Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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our listeners. Thank you so much for your support. Now it's time for
today's episode of Sherlock Holmes The Blue Carbuncle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,
The Original and Immortal stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle dramatized Daniel, with Sir
Ralph Richardson as Doctor Watson and Sir John Gielgood in the role of Sherlock Holmes.
Christmas Christmas in Our London of the eighteen paces, with a sparkle round
the gas lights and the glow on the hurrying passes by, laden with mysterious
passes, the candled shop windows heaped with poise, with tinkling handsomes hastening past
with a million tall trees and a million tall boys, Woodmans Christmas and in
the glow and glory of it. I called at Baker Street to see my
old friends shall out homes. Compliments of the season, Holmes and who what
who's that? Compliments of the season? Holmes? Oh, Watson, with
you believe me? How do you do it? Ah? I said,
I produced cold we hire in the time of year. But don't you believe
in the Christmas spirit? Yes, yes, of course I do, my
dear fellow. He thenly that I'm profoundly engaged. My mind was elsewhere.
It closed the door, Watson, come in because it confounded dims from the
street. Yes, that's much better. Sit down, won't you? Of
course you're engaged at home, and I better not say I have still some
visits to make to my patient. No, no, no, no,
of course you know how glad I always am to have your old friend to
discuss my problems with. Now help us up to a whiskey and sirda Watson,
thank you, and just tell me what you think of that? Think
of what that hanging on the back of the chair. I've been contemplating it
for the last half hour, but it's only I had a simple hard black
head. Just so get us sit down with the bay by the part and
telling me all about it, and I'll bruise some punch. Excellent and excellent
Watson, you know where everything is, of course, And meanwhile i'll tell
you the tale of this hat. And I asked you to consider it.
Watson not as a bettered old billycock, but has an intellectual problem. I
don't know if I will not make greater first time. I'm ready where,
Yes, here it is, you know, Peterson, the commissioner, the
hotel on the corner. But of course why is it his heart? No,
he's clothed clothing, Well he found it. The nay is unknown.
It is arrived here Watson in companible a fine fat goose, which I have
no doubt at this moment is roasting media in front of the Peterson's pie,
a goose on their head. That the connections of this. But but where
where where do you put the lemons, my dear feller lemons? Oh,
try the gazoge in stem. No, well then that hideous bamboo smoking companion,
and MISSU Hudson Willins has come sitting down toside the sober every afternoon.
Yea, Now, effects are peas Watson. Peterson, who's a very honest
fellow, as you know, was returning about four o'clock this morning from some
small seasonal jollification, and walk homewards down the Tottenham Court Road at the big
bully on my hands are full certainly wasn't in front of him. There in
the gaslight, Peterson suddenly saw a tallish man with a stick, walking with
a slight stagger and carrying a white boose over his shoulder. As he reached
the corner of water on the street, this man was suddenly set upon by
a crowd of roughs. One of them knocked his hat off, and as
he raised his stick to defend himself, he accidentally swung it against a shop
window and smashed the glass up a head and next home. But Peterson,
who was still reading his Commissionaire's uniform, rushed to the man's assistance. But
the fellow, shocked at breaking a window and seeing a man in uniform running
up to him, dropped his goose and flip through his heels. The rust
did the same, leaving Peterson master of the field of battle. He brought
the bird and hat to me. There was a card on the bird's leg
with poor missus Henry Baker written on it, and the initials HB are written
on the label inside the head Uh huh. But of course there are some
thousands of people named Baker in this great city of ours. So it has
been my little occupation for this last hour or so to try and deduce the
exact identity of this one from his head. Watson, the owner of this
hat, Watson, highly intellectual, fairly well to do, but in the
space of the last three years, seems to have fallen on evil days.
He used to have foresight, that he has less now than formerly. I
suspect he's taken to drink, which would also perhaps to counter the fact that
his wife no longer lovely. Dear middle aged goes out little, has brizzled
hair, which he annoints with lime cream, and has been to the barber's
lately. It is also extremely improbable that he has gas laid on in his
house. I've seen you on this kind of thing before, of course,
but this is going to wow his wife home. You said she stopped loving
him. The hat hasn't been brushed for weeks, My dear fellow. Ah,
Well, when I see you, Watson, that's such an accumulation of
dust on your respectable headgear. I shall expect you to be returning to your
old quarters here within the next day or time. Oh, you've answer for
everything, wonderful one except the guess. The fact that there's no guess laid
on in his house. Now, that really is impossible, not at all.
