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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Patreon supporters for his little last two dollars per month at Patreon dot Great Detectives
dot net. Now it's time for this week's episode of The Falcon. The
original airdate August thirtieth, nineteen fifty and the title is the Case of the
Disappearing Doll. Hello. Yes, this is The Falcon speaking O Peggy.
I'm glad you called. I have to ask for a raincheck. Angel,
I'm all tied up. Mm hmm. An active friend of mine just bought
himself a gun, and the way it looks now, he figures to make
a big hit The Adventures of the Falcon, starring Less Damon. You met
the Falcon first in his best selling novels, Then you saw him in his
thrilling motion picture series. Now join him on the air when the Falcon solves
the Case of the Disappearing Doll. Now the Case of the Disappearing Doll.
It's Wednesday evening in New York, and in a small furnished room on Manhattan's
East Side, a gentleman named Karl Hoffman glares at an old clock as if
commanding it to stop, and when it continues to ignore mister Hoffman's wishes,
he holds often makes known it's displeasure. Hey, take it easy, Car,
I'll tell me to take it easy, sheppey, You went and busted
the clock. That's not all I'm going to bust either way. Is Janet
ever a chance, Carl, She'll show when she was due here an hour
ago. Maybe she got hired up with a jerk Harry Jensen. That's still
no excuse. I told her. I doesn't get that. Yeah, just
a second, hello, Shefie. Oh you were just in time, Janet.
What's the matter, Carl? He's blowing his top don't worry about it,
you, Janet? Yeah, where the devil have you been working?
You would do here at eight? They were what they call extenuating circumstances.
You go out with Harry Jensen. How'd you make out? Well, he's
loosening up a little, but he still wouldn't kick through with the information.
That's a nice How do you do it? If you think you can do
better? Maybe I can't take it easy? Car? You too, Janet?
Does he get off bawling me out? How long have I had to
work on Harry? We know it's only been a week. The time is
getting short. Vince Dario will be here tomorrow. Whos Dario? Carl's bringing
him in from Toledo for this? Why because he's the best man in the
business, That's why. And this isn't the kind of a guy whill hang
around if we can't promise some action. Well, I'm doing everything I can.
Yeah, sure she is, Carl. Now, why don't you two
just kiss and make that all right? I'm sorry, Jenny, forget it,
honey, give me a baby. I don't mind me. Folks,
grab yourself a walk shift, Come on, fella's break it up and we
get work. To do. He's right, sweetheart. When do you think
they'll have something to report from that Harry Jensen character? Well, they wanted
to simulate at night. Maybe tonight's the night. Maybe how about it,
Jenna? And I think if you got him good and plastic, he might
start talking. It's never been a problem with Harry. The tough thing is
to make him quit. We'll get him started in the right direction, baby,
and when he stops, we'll be on easy street. Okay, no
more for me, Janet? That would be such a sissy or you are?
Yeah, let me show you something in that bottle? Now, Harry?
Do you think you should watch? Yep? Woa, Well, well,
how's that? You're terrific? Hey, you want to know something,
Jannet? What you are pretty terrific too. I'm crazy about your baby,
crazy enough to marry me. Say the word and we'll do it like bath.
Don't tempt me, Harry minute. So why what do we live on?
What will we live on? What's the matter with me? I make
good dough eighty bucks a week? Is that a sneeze out? No,
that's wonderful. Yeah, I'm top man with the outfit. Who do you
think makes all the important deliveries me. That's go on. Don't believe me?
Huh, every here of the McGill company. Yeah, they got a
payroll out of eighty thousand bucks a week and I'm the guy who brings it
to him. When when do you bring it to them? Oh? I'm
sorry anyway, we're not supposed to tell. And you claim you love me,
tell me, tell me when you're going to deliver the mcgillpay road.
Now what difference does that think? I could marry a man who didn't trust
me, see Jenny, I mean, and it's kind of stuffy in here,
no, okay, I feel off of warm. You know. I
bet I could go to sleep. Don't you pass out on me? And
that's Harry, Harry micuil peril when you deliver it fivey fivey ye? Yeah?
