Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise Adohol. This is
your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it to
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And if you've not already, I do encourage you to check out my
ebooks. All I needed to Know I learned from Colombo and All I needed
to Know I learned from Dragnet. These ebooks examined the careers and histories of
seven great fictional detectives and policemen, as well as life lessons that can be
learned from them. They're available wherever fine ebooks are sold, or as audiobooks
through audible dot Com or the Apple Store. Well, now it's time for
this week's episode of Mister Chameleon. Now from March to twenty third, nineteen
forty nine, here is the Dinner of Death Murder Case. Next Mister Chameleon
and the Dinner of Death Murder Case. Tonight, we again present the famous
mister Cameleon of Central Headquarters in his most famous cases of crime and murder,
brought to you by the makers of genuine Bayer Aspirin. Mister Cameleon, as
you all know, is the famous and dreaded detective of Central Police Headquarters who
frequently uses a disguise or impersonation to confuse the criminals he is tracking down.
In Tonight's case, he appears both as himself mister Chameleon, and in an
especially clever and effective disguise. Tonight, we give you, mister Chameleon in
the Dinner of Death murder case. The scene of Tonight's Chameleon case is in
a home like countless others in this land of ours, a home like yours
or mine, a home with the last thing expected or believed possible, is
that the hand of murder and suspicion will strike to bring tragedy and horror.
It is in the home of Herbert Martin on the evening of the Maid's day
out. As Herbert, his young wife Felloise, and his daughter Lucy,
only a few years her junior, are seated at the dinner table, and
we hear Herbert saying, if I were asked to name the luckiest man I
know. I'd say, Now, what do you think, I'd say,
Herbert Martin, that's myself? How nice, Herbert? Oh, father,
you're sweet. Two beautiful girls and a beautiful dinner prepared for an old duffer
like me with their own hands. I hear's your plate, father, emm
smells wonderful. What is it? The way to find out is to taste
it, Herbert, that's good. Tastes like Augustin the kafe blow himself had
a hand in a die. Ah, father, you look ill, father,
what's wrong, Herbert? What's happened? It must be my heart?
Call the doctor and Luisa. I'm dreadful, I'm father, father. But
it wasn't Herbert Martin's heart. It was murder. The family dinner prepared by
the two people he loved the most, concealed the hand of death. And
a few minutes later we hear the Commissioner of Police assigning the famous mister Chameleon
to one of the strangest cases of his career. Oh the facts of these
chameleons. Herbert Martin, according to his doctor's report, was isn't a dinner,
no doubt with a poison whose symptoms are the same as termain poisoning.
Isn't that a commissioner, Yes, that's it, all right, chameleon.
But who told you? Let's call it a good guess, commissioner. Let's
go at that well. The addresses three, three, four four Burton Street.
I'm on my way. Oh there you are, Detective Sergeant Donald.
Get out a squad car quick. What's up, mister Comellion murder? Oh
here's the house, mister Comelion. Right, Oh you're from the police.
Yes, Comeleion of Central Headquarters. Mister Camillion, no doubt you are the
murdered Man's Herbert Martin's daughter and his wife. His wife, I'm sorry,
I understood. I was to see his daughter, Lucy. That's his daughter's
here. I'll take you to her. Did you call me eloise? Oh?
Who's this? Mister cameleon? The detective and this is detective Sergeant Arnold.
The Commissioner of Police told me that mister Martin was poisoned at dinner.
I can't spare to think of it. Didn't think such a dreadful thing should
have happened to my husband. We had salmon and salery salad. It must
have been changing. Yes, I'm sure that was it. Well, I've
heard of many such cases, recently, violent tomain cases. If only we
hadn't had ken salmon. It was you, I didn't have salmon. Alouise,
Lucy dear, don't you remember you suggested it first? She's terribly upset,
mister Comellion. Oh, who else beside mister Martin ate this salad?
All of us had it, mister comedian, who prepared it? The maid?
