her?
What kind of girl did you think? She was? Very prettyful. It's
just beautiful out the more Toby does, beautiful Toby, mister Fulton, Lord
forever, mister Fulton, too beautiful. I couldn't get through to him anymore.
I gave him back to Cosca and I got out of there. A
few thoughts on Toby Drake. Toby a kid who'd once maybe won a beauty
contest, expenses paid, the Hollywood shake hands with the stars, A nice
kid, pretty kid on her way now dead. I bought a paper and
went back to my hotel. A lobby desk came. First him is Dollar,
and he calls for me. Judy, you got a call with a
message you wanted. Why don't you come over here and give it to me?
Judy? I've ever seen you standing up? I'm taller. The message
came in ten minutes ago. You want to reach for it? Shall I
read it to you? Read? It goes like this, First Toby,
then Stella Martin. You can't stop at Dollar. First Toby, then Stella
Martin. You had living? Miss Judy's right here? Who left the message?
I took the call? A man said it and hung up. What's
the Stella Martin's you mean, mister Dallas? I wish I knew baby.
You think maybe the style of Stella Martin used to be a Stalis. She's
not around much anymore. Starlet? Huh? How would I get in touch
with the style of Judy? Oh? I know? Hand me that phone
book? Come on, Come on, a man who knows Starlet's past and
present, agent Phil Gardner? Oh not in? Huh? Why don't you
try Hollywood captain? All they know? Yeah, yeah, thanks a lot.
Stella Martin dropped from already filed non payment of dues. But I must
be an address where you're done to two thousand and one Magnolia Avenue, Westchester.
You want what, mister Stella Martin, she live here? Uh huh,
you're who Johnny Dollar Investigations. You get a card that says that,
let's go inside. Just you got a card? Just show me miss Martin
here? No card? I suppose I say, yeah, she's here,
and what happens? I sat inside. I'm glad you did that, Sunny.
Now I got a reason. Now cut it out. I just want
to get smaller than your little trimming. Later, when I opened my eyes,
he was gone. I got to my feet, fell down, and
finally made it over to the hallway where there should have been a bathroom and
a towel and some water. The thing that stopped me was the girl in
the negligee. She was sitting on the floor against the wall. She was
blonde, and her head was turned to one side, as if she was
wondering about me. There was a stocking tied round her throat, and she
was dead. We'll return to yours, truly, Johnny Dollar, in just
a moment now with our star John Lund, we bring you the second back
of yours, truly, Johnny Dollar. I had seen the dead girl a
couple of times in the jungle picture spliced between the main feature and the news
veel the girl in the south Sea apron who gets chased by the gorilla.
I stopped trying to convince myself it wasn't real. It was real, all
right. And I didn't need the pounding on the door and knock it into
my head. I didn't need Detective Cosca either. Oh there's that Dollar.
You want a rampage, you want to know what happened, or you want
to be a big man. Just be jingle with me. That's all I
want you to do. Fifteen minutes ago, I was in a warm bed.
I'll just be general. I got slugged a man seven feet tall and
a black letter jack spent five hours questioning Roy Fulton about the murder of this
girl friend of his. Told me nothing. I let him go. Then
I climb into this warm bed and I was sleeping fine. Then sergeant heard
call. Someone phoned in this address to Sorge hurt. Now you were saying,
what Dollar. She's in the hallway propped against the wall. Show me
sigh, a deep sigh about the warm bed, Coska. She's young,
and she's strangled, and her name is Stella Martin. You want to clear
it up for me. I got worried about her. I came here and
a guy clobbed me. I woke up a few minutes ago. Nobody gives
me word. Why are you? I don't know why. If I knew
why, I know who. You want to listen about a guy in no
black leather jacket, seven pet tall. Yeah, about brown felt hat.
Find him that ought to be tough for a big man like you. I
don't be sure, Jalli. He took some lump m you see this kid?
What h she's holding them in her hands. Well, well, well
read it, Johnny. Read what it says. There'll be another one tomorrow,
another one tomorrow, doll. Well, what makes me so popular?
Cosca? Why doesn't it say your name? Because it says dollar, because
it says the name of a guy I stumble over when I get out of
a warm bed. What am I going to do with you? Take you
downtown and swatch it? Get out here here, Get out then back into
the rose scented air in the suburban lawn. Now littered with friends and neighbors,
and under the bright knee on of the corner cut right, drugs and
sundrys. The night blooming hackstand. I took a cab to my hotel.
