Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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For his little last two dollars per month, go to Patreon dot Great Detectives
dot net. Well, now it is time for this week's episode of the
Adventures of Sam Spade. The original air date April sixth of nineteen fifty one
and the title is The Denny Shanekeeper. The National Broadcasting Company presents the Adventures
of Sam Spade, Detective con Spade Detective Agency. Hi, we else did
you wind it up? There? It all over? If you're talking about
the usual happy ending with the villains dead and buried and the lover is joining
hands while a camera does a slow fade. It is not all over,
sweetheart. What do you mean say? The villains in this piece are for
real still doing business at the same old stand from one end of the country
to the other. Who stand? You sound so grim only because I have
a grim tale to tell little one so worn all within earshot, that if
they seek bluebirds of happiness, sweetness and light and love conquers all to try
another, detective, Because even now I am on my way with something that
might butt into your sleep for the next few days. So with my report
on the Denny Shane Caper for NBC, William Spear, Radio's outstanding producer director
of mystery and crime drama, brings you the greatest private detective of them all,
starring Stephen Dunn in the Adventures of Sam Spade. Effie, Yeah,
I didn't hear you come in. Ooh tired, Sam, Yeah you look
pale. I guess maybe I'm a little sick too, Now, Sam,
I warned you about heavy lunches when you're on a cane. Not that kind
of sick angel. This kind starts at your shoe tops, runs up your
backbone, and kicks around in your head till you're where's the book? Okay?
Date to John Q. Public from Samuel Spade, license number one three
seven five nine six, subject the Denny's Shane Caper. There, John Q.
She was sprawled in the corner chair when I got back from lunch.
A kid of sixteen or so, complete with bobby socks, hair ribbons,
and shoulder bag, the kind you see every afternoon in the drug store near
the high school making jive talk over at soda. But you looked up as
I walked in, and the eyes didn't look like jive talk. A tall
there was trouble at him. You're misuspaid, yep. A detective, Well,
according to some people, fine, I need a detective. You're sure?
No positive? What would you be doing with a detective? You're adding
the classified section said you find people, well, sometimes they're not too badly
lost. That is what do you want to find? Did you ever hear
of Denny Shane? You don't really want to find Denny's Shane, do you?
Why not? For most people who want to lose him, then you
do know him. I'm glad. Here's twenty dollars. No, wait a
minute, hold it, honey, you don't get anxious. What's the matter.
Don't you want to be paid for this? Not if I don't do
it? What do you mean let's talk about you. What's your name,
Mary Johnson? Does it make any difference? Mary Johnson? Where do you
live? Mary? Well, I've never been in San Francisco before. I
just got in yesterday, staying with a friend out in the marina. My
home's in Denver, Denver, Colorado, two two eight fourteenth Street. Okay,
here you are? You want to sign the contract? Oh? All
right? Where do I sign on the line? Here? No? No,
no, no? The right name, Sally Joan Michaels. How did
you know that? Next time you're using alslee the identification bracelet home, don't
tell people you're fresh out at Denver when your coat label says it's fresh shot
a ruse by the San Francisco. Now let's try it again. Huh.
What about Denny Shane? Well, I I want to find him, that's
all. Oh that's a lot why I'd rather not say? Well? In
that case, Sally, I recommend another detective you find there's an ad in
the classifying section just below mine. You mean you won't do it, Sally?
If I may get pontifical for just a moment. Denny Shane is not
the kind of character I would pick out for a kid like you. He
has a reputation for booking horses, which is illegal, and welching his bets,
which is worse. He is associated at one time or another with almost
every one in the files of the Key Father Committee. And as for the
girls, he runs around it wish. Oh oh, so that's it.
No, that isn't it. I've never seen Denny Shane in my life.
If we do find him, you have to point him out to me.
Really, he's he's been good to me. You see, all my life
he's been good to me, and you've never seen him. No, Denny
Shane is my brother, mister spade. My mother died when I was born.