Why? Lucy and I prepared it together? This is the maid's night
out. So all of you ate this fatal salad, but only one of
you was poisoned? What do you mean by that, mister comedian? Here's
what do you mean? I mean that when three people eat poisoned food,
all three are poisoned, and if only one is poisoned. But mister comedian,
who prepared the salad? You say the maid was out? So who
did prepare it? Lucy and I prepared it together. That's right, mister
Comellion. Eloise and I prepared it together, and all of you ate it
together, Yet one of the three died. I can't understand. I think
I can. One serving was poisoned, two were not, and that means
murder. Do you mean, I mean to say that somebody murdered your father,
Miss Lucy. Now tell me who served the death food to Herbert Martin.
I don't remember. Elouise brought all three servings in on a tray,
and you passed the tray, Lucy. Not that that makes any difference,
Darling. Was any outsider in the kitchen when you were preparing dinner? Only
Dick Reynolds, But he left before dinner. I bring dig into this,
you know very well. Shouldn't his name be brought in, miss Lucy?
And who is Dick Grendall's and what is his connection with his family? Just
a boy Lucy's in love with Who suppose I am in love with you,
but no more in love with him than you are, Elouise? What both
of you in love with him? That's not true, mister Comedian. It's
just a silly, jealous girl's idea. You know it's not true, Lucy.
That's why my father's dead, mister Comedion. Eloise, when were you
married to Herbert Martin ten months ago? Why did you marry him? Because
I loved him? And because you had two children, no husband, in
no way of earning a living, and you needed a roof over your head?
That's what is that true? Eloise? I loved Herbert? Were you
left with two children and no money? Two little girls? Twins? Herbert
adored them. But they must be very young. You and your stepdaughter are
almost the same age, an't you? Eloise is twenty eight and I'm twenty
four? Mister comedian, Oh what could have made father do that? And
these twins of yours? Alloways, there'll be three years old next month?
How long before your marriage to Herbert Martin? Did your first husband, the
father of these children, die five months before? But what a mother's love,
missus Martin, is a very great love. In the name of it,
many things have done, often distasteful things, things that are later regretted.
If you are implying something by that, mister Camillion, I am implying
that love for your children could have led to a marriage for security and then
regret stop, and the cause of that regret could have been named. Let
us say, mister Dick Reynolds. But what do you say to that,
Ailoise? Mister comiedian, are you accusing me of murder? Then? I
say your implications are lies. Horrible eyes, I say, mister Camellion,
of what you say is true. Every word is true. Eloise would have
been glad to see my father dead. Of Dick Greas. The one thing
is certain, Lucy, you both love Dick Reynold's Haloise. Now tell me
what did your husband think of this boy? He forbade Lucy to marry him,
for better to see him. My husband hated him. I should like
to meet Dick Reynolds. Both the man's young wife and his young daughter love
him, yet he hated him. Why could one of you here have joined
with Reynolds to clear the way to your own passionate desires by murder? With
my father dead in this house, you come, with your callous, brutal
questionings to torture and persecute. Why what right by the right of an officer
of the law who sees both a motive for murder and a singularly inviting opportunity.
Here's the thing that'll settle the case, mister cameleon. What is it,
Detective Arnold? If the medical examiner knows what he's talking about. It's
the same poison that killed Herbert Martin. Where do you find it? And
a baking powder can in the kitchen? Pretty clever? Huh poison? What
why? It's the insecticide Dick Reynolds bought for those greenhouse flowers he's trying to
grow. I guess he forgot it or used it in the poisoning of your
husband. Now we have fenced long enough. Tell me where does Dick Reynolds
live? And don't lie. Don't tell him, Malouise. He has a
flat at six one six, right, Dave, who are signed Detective Foley
and his men to watch these two women. Don't let them out of sight?
Okay, mister Commeleion? And then what come with me to see mister
Dick Reynolds. Good night night, good night. Now that mister comedian is
gone, Lucy, I want to warn you against talking too much to him.
Remember he's a policeman. Don't arouse his animosity and don't arouse his suspicion.
I suppose by that you mean don't say what I think about you.