No more messages, so I went to sleep, and the next morning the
sound of the telephone screaming the name of Phil Gardner. Agent get here,
it said, So I got there. Girls dropped like flies where you walk
Dollar. I read the papers this morning and you were there, and another
one dropped. What's the matter, Phil? Only yesterday we were in love
you and I don't ask me cap we even be friends. It's a tired
line from a tired guy. I don't like tired. Let me tell you
something, Phil, I'm glad you called. You were going to be my
first stop. Now, look you were hired and maybe prevent Toby Drake's dying,
and this you would have flopp over a stinkeroo. Then you stay on.
Maybe you could come up with why Toby, a talented girl had to
die? Like I said, Stinkeroo. On your feet, Phil, keep
away from me, Johnny, on your feet. Now we talk. I'm
talking. I'm talking. You kill Toby Philly Young Johnny. Toby was on
our way. Maybe a star so also with insurance fifty thou dollars beneficiary you
and why you killed her? Johnny and all this big talk on the phone
this morning. Get down here, cover up talk Phil, all right,
and we'll try the name Stella Martin. I'll love them. Just let go
my arm Stella Martin three months ago. Pick up from Dorcas, driving on
Santa Monica. A guy gets lonesome for a car hop like Stella. A
friendly pickup shall help me. You did, lovely, Phil. Now one
thing more. You know a man who wears a leather jacket who's seven feet
tall. Somebody helped me. I got a madman loose. Goodbye, Phil,
you've made the morning even worse. I got to the drive in on
Santa Monica. Cow girl with a menu and a pair of heavy duty sheer
downgarees threw a card on my windshield that said Phillips on it. Dorcas.
She asked back, why that's old Melve over that way? Why mosey on
over to old Mel? Yeah, Johnny Dollar insurance investigations, darkness, shout
out of color, hardy, heady, you're the manager of this place,
Mel, Yeah, top hand, what else. Huh oh tenderfoot talk.
Don't let us throw you. I need some information, Mel, they'll be
ravacate your son, speak up? What's on your man? No? A
girl named Toby Drake Mel no dear used to work here. One named Stella
Mark yeap do the work this evening. He ain't going to meet you,
do she did? She and Toby joke seen it the gazette. I need
your help, Mel didn't know, just no new. If you don't help,
there's liable to be another dead girl, Peggy who then you get monkeys
and news, he said, Peggy, Peggy Ray and accunt of damn.
Three girls were thinking the bub cuts to you to tell, thinking than that
even they used to work here too. Have to work in Toby Hot.
You know where I can find Peggy Hollywood. She lives in. You need
a bit, so beg you for address you want to eat son or you
gotta be right none, I'll wait now who you are and get away.
Listen to me, miss Brian. I've come to help you. Kill you?
Can you for you me? Don't be crazy? Give me that God
that's better to kill me. That's why you come to kill me. Now,
let's scream inside. We don't want to make talk for the neighbors inside.
Peggy. Now, hush, hush, baby girl, hush, you
see, I let you go. There's nothing to be scared of. I'm
here to help you to keep it from happening like I did the Stella and
Toby. You understand what I'm saying, Peggy, Doby didn't and that it'll
be me. Why does it have to be you, Peggy? You don't
know you're killing. You don't know what trying to understand. I'm an insurance
investigator. A lot of times I'm around when people die. Sometimes I get
there sooner. Now help me, help me, Peggy, so I can
help you. That way, we'll save us with a lot of pains because
I'm so frightened. Whoever killed Toby and Stella? Why would they want to
kill you? I know why? I think I know. Tell Peggy a
woman was killed, we killed. Tell me about that. It was three
years ago. Tell me Dona and I have little car who used to take
trips. Three sellons ago. We took a trip to Oregon one day.
One day. What this woman crashed into us? What's her fault? Honest?
It was her fault and she was killed, married woman, young and
pretty and married? Please said it a nurve fault. Let us go only
reason? What else would anyone wants dead? It's a Saturday, Peggy,
What do you do with yourself on Saturdays? And shop a grocery a new
dress? Sometimes we'll go buy a new one, you and me and tonight
what do we do tonight? When you're asking you for a date? Uh?
