1 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:35,640 Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This 2 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,719 is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it 3 00:00:39,759 --> 00:00:46,679 to me Box thirteen Great Detectives dot net. Follow us on Twitter at Radio 4 00:00:46,799 --> 00:00:53,079 Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com, slash 5 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:58,280 Great Detectives. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite 6 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:03,679 podcast software. I do want to let you know that I am available on 7 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,840 cameo at cameo dot Great Detectives dot net record a brief video for a special 8 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:14,760 event. So far, we've completed four as of the time recording. They 9 00:01:14,799 --> 00:01:19,120 all went rather well, so you can check that out over at cameo dot 10 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:25,159 Great Detectives dot net. But now it is time for this week's episode of 11 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:30,120 Mister Chameleon. The original air date March the second, nineteen forty nine, 12 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:38,560 and this one is the False Witness Murder Case. Next Mister Chameleon and the 13 00:01:38,599 --> 00:02:12,919 False Witness Murder Case. Tonight we again present the famous mister Chameleon of Central 14 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,960 Headquarters in his most famous cases of crime and murder, brought to you by 15 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:23,919 the makers of genuine Bayer Aspirin. Mister Chameleon, as you all know, 16 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:30,319 is the famous and dreaded detective of Central Police Headquarters who frequently uses a disguise 17 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:35,800 or impersonation to confuse the criminals he is tracking down. In tonight's case, 18 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:40,360 he appears in a particularly clever disguise which the audience will at all times recognize. 19 00:02:42,319 --> 00:02:45,800 Tonight, we give you, mister Chameleon. In the false witness murder 20 00:02:45,879 --> 00:02:59,960 case. Our story opens in the home of Alden Allen, a very magnific 21 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,599 in the East seventies. But the beauty of that home, the luxury and 22 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,639 comfort, no longer give pleasure to Alan's young wife, Helen, and we 23 00:03:07,719 --> 00:03:12,280 find her now in the living room, her face ravaged with emotion, and 24 00:03:12,319 --> 00:03:15,439 she is saying to herself. When I was a child, I used to 25 00:03:15,439 --> 00:03:20,800 say, I pray the Lord my soul to keep No, I pray the 26 00:03:20,879 --> 00:03:24,479 Lord to show me the way out of this unbearable, this scarcely horrible thing. 27 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,479 Oh what am I going to do? What am I going to do? 28 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:36,000 Missus Allan, Yes, Gertrude, mister Philip Wilkes is here to see 29 00:03:36,039 --> 00:03:38,479 you. Philip Wilkes, Oh no, no, tell him, I can't 30 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,439 see him now. Gertrude. Give him any excuse, but please please get 31 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:44,960 ri of him. Helen. You can't mean this, You can't mean you 32 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,439 won't see me, Philip, Gertrude leave the room, please, Yes, 33 00:03:49,479 --> 00:03:54,360 madam Philip, are you mad coming here today? Please? Please leave it 34 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,639 once all in. My husband is hold He mustn't know you're here, Helen. 35 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:02,080 Did you ask him for a divorce last? No? Well? Yes, 36 00:04:02,639 --> 00:04:06,479 and it was dreadful, horrible the things he threatened to do to both 37 00:04:06,479 --> 00:04:11,719 of us, to think that I should have married such a man. Such 38 00:04:11,719 --> 00:04:15,240 a man is right, a man who's put you through every humiliation, every 39 00:04:15,319 --> 00:04:17,240 scandal. But I'm not afraid of him. Where is he in his study? 40 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,800 Don't go in there, Helen. I'm going to have it out with 41 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,399 your husband myself. It's better that way, Philip, I beg of you. 42 00:04:23,439 --> 00:04:28,519 Don't go in there. I'm sorry, I'm going in, Helen, 43 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,120 Helen. What's the matter, Alden. There's something wrong. He's lying face 44 00:04:32,199 --> 00:04:34,959 down well on the floor. Why, oh, he must be ill. 45 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:42,319 No, he's dead. Did you kill him, Helen? I did I 46 00:04:42,439 --> 00:04:46,720 kill him? I think you did? Phil Do you know what you're saying? 47 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:48,480 I repeat, I think you killed him? Don't lie to me. 48 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,040 I know you killed him. And you're the one who said you loved me, 49 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,199 who said you trusted me, that you'd stand by me no matter what 50 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:57,800 happened. When I said those things, I didn't know I was saying them 51 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:01,720 to a murderous Please please stop, take any more, Holland Helen, what's 52 00:05:01,759 --> 00:05:11,279 wrong? I heard your voices. Oh hold, it is dead, Alden 53 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,879 dead, and Philip thinks I murdered him. Philip, get out of this 54 00:05:15,959 --> 00:05:19,120 house, Missus Hayward. If anyone killed Aldro and it was you, not 55 00:05:19,319 --> 00:05:23,439 my daughter, I know what's been going on. Leave this house. Philip 56 00:05:23,439 --> 00:05:30,839 immediately ges you. Oh here you are eavesdropping as usual. Show mister Wilkes 57 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:33,439 to the door. Yes, Missus Hayward. And then I'm going to call 58 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,360 the police and leave myself. I won't stay in a house with a woman 59 00:05:36,399 --> 00:05:48,399 who's killed her husband. And now a little later, we find mister Camellion 60 00:05:48,519 --> 00:05:53,720 examining the lifeless body of all and Allen, while Helen and her mother sit 61 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:58,000 side by side, their eyes never leaving the quick moving figure of chameleon. 62 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,720 Your husband, Missus Allan, died of poison. That a fast and potent 63 00:06:01,759 --> 00:06:06,360 poison put into this glass of medicine. Why did he take this medicine? 