What do you want looking for? Karl Hoffman? Who are you all
right? She let him in? Hi, Vince, Hello Hoffman, Sheppie,
Vince Dariol, glad to know you. Thanks once you get in,
Vince, about twenty minutes ago. You count the times, it better got
something hot to be here. Of the McGill company and the people who make
all those plumbing fixtures, that's right now. Tell me you're figuring on knocking
them off. That's what I'm figuring. I wish you would have told me
that and you let it. Why because I wouldn't have wasted my time coming
to New York. Let him go. Carl, shut up before you make
up your mind. Vince, maybe you ought to hear the deal. It's
no deal. We have to walk into a plant like McGill's. We don't
have to walk in, We grab on the outside. Come again. The
messenger who delivers the payroll is the character named Harry Jensen. We know to
the minute what time he'll get to the factory. Now you're interested, I'm
still here. They're tearing up the street in front of the place. If
he has to park his bus a block away, and he'll him down Remsen
Street. That's where you and I take over. Check. You'll be covering
the street with the Thompson from a vacant room across the way. It sounds
all right. It gets better as it goes along. Now we give the
dough to Janets. Wait a second, who's Janet? A girlfriend of mine?
I don't like it, Hoffman. What's the matter now? I don't
like any capable of babies involved. You don't know this, babe. How
do you think we find out when they're going to deliver the payroll? Oh?
Yeah, she's a real stylish kid. What's the last name? I'll
see whitill you meet it. I like her very much. It's all up
to you, Vins. What do you say? We got the time to
play a girl? What more can a fella ask? How did you handle
Janet? All right? I guess you guess well? I never did like
driving this kind of weather. Don't be silly, baby, It's gonna make
things a lot easier all around, right, Vince? Sure rain or keep
them off the streets? Whoa sweetheart? Wait a minute? Right here?
Will be fine? Should I shut her off? I keep her running?
And remember when you start off again, go right in the second and don't
see the too much gas? Yeah, I got it. What time is
it, Vince? Make it a couple of minutes or two? You see
sheppee cross the street? I think so well? That does it? Are
you sure you know what to do? Janet? Ye? As soon as
I get the bag of head straight from my apartment. That's right. Don't
hang around no matter what, we'll all be over to your place by nine
to divvy up, supposing your aunt. I don't give it a thought,
sweetheart, it'll take me out. What shut our friend of Harry on the
corner? Yeah, that's all right, Vin says, we go to work.
Lots of luck. Honey, thanks, baby disagree? Yeah? What
is that lighter you're so proud of? What do you know it works?
Here? We comes? Hey, buddy me? Yeah? Can you tell
us what Tremont Avenue is? Oh? They're on the wrong side of town.
I tell you what you better do. I'll tell you what you better
don't make a move, but not even a teeny one? What is it?
Just what it looks like? Past that gript to my friend? Go
on? You know how it is? No hard feelings. I hope that's
all right, mister. I got a good memory for faces. I won't
forget you in that case. Let me give you something else to remember me.
How is it that should be enough? Carl Vince like clockwork didn't that?
Yeah it's Jenny. She ain't here, huh wow, No, no,
no, I was the first one in. It's like you had a
key to her place. Huh. And you're lucky. I don't have a
suspicious mind. Well I have did she phone in? You told her to
come straight here in Chicago? Yeah? I think she had an accident,
do yeah? No, no, we would have heard about it. I
had the radio and the car tune to the police calls. If the cops
snapped you, kidd, and there was nobody would in miles of her.
After you chucked the bag into a car she took off to show up,
Then she better, she's got all the dough. Just what do you get
mad? You told me yourself she's a very smart girl. Women who are
beautiful shouldn't be brainy. Meaning I think we got a double cross your nuts.
I'll leave it as ship. No, no, no, Janet wouldn't
do that thing. Why not? Well because she never did it before.
You ever have eighty grand before? What you're worried about. It isn't even
nine o'clock. I poses she doesn't show by now, and I'll start looking
for her. And if she isn't dead when I find her, your wish
to heaven. She was, Hey, you guys got to butt them fresh
out as a pack of my coat pocket, Sheppie, thanks, You wouldn't
have anything else in that pocket, like what Vince like Katie grand boton me
for point. But it's twenty half to nine. Your girlfriend hasn't shown up
yet, so so I think we ought to start looking for her. Suppose
she comes back in the meantime, you can always leave a note. No,
no, I think one of us ought to hang around here, for
instance, why do you want to? Maybe I better? Okay, you
wait here? Sheppy? You cover the east side? You know the places
Janet likes? I got you? What are you gonna doffman? I got
an angle? I want to try it? Like what? Never mind?
But if Janet's tossing us a curve, I think I know the one guy
who can throw her out at home. I'll let you know how I make
out. Yeah, i'd like to see Mike wearing the falcon. Please you
are now? Oh? Well, my name is Karl Huffman. Yeah,
I come in. Oh sorry, thanks, Sittar, that's oblige. What's
on your mind? Well, I'm looking for a girl, aren't we all?