One tallow stain or even two might come by chance. But when I
see no less than five, I think there can be little doubt that the
owner must be gotten frequent contact with burning tallow Yes, he probably walks upstairs
at night with his head in one hand and a guttering candle in the other.
Anyhow, he never got tallow stains from my guess yet satisfied a promise.
Oh most elementary, my dear boss, Well, it seems well a
waste of your talents. But there's did no crime committed, nothing but the
last of a Christmas goose. That goose, My dear fellow, Hello,
Hello, what's this? Who is it? Yes? Come in Peters,
who's nice, dear Peterson, it's it's a ghosh? Where has it returned
to life? And flapped off through the kitchen window? Not as white as
a seat sea? Looked at my white found inside its crop? What look
this? This is treshed cove. Indeed, Peterson A pressure stone, one
of the biggest I've ever seen. It's more than a precious stone, Watson.
It's the precious stone, the blue carbuncle great, the the Countriess of
more Cars, precisely missing for five days and with the descriptor thats the every
morning and the times about it, and the reward of a thousand pounds for
its recover a thousand parents lever Duck a ghost. It's a blue car.
Yes, yes, I remember nine lost at the Hotel Cosmopolitan. That's it.
And they've arrested some plumber fellow who supposed to have taken it from the
Countess's jewel case. Thousand towns. Oh I was reading about his owner just
now, Yes, here we are here, we are the Hotel Cosmopolitan,
Joel Robert It. John Horner, plumber twenty six, was brought up on
the charge of having abstracted from the Joel case of the Countess of more Car
the valuable jim known as the blue Carbank. What else, Watson? It
seems that this fellow Horner was taken up to the Countess's room by her maid,
a girl called Catherine Cusack, to do some kind of repair. When
they hid attendant at a hotel went in a fellow called James Rider to see
if the work was finished. He found the joel case was lying empty and
the horner had gone. They gave the alarm and term I was fanged by
the police. They're arrested him. The case is being referred to the assizers.
Well, then, the only problem remaining to be solved is the sequence
of events leading from an empty drill case and a hotel room at one end
to the crop of a goose in the Tottenham Court Road at the other.
Just give me a pencil and that step of paper, will you, Peterson?
Oh yes, oh John, Yes, are you're going to do a
Holmes? Find the owner of this hat h b. Henry Baker? Yes,
he began as a joke and now I've become a mystery. We'll try
the simplest method first, an advertisement. How's this Watson reading found at the
corner of wat on the street, a goose and a black felt had Mister
Henry Baker can have the same by applying at six thirties this evening at two
to one Baker Street, heard and concise, I think yes, if you've
quite recovered from your order stand When Peterson so just run down to the adretisment
office and have this put in all the evening papers, will you all of
them? All of them? Oh? And by the way, Peterson,
on your way back, just see if you can buy another Goose Goosen.
Yes, as near as possible, the same size as that one that your
family is about to be. You're going to keep the station, yes,
yeah, in my strong box. And I'll just jump a note for the
Countess to say we've found it. Hur you Peterson, Yes, of course
time of Christ. No, no, the gays, Peterson. M oh,
mister Baker, if I'm not mistaken, who come in? Mister Baker,
Oh, thank you? Sit down if you praise it down. This
is my good friend, doctor Watson. How do you do meant? I
help you to a whiskey and soda, and mister Baker, oh, oh
thank you. I leave out the soda if I made it to home.
So, of course, you see, Watson, gratulations homes the very man
as you've described them. I beg your part, oh not himself, and
give us a private matter. Mister Baker, you come heaven to an answer
to my advertisement? Is this your hat? Oh? Yes, sir,
undoubted and pray allow me to return it to you with my compliments the bird.