Eloise, This is no time for us to quarrel. We're both in a
bad position. Let's not say things. Will be sorry for later. We
were in a bad position, Eloise. That is nuttil until what until you
told mister Camellion and that other detective. The poison used to kill father was
Dick Reynolds. Why did you tell him that was it? Because you hate
Dick because you know he's in love with me. He's not in love with
you. And besides, it was his poison. So you say, you
and I both know Dick bought that poison. Trying to conceal this only bring
us more trouble. And oh, Lucy dear, please believe me. Whatever
you've said against me means nothing. As far as I'm concerned. I'll never
forget. You're your father's daughter, and I loved him. You loved him.
You don't know what love is. I warn you again, Lucy,
be careful what you say. And now in the apartment of Dick Reynolds,
we hear mister Chameleon saying, so you admit that you were in the kitchen
when Lucy and Elouise were preparing the dinner that resulted in Herbert Martin's death.
Yes, I was, mister Camellion, and then you left. Yes,
why I had another engagement. Well didn't Herbert Martin invite you to stay for
dinner? Oh? Yes, yes she did, but I couldn't do it.
It is better to tell the truth than to lie in these situations,
Mister Reynolds, why should I lie? Is it criminal to refuse a dinner
invitation when one has another date? You did not stay because you were not
asked to stay. You know, and I know that Herbert Martin hated you,
wouldn't have you in his house. His wife, Elowis told me as
much. Heloise. She and this baking powder can. She told me that
it was yours. Do you deny that too? It contains the rest of
the poison that murdered Herbert Martin. Well what about it? Where'd you get
it? And why did you get it? Is carrying a can of deadly
poison a habit of yours. I was told to get it. It's for
killing insects on flowers. Show me your greenhouse. I want to see those
flowers. And who told you to buy that poison? I don't remember.
Where are the flowers? Let me say them. I haven't started drawing them
yet. It's too early, but not too early to kill the man who
forbade you his house, A man who had to be gotten out of the
way before you could marry his daughter. Oh widow his wife and marry her
all right? Which was it. I'm very much interested. You're hurling a
pack of preposterous accusations at me. That's what you're doing, looking for a
victim. I've read how you copped tricked people, and perhaps you've read the
law of circumstantial evidence. It operates on the principle that a murderer rarely invites
an audience to watch him kill his victim. I take it that Lucy and
Eluise left the kitchen for the moment, and in that moment you poisoned the
food intended for Herbert Martin? But why why should I do that? You
can answer that one better than I can, since Alowise is doing so much
talking. Did she happen to tell you that another attempt was made to poison
Herbert Martin less than a month ago? Did she tell you that? What
another attempt? Who you are Ellouise? Not me? And not Eloise the
woman Herbert Martin chucked when he met Alois and married her just seven days to
the day after her first set eyes on her? Who told you that,
Reynolds or is this another fairy story? It's no fairy story, mister comedian.
I overheard the whole thing with my own ears. Tell me about it,
Reynolds. Well, I'd sneaked into Martin's house one afternoon to see Lucy,
had no idea he was home. Then I heard his voice. Woman's
Mabel Woods. Well you mean the show girl, Mabel Woods. I've heard
of her. That's the one, mister comedian. She was all set to
marry Herbert Martin. Was she wild? And exactly what happened that afternoon?
I didn't want Martin to catch me the house, so I slipped behind a
big screen in the hall. And then I couldn't help overhearing everything that was
said. And mister Martin was saying to Mabel Woods, are you completely out
of your mind coming to this house? What's the idea? What are you
after? I'll give you three guesses, Herbie. If you win, you
get the box of cigars. Now what do you think brought me to make
trouble between me and my wife? Oh? Yeah, your wife, Your
lovely, innocent little snake chow. I don't want to hear anything more about
my wife from you. No. I think I made things pretty clear how
you and I stood when I told you I was going to marry her.
I told you flat it was love at first sight I'd never realized before what
love really was. Never too old to love? Huh, Herby forty six
is not old. That's what you used to tell me, Mabel. One
of my best lines. But I guess I didn't put it across and did
I rehearse it. I ran through that scene a thousand times. Let's get
back to the subject, Mabel. I don't want Elouise to find you in
this house. I came to tell you something, Herby, something I've got
an idea you'd like to hear. I ask you again, what do you
want? I want to tell you that I've been exposed to the same disease
you've got. I'm in love, Herbie, and it's not with you.