Huh? What do we do tonight? Saturday nights are usually go to
ocean park. It's fun, ride with people, It's fun. Sure,
it is Saturday night, ocean Park. We'll have fun. So I made
a lot of phone calls to my hotel to tell Judy I was going to
Ocean Park with a girl named Peggy Brian case anyone inquired, And I called
agent Phil Gardner and let him know where I was going. Finally, I
called Roy Fulton, Toby's boyfriend, and let him know all about my plans
for the evening. And then I went shopping with Peggy Brian and then took
her to Ocean Park. Peggy Brian, pigeon, Let's just walk for a
while, Johnny, whatever you saying? You hungry, Peggy, Let's go
on to Roy Coulter. Sure, Peggy, just stand still from look around
here? Do you see anybody you know? No? I know what you're
doing. Johnny. Sure, I'm on a Saturday night date with a nice
girl. You think you'll find me here? Johnny? You want me to
leave? One? Not is? He couldn't kill me. I'm gonna try
to stop him begging. Come on, let's see two tickets. Please,
thanks, let's go begging. Stay close to me, Johnny. The girl
can get lost in the fun house, Johnny, Oh, Johnny, what's
the matter? Begging something? I'm having such a good time. Ever been
through that spinning barrel? I always fall down? Johnny? What batman man
over there? He watched us buy our ticket? Which man? I'm tall
one? Yeah, I see him? Thank you? Walk through that spinning
barrel all down if you have to, But get right up and get out
On the other side. Is he the one? Good one? I'm right
in the back of you. He's following us to get out of this thing
fast. I'm staying. I've been telling your shamous I've been waiting. Yeah
yeah, Charney, yeah yeah, come on, I'll drag you out of
here. I'll talk talk or so. How crazy shamous talk. You think
I killed her. I didn't kill Stella. She was dead when I got
there. I swear she was dead. Yeah, sure, you came in.
I went crazy. I wanted to kill something to get even. And
why are you following me? Because you're a shamous. If you get to
the killer, I want to piece hie. I didn't kill Starr. I
was in love with that. You gotta believe me. Your gun? What's
the matter? Get here? He was in the mirror a right Roy Fulton's
reflection, boyfriend of Toby Long and thin as if he been squeezed together,
which included a gun he was holding. I caught pegging down on the floor
with me and grabbed my gun. Something happened or something around that splintered in
the front of his shirt, but he kept coming and the something caught up
with him. Hold me, hold me? Are you? No expense account
Item four nineteen ninety five to dress a pigeon named Peggy Bryant. Item five
one hundred and twelve dollars miscellaneous hotels, meals, roller coaster, ride,
funhouse, et cetera. Expenser count total three hundred and sixty six dollars and
five cents remarks pay Phil Gardner agent base value of fifty thousand dollars policy on
Toby Drake. Well, all in all, from your point of view,
my trip to Hollywood was a failure. From my point of view, I
kept one girl out of three alive, and I was lucky at that,
luckier than you usually get in Hollywood. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollars. Yours
Truly Johnny Dollar stars John lundon the title role and was written by Morton Fine
and David Priedkin, with music by Eddie Dunsteady. John Lund can currently be
seen in the Universal International picture Just Across the Street. Featured in tonight's cast
were Raymond Byrd, Dick Ryan, John McIntyre, Sidney Miller, Victor Perron,
Virginia greg and Jeanette Nolan. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar is transcribed in
Hollywood by Hi Made del Vaier. This is Dan cubberly inviting you to join
us next week at this time when John Lund returns as Yours Tory Johnny Dalla
Tomorrow, Gangbusters brings you on CBS Radio and other true crime story naming names
and places, giving complete details on the operations of a ruthless criminal gang,
showing you how the cops after a bitter man hunt, put them odel business.
Every Saturday night on most of these same stations. Here Gangbusters, the
program that gives criminals wanted descriptions that help the public enforce the law and often
collect rewards for their good citizenship. Gang Busters Saturday nights on CBS Radio.
And remember you'll find Western Adventure and Music with Gene Autry Saturday evenings on the
CBS Radio Network. Welcome Back. I had listened to the McCoy before,
but I didn't listen to the McCoy in conjunction with the Starlet matter, and
doing so displaying some notes in the starlet manner that really kind of seemed odd
at the time. It should be said that this episode aired two months into
John Lon's run as Johnny Doler, and as we talked about at the time,
series really struggled to if LUN's take on Dollar his own unique voice,
and so the character sounded different from episode to episode. That would all get
strained out. But that's definitely an issue here so early in LUN's time.