I'm afraid we've been compelled to eat what, oh dear careful carefulness today,
Hey, you spill your drink. It was quite a necessary I'm afraid,
since in these modern days we seem to have lost the art of reguduration,
in which are Elizabeth and ancestors. However, there's this other bird here
on the sideboard, to which are extremely welcome as a replacement. That's uncommonly
kind of. Of course, we still have the feathers and the crop of
your own bird, if you'd like to take them too, oh, annest
mentor, but this is yet a member of my late acquaintance. Are hardly
likely to be a much use to me. But but I will have one
more drink if I knew me very small. No, certainly, what is
trouble you, mister Baker? And tell me where you got that uncommonly time
bird of yours? Not a toaster. I'm a member of the Christmas Boost
Club, run by the landlord of the Alpha Inn near the Museum the Alpha
in Watson Ah. I got it there in exchange for my weekly sortances,
which I've been paying since last April. That's good night for twelve shillings lust
about he yes, I therely am mist grateful to you for your kindness,
sir. I was set on by some rats in the street and I lost
it. All's well, that ends well, mister Baker. We were fortunate
enough to find it. So here's your hat, and here is your new
bird. Oh. I put the old ticket onto it, the one that
was tied to the other goose's leg, marked to missus Henry A. Baker.
Oh, how nice. I'm much a blight, sir. Well,
not at all a peace offering, mister Baker. A piece of brings in
plain kid sect to my better heart. Quite good night, sir, and
thank you again, well so much for mister Henry Baker. Wats that's quite
evidently he was innocent, of course, from the crap to relate, I
mean about the feathers from the clops. Evident, I suggest, Watson,
we turned that the post dinner dos into a late supper. I'll tell missus
Hudson, she'll forgive us, and in the meanwhile, let's follow up the
two of the Alpha. By all means, homes, I confess I'm most
even chea because I'm a baby can have to battle our way out through those
infernal weights who are making nights of hideous on our humble doorstep. Come Watson,
we worked to do this Christmas evening. It was a bitter night,
and so we drew on our ulsters and wrapped our mattlers about outforts. We
swung through the doctor's quarters of Wimpole Street and Harley Street, and served along
the great telefa of Oxford Street, where the crowds were thinning. Now to
Bloomsbury, and there, in a forgotten corner we found the Altar Inn,
and from the rosy Land Board learnt that the geese for his Christmas club had
come from a dealer named breckon Ridge in Covent Garden. Yes, here's the
market homes, Robin Vani of the goose dealer brecon Ridge. Watson, Yeah,
there it is. You see the largest stall of the lot. There's
the name written up over. Yes, just in time. They're closing up.
Horsey looking fellow, isn't he you say? Horse? Good for you,
Watson, That fact might come in new school. Oh good evening,
mister breckon Ridge. It's a cold night, cold enough I'll reckon to get
finished sold out of geese. I see, let's have five hundred tomorrow morning.
That's no good. I'm afraid we want one to night. Here there's
someone that stall over there with a guest player. Now excuse movie. We
were recommended to a particularly mister breckon Ridge, oh oh by by the land
lord of the alpha alien bloom me b Yes, you supplied him with some
incomparable birds. He told us where did you get them from? By the
way, now look here, what exactly are you driving at Mistah? Why?
Nothing? Only that I wanted to know who sold you those geese?
Deskip or Tellier they you're another one? The pest to me? Are you
another one? What do you mean when aren't I good money? Fricking?
That should be the end of our Sorry, but it's where are those geese?
And who you just allows geese too? Till I'm sick of it?
You think that's not with the only geese in the world. A why some
folk keep on at me about them? Were I going to show them?
We've nothing to do with any other people who've been making inquired as mister Breckenhood.
In fact, all I'm concerned with there's a little bet I've made a
bet. That's so, I'm already to bet my opinion, and I've better
fiver with my friend the doctor here. But the bird we ep from the
alpha was confibrate. You've lost your father then? Because it was town b
No, no, no, it was nothing of the case. Tell you,
cor do you think you know more about thousand? Or do when I've
been in the tige Maine? And boy, but I tell you it's a
confibrate each town here? Will you take a bet with me? Too?
Good pleasure a sovereign every penny of it? Right, it's on? Nah,
where's that ruddy boot? Co'm on? Ah? Here it is here?
Just let it now, mister cock short? Or what's this? That's
the list of the folk I buy from? See and what I do with
the stuff when I bought it? Now? Then look at that name there?
I just say, can you see it? Watson in this life?