I'm inviting you to my wedding, to your wedding. The lucky guy is
Jim Carrington, the biggest producer on Broadway. Oh how I love that boy.
When I see him, it's like pouring champagne down my back. But
this is wonderful, Mabel. I can't tell you how happy it makes me.
Yeah, don't rub it in, Herby. Let's have a drink instead.
Can I see the makings over here? Shall I mix a couple a
toast to happiness. Here you are, Herbie, Here's to both our weddings.
Mabel, what have you put on this drink? You're trying to poison
me. I'll get out of this house and get out fast before I call
the police. You dirty double crossing. Go on exactly what happened to mister
Comedion? A wonderful story, Reynolds? If true, Dave, We're about
to go backstage at the Biju Theater. Goodbye, mister Reynolds. Don't believe
me. Remember what I said about circumstantial evidence in the murder of Herbert Martin.
It points to you, mister chameleon, and the dinner of death murder
case continues in just a moment. The fast relief you want when you have
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A And now back to mister Camellion and the Dinner of Death murder case.
Mister Camellion is investigating the murder of Herbert Martin, who was poisoned while at
dinner with his wife and daughter, both of whom are suspect, as is
Dick Reynold's, with whom both women are in love, and who bought the
poison. But Dick Reynolds says that Mabel Woods, a showgirl who was discarded
by Martin, tried to poison him once before. So we find mister Camelion
now saying to Mabel Woods, miss Wood's, my name is chameleon. I
am from Central Police Headquarters wondering whether I killed off Herbert Martin. I suppose,
did you? I just heard over the radio we passed out about seven
o'clock tonight, right. He was poisoned sometime between six and seven. Where
were you at that time? I never left this theater all afternoon. We
had a special rehearsal of one scene. One of the leads got sick,
and we had a run through the scene a few times with his understand you
can prove this, of course. Do you think I'd tell you this if
I couldn't prove it. I'm not that dumb. The show's got a cast
of eighty people, not counting stage hands, property men, electricians and all
the rest. Ask any one of them where I was. They'll tell you
I was right here. I guess that's good enough. Miss Woods. Tell
me you tried to poison Herbert Martin yourself a couple of weeks ago, or
do you deny that I put little something in his drink? Yeah, that's
what you mean. But it wasn't poison, just something funny tasting. I
was trying to scare the guy. That was all who told you a little
bird wise guy, and the little bird's name was Dick Reynolds. Oh he
did, Diddy. Well, let me tell you this, mister Camelion.
If I was a cop, I'd go after Reynolds and Eloise Martin. There's
plenty up between those two. I am beginning to believe that you should be
a cop. Mabel. Anyway, thanks lot so long, get anything out
of Mabel Woods. Mister Camelion, she is definitely out of the picture,
Dave, or at least it looks that way. She's sure that it was
Dick Reynolds and Elowise. I'll bet my right arm Reynolds didn't have any part
of killing Herbert Martin. No, Martin had himself mixed up between three dames,
and one's enough for any guy to get himself bumped off. That wife,
Eloise, she's on the make his daughter, Lucy Martin wouldn't let her
marry Reynolds. And there's that little number from the gaieties back there, Mabel
Woods. She tried at once, Dave, go out to Dick Reynold's apartment
trying to find more of that poison them and then do this, tell Reynolds
that he needs a first class criminal lawyer. Badly. You mean you want
to talk to him in disguise. Yes, as the famous criminal lawyer Charles
Watson Faddle. If I can frighten him enough, he may tell me what
I want to know. Oh it's you, detective, Sergeant Arnold. How
are you? Where's your partner? The famous mister Comedion. Does he still
think I killed Herbert Martin? He sure does, But between ourselves, mister
Reynold's I don't think you did. I think Chameleon's on the wrong tray.