I was adopted, but Denny went to an orphanage and I guess he
sort of ran wild after he got out. Yeah, yeah, what do
you mean. He's been good to you, sent me money on birthdays and
Christmases sometimes in between. He always said if I needed help, to tell
him, but I never knew where to find him. We need help right
now, mister spadeen my stepmother has to have an operation, and I know
Denny will give me the money if I can find him. Why did you
tell me all those black lies? I was afraid you'd call my folks.
They'd be horrified if they found out this is the truth. Now, girls
scouts on her. Yes, mister Spade, Okay, you run home and
study your algebra and I'll look up Shane in court. No, no,
I've got to talk to Denny myself. You're sure you want to come along?
Oh? Yes, okay, but I'm going to have to leave you
outside while I talked to his friends. Let's go. I hadn't seen Shane
since three years ago, when he conned a client of mine out of three
thousand dollars on a phony mining stock there. I knew it was waste motion,
but I checked the hotel where he was living then, and finally was
long gone. Came next in the following order, one gambling joined in South
City, one saloon in the mission, and one very dubious apart. I'm
on Turk Street, run by a charming wench wearing wedgies, Coulotts and peach
brandy. She gave me a peachy smile. Denny, Shane, don't step
on your laughs. You've seen him lately, honey? You asking about Denny.
I saw him yesterday, first time in two years, coming out of
Augie Dano's. Who's Algi Dono runs the gym exercise studio reducing set up on
Sutter Street. You know, work a little loose the middle, give us
Yeah, I got it, but anyway, thanks, So we took off
for Aggie Dono's. We've been together two and a half hours so far.
In exchange, maybe two and a half sentences. She just said quietly in
her corner of the cab, with her hands folded on her lap, looking
straight ahead, Sally, Hey, huh, it's a matter honey, nothing.
Oh no, come on, come on, you can tell your uncle
Sammy. Something's eating you. Now? What is it? I told you
you're sure it has nothing to do with Denny and you. We settled there.
I don't know, did we? You know? I got an ache
in my bad knee? Is that good? Nope? I only get it
when things are going sour on me. Well, here's Augi Dono's. Come
on, you can go into this. This place looks respectable for a chake.
A gold lettering on the door, said Augustine Dono mesur scientific reducing,
and inside was an expensive looking reception room with birch paneling, potted palms,
and antique leather chairs, into one of which I stored Sally while I made
bold went to a door at the rear marked prior. Oh, now what
you made me do? I am sorry? Oh, dear me, you
should be my best persume. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slam the
door, lady, the draft. This is a private office. There is
a button outside clearly mock ring and wait that I did not see. And
once again, I am so sorry about spilling the purpose my too, Sure,
my regret TV twelve dollars an ounce. Oh, I regret TV too.
Now look, how about announcing me to the professor. But now,
if you mean mister, he's quite busy with another naked the envelopes already.
Oh is this you've got me? My name's Spade, Spade, Spade the
detective. Yeah, detective, Oh you have your nerve bodging And my dad,
I thought you were replying all right, yes, rodneck, all right
here four bits, now buy yourself another quarter? Will I never this?
I can believe? Well, what do you want, spathe, I'm looking
for Denny Shane. Someone saw him walk out of here yesterday, Shane.
That's right. Well, what's the matter of some trouble or something. No,
No, his kid's sister's trying to look him up. Oh that's funny.
What, well, that's someone I'm coming out of here. I never
heard of the guy. Of course, we got people in here all the
time, you know, salesmen, haiden, friends of clients, you know.
But no, shame not that I know. What's he looked like.
Oh about my high blue eyes, pale complexion, too thin to be coming
here as a customer. Yeah, I wish I could help you, pale,
But like I say, so many people come in and out of here,
you know. Thanks anyway, bye bye, any luck. No,
I never heard of him. Come on now, we're a couple of more
places after you. Calb's gone, And I told him not to wait.
I thought we might have something to eat across the street. I'm not hungry.
Thanks, Look, you better call your parents. No, no,
don't. I I told him I was spending the night with a girlfriends.
They wouldn't worry. That's another big black lie. I'm tired of playing this
way. I want it all. I told you you're reading your heart out
over something and it's not Mama's operation. It's something bigger and it hurts worse.
And don't tell me any different, because it's written all over your face.