64 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:12,720 He had a slight heart conditioned, mister Comelion, very slight. He took 65 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,120 one teaspoonful of medicine in a glass of water. Where did he keep the 66 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:20,920 medicine in a little cupboard in the pantry. Alden was a hypochondria. He 67 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:27,000 was always taking medicine. When did you last see your husband alive last night, 68 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,160 mister Commede. Yet you didn't find his body until an hour ago, 69 00:06:30,319 --> 00:06:33,600 and it's nearly noon, Missus Allen. Alden went your separate way, mister 70 00:06:33,639 --> 00:06:38,519 comedian. Sometimes my daughter and I wouldn't see him for days at a time. 71 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,240 I take it that you did not like your son in law, Missus 72 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:45,720 Haywood, yet you lived under his robe. I paid my way and my 73 00:06:45,879 --> 00:06:48,399 daughter needed me here, she needed me very much. Go off me, 74 00:06:48,519 --> 00:06:53,839 I didn't do anything, and come along quiet, mother, and to take 75 00:06:53,879 --> 00:06:57,439 the sergeant on dev what's up? I caught her trying to sneak out of 76 00:06:57,439 --> 00:07:00,279 the house, mister Comellion. She says her name is d Matthews and that 77 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,600 she works here as a maid for the Allens. Did work for them? 78 00:07:03,639 --> 00:07:08,879 You mean you don't think I'd go on working for a murderous be quiet, 79 00:07:08,879 --> 00:07:12,319 No, I won't. You're a nice woman, Missus Hayward, and you 80 00:07:12,399 --> 00:07:15,240 love your daughter just like I did mine. But Missus Allen is a murderess. 81 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:19,279 Well, then she must have had a reason for murdering her husband. 82 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:24,600 What was that reason? In your opinion, Gertrude, it wouldn't give her 83 00:07:24,639 --> 00:07:28,439 a divorce. She wanted to marry Philip Wilkes, and mister Allen wouldn't let 84 00:07:28,439 --> 00:07:31,040 her go. How did you know that? Well, how do you know 85 00:07:31,079 --> 00:07:35,360 it, Gertrude? I heard him quarreling last night, mister Cameleon. It 86 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:41,199 was a terrible fight. He said he'd never set her free. He said 87 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,160 she'd have to go on living under the same roof with him and put up 88 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,240 with his ways for the rest of her life. That true, Missus Allen. 89 00:07:46,399 --> 00:07:50,680 Did you quarrel with your husband? Yes, mister Commedian. You wanted 90 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:56,360 to marry this Philip Wilkes. Yes, And mister Wilkes he called her murderers 91 00:07:56,399 --> 00:07:59,279 too. This morning I heard them when they found the body. He said 92 00:07:59,319 --> 00:08:03,199 he knew she'd die. Is this also true, Missus Allen? Yes, 93 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,279 it is? Who gave your husband the medicine last night? Who gave your 94 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:09,519 husband the fatal dose of medicine that killed him? What she did, mister 95 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,279 comeleion, She gave it to him. I saw her hand him the glass 96 00:08:13,439 --> 00:08:16,839 after they've been quarreled. But Gertrude, have you forgotten you're the one who 97 00:08:16,879 --> 00:08:20,759 mixed it. You mixed the medicine in the water, and then you gave 98 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,000 it to me. I acidly carried it into my husband, and you poisoned 99 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:28,160 it on the way, You scheaming murderer, Gertrude. Why do you hate 100 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:33,000 Missus Allen so much? And since you do hate her, why have you 101 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:37,559 kept on working here? Hmm? Because because good jobs are hard to get. 102 00:08:39,519 --> 00:08:41,799 And I don't hate her, mister comedian, It's just that she's a 103 00:08:41,919 --> 00:08:46,879 murderer. And I forbid you to use that word again. But Missus Hayward, 104 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:52,039 you know this has all been a great shock to me. I'm not 105 00:08:52,159 --> 00:08:58,360 young anymore. I'm afraid. I'm afraid. I can't take it. I 106 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:05,679 got it me put her on the couch. Mother. She's only fainted, 107 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:20,600 Missus Allen, Your mother would be all right. How are you feeling, 108 00:09:20,639 --> 00:09:26,799 Missus Hayward? Oh, mister camellon, are you here? Where are the 109 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:31,799 others? I asked them to leave us alone so you could question me and 110 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:35,559 then compare my answers with the answers of the others. That was clever of 111 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:41,919 you, But then you're noted for your cleverness. This is the first time 112 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,720 I've ever met a detective, Missus Hayward. Tell me about Philip Wilkes. 113 00:09:46,799 --> 00:09:52,519 Philip Wilkes, he's been telling my daughter for months that he loved her. 114 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,200 In fact, did he have a chance to poison your son in law? 115 00:09:56,519 --> 00:10:01,360 Yes he did, or perhaps I should and say this, mister comedian, 116 00:10:01,039 --> 00:10:05,279 but he did have a chance to poison Alden. How well, last night 117 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:09,840 he came to see Helen. She wasn't home, and he waited for her. 118 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,919 He saw Alden's bottle of medicine in the studying He asked a great many 119 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,840 questions about it. Mister Comeleion. I was called to the telephone. When 120 00:10:18,879 --> 00:10:24,519 I returned, Philip was gone. He did not wait to see your daughter. 121 00:10:24,799 --> 00:10:28,679 No, no he didn't, By the way, Missus Hayward didn't. 122 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:33,039 Who was your son in law's doctor? His doctor? Yes, his name 123 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,320 is uh Ridley, Herbert Ridley. But as a matter of fact, he's 124 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:43,039 he's out of town on our holiday. Just now I seem now, uh, 125 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,600 tell me something about your son in law, Missus Hayward. Missus Hayward. 126 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:52,840 He was a dreadful man, mister Comeleion, really horrible. For years 127 00:10:52,879 --> 00:10:56,960 he flaunted his other women in Helen's face. Oh my, poor Helen. 128 00:10:56,919 --> 00:11:03,919 Five years of torment and now murder. Missus Hayward. Gertrude Matthews, the 129 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,960 maid said that you loved your daughter just as she loved hers. What do 130 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,480 you mean by then? So you noticed that remark? You notice everything, 131 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:18,240 don't you, mister chameleon. I'll come over here to the table. I'll 132 00:11:18,279 --> 00:11:24,639 show you what she meant. You see this album? Oh yes, that's 133 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,480 a Yer photograph album. Yes, magnificent, isn't it? The finest lever 134 00:11:28,639 --> 00:11:35,559 hand tooled. Alden kept this in full view, one of his most sadistic 135 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:45,039 trips tricks Open it. Who are these one? Lovely? Aren't they? 136 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,960 Page after page of them? They were all friends of Alden's. And this 137 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:56,519 one here, what do you think of her? Beautiful, the real beauty. 