But it's time somebody on this case started thinking straight. Mister Cameleon told me
to search your place for some more of that poison. Go ahead and search
it. There's none here. I'm going to tell you something, mister Reynolds,
that I've gotten all right telling you. You're on a tough spot,
and mister Chameleon is a tough guy. What you need is a good criminal
lawyer and fast, but a criminal lawyer. Never met one in my life.
I promise you'll never tell I put you onto this guy, and I'll
send you to one. He's the smartest mouthpiece in any man's town. Who
is he Arnold? His name is Charles Watson Farrell. If he thinks you're
on the up and up, he'll take you on. If he doesn't,
then what he'll still take you on? Where can I see him? I
think I can get him here to see you tonight. What do you say,
as soon as you can, Detective Sergeant Arnold, as soon as you
can. So. A short time later, we see mister Cameleon disguised as
the fame criminal lawyer Charles Watson Farrell in Dick Reynolds's apartment, saying, but
claiming that you're innocent isn't enough, mister Reynolds. Remember you have a district
attorney to face a judge and a jury. So you you think Chameleon is
going to arrest me? Mister Farrell, what he said to you about circumstantial
evidence pointing to you is enough in itself. And then let's not disregard this.
The poison was traced to you. You were in the kitchen when the
death food was being prepared. Your relationship with Herbert Martin himself, with his
daughter and his wife, would send would sound bad, very very bad for
you in a criminal court. Personally, I would not be surprised if Comeleion
stepped into this room any minute and arrested you. I knew with Chameleon after
me, I'd never have a chance. He is not the smartest cop in
the world. I have met smarter ones. But I'll give him credit for
one thing. He has sent many a man to his execution. Uncircumstantial evidence.
I suppose exactly, mister Reynolds. And the circumstantial evidence in this case
is that the purchase of the poison that killed Herbert Martin was traced to you
and admitted by you. I see, and that, if you will pardon
the figure of speech, is enough to hang your Reynolds. And mister Farrell,
you're advising me to confess to a crime. I swear I didn't commit.
No, no, no, not at all. I am advising you
to tell me who got you to buy that poison. Without that information,
I cannot see myself going into court to defend you. I'll risk conviction before
I tell you, or any living soul that, mister Farrell. That settles
the thing. Mister Reynolds, I cannot take your case. Good night.
I was listening to every word you said, mister Farrell. Helius Chameleon Dave,
you did smart work on Reynolds getting me in there. In disguise.
I was the famous mouthpiece Charles Watson Farrell, but you didn't get much out
of them. On the contrary, Dave, I am ready to make the
arrest. What that's it? Now? Go back, get Reynolds, bring
him to the murdered man's home, to Herbert Martin. But who did it?
I think that you will enjoy hearing the answer more when we have all
the suspects cornered in Herbert Martin's home. Hurry along, get Reynolds. Day.
Okay, mister commeleion. Why have I been dragged into this house comedian
to be accused of murdered Dick Reynolds? And I caution you that anything you
say will be taken down and can be used as evidence. Well right down,
then that I didn't kill Herbert Martin. You bought the poison that killed
him, I admit that, but I didn't poison. If you were in
the kitchen when the poison was mixed with Herbert Martin's food, I charge you
with mixing his dinner of death. That's a lie. I didn't go,
nearest fool, And then who did? Nobody did? At least I didn't
see anybody. No good Reynolds. I say you bought the poison, and
I say you used it to kill a man. I tell you again,
commeleion, I didn't use it. Well, then why did you have it?
Why did you buy it? Or are you about to claim again that
you bought it for somebody else? Reynolds, you've lied all the way through.
I arrest you for the murder of Herbert Martin, and I promise you
a quick trial and a quick execution. Dave handcuffing. No, no,
mister commedian, You're wrong. Dick is innocent. Heaven forgive me. I
killed my father. Lucy, No, be quiet, Dick. This is
exactly what I've been waiting for. But I didn't mean to kill you,
mister comedian. Oh why did this have to happen? I must have been
insane. I couldn't stand Bathers being made a fooler by this woman. Lucy.