Yes? Yes, Miss is Oakshot, isn't it? That's right? Miss
Outshot? And what's the address? I one hundred and seventeen Brixton Road,
eggan Portlet Supplier, Brixton Road, Mister Ian Mightley? And what's the last
saint me? Andrew? I December the twenty second twenty four Geese at seven
and six. I know what I sold to. I sold to mister Windy
Gate of the Alpha at shilling right. And so what are you say now
miscubling me polting pace here? Well, I must say I could have sworn
of this country road. All right, you win, mister breckon Ridge.
There's your sovereign. Come along, doctor you five. I think, yes,
you do, easy money, That's what I say. Well, Gretny
Jakes co here is this? Here is Breganry Come well, wats let's stand
here by the guest lamp for a moment. I want to think ten you
are done nothing about it? What's going on? Was some kind of a
borrow or breckon store? Oh yes, souder he is program red face tiller.
You see Breconridge is threatening in. I tell you why, I've head
enough for you ain'tel blooming geek you sign it for You've got to take by
the answer, you ain't anybody else. One of them Geese was matin.
I, well, you're gonna ask me. He's blooming out shot for it.
He told me to ask. Then you're gonna ask the king a batch
of all like here, you get all can going on? I got to
dart man looking girls coming this way watching it looks at me, say Archerster
Brixton, go on me to color him turned by if he gets nasty.
He looks a bit of a shrimp done. Not much trouble here, and
my man, not so fast. I'm just like a word with you here?
Who are you? What do you want? I couldn't do no over
here any honor disagreement with a good salesman over there, and I think I
might be able to assist you. Now, dear me, how could you
know anything? Who are you? Ain't? My name is Shell Holmes,
and it's my business to know what other people don't know. Like I can't
do anything about this. On the contrary, you're trying to place some geese
which was sold by missus Oakshot to that man there who sold them to the
landlord of the Alpha in who got rhythm of them through his Boost club of
with mister Henry Baker is a member. What hi's your love, daddy man?
I've been looking for, mister Holmes. Oh what can all they tell
you? How much it means to make Watson be good enough to signal for
a four Wheeler, will you, I think my favorite. We're going to
discuss this home mother in some cozy place rather than in the crowded street.
We'll go to my room, shall we. Oh? What's your name?
May I ask? My name's Robinson? John Robinson? No, no,
no, the real name. It's always so awkward with business with an aliens.
All right then, James Rider head attenders of the hotel Cosmopolitans believe right.
So yeah, you have the cab Watson coming over home, lendid splendid.
Now would you mind just standing on mister Ride on the other side and
just taken by the arm, will you? He might have a sensor to
go for the little walk. Well, here we are all looks very seasonalle
this weather. Do put some more colon, would you Watson? Now?
Then pray take the basket chair, mister Rider, you look chilly. I'd
have some more punch, I think, Holmes. We could all do with
a warning. Thank you Watson. If you will, you will find the
lemons behind you on the gazogene stems and the nut makes scraper there behind the
person slipper, or you might hand it to me when you're the fellow.
I'd like some tobacco. Thank you so much. Well now, mister Rider,
Yes, do you want to know what became of those geese, mister
Rider, or rather of that goose? For I fancy it was only one
that you were interested in, a white one with a black bar because its
tail you could only tell me, so I'd be that grateful. It's really
mind us, he said. It was so by mistake, and a most
remarkable bird, if I may say so, mister Rider. Watson, hand
me over my strong box. If you did. Yeah, that bird laid
an egg after it was dead, mister Rider, the bunniest, brightest little
blue it ever was seen. I had his head O mercy for eleven.
The game's up, righter, I haven't any on your day in the fire.
Jim Watson's all right, homes, I've got him almost thinking. Poor
Ever, I get him a brand day, poor devil. Hey, heavens
what a warmer fellow is? He's not got blood enough to go in front
of telling me they are man. Drink it up. Oh, thank you,
thank you. Whatever I've done, whatever I don't know, Pepe to
wear what you've done. Rider. It only needs one or two more links,
Watson to make the case complete. Now, then, Rider, who
told you of the Countess of Marker's jowel or the blue carbine? It was
Katherine qu s exter I spelled. It was her ideas the Countess is waiting
made home exactly, And so you invented some excuse to send that unfortunate young
Horner into the Countess's hotel room. And after he was gone, you right
for the jewel case, raised the alarm and put the blame under him.