138 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:00,519 But she's a famous artist model. Many is the time I've seen that 139 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,399 face? She was an artist model. She no longer is because you're doing 140 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,440 with that album? What are you doing with that picture? Give it to 141 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,480 me, Give me that picture, mister chameleon, whose picture is it? 142 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:20,399 Your daughter? Yes, Lilah's she's dead, isn't she? She killed herself 143 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,320 and she'd be alive today if it wasn't for missus Allen. True, that's 144 00:12:24,399 --> 00:12:28,799 not true. Yes, it is, Missus Haywood Holden. Alan was going 145 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:35,320 to marry my Lilah. Instead he married your daughter. And I hope your 146 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:50,559 daughter's arrested for murder. And now a little later we find mister Cameleon and 147 00:12:50,639 --> 00:12:56,720 Detective Sergeant Dave Arnold approaching the apartment of Philip Wilkes, and mister Camelian is 148 00:12:56,759 --> 00:13:00,440 saying, what a house full of hatred that was, Dave, And what 149 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,840 a terrible man Old and Allen must have been. That made Gertrude Matthews had 150 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,960 plenty of reason for killing Old and Allen, or for framing missus Allen. 151 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,240 She certainly did. She revealed a great deal about herself when she saw that 152 00:13:11,279 --> 00:13:16,120 picture. Here we are Philip Wilkes's apartment, very anxious to meet this young 153 00:13:16,159 --> 00:13:22,480 man. There's one question in particular I hope you can answer him. Yes, 154 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:24,919 mister Wilkes, my name is Chameleon from Central Police Headquarters. There is 155 00:13:24,919 --> 00:13:28,919 a detective sergeant Donald. Oh, come in. I've been expecting you. 156 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,919 You. I called Helen. She said you were on the case. I 157 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:35,720 would have stayed there. I discovered the body, you know, but her 158 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,279 mother ordered me out of the house. Yes, I understand you accused Helen, 159 00:13:39,879 --> 00:13:43,519 that is Missus Allen, of murder Helen. I couldn't have I love 160 00:13:43,519 --> 00:13:46,519 her, mister comedian, don't lie, mister Wilkes. Gertrude the maid swore 161 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,480 to me that you accused Missus Allen of being a murderer. Well, perhaps 162 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:54,519 I did to tell you the truth. I was so upset at the time. 163 00:13:54,519 --> 00:13:56,799 I don't know what I said. I realized now that Helen couldn't have 164 00:13:56,799 --> 00:14:01,360 done it. But then who did you, Missus Haywood. Helen's mother claims 165 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,960 that last night you were left alone with mister Allan's bottle of medicine. You 166 00:14:05,039 --> 00:14:09,600 had plenty of time to poison that medicine. Mister Welks, but that's ridiculous. 167 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:11,759 As a matter of fact, you could very well have accused Helen Allan 168 00:14:11,879 --> 00:14:16,679 for that reason. You were afraid for yourself, and you put the blame 169 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:20,080 on her, knowing she wouldn't be convicted of a murder she did not commit. 170 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,360 Oh no, that's insane. Of course I didn't do it. You 171 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,519 claim that missus Allan couldn't have done it, mister Camellian. Yes, I 172 00:14:26,759 --> 00:14:30,559 did love Helen, but she was under terrible pressure. She was nearly out 173 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,559 of her mind. Alden told her if she ever tried to divorce him, 174 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,399 he'd trump up evidence against her character. He'd make it so bad for her 175 00:14:37,399 --> 00:14:39,519 that she'd never be able to face decent people again. Must have been frankful 176 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:45,720 for him, unbearable, mister comedian. She often said that that her husband's 177 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:50,480 death would be the only way out. I see one more thing, mister 178 00:14:50,519 --> 00:14:54,519 Wilks, about the doctor. What doctor mister Allan's doctor? What was his 179 00:14:54,600 --> 00:15:01,480 name? Why? Fillmore? Robert Fillmore? Not doctor? I know. 180 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,639 I heard Helen say only last week that he'd changed from doctor Ridley to doctor 181 00:15:05,639 --> 00:15:09,360 Fillmore. Very well, that's all uenow, mister Wilks, come along day, 182 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:16,279 goodbye, goodbye. What mister Comellion, I mean, have you finished? 183 00:15:16,279 --> 00:15:20,120 I have? Indeed, Dave, I asked all the questions I intended 184 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:33,000 to ask, and I got some extremely interesting answers too, mister cameleon, 185 00:15:33,159 --> 00:15:39,440 and the false witness murder case continues in just a moment. A very important 186 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,720 thing to know about genuine Bayer aspirin is that its single active ingredient is so 187 00:15:43,879 --> 00:15:48,600 gentle to the system, mothers give it even to small children on their doctor's 188 00:15:48,639 --> 00:15:52,519 advice. Always remember this because it means that when you have an ordinary headache, 189 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:58,440 neurotic or neualgic pain, you can take Bayer aspirin with complete confidence. 190 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:02,600 For Bayer aspirin gives you more than fast relief, it also gives you the 191 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:07,080 dependable relief it's important to your health. 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Get the one 199 00:16:40,679 --> 00:16:44,559 hundred tablet bottle and you get Bayer Aspirin tablets for less than a penny apiece. 200 00:16:51,039 --> 00:16:56,000 And now back to mister Chameleon and the false witness murder case. Old 201 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:00,440 and Allen has been poisoned and his wife Helen had good reason to kill him, 202 00:17:00,519 --> 00:17:04,640 as Camellia knows. And now in the office of the Commissioner Police, 203 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:10,640 Camellon is saying to the Commissioner, Allan's record is fantastic, Commissioner, fantastic. 204 00:17:10,759 --> 00:17:15,079 There is no excuse for murder ever, But that man spread unhappiness around 205 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:18,079 him like a plague. What about the poison, Chameleon, Have you been 206 00:17:18,079 --> 00:17:21,319 able to trace it? No? That is one of the strangest angles of 207 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:25,519 the case. Analysis showed that that entire bottle of medicine had been poisoned. 