You killed my husband, You killed your father. Oh, you horrible
girl. I tried to kill you, Eloise, That's why I tried to
hold it. I've got our mister comedian. I tried to kill her.
I wanted a dead and I want to dead now. You gave your father
the poisoned and a by mistake, you gave him the plate that you intended
for Alouise. Isn't that it? And you've never found out if I hadn't
told you, mister comedian, I only told you to save Dick from the
horrible mistake you were making arresting him. Lucy Darling, I'd have stood up
to the end, and so you would have, Dick. That's why I
had to persist in my the mistake that saved you and threw Lucy into the
hands of the law. Take it along, dam and on the way,
explain my motto. The guilty must be punished and the innocent must be protected
at any cost. And with these words, mister Chameleon concludes tonight's murder case.
There's nothing as important as fast relief when you have an ordinary headache,
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than a penny apiece. Listen next Wednesday night at this same time for mister
Cameleon, the man of many faces in the handprint on the ceiling murder case.
The part of mister Chamelion is played by Carl Swenson, with dialogue by
Frank Hummert from the original story by Frank and Anne Hummert, music directed by
Victor Arden. Your announcer is Howard Claney. Now at last you can get
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At this time it's is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System, Welcome back.
I loved how they emphasized at the start that this was an average home,
just like anyone else's, and then told us it was the maid. Stay
off. The whole subplot with the show girl felt like a bit of padding
for a mystery without a whole lot to it. Her attempt to spike the
dead man's food several weeks earlier couldn't have really had much to do with the
poisoning, since she was nowhere near this average American home. Uh. The
actress that played her had a voice that reminded me of Joan Davis, a
popular comedian who had several radio programs. We actually heard part of one last
year when Howard Duff guest starred when we were featuring Sam Spade. I wonder
if that was the actress's natural way of speaking or an affectation based on Davis.
I couldn't find any specific law of circumstantial evidence which chameleon stated like it
was a legal principle or some sort of scientific law. I mean, there
are general rules about circumstantial evidence, but there's no such thing as a set
law that I was able to find. The lawyer disguised may have been one
of the most potentially problematic disguised as chameleons used, but it probably only be
a real problem if he actually had been trying to prosecute the guy he'd been
questioning. As it is, it was just a bit pointless. Really,
we could have had the same confrontation in front of the two women based on
the suspect's refusal to answer the question about the poison and gotten the same result.
One thing I will give Cameleian credit for is making as good a recovery
as humanly possible after mistaking the wife of the victim for the dead man's daughter.
That was a really tough one to recover from. Well, now we
turn to listener comments and feedback, and Ronser says, it is interesting to
me that Carl Swinson played old Man on TV throughout the sixties, several guest
appearances on Perry Mason and other popular shows of the time. He always appeared
in disguise until his role in Little House on the Prairie when he was actually
an old man. Well, thanks for the comment, Ryan, sir,
that that's the fate of character actors reminds me of Abe Vagoda. Bagoda had
a long career as an actor going back to nineteen forty seven, but didn't
really get famous until the seventies for his role in The Godfather and later Barnie
Miller. And there was a video theater episode in which Bagoda had a small
part, and I was curious about it because it was from nineteen forty nine,
and so we watched the TV episode and you know, Abe Vigoda was
twenty eight at the time, but he was wearing makeup and playing a guy
who was middle aged store altar in this production of Two Sharp Knives. And
then we had a comment from Pat who writes to me the disguised thing is
the least compelling part of the Mister Chameleon show. For me, it's about
his vaguely sophisticated personality and slightly British accent, his chemistry with Detective Sergeant Dave
Arnold, and when he messes with and gets angry with all of the high
society suspects. I love it, and Betsy agreed. I listened to many.