No? I mean this is a special one. Her name is Janet
Halsey. Janet Halsey. Yeah, she's my girlfriend. Maybe we better take
us from the beginning. Well, Janet and I were supposed to be married
next Sunday. So I opened up a joint account for us at the bank.
How big, two thousand dollars And she skipped this morning. She lived
at the Brighton Towers. How do you know she didn't meet with an accident.
Well, she's done the same thing before. Oh she has. Yeah,
she served three years and the women Spenitentiary under the name of blowis Hot.
She got out in forty eight. How come you trusted her with your
money? You know how it is Wearing. You always hope that this time
it's going to be different. Well, I'll see what I can do.
Happen if you say the first problem is to locate the girl. Yeah,
and the moment you do, when you give me a call, I'll be
waiting at the Brighton Brighton. Didn't you say that's where your girlfriend lived?
Yeah, I'm using her apartment to operate from. You see how I wouldn't
want to miss her she came back. Well, I guess that does it,
Falkin. I'll be waiting for your call now. Back to the Adventures
of the falcon An hour has passed since Carl Hoffman recruited Mike Wearing in his
search for Janet Halsey. And now as we find Mike, he is making
a tour of some of the shadier spots on New York's third Avenue. Look
at the someone, mister. As a matter of fact, I am Falcon
Hello Joey A long time to see. What can I do for you?
Mike? Well, you're a man who knows all the wrong people. Ever
hear of a girl named Janet Halsey. We seem to have an audience.
Yeah, and I like your act, mister. I missed the last line.
Would you mind repeating it now? Kind of that? Shepy? This
is Mike Wearing. I'll give a rap who he is? What do you
want with Janet Halsey? I don't think there's any of your business. All
right, suppose we take a little walk outside. No thanks, it's too
hot. That's all right. I got stepped into my pocket to show you
off. I take it easy. She keep out of this show. What
do you say, Wearing? I don't gonna have much choice in the matter
now, so start walking. I'm sorry, Mike, Sorry, Joey.
All the day's work with Gavin. Come on, I haven't got all day.
Look, if you'd like to put this office, I'll be a wise
guy. Okay, where do we go from here? Let's dry that alley?
Now, look, you've heard me? All right, hold it,
this is fine. Now let's pick up where we left off. What do
you want with Janney? It's a long story. It's okay, You're not
going anywhere. Might surprise you get a hand out of your back door?
All right? Punk on your feet? Let mean along, I said,
on your feet? Why are you so interested in Janet Halsey? Maybe I'm
looking for it too, Maybe, and then again, maybe you know where
she is? No? Where can I find? I got no idea?
Well get one? Let me cold, Come on shop. You can keep
this up all night. Have you been of the Brighton Tower? No?
But someone else hasn't. She wasn't there. You might You might try the
Riverdale Amy, Thanks a lot, fella, been a great help. Let's
do it again sometime. Who is it? Where is shepy? Evince out
looking the phone in? No, I guess you had nothing to report.
How did you make out? Not so hot? I guess that leaves me
up the well known Greek with you grapping about, we're all in the same
boat. Yeah, but I didn't bring Janning into the accu did Hoffman?
Okay, and I'll find it. I don't see him making any progress.
Maybe not, but I hired somebody who will oh fellow named Mike wearing a
private dick. That's right, what's the idea you're going off your trolley?
Relax with you, Evince. I gave him a song and dance about wanting
to find you at this guy wearing his plenty of context? Well, I
don't like it you the boy was belly aching that. I wasn't doing anything.
You didn't have to go that far? How far would you go for
eighty grand? I guess you're right. Thanks, that must be shippy.
I'll take it. Yeah, what do you want? I thank your pardon.
I must have the wrong number. Wait a minute, is that you
Janet? Hello? Hello? What's trouble? I think that was Janet?
You don't imagine it? Don't tell me. I'd recognize her voice anywhere.
What made her calling? And hang up? You know something? Then?
That's just what I was wondering. I'll be back in an hour. Hello.
Hello, is it janath Hal's apartment? Yeah? How offman? There?
Who's calling? Wearing? We just stepped out for a while. I
want to leave a message. Who's this so? Okay? I'm a friend
of his. My name is Vince Tereo. I'll tell halfman I'm going to
lead on his girlfriend. He's supposed to be at Riverdale Arms. If you'll
meet me at the eighty six o'clock we'll go over together. Thanks a lot,
mister Worry. I know Kyle'll be glad to hear that wearring wearing over
here. It's about time, Hoffman marry. I'm late, but I just
got your message, which get your dope from a punk named Sheppie Oliver.