208 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:27,720 So even if old and Allen had mixed the dose himself in of dime, 209 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,079 that's what the killer wanted to be sure of exactly. Philip Wilkes was alone 210 00:17:33,079 --> 00:17:36,440 with that bottle, yet there is no record of his having purchased poison in 211 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:41,119 this city. There is no record of Helen Allen having purchased either and the 212 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:47,440 doctor what doctor? Someone lied about Allan's doctor, Missus Haywood, Helen's mother, 213 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,759 tells me Allen's doctor was named Ridley Philip Wilkes, on the other hand, 214 00:17:49,759 --> 00:17:52,359 says he went to doctor Fillmore, you know, Commissioner, the well 215 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:57,480 known specialist. So that's easily checked on chameleon. Yes, but whichever one 216 00:17:57,599 --> 00:18:03,039 lied, why did they lie? I have a theory. I'm going to 217 00:18:03,039 --> 00:18:06,680 see doctor Fillmore, and if my theory is right, that is one piece 218 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,200 of evidence I have got to get. Missus Heywood may love a daughter, 219 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:14,200 but Gertrude Matthews, the maid, loved hers too, and I am going 220 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:18,039 to take advantage of that mother love. What do you mean? I want 221 00:18:18,079 --> 00:18:21,519 to get into that house unknown to Helen Allen or any one else. Commissioner, 222 00:18:21,839 --> 00:18:25,880 I'm going to call that disguised as Peter Tombs, an artist for whom 223 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:30,440 Gertrude's dead daughter once posed. I hope that will be an open sesame to 224 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:45,119 the Allen house and whatever secret that house may hold. And so we find 225 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:49,119 mister Camellion in his disguise of Peter Tomes, walking along the street with Detective 226 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,400 Sergeant Dave Arnold beside him, and he's fingering the little black Beard, which 227 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,880 is part of his disguise, and saying, how about a day you think 228 00:18:56,880 --> 00:19:00,400 it'll get by? Yeah? Sure, you know what's funny? That bird 229 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,839 gives your face a different shape. Is a lot is in the eye of 230 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:08,079 the beholder. That made Gertrude is pretty sharp. But what I have to 231 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:11,359 say to her may blind her too. That often happens. And what about 232 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:17,400 doctor Fillmore. I'm going back there later though what he told me practically clinches 233 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,960 it. Now I can only have free access to the house. Oh stop 234 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,960 here, day, this is close enough and wait for me here, wait 235 00:19:25,279 --> 00:19:44,079 to understand, and hope that I will manage to get past Gertrude. And 236 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:48,759 so mister Cameleon approaches the Allen house. He rings the doorbell and as he 237 00:19:48,839 --> 00:19:52,359 hope, Gertrude answers the door, and he says to her in the voice 238 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:56,720 of Peter Tolmes, are you missus, Gertrude Matthews, Yes I am. 239 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:02,960 I'm glad I've found you. I've been reading the papers. I was afraid 240 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,599 you left the place. I mean, after all, a murder, you 241 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,240 think I wouldn't leave if I possibly could. But no, the police say, 242 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,279 I got to stick around. I can't leave till this is all cleared 243 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:15,559 up, so thin, you might as well stay on here till the police 244 00:20:15,559 --> 00:20:21,400 get around to arresting Missus Allen. Frankly, Missus Matthews, I'm not interested 245 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:25,759 in this murder. I only read about this one because you were mixed up 246 00:20:25,759 --> 00:20:27,720 in it. And what have I got to do with you. I've never 247 00:20:27,759 --> 00:20:33,759 even seen you before. No, Missus Matthews, but I was a friend 248 00:20:33,759 --> 00:20:40,920 of your daughters, my daughter Lilah. Yeah, I'm an artist. My 249 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:45,440 name is Peter Tolmes. Sure she mentioned me. She posts for me often, 250 00:20:45,079 --> 00:20:52,960 Peter Tomes. No, Oh, yeah, I guess she did. 251 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:59,960 She was a beautiful girl, most beautiful I have ever seen. Step inside 252 00:21:00,079 --> 00:21:04,720 mister Tomas's cold out here. Wow, Alan and her mother upstairs getting ready 253 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:10,400 for the funeral of the husband. This is Alan killed, But never mind 254 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:17,119 that coming. So my daughter post for you. Huh. Yeah, one 255 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:22,079 of the finest models I ever had. In fact, I miss her desperately. 256 00:21:22,039 --> 00:21:26,200 Just starting an illustration, I wandered e Lilah for the central figure. 257 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:32,960 She killed herself. I know. I don't even like to think about that 258 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:40,519 I was wondering. You have a photograph of Lilah good one? Why? 259 00:21:40,799 --> 00:21:42,559 Yeah, I wouldn't even have to take it with me. I could sit 260 00:21:42,599 --> 00:21:45,680 in the kitchen here make a sketch of it. That's all I needed, 261 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:53,440 a sketch to work from how your daughter Lilah would be immortalized. Missus Matthews. 262 00:21:53,759 --> 00:21:59,160 I'll tell you I don't have a very good photograph, but mister Allen 263 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:03,119 had one. The finest photographer in the country made it. Hey, would 264 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,240 you let me copy that? I beg of you. Please let me copy 265 00:22:07,279 --> 00:22:11,039 it? Okay, but send his album and that detective mister Camellion is interested 266 00:22:11,079 --> 00:22:15,240 in it. You couldn't take it out of the house. But how long 267 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,680 would it take you? Oh, couple of hours to make this sketch? 268 00:22:18,799 --> 00:22:22,359 Then you wait here in the kitchen. They'll be leaving for the funeral in 269 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:26,200 about half an hour. You just sit nice and quiet an. They won't 270 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,000 know you're here. I'm going too, and after we leave, you'll have 271 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:45,000 the place to yourself. Dave, Dave, mister Comellion. Instead at work, 272 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:48,839 did you manage to get under the Allan house? It worked. I 273 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,480 was able to go through the house and I got exactly what I wanted. 274 00:22:51,559 --> 00:22:53,960 Well, did a tie in with what doctor Fillmore told him? M Dave 275 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:59,039 call Philip Wilkes, tell him to be at the Allen home at nine o'clock 276 00:22:59,039 --> 00:23:03,279 to night. I am ready for a showdown with old and Allen's murderer. 