I love the recurring voices, especially the older woman who plays the maid
Gertrue. In this case it's can't be fun. Well, thank you so
much, appreciate the comments, and I think there's definitely a point to it,
with the whole disguise thing not being the most important fact. The Hummertz
did four different half hour network detective program and I think there's a case to
be made that three of them are essentially the same show. Mister Keenes Tracer
of Lost Persons was the first one, then Mister Chameleon, and then Hearstone
of the Desk Squad, and the other show is Inspector Thorne, which I'll
talk about how that was slightly different, but essentially, each of these series
featured a lead who generally investigated murder cases involving wealthy or prominent people in some
way. As we talked about, mister Keene had a different original take,
but by the postwar era, that was what he was doing. And the
hero had a faithful sidekick, and the hero was, if not exactly British,
they were kind of they were in that sort of upper class mid Atlantic
accent. The mysteries followed the exact same formula. They have the exact same
type of suspects. They are exactly the same and the reason was that they
were popular. And honestly, television networks studios they do the same thing today.
I mean, I don't think they're quite as obvious or flagrant about it
as the Humworks were, but they do essentially the same thing. I mean,
each of these series has got a very superficial thing that separates it from
the other series, but it is really superficial, and probably just so that
they could, you know, make the pitch to the network, well this
is what the series is about. Okay, Well you got other highly rated
shows on our network, so we'll buy this one too. And I think
that those programs had an audience, and to an extent they still do today.
Now. Inspector Thorne was different because first of all, that series came
around in nineteen fifty one, so they were trying to do a fourth series.
But his thing was that he would put himself down as stupid and was
humble enough to believe it. But he was actually pretty smart. But he
was unambiguously American and not particularly upper class. And so yeah, that one
only lasted eleven weeks. Now, the distinction for mister Cameleon also may have
been to play to Carl Swinson's strengths, which, as we've stated, included
his ability to do all of these different voices, and he could be relied
upon to do things like dialects as well, and that may have been an
incentive for him as an actor. You get to star in this nationally broadcast
primetime mystery series, and you get to create a new character every week.
And I do think that that may have been a motivation for that distinction,
because honestly, I think Carl Swinson was too good for this series as an
actor. Having heard examples of his other work on programs like Romance, I
feel he probably could have been a lot more popular and successful as a lead
actor, particularly if he had left New York for Hollywood A lot earlier,
but again I guess hindsight's twenty twenty. And then we have a question from
Slake, who writes, Adam, are we ever told what mister Comeleon's rank
is? I assume a lieutenant or maybe inspector. He only refers to himself
as mister. No, we are never told what his rank is, and
it's a really odd thing. I don't know why they did it. It
may have been to have people associated with mister Keene, but they could have
given him a rank in the series while still keeping the title as mister Chameleon,
and I don't know why they didn't. It's just one of those elements.
It's that, if you're trying to be realistic at all, are important
but which the Hummers didn't think was important, and given the success of the
series and how long it was on the air, I can't say they were
wrong. Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day.
Thank you to Nolan, Patreon supporter since April of twenty eighteen, currently
supporting the podcast at the rookie level of two dollars or more per month.
Thank you so much for your support, and that will do it for today.
If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software,
and if you're enjoying the podcast on YouTube, be sure to like the
video, subscribe to the channel, and mark the notification bell. We will
be back next Thursday with another episode of Mister Chameleon, but join us back
here tomorrow for the conclusion of this week's Yours truly Johnny Dollar serial aware like
a very well, very well. It's just that I hate to see what
was once a very strong investment program. Very well, mister Turnbull. If
you Insie Turnbull, yes, yeah, good eye now now Eric Turnbull,
mister Wilt, yes, but now just a minute, sir, it was
very remissive me to mention the client's name in front of you, at least
under the circumstances. Whatever I may have said on the phone just now was
quite confidential. Yeah, I'm sure it was. I can only ask that
you discreetly forget anything you may have heard. Not by a long shot.
What's this? Who are you, sir Dollar? I believe the receptionist said,
that's right, Johnny Dollar, Insurance investigator. And that conversation told me
just what I came here to try to charm you into telling me, mister
dollar, please remember this. That was entirely confidential, none of your business.
Yeah, my credentials. Yeah, well now you'll remember something. So
far as Eric Turnbull is concerned, my coming here is entirely confidential, none
of Hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, do send your
comments to Box thirteen Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Instagram, Instagram,
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Twitter at Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam
Graham signing off.