What hey? He pulled a gun on me. That's the funniest thing I've
heard yet, is it? Yeah, Sheppie's a friend of mine. That's
so sure. When he heard you asking for Janet, he must have gotten
suspicious. Why and he's not very brillan? What was that address he gave
you again? Riverdale Arms? That's what I thought. It's a bump stair.
How do you know that's where Sheppie lives himself? Why would he give
me his own address? Probably rattle limbs of badly. He was the only
thing you could think of. That's one possibility, and you didn't of any
other. Yeah, maybe Janet had a partner, I mean Jempi. Why
not? He's my best friend. Janet was your best girl. Let's go
see who's playing on whose team? Cory the last one down the hall wearing
you know. There's one thing that throws me. Only one after I left
your office, I went back to Janet's apartment. I was talking with Vince
Dario when the phone rang, so the girl got on. I would have
sworn it was Janet, but she claimed it was the wrong number. Maybe
she's trying to get in touch with Sheppey and she got frightened when she heard
your voice. Could be but I never thought Sheppy was theod type. This
is the place. I just can't believe that. What's the matter? Unlocked?
Yeah? Uh, just as I figured. And I guess I better
call the police. Eh take a good look. Oh smoke, it's hippy.
Yeah. And with that slug in his head, I don't think he's
in any position to call the cops himself. Where's the phone? Come on,
Vince, open up. What took you so long? I was busy.
Who's your friend? Oh it's right. You boys haven't met Mike.
This is Vince Darian. How do you do Hi, how did that lead
pan out? Not too bad? You find Janet there? No, we
found Sheppy. I don't get it. He was murdered by who Janet.
That's one way to look at it. I suppose Janet was working with a
man. You mean Sheppy? I don't see it. That's just what I
said. Look, I suppose we forget the whole thing. What do you
mean we gambled and lost? Now you surprised me, Vince. A couple
of hours ago you were botting me up and not doing anything. Now you're
wanting to write the whole thing off. There's no use crying over spilt milk.
Sure, with Ady Grant in your pocket, you can always buy yourself
another quart. Oh you say something wearing just though. Look you've been hitting
it something all along. What is I think you know where Janet is?
I was a sucker not to see it before. We are fool Kyl.
Can't you see what Janet's doing? Jane might have Sheppie. Now she's turning
us against each other. Somebody put her up to it, and I got
a feeling it. Witt you drunk? Cut it out? Hoffmann? Of
this Mike? Where is come on? Hoffman? Break it up, Mike
let go, I said, break it up, Oh, Therrio, that
was the idea, Hoffman. I don't like double crosses. Het the keys
out of his pocket. What for? I got to hunch Janets hold up
in his apartment, and I'm going to play it to the hilt. Now
back to the Adventures of the Falcon. Only a few minutes have passed since
Karl Hoffman decided that Janet might be hiding in Vince Dario's apartment. Now he
and Mike are at Dario's, but so far there's been no sign of Janet.
Looks like your hunt was worthless. Hoffman. You try the kitchen.
I've been all over the place. There's no one here, and I still
believe the Janet was worked out. Wait a minute, open that draw again.
I thought I saw an envelope in there. You're right, mister,
Vince Dario twenty seven, nineteen, Bolton Avenue, Troyed. Look at the
postmark, Bedford Hills, March sixteenth, nineteen forty eight. Now look at
the return address on the other side, Janet Halsey State Penitentiary for Women.
You get it, And I was right. Vince knew Janet all along.
Weller could build up a convincing case on the face of it. But where
is she now? Can't you think of somewhere she might go? We've covered
every possible high up. Oh we haven't. There's one place you're Forgettinghuffman,
who's yours? What are you talking about? You are the man who put
Janet up to this. You plan a double cross your mob from the beginning.
Yeah, yeah, and I thought you did pretty well. You murdered
Sheppy and framed Vince Dario, and that only left Janet to be taken care
of. What about you? I don't think you're man enough. That just
goes to That's a matter, huff When you lose something, that's what you're
looking for. Where'd you get that gun? I lifted it off you when
you were shoving Dario around. You Say the word friend, and I'll give
it back to you a slug at a time. Well, what happened after
that, Mike? You know the rest, Jennifer. As soon as the
police picked up Carl, I went to his apartment and picked me up.
And not a bad day's work event. Thanks. No, No, I'm
talking about the little bag you had with you containing eighty grand belonging to the
McGill company. Oh, now what gets me is are you people knew exactly
what time the payroll was to be delivered? Oh, I had inside information
from the boy who delivered it. How did you guess it figured? And
what did you do? Use your feminine wiles? You didn't take much.