Please don't ask me anymore. Please. Ah, skip it. Where's
a cabin? Don't take me home, that's just where you're going, honey.
I'm well, what's the matter? Look coming up the street. Yeah,
Denny's shame you. Sure, of course, I'm sure. I've got
to be positive. I'll prove it to you. Denny. See, yes,
Denny, come here a minute. Ah, Sam Spade, isn't it.
Yeah? Yeah, well I recognized the kid. Well, hease your
little sister, sister? What are you talking about? I am going It
all happened in less than a second, so hard, so fast, so
horrible. It froze me in my tracks. The shoulder bag flew open.
There was an automatic in her hand, and then Denny Shane was dead on
the pavement, and she was turning toward me, her face a sick gray
color, handing me the gun handle first. Yeah, it's done. Now
you can take me to the police. You are listening to the weekly adventure
of radio's most famous detective Sam Spade. Three chimes mean good times on NBC.
Whether it's comedy, music or drama you're after, you'll find it on
the Big Show This Sunday. The Dynamic Tallula is your hostess, and her
guests include Bred Allen, Jimmy Duranty, Vivian Blaine, Jane Morgan, and
Rudy Valley. You're invited every Sunday to the Big Show, and this Sunday
also brings you a one hour adaptation of f. Scott Fitzgerald's exciting novel This
Side of Paradise, presented by theod Guild on the Air and starring Richard Widmark
and Nina Poche. Now back to the Denny Shane Caper Tonight's adventure with Sam
Spade. I won't try to give you the play by play for the hour
following the show shots on Southern Street, because I was in no shape to
remember things in sequence. In less than a minute, we were in the
center of a milling crowd, cars jammed up, horns began to blow,
then the Morgue wagon and a squad of homicide dicks and flashbulbs going off like
firecrackers, and Sally standing them all off with a frozen gray expression on her
face that never changed while I stood at her elbow me, Sam Spade,
who'd seen Lord knows how many murders, With rubber in my knees and a
feeling in my stomach like I was going to be sick. Finally, the
squad car picked us up and headed for Dundee's office. Mister Spathe, Yeah,
I've been waiting for you to ask me why I did it. I
thought i'd leave that for the professionals. He won't do any good to ask
me. Mister Spade. Please tell him that, will you. He'll save
all of us a lot of trouble. Everything I told you was a lie.
I had to make Jack to meet you in some way because I didn't
know what he looked like. I hope you know what kind of a stew
you jumped in the sad because from here on it's going to be pretty tough.
I don't care what they do to me. I've had nothing to live
for for a long time. Now, What do you mean? Sounds stupid,
doesn't it? Sixteen years old and nothing to live for. Sally,
tell them not to ask me any questions. Tell them guilty sentence me to
do whatever they do, he'll ever tell them, why give me a cigarette?
Same? Yeah? Why did I have to grow up to be a
homicide dick? No dice with him, No dice. It's your old man's
gun. Hooked it out of his drawer this morning before she left for school.
I still think she's mixed up with Shane. Dundee believed me. That's
one thing I can guarantee. She didn't know Shane from Hoppolo on Cassidy.
Well, I'm only falling back on the standard answer to this kind of a
clambake. Sam, This is not a standard clambank. You're telling me,
you know? Same? It kind of scares you. What the same hill's
happening to our kids? A sixteen year old girl still in high school walking
up to someone on the street. Oh, I'm sorry, it's got me
too. She's resting on the couch in there, stick around like it back.
I gotta go down and wait for her. Oh excuse me, I
saw the lutent. Go out and come on and sit down. I'm a
friend of Sally's. Do you think I could talk to her for a minute.
Well, I don't think she feels like talking. Look, I got
to missed right, I got to talk to her. What's your name,
Eddie Tucker? I go to school with Sally. I've been waiting for three
hours outside for a chance to talk to her, can't I please? What's
it about? It's kind of personal? Okay? Through the door there?