277 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:18,359 Mister comedian, Why did you bring me here? I mean you mean you're 278 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:22,559 a little embarrassed at entering this home, mister Wilkes, after having accused Helen 279 00:23:22,599 --> 00:23:26,599 Allen of murdering her husband. Isn't that right, mister Camille? Did he 280 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,720 tell you too that I poisoned Allen? He said you had a reason for 281 00:23:29,759 --> 00:23:32,680 it, Missus Allen. He overlooked the fact that quite a few people had 282 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,880 a motive for killing your husband. Well who did mister comeleion. Don't brush 283 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:41,480 me, Gertrude, I'm coming to it. You mean you know, yes, 284 00:23:41,519 --> 00:23:45,279 Missus Hayward. But have you actually got proof I have, mister Wilkes, 285 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,519 You see, first of all, I went to see doctor Fillmore. 286 00:23:47,559 --> 00:23:51,079 And doctor Fillmore was your husband's physician, wasn't he, Missus Allen? Yes, 287 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,319 all in change from doctor Ridley to doctor Fillmore. Yes, I discovered 288 00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:03,400 doctor Fillmore and myself had a very interesting discussion about incurable diseases. Incurable diseases. 289 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,480 That's right, mister Wilkes. If you know that you're going to be 290 00:24:07,519 --> 00:24:11,279 dead in the near future, naturally it affects your behavior. Wouldn't you say? 291 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:15,279 Why, mister Commilon, are you trying to say that Alden, that 292 00:24:15,519 --> 00:24:19,119 my husband had an incurable disease, that he killed himself and tried to make 293 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:22,480 it look like murder. No, I don't mean that, though I wouldn't 294 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:26,720 have put it past him. No, Missus Allen, it wasn't your husband. 295 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:33,440 It's the murderer who has an incurable disease. What are you sure of 296 00:24:33,519 --> 00:24:37,559 your facts, mister Camellion, positive, Missus Hayward. I also have the 297 00:24:37,559 --> 00:24:41,200 evidence to back it up. I found the supply of poison that was put 298 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,640 in old in Allan's medicine. You got the poison, yes, Gertrude. 299 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,079 The murderer had it in their possession for some time. That is why there 300 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:51,519 was no recent record of its purchase. But how did you find it, 301 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,880 mister Camellion. Where did you find it in this house? Missus Hayward? 302 00:24:56,039 --> 00:24:59,799 Would you never search the house? I did this afternoon while you were all 303 00:24:59,799 --> 00:25:03,839 at the funeral this afternoon. But the house was locked, right, Missus 304 00:25:03,839 --> 00:25:07,000 Allen. But I was on the inside when you locked it. I was 305 00:25:07,039 --> 00:25:12,160 waiting in the kitchen, wasn't I Gertrude? What you you mean you were 306 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:17,960 Peter Tolmes, that artist Fello, mister cameleon. You mean you got into 307 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:22,640 this house in disguise, Yes, Missus Hayward, I'm afraid I deliberately played 308 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,880 on Gertrude's mother love. I told her that I wanted to paint a portrait 309 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:30,599 from her daughter Lilah's photograph. Mister Camellion, I never guessed who you were 310 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:33,480 the poison. Where is the poison? Yes? Where is it, mister 311 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:40,319 comedian? Right here in this box, Missus Allen, Missus Hayward. Where 312 00:25:40,319 --> 00:25:45,359 are you going? Why? Just upstairs? Oh yes, Missus Hayward, 313 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,680 you'd only find the poison gun. This really is the poison I have in 314 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:53,200 this box. I found it hidden in a hollow post in your four poster 315 00:25:53,319 --> 00:25:56,920 bed. Mother, Missus Hayward. I wondered why you lied about the doctor, 316 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,359 Missus Hayward, why you tried to keep me away from doctor Fillmore. 317 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:04,759 You lied because Fillmore was your doctor too. You're afraid i'd ask him about 318 00:26:04,799 --> 00:26:08,640 you, which I did this afternoon, when I was here alone in disguise, 319 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,039 I went straight to your room, Missus Hayward. I thought i'd find 320 00:26:12,039 --> 00:26:17,720 the poison there, and I did. Mother. Oh mother, Well, 321 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:22,880 mister Hayward, must I prolong this? Hasn't your daughter been through enough? 322 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:29,759 Yes? That's why I murdered Alden, because Helen had been through so much. 323 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:36,200 I couldn't stand her unhappiness. Oh mother, there's never any excuse for 324 00:26:36,319 --> 00:26:40,960 murder. Didn't it occur to you that she might be accused? Yes, 325 00:26:41,079 --> 00:26:47,559 but I thought I couldn't bear to face a murder charge if I didn't die 326 00:26:47,599 --> 00:26:52,559 before. I intended to kill myself. Now I know it's better to take 327 00:26:52,599 --> 00:26:57,559 my medicine. I plead guilty to Alden's murder. Mister Chameleon, Did I 328 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:03,839 tell you something I know of that motto of yours? The innocent must be 329 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:08,079 protected, the guilty must be punished. Yes, I protected the innocent, 330 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:15,039 mister Chameleon. I left a full confession in my safe deposit vault, to 331 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:18,319 be read in case I died. But good Heavens, you let me think 332 00:27:18,319 --> 00:27:21,200 that Helen was the murderer. How could you do that, Missus Haywards. 333 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:25,000 How could you think it? Philip? I understood you very well, your 334 00:27:25,039 --> 00:27:29,319 weakness and your cowardice. I knew that if suspicion pointed to you, you'd 335 00:27:29,319 --> 00:27:33,039 behaved badly, and Helen would see whos you rarely are. But that's terrible, 336 00:27:33,559 --> 00:27:36,920 Helen, Darling, forgive me, you will forgive me. No, 337 00:27:37,599 --> 00:27:40,839 I'll never forgive you, Philip, But I said I'd never forgive you. 338 00:27:41,599 --> 00:27:45,440 Now get out, Please get out and leave me with my mother. Very 339 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:52,160 well, I certainly wouldn't want a murderer for a mother in law. You're 340 00:27:52,279 --> 00:27:56,279 very well rid of him, Missus Allen. Philip didn't love you. I 341 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,240 know. The law does not require a husband and wife to testify against each 342 00:28:00,279 --> 00:28:06,359 other because love might make them lie. That's part of loving, absolute loyalty 343 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:10,279 to each other. One might suspect the other of murder, but certainly doesn't 344 00:28:10,279 --> 00:28:15,720 immediately run to betray them. No, in a way, your mother freed 345 00:28:15,759 --> 00:28:18,079 you from a man who was almost as bad as old and Ellen. Oh, 346 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:26,039 mister commission, Missus