Yes, right, did suck her? Or for heavens that it hasn't mercy,
mister Arms, I never went long before it was coffee was to blame.
Oh man, it's no good kneeling to me. He wouldn't show my
co mercy to Horn, I didn't you. I'll leave the country. Said
that the charge of fake down against him. Watson helping on who steak the
heavens? See? What I want to know is how the stone got into
the goose rider, damn man him take another drink? Well it was a
honest take, because he's once, I added, I wanted to ride it
somewhere. It seemed to burn a hole in my pocket, so I went
to his sister. Just think to think things out. Your sister Maggie.
She married a man called up Shop. She fat and sells for the market
at Brixton Oaks. They well, I was thinking it out in her yard,
so he smoking a pipe light. I remember that Maggie had promised me
a bird for Christmas, so I had an idea. Are you forced the
stone down the bird's throat? Yes? Well, just then Maggie come up
to see what I was up to him. The bird got free for a
minute, but I went and called it again, and Meggie and I killed
it. I had a notion to take the stone to a chap. I
knew I've been killed one that told me he knew how to get rid us
dull and property here. I thought it'd be safe from any search in the
birds crop. Yes, he said, even if the police did take it
into their hands to stop me. They weren't all that certain about only you.
See, ah, man, you've got to kill them. It wasn't
there. I rushed back to me. By that time, all the other
birds have gone to market. See there were two of them. When Bard
tales your sister, I'd caught the wrong one. I after they got away
better that storm that the garden ever since trying to find out where they've gone.
Ash. What are you going to do with Holmes? I'm not quite
sure, but I think all things considered, it might be best still get
out, writer? What you mean? I meant? Get out? Man?
Oh, I have a blessed your listen. I don't want to hear
any more from you. Well, well, a most singular and whimsical business,
My dear Watson, my dear homes. Shouldn't you have turned it in?
Well when all of a sudden done, Watson, I'm did not pertained
by the police to supplement their deficiency. As soon as I send the stone
back the place against Horn, I will collapse at once, will be no
witness. But you're committing a perone you now, and it's just possible that
I'm also saving a soul. I don't believe you'll go wrong again. It's
too scared. Besides, Watson, well, well, this is the season
of forgiveness, man, Listen, twelve o'clock it's Christmas Day. Or pass
me some of that delicious punch of yours, won't you and tell me you'll
forgive me too? Forgive you and heavens then for one for being so surly
yesterday morning when you offered me the compliments of the season, I return them
now with all my heart. And here's your health the old friend with my
glass upraised. A Merry Christmas, my dear Watson, I'm merry Christmas.
Homes God save her, gracious majesty, Amen, welcome back. Well,
I definitely prefer this to the John Stanley version, but that's just my opinion.
Well acted and U again, just a very solid John giel good performance
here. I do apologize. One thing I regret is not able to bring
it to you at a more seasonally appropriate time, but as we've only got
six more weeks of the show left, will be done in h in I
believe early July, just not anytime that's more Christmas Eve to play it.
So sorry about that, but I hope you enjoyed the epis so regardless.
All right, Well, we do have a listener comment. This one is
a review from the iTunes app store and miss Lily Bell rights the podcast is
the best listening for the old time radio shows. Adam does a great job
adding information about the cast as well as the background on the various programs.
If you like to listen to old radio mysteries, this podcast is for you.
You won't be disappointed, Thank you very much. And then we have
this comment from Brian on the last episode of Frank Race. I like the
Frank Race stories, but I have a hard time with the volume during playbacks.
It needs to be loud to hear the secondary characters, and the music
comes in very loud. The other series don't seem to have these issues.
Was the Frank Race series done with a cheaper budget or cheaper studio back then?
It wasn't that one of the top syndicators. But I've not heard that
particular complaint before, so sorry you had that particular issue with Frank Race.
All right, well, that actually does it for today. We will be
back tomorrow with yours truly Johnny Dowler, and also the second part of Nightmare
for Night, and then join us back here next Thursday for another episode of
Sherlock Holmes in the meantimes and your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot
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