Oh? Thanks, and to leave it open, yes, sir. The
minute he went in, I slid along the wall into a corner between the
door jam and a firecase, and through the doorway I could see them both
in the mirror on the far wall of the inner office. Sally, what
are you doing here? I had to see you, Sally. I heard
about it, and I had to see you. That's all. You're wasting
your time, Addy, It's all over New North. You shouldn't have done
it, Sally. You know what I promised you. I know what you
promised me all the other times too. This was for keeps honest. So
are the other times all right? Look look at this? See out the
window. Watch now? Now do you believe me, Eddie? It's not
your fault anymore? I don't blame you, honest, follow us promise.
I'll keep this one, Sally, honest. I will. No. You're
a zombie, Eddy, you know what a zombie is someone who moves and
walks around, but who's stad inside? Go away, now go. He
got up slowly and walked past me out the door, rosy cheeked seventeen with
a tired old man look in his eyes. A few minutes later the matron
came by and I left her with Sally. The window in Dundee's office opened
onto a second floor roof below, and directly beneath it, I picked up
what Eddie had tossed, A set of car keys and a leather case.
Was a third one that looked like it belonged to a school locker, with
a number three three nine on it and written in ink on the leather inside
like a memo. Was Denny Shade seven seven eight Turk Street apartment for ha
okays, Well it's you a get Yeah? Wow Jack? An't you going
to wait for an invitation? You've done me wrong this morning? Honey?
About Denny? Yeah? Said you hadn't seen him in two years? Ah,
I told you about Agid. Did anyone told you about Denny Shane?
No? Great loss packs for Riscus? Would you like a dream? Thank
you? No? Now? What about I had it coming to him sooner
or later and never remain an honor buck in his life. Oh did he
have it coming to him? Like he got it? Like they all get
it? What was his record? Numbers? You know how it works?
You buy a number? Yeah? How do you know? All this curiosity?
Intellectual curiosity, iant to know things all the time. I want to
know things. Follow So one day when Denny leaves his suit to be cleaned
and I find a book in his pocket, I asked the questions. One
book his numbers book? Stupid? What's that? Oh? You know,
with the names and numbers of all his customers, you wouldn't know where it
is? Would you? Perhaps? Perhaps? Up? Oh? Yes,
yes, how does five bucks look? Bourbon is awful? High? Yeah,
you probably drink it straight? Ten better? Come on, I think
it's I think it's in his top drawer. Let me see now, high
there you I fellow black book? See all the names, all the numbers,
all the names, all the numbers, and one other feature. It
was divided into sections label Galileo Balboa, Lowell, George Washington, and a
couple of more fellows who passed on long before the numbers record was invented.
Under each was a list of names Eddie Tucker's was on the page headed Thomas
Jefferson. An effort was number three three nine dashed Seventh Street. At this
point, several bells rang. The odd key in Eddie's case didn't belong to
a locker. It went with a bus and the main post office on Seventh
Street. And now, look, fellow, it's eleven o'clock. Name spade,
clerk. Look see the license. I don't care about the license,
the rules and regulations of the United States Postals. SI. I know,
through rain and sleet and snow and hail. But there's been a murder.
You see murder? Yeah? Oh well, in that case, I suppose
we great, great, where's the mail for the boxes on the table over
there, But it isn't distributed. If you'll wait a shake, I'll wait
a shake. It took more than a shake, but we got to it
just before midnight, a scented envelope. It was addressed simply to Eddie Tucker,
box three three nine. And then it was the answer to everything.
The tired old man, eyes on the kid, Eddie the zombie, and
Sally, who figured her life was over at sixteen because Eddie was through but
two had sent it to him. Was something else again, just a plain
white envelope, the kind you get for a nicola pack in the dime store.
I looked at it a little closer, wondering what manner of stationer would
deem it fitting a sprinkled perfume on the kind of envelope most people made like
bills in. Finally, a possible explanation took shape in my mind. You
don't have to hit Spade on the head with a baseball bat. Any large
sized mallet will do. Not just ten minutes. I deserve an expert.
Get it, you'll get it. I'm in bed, asleep. What do
you get off busing my bell this time of nights? Patience? Look?
Yeah, good, good? Yeah? Well what are you taking your coat
off for? Just relax? Or here's the coat? Hi? Now the
shoulder holster? Wait a minute and hour? What is all? Well?