Hayward, it is my sad duty to take you 347 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:42,680 to police headquarters. I am ready to go, and so mister Cameleon concludes 348 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:57,960 Tonight's murder case. Whenever you feel like you're catching coal, remember the way 349 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,079 that thousands use to quickly relieve painful cold symptoms. That way is to take 350 00:29:03,119 --> 00:29:07,920 two Bayer Aspirin tablets with a full glass of water. Because Bayer aspirin is 351 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:12,440 ready to go to work almost instantly, your discomfort is quickly relieved. And 352 00:29:12,519 --> 00:29:15,480 to ease the pain of a sore throat due to a cold, just do 353 00:29:15,599 --> 00:29:21,400 this. Do is all three Bayar aspirin tablets in one third of a glass 354 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:26,160 of water and gargle. Use this way Bayar aspirin makes a highly potent medicinal 355 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:30,400 gargle that quickly soothes soreness and brings welcome relief to the irritated membranes of your 356 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:36,279 throat. When you buy, be sure to ask for genuine Bayer aspirin by 357 00:29:36,319 --> 00:29:40,279 its full name, never by the name aspirin alone. Get the one hundred 358 00:29:40,319 --> 00:29:42,920 tablet bottle, and you get Bayer Aspirin tablets for less than a penny apiece. 359 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:55,039 Listen next Wednesday night at this same time for mister Camellion, the man 360 00:29:55,079 --> 00:30:00,839 of many faces, in the case of the elevator with two bodies. The 361 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:04,920 part of mister Comedion is played by Carl Swenson, with dialogue by Marie Bomber 362 00:30:06,039 --> 00:30:10,960 from the original story by Frank and Anne Hummert. Music directed by Victor Arden. 363 00:30:11,359 --> 00:30:22,279 Your announcer is Howard Claney. After years of work, a revolutionary new 364 00:30:22,279 --> 00:30:27,319 toothpaste has been developed, called Lion's Toothpaste. By actual laboratory test on scores 365 00:30:27,359 --> 00:30:30,599 of individual teeth, it gets teeth two and a half to five and a 366 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:34,880 half times brighter than any of the five leading brands, brighter by far than 367 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:40,759 any other toothpaste. New Lion's Toothpaste does this because it's a new kind of 368 00:30:40,799 --> 00:30:45,200 toothpaste with a formula that's completely new and radically different. A remarkable toothpaste that 369 00:30:45,279 --> 00:31:00,119 cleans without soap and polishes without chalk. Try it. Ask for Lions Toothpaste. 370 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:04,599 Listen for mister Chameleon in the case of the Elevator with two bodies next 371 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:26,599 Wednesday night. At this time. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. 372 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,759 Welcome back. Now. I know some of you are going to insist 373 00:31:36,799 --> 00:31:42,400 that mister Chameleon's disguises are not necessary when he's trying to gain access to a 374 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:45,640 home to search it, as he's a member of the police force. But 375 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:49,319 I'd refer you to the Fourth Amendment. The right of the people to be 376 00:31:49,359 --> 00:31:55,799 secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and 377 00:31:56,079 --> 00:32:01,559 Caesar's shall not be violated, and no warrants issue, but upon the investigating 378 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:07,079 officer assuming a clever disguise, which may or may not include the use of 379 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:13,480 foreign dialect, and then tricking the documents into leaving him in the rooms unattended. 380 00:32:13,839 --> 00:32:16,559 The Fourth Amendment. Okay, it's all seriousness. It doesn't say that. 381 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:21,279 I wouldn't a few years back have felt the need to say that, 382 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:27,599 but these days you've got to be careful. So either mister Camellion doesn't have 383 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:31,720 a warrant and anything he found would be inadmissible, or he has a warrant 384 00:32:31,839 --> 00:32:39,039 and is therefore being incredibly eccentric. I also have to say that that this 385 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:47,599 was probably the soapious plot for mister Chameleon that we've heard, and that says 386 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:53,319 something. All it's missing is a long lost brother, and of course a 387 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:59,640 con man pretending to be a nobleman. Well, now we turn to listener, 388 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:05,960 calm and feedback, and we have an email from Nick in Philadelphia, 389 00:33:06,079 --> 00:33:09,920 who writes, Hi, Adam, I recently created a Wikipedia article for Mister 390 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:15,880 Chameleon. This led me to look at newspaper reviews of the program written during 391 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:23,799 its original run. One of my favorites appeared in the August of nineteen fifty 392 00:33:23,839 --> 00:33:29,799 two in the mollen, Illinois Daily Dispatch. The critic Muriel Stevens was so 393 00:33:30,079 --> 00:33:36,039 irked by that week's episodes of both mister Chameleon and mister Keynes, Reiser of 394 00:33:36,119 --> 00:33:42,759 Lost Persons, that she spends the whole column tearing them apart, singling out 395 00:33:42,839 --> 00:33:47,599 their painful dialogue and atrocious acting, which she calls so awful that it's kind 396 00:33:47,599 --> 00:33:52,200 of fun to listen to. I know some great detective listeners will agree. 397 00:33:52,279 --> 00:33:55,480 Attaches the review for your reading pleasure. Thanks so much, Nick. Can 398 00:33:55,519 --> 00:34:04,599 I appreciate you adding mister Chameleon to Wikipedia and for anyone who goes out there 399 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:08,400 and edits it, particularly to get it in that are more accurate. I 400 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:14,840 read the article. It was definitely interesting, and I will go ahead and 401 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:21,519 quote for some of it. Won't read anything that's too spoilerrific, I guess 402 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:27,559 for mister Chameleon as who knows that episode could come into circulation and it might 403 00:34:27,599 --> 00:34:34,239 be fun to circle back to this Olam and compare with Stevens's thoughts to what 404 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:40,280 actually happened in the episode. But she goes off ahead and says, like 405 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:46,519 millions of other addicts, I have an almost psychopathic weakness for mystery stories. 