He wanted to prove what a great big man he was. Well, you
have that effect on the opposite takes. Yeah, it's just too bad you
had already worked for nothing. Yeah, I guess when you come down Wood,
I was pretty lucky at that. You sure were. There's no doubt
that with Sheppy and Vince Dario disposed of, you were next don Carl's list.
Dirty double crossing Hannah. Now there's no reason to be angry. After
all, you were in on ninety nine percent of the plot. He just
neglected to tell you the big finish he planned for you. Oh went steadily
when you called your apartment and got Hoffman on the phone, Why did you
pretend it was the wrong number? We had it arranged. When Carl picked
up the phone and said, yes, what do you want? I knew
he wasn't alone, and that was my cue to hang up. Pretty cute
that was the second way he convinced Dario he was acting above board. What
was the first mike hiring me? He had to go through with the motions
of trying to find you, and what would make him look more innocent than
hiring a private detective. I still don't see what proved you he was guilty.
Well, the return address on the envelope I found in Dario's room gave
you your name as Janet Hawsey, and Carl told me when you were up
at the women's pen he served time under the name of Lois's Heart, So
obviously the letter was a frame and Carl was the only one who could have
played That's right. You know you're pretty wonderful, honey, I mean,
mister wearing. Oh, I don't mind you getting affectionate. After all,
we're going to be seeing lots of each other, Jenets. Are we almost
past our destination? Is this where you live? That's the matter with you,
Jennet. Don't you recognize the building police headquarters that you know? Good?
Double cut? Now what are you complaining about? Angel? I promise
you we'd be seeing a lot of each other. Can I help it it?
For the next ten years? It'll have to be through Boz Welcome Back
with the Falcon coming in so light in each episode. The value of a
given episode really depends on the quality of the mystery, and this one I
think was just okay. It's a really basic story of which Cook is trying
to double cross the others, and there's not a lot more going on to
make it more interesting, particularly in the personality of the crooks. Kauffman's motive
for hiring Wearing seems particularly dumb. Plus the fact that he told Wearing the
name that Janet was prison under and had framed documents with the wrong name makes
him seem even more dumb. I don't think he's quite ready for the File
Advance universe, but still pretty close. I did hear enough of Kaufman's voice
that I'm pretty sure he was played by Mandel Kramer, aka the Last Johnny
Dollar on radio. Kramer often took on these sort of underworld parts on radio
in the early part of his career, until later on in the mid to
late nineteen fifties, he started to play more of the heroic parts as the
more seasoned actors tended to migrate towards television, as that's where the money was
well. Listener comments and feedback now and over on Instagram. Becka Rights,
your podcast have kept me company driving to visit my mom and assisted living and
now in the hospital. The podcast is like an old friend. Well,
thank you so much, Becca, I really am collaborable to help in some
way and you have no idea what this sort of feedback means to me.
Well again, thank you so much. Really appreciate your comments and all the
best to you and your mom. Well, now it's time to thank our
Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to go ahead and thank Russell.
Russell has been one of our Patreon supporters since October twenty sixteen, currently
supporting the podcast at the shamous level of four dollars or more per month.
Thank you so much for your support, Russell, and that will do it
for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite
podcast software and be sure to rate and review the podcast wherever you download it
from. We will be back next Monday with another episode of the Falcon,
but join us back here tomorrow for the start of another Yours truly, Johnny
Dollar Siri aware. I've known Donald since school, mister Dollar, and we
hope to get married at least Donald does. Oh and what about you,
Well, I don't know. I don't know. I got the impression for
mister Turnbull, you were doing a pretty good job of getting Donald into your
clutches. That isn't the way it is at all. We've been seeing a
great deal of each other, and Donald has asked me to marry him,
and I'm fond of him, mister Dollar, terribly fond of him, so
far as Mary is concerned. I I'm not sure. What do you mean?
I can't help wondering all the time if he isn't hoping to marry me
just as a well as an escape from his uncle. Huh would you marry
him? If I was sure of him, you'd be sure of an awful
lot of money. Dorothy Aminity reached thirty. That is, mister Turnbull has
poisoned your mind. Mister Dollar. What money Donald has or may have,
has nothing to do with I hope you'll be with us then. In the
meantime, do you send your comments to Box's thirteen at Greatdetectives dot net,
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram,
Instagram, dot com, slash great detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is
your host, Adam Graham, Sign and all