You know the old soul aggie, work a little lose the middle. What
I need is exercise? Great, all right, you come around to the
studio sometimes smarter with you? Are you crazy? Yeah? Get up?
I want to try it with the right hand. Look, Spade, I
got ground rules over at headquarters. Now age, no white lights, no
rubber hoses, but they don't apply to private dicks. Get up, listen
if you're looking for trouble rights, even better. Okay, up, you're
going. I'll come up against the wall now he go. Let's talk yeah
about Denny Shane, About the kids he smeared with his filthy hands, high
school kids from Balbo High and Lowell and George Washington, good kids, straight
kids. I don't know nothing about. They're outside, man. Wasn't it
your roper turning up in drug stores and give joints with those dirty little packets
of heroin? He passed out his headache clouders. No, I don't know
nothing. He got him hooked hard up. There was no more. And
then they got a mailbox number and a key. Then they raised money anyway
they could. I have nothing to do with it. My studio, your
studios up front. Does a name down there know what's in those envelopes emails
every day? Or does she think their statements? Come on talk Donald,
Yeah, okay, okay, I'm talking. Which he did a full hour's
worth in Dundee's office and a harrowing tailor. It was I felt like printing
up a million copies and mailing it out to every father and mother in the
country. They taking him downstairs. When I happened to glance out of Dundee's
window and down on the second floor roof, a point of life was moving
back and forth slowly from one end to the other. Eddie, where are
they? Where are those keys? I've got to have them here? Oh
thanks, my car. I couldn't get home in my car. You see,
I know all about it. Oh I I can't do anything about myself,
mister Spade, I'm helpless. What she said, stop me. You're
not helpless. You can't handle little love maybe, but you're not helpless.
Other guys have lifted and you can. So you don't want to bad enough.
I want you, that's what you need. We'll take care of the
rest. Let's go. Like I said, this one doesn't have bluebirds at
the end, not yet anyway. The ball fact is that Sally Joan Michaels
is facing the juvenile version of a murder rap. However, the best criminal
lawyer in town is volunteered to defend her, and the state will be represented
by the most half hearted prosecution that ever set foot in the courtroom. Eddie
Tucker is entering a sanitarium tomorrow, making him luckier than some of the other
kids in that Little Black book. What about yours? John Q period end
of report. Well, I don't know what did they say? I feel
so awful. I guess I better not make any comments. May too,
sweetheart. Let us lose ourselves in our work. Me and this cheap novel
you were reading, and you and the merry chatter of that nineteen o six
model Oliver Scoot Three chimes mean good times. On NBC this Sunday, there's
fun for you with two delightful families, The Blandings and the Harrises. Mister
and Missus Blandings stars Carrie Grant and Betsy Drake as the troubled but proud owners
of the famous dream House, and the Phil Harris Alice Face Show brings you
Phil and Alice plus brother William Darling, child Julius and the ever present Frankie
Ramley. Amazing, Oh not really, Sam, nothing amazing. Don't sell
yourself. Sure now, I'm just a playing garden Variety secretary Sair. Look
at that immaculate not a mistake, oh sa, And in twenty six seconds
flapped in just the time it took that man to read a short announcement,
you type out five copies of a twenty eight page report in my book.
That is amazing. All right, Hi minute, Sam, I'm amazing,
good good And another thing, what's that? I'm hungry? Oh, and
tonight is so rotten night as Schroders and mac Nie. She's letting girls in
that sruff as you may have gathered. I didn't collect the fee off this
one. Oh but Sam, I still have ten dollars you gave me last
week to cover my back salary from six weeks before that, So we sholders.
It is yes. Let me go home and put on my other shirt
and I'll get my side rotten hat. Good night there, Good night sweeter,
she is amazing. The Adventures of Sam Spade are produced, edited,
and directed by William Spear. Sam Spade is played by Stephen Dunn. Loreen
Tuttle is Effie. Also in the cast, where Kathy Lewis, Paul Freese,
Kathleen Freeman, Lou Merrill, Bill Tracy, and Jerry Hausner. Script
Fortnite's Adventure by Harold Swanton, musical scoring by Lud Gluskin, conducted by Robert
Armbruster. Join us again next week, same time for another Adventure with Sam
Spade. You can help in the fight to conquer cancer. Strike back at
cancer by joining the nineteen fifty one Cancer Crusade of the American Cancer Society.