406 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:54,039 But I'm afraid that Keen and Chameleon, which are perfect illustrations of how to 407 00:34:54,280 --> 00:35:00,360 not dramatize crime yarns, have gone beyond the limits of my patient It's the 408 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:12,320 more rose assortment of characters mercilessly entangled in these sordid epics usually keeps running around 409 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:16,000 accusing each other of lying, of murder, and of illicit swindles of every 410 00:35:16,079 --> 00:35:21,920 kind. At the end of the program, the only one who hasn't been 411 00:35:22,039 --> 00:35:28,119 crimically implicated are the announcers and the listeners. The titles of the cases that 412 00:35:28,199 --> 00:35:34,880 the kindly Old Tracer and the Man of Many Disguises get mixed up in never 413 00:35:35,159 --> 00:35:40,599 fail to amaze me. On Thursday Nights broadcast, mister Keene became involved in 414 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:47,159 something called the Case of Murder and the Man Who Loved Danger, while some 415 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:54,039 thirty minutes later mister Chameleon was messing with a thing called the surprise motive murder 416 00:35:54,159 --> 00:36:00,559 cases. These two literary achievements alone are enough to give you an idea of 417 00:36:00,599 --> 00:36:07,159 what follows. I never could quite ascertain mister Keene's position in life. Although 418 00:36:07,159 --> 00:36:12,400 he's supposed to be a tracer of lost persons, his activities don't seem to 419 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:17,760 be directed towards recovering wayward souls. I gather he's some sort of investigator, 420 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:23,239 but never collects any money for his work, either from his mad clients or 421 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:30,159 the police department. I sincerely hope the sponsor's mail in my check each week, 422 00:36:30,199 --> 00:36:36,480 for a man can't survived on half baked murder cases for nourishment. As 423 00:36:36,519 --> 00:36:42,960 his partner in crime, mister Keene travels around with his assistant, Matt Clancy, 424 00:36:43,079 --> 00:36:49,760 who keeps muttering sense preserves and yes, Boss. I won't go into 425 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:54,719 the plot on Thursday's charming episode, since newsprint space is valuable, but I 426 00:36:54,880 --> 00:37:01,400 cringed in horror it some of the painful dialogue as I listen to you, 427 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:10,480 you the dagger, don't ah, you're killing me? That cherish line was 428 00:37:10,639 --> 00:37:16,360 uttered in the victim studies. These killings always happen in the master's study, 429 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:23,000 as his murderer approached him. Later on, another intruder in the study, 430 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:30,239 of course, was interrupted by mister Keen and Mike Clancy. He ejaculated some 431 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:32,960 well chosen words, says, don't move any of you, hands up, 432 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:38,639 reach for the ceiling, stand back. This gun is loaded, and Miss 433 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:45,360 Stevens' ads in parentheses, so is this program. A scuffle followed, and 434 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:49,960 Keene said, proudly, good work, Mike. I've got the record and 435 00:37:50,079 --> 00:37:54,440 the gun, and I've got a headache, Adsmiths Stevens. Finally, Cynthia 436 00:37:54,599 --> 00:38:00,840 or Clara or whatever her name was admitted to homicide just to in the program 437 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:06,800 quickly, for nothing else, because she couldn't stand her husband's philanthropic instincts. 438 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:10,599 I killed Walter when I couldn't stop him from giving away his money. She 439 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:16,559 has no heart, this woman, and so our narrator concluded, mister Keen, 440 00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:22,800 the kindly old tracer finds the solution to the case of murder and the 441 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:29,079 man who loved danger. Miss Stevens wrote, mister Cameleon, he solves his 442 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:36,559 cases with several disguises and in a sequius assistant by the name of Dave Arnold, 443 00:38:36,880 --> 00:38:40,119 who tags along with his master yelling, got you, mister comeleon, 444 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:45,679 write mister chameleon, and where to now, mister chameleon? He writes, 445 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:50,199 I'm also fond of the acting on these two shows, which is among the 446 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:54,360 most atrocious to be found anywhere. It's so awful that it's kind of fun 447 00:38:54,400 --> 00:39:01,719 to listen to simply to speculate all the motives which drove these people into a 448 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:10,400 profession that they're so clearly unfitted for out Okay, I think that was maybe 449 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:16,880 a little bit unfair, actually a lot bit. I think that people too 450 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:24,599 often either give actors too much credit or too much blame for the quality of 451 00:39:25,159 --> 00:39:30,679 production. I've heard Carl Swinson and other things, and he also did a 452 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:35,800 lot of film and television acting, and many of the actors who worked on 453 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:42,559 these programs were quite talented and capable of doing many things, and they were 454 00:39:42,639 --> 00:39:47,320 giving the type of performance that the director was asking for that this type of 455 00:39:47,519 --> 00:39:52,800 genre of program called for. I thought that was a bit much, But 456 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:59,360 I think that her feelings are definitely understandable. She talks about the programs that 457 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:04,559 she actual enjoys, which is kind of a nice counterbalance you don't often get 458 00:40:04,599 --> 00:40:09,239 in these sort of fitting acid sort of reviews. She like dragging that the 459 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:15,639 lineup Whitehall twelve twelve and the FBI and Peace and War, and there are 460 00:40:15,679 --> 00:40:22,039 actually people alive who really can relate to those sort of programs as much the 461 00:40:22,079 --> 00:40:27,360 same way the original audience did. I think that in many ways it's a 462 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:34,039 much greater challenge to find people who relate to mister Keene and mister Chameleon in 463 00:40:34,079 --> 00:40:37,960 the same way the original audience did. There also is some insight in this 464 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:46,280 article in terms of writing and journalism in the pre information age. Now. 465 00:40:46,679 --> 00:40:54,960 She expressed confusion at mister King Tracer of Lost Persons having that title, given 466 00:40:55,000 --> 00:41:00,760 that he didn't go and look for lost persons when the radio series started originally 467 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:07,719 back in nineteen thirty seven. He did look for lost persons, but he 468 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:13,280 began to move more and more into homicide cases and then that kind of exclusively 469 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:19,639 became was investigated, even though the title was still mister Keenes Tracer of Lost 470 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:23,960 Persons. Based on her appearance and some other information I was able to find 471 00:41:24,079 --> 00:41:30,760 she was probably like ten or eleven when mister Camellian got started, would have 472 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:37,280 been in her late teens when this series started to focus exclusively on