They would take more care in the future when they adapted stories from previous Johnny
Dollers or from other programs. But one exchange they really should have cut was
near the beginning when Phil offered Johnny a ride to the scene in his Cadillac
with the top down. In the McCoy, Phil was trying to talk to
someone who he knew had feelings for a woman who was just murdered and might
be reluctant to come over and look at her body, and he's trying to
do everything he can to get him to come, And of course the McCoy
knows Phil a bit, and so they've got an existing relationship that kind of
makes that work. In the Starlet Matner, Phil's talking to an insurance agent
who's a complete stranger has a job to do, so it's weird to make
the offer about driving him there with the top down, and Johnny's statement that
Phil wouldn't go to a funeral any other way is also weird and inappropriate to
say to someone you just met who lost a client they were personally fond of.
Points to Sidney Miller for being the only actors to appear in both versions
and in the same role. No less, I kind of wonder whether if
even he remembered he'd done the first one for many a radio actors who get
cast in the same sort of roles. They all blend together, so he
might have had this script seems a bit familiar moment. One cut I did
think was good with this one is they got rid of Roy Fulton be signing
this sonnet, which was a bit over the top. Also cut the flirty
part from the conversation with the talent agency, which made that one of those
little conversations which probably should have just been exposited. And the only other weird
thing adaptation is that the accent of the actor who played the boss at the
Western restaurant was way off. You know. They were originally written for Marton
Yarborough, who had that Texas accent, and you would want someone like with
a Texas or Western accent, but this guy had a New England accent and
was trying to deliver these lines. It was odd. One edition I really
liked is Johnny's closing line, which is really appropriate and it was one aspect
that was original and it also rang true to the tone of yours truly Johnny
Doller, particularly going forward. Looking at both episodes and they shared a common
plot. Listening to both of them back to back, I have a lot
of problems with the plot, particularly the timing of the second murderer. Detective
cost to held Roy Fulton for some time, and Fulton was apparently supposed to
have taunted Johnny, slashed the McCoy, and then killed Stella Martin before they
could find her house. Given several hours of questioning and the way that everything's
spread out in the Los Angeles area, the whole thing seems improbable. It's
also never explained why Fulton did the taunting, notes even more puzzling why he
addressed them McCoy or Johnny. It was also weird the degree to which the
McCoy and particularly Johnny got blamed for not solving the case. Somehow, Johnny
gets off the plane and the first murder has already occurred by the time that
he meets Phil, and then the second murder happens before he's able to locate
Stella Martin in a strange city, and then he shows up at Phil's office
and gets this whole song and dance about how it's his fault for being a
lousy detective. And it's funny because I was talking on Tuesday about how,
as a rule, the New York Audio dramas tended to have bigger elements of
melodrama. I guess what we got here was the exception that proved the rule.
I should note that the germ of this story actually goes back even further
than this, to an episode of Pursuit, which was also written by Fine
and Freakin from November two, nineteen forty nine, the second episode of that
series to air. They also had the no' in that story, which were
also not explained. Now. I will say that the details vary a lot.
On the first story. It was about three men who accidentally killed a
woman while flying a plane on be a day and was set in London,
with a case investigated by Inspector Peter Black of Scotland Yard. Even though the
differences were stark, I did think about making this a thrust told story,
just to show how a story can develop, but really didn't want to detract
from talking about the McCoy. Eventually, I think we'll do one of these
specials that show more than the evolution of a story over two episodes, just
not today. All right, Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon
supporter of the day, and I want to go ahead and thank Dwayne Dwayne
has been one of our Patreon supporters since June of twenty twenty three, currently
supporting the podcast at the Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars fourteen cents or more
per month. Thank you so much for your support, Dwayne, and that
will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us
using your favorite podcast software. We will be back next Sunday with our final
listener support Slash Appreciation Special, but join us back here tomorrow for the Adventures
of the Falcon Where Hello, Hello, is that Michael wearing the Falcon?
Yes? Is the Falcon speaking? How do you do mister Wearing? This
is James Kellaway. Something faitful has happened. Frightful. I don't know how
to Can you come over here right away? Aware for us? Jew Willers.
It's fantastic, but I'm suspected of robbery. Fantastic. Well, nothing
like a little fantasy, know then all right, Caroway, I'll be older,
and you will of course bring references. Well, well, I've heard
you're recoveringant detective. But this is a highly important matter, great data stick,
and I must be sure I'm dealing with a completely trustworthy and kickable person.
You have my word for it. No need for references. Nevertheless,
I prefer to see the references. I hope you'll be with us then.
In the meantime, do send your comments to Box thirteen at Greatdetectives dot net,
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram,
Instagram dot com, slash Great Detectives From Boise, Idaho. This is
your host, Adam Graham signing off.