Help Science. Help you give generously to your local unit by mailing your contribution
to Cancer Care of your local post office. Cancer is a major problem and
the fight against it deserves major support. Laugh with the Magnificent Montague and Duffy's
Tavern Each Friday on NBC. Welcome back, a very somber episode of Sam
Spade, covering a very challenging problem both then and now. It was definitely
something that was on many minds given the news of the day. Spade referenced
the Key Folver Committee, which was a special Senate committee chaired by Senator Estes
Key Folver focusing on organized crime and Internet state commerce, and certainly the dope
rack would be part of that, and as this episode brings home, that
particular racket has a very heavy human hole. And then appreciate we got one
break after the commercial break from the sort of tone when Sam congratulate I did
Effie on all the work she got done during a brief thirty second commercial break.
Now I do want to go ahead and let you know that we are
nearing the end of the Stephen Dunn era. We only have three more weeks
left now. We do have two more weeks of Sam Spade after that,
but again just letting you know that we are reaching the end of Stephen Dunn's
time on the podcast. Listener comments and feedback now, and have a comment
from Leonard who writes in, just watched an episode of the sixties Batman Show
with Ida Lupino and Howard Duff as special guest villains, and that was the
episode the Entrancing Doctor Cassandra, and I believe I did see that episode when
I was growing up. Of course I didn't make the connection to Howard Duff
and Ida Lupino, and I've actually realized in recent months. I hadn't thought
about it. But so many of those actors who played nineteen sixties Batman villains
had really rich careers in radio, or at least a career of some sort.
Now this wasn't true of all of them. Frank Gorshon Alas never appeared
on radio during the Golden Age of radio, and of course he was the
actor best known for playing the Riddler. Although John Aston did play the Riddler
in one story, but mostly it's Gorshen you think of. He didn't have
anything in the golden age of radio. None of the Catwoman actresses made any
old time radio either, but so many of them dead, you know,
not just Burgess Meredith, Csar Romero, Roddy McDowell who played Bookworm, Lula
Bankhead who played Black Widow, Milton Burrell who played Louis the Lilack. And
I thought that it would be fun to do a radio series, maybe as
a summer series on the amazing world of radio, if people wanted it,
where we would play an old time radio episode that starred an actor who also
played a nineteen sixties batman villain and talk about one of their stories from the
TV series. Now, of course, if I were to do that sort
of thing as a summer series, I would really limit it to one story
per villain, because Burgess Meredith and Caesar Romero were in a lot of stories
and it would really take forever to get through the mall. But I do
find it fascinating growing up watching older television program and then meeting these actors in
a different capacity when I get into listening to old time radio. Thanks so
much for the comment. Now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the
day. Thank you to Mark, Patreon supporter since March of twenty twenty,
currently supporting the program at the shamous level of four dollars or more per month.
Thank you so much for your support. Mark, And that will do
it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your
favorite podcast software. If you're enjoying the podcast on YouTube, be sure to
lock the video, subscribe to the channel, and mark the notification bill.
We'll be back next Monday with another episode of Sam Spade, but join us
back here tomorrow for the start of a new Yours truly johny Dollar serial Where
what what? Oh? Oh? There? Hold, Hey you had a
couple too many? He's out back working with a quartet. Now, come
on over here and like, yes, I guess so, Michael is Michael
Jeremiah lindsay, I guess, I guess, I guess I have had a
couple, a couple too many? Was right, but none of what I'd
thought. His ted had code opened as he fell, and there just below
the hard two doc red splotches slowly widened on his ragged shirt, and it
looked like Peter Branson was right. The beneficiary of Michael Jeremiah Flynn's life insurance
policy was anxious to collect. I hope you'll be with us then. In
the meantime, do send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives 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 Grahamson and Off