homicides, 473 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:44,199 but showed first of all that while being the same name and changing focus may 474 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:49,599 not have bothered regular listeners, newer people coming on to listen to the pro 475 00:41:49,639 --> 00:41:54,800 program might have been confused by it. It also shows that many of the 476 00:41:55,039 --> 00:42:04,840 facts in trivia that pertained to rate programs just simply were not easily available or 477 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:13,360 well known or disseminated to the general public or even two media people outside of 478 00:42:13,639 --> 00:42:19,519 some of these larger Marty kits like New York, LA and Chicago. And 479 00:42:20,159 --> 00:42:28,719 this is further illustrated actually at the lead of the story, as Stevens writes, 480 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:34,239 a bunch of characters have been floating around the airwaves for a long time 481 00:42:34,599 --> 00:42:38,599 and doing what they think right by mystery fans throughout the nation. Several of 482 00:42:38,639 --> 00:42:45,679 them have been in book form, created by Franken and hummerd, a pair 483 00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:53,800 of so called authors who decided their little homicidal madiacs might as well plague listeners 484 00:42:54,119 --> 00:43:00,480 as well as readers. As a result, these bookworms have been transferred to 485 00:43:00,639 --> 00:43:06,639 the airwaves, though for what purpose I couldn't say. Just a few of 486 00:43:06,679 --> 00:43:14,159 these insipid programs come under the titles of mister Keene, Tracer of Lost Persons, 487 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:20,199 Mister and Missus North, mister Cameleon, and Hearthstone of the Death Squad. 488 00:43:20,559 --> 00:43:25,599 Now this is an opening, but there's one problem. It is actually 489 00:43:27,039 --> 00:43:31,840 very very wrong. First of all, Anne and Frank Hummertz didn't write books. 490 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:37,639 They weren't authors. Now, two of the characters she mentions here do 491 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:44,239 have literary origins, neither written by the Hummerts. Carstone of the Death Squad 492 00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:51,559 and mister Chameleon were completely original to radio. Mister Keen Tracer of Lost Persons 493 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:58,000 came from a book by Robert Chambers written in nineteen o six. Mister and 494 00:43:58,159 --> 00:44:05,440 Missus North was rated by Francis and Richard Lockridge, and there was a radio 495 00:44:05,599 --> 00:44:12,079 program, and while it had devolved into something that you might think was produced 496 00:44:12,079 --> 00:44:16,159 by the Hummers, it wasn't actually produced by the Hummers. Now this illustrates, 497 00:44:16,199 --> 00:44:22,480 I think the challenge you have whenever you are researching these sort of programs, 498 00:44:22,599 --> 00:44:27,440 because just because it ends up in a newspaper or a magazine back in 499 00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:32,599 the nineteen forties or fifties doesn't make it so, particularly when you're talking about 500 00:44:32,639 --> 00:44:42,639 a critic who's providing her opinions rather than any particularly informed basis of facts and 501 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:46,119 history, and you will see that sort of thing. When you look at 502 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:54,320 old newspaper articles, will find all sorts of unintentional bits of misinformation. I 503 00:44:54,400 --> 00:45:00,199 remember when I was writing my series on Robert Bailey, I looked at his 504 00:45:00,559 --> 00:45:07,199 obituaries from various newspapers, and some of the things in those obituaries were wild, 505 00:45:07,599 --> 00:45:13,920 Like one I remember said that he had appeared in twenty Laurel and Hardy 506 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:19,800 films. He appeared in two, and oftentimes they didn't even mention yours truly, 507 00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:23,639 Johnny Dollar or let George do it, despite those being the most prominent 508 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:30,880 roles of his radio career. Well, the information age definitely has its challenges. 509 00:45:30,159 --> 00:45:36,280 At least were able to more quickly research and fact check these sort of 510 00:45:37,239 --> 00:45:43,320 details. As it is, it's easy to understand how during earlier times it 511 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:50,599 was really possible for a lot of myths and misconceptions to spread really easily and 512 00:45:50,679 --> 00:45:54,559 really unintentionally. Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the 513 00:45:54,639 --> 00:45:59,159 day, and I want to go ahead and thank Lewis. Lewis has been 514 00:45:59,199 --> 00:46:05,039 one of our patrire On supporters since March of twenty eighteen, currently supporting the 515 00:46:05,079 --> 00:46:08,760 program at the Master Detective level of fifteen dollars or more per month. Thank 516 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:13,199 you so much for your support, Lois, and that will do it for 517 00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:17,400 today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast 518 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:22,599 So if you're enjoying the podcast on YouTube, be sure to lock the video, 519 00:46:22,679 --> 00:46:25,960 subscribe to the channel, and mark the notification bell. We will be 520 00:46:27,079 --> 00:46:30,480 back next Thursday with another episode of Mister Chameleon, but join us back here 521 00:46:30,639 --> 00:46:37,440 tomorrow for the conclusion of the Alder Matter. Where anything the matter? There's 522 00:46:37,559 --> 00:46:42,320 cuts on your face? What happened your daughter's boyfriend Alkin Kin? Yeah, 523 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:45,239 he's got the idea. You hired me to bust up their little romance. 524 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:49,559 He didn't like it, that idiot. Is that all you've got to say, 525 00:46:49,599 --> 00:46:52,400 mister Elderon, Well, because of it is. Let me tell you 526 00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:57,039 how I feel about it. Where I stand look Dollar you look. I 527 00:46:57,079 --> 00:46:59,639 know you're the insured, but I just about had it with you. I 528 00:46:59,639 --> 00:47:01,519 don't have to take that kind of talk. I think you do. You 529 00:47:01,639 --> 00:47:05,039 ask me to keep you alive, but you won't lift a finger to help. 530 00:47:05,519 --> 00:47:07,880 Every time I ask you a question, you look the other way. 531 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:10,519 Do an imitation of clam. What am I supposed to be a mind reader? 532 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:15,719 All I want you to do is protect Oh come on, come on, 533 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:20,400 Alder, You're smarter than that. Protect you from what You've almost been 534 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:23,159 tagged out once. You must have an idea who made that try and why? 535 00:47:23,559 --> 00:47:29,639 I have no idea. I hope you'll be with us then. In 536 00:47:29,679 --> 00:47:34,960 the meantime, do send your comments to Box thirteen at Greatdetectives dot net, 537 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:38,960 follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, 538 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:45,639 Instagram, dot com, slash Great Detectives from Boise the Autoho. This is 539 00:47:45,639 --> 00:47:47,239 your host, Adam Graham. Sign and off.