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
to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at
Radio Detectors, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com
slash Radio Detectors. Well, before we do get started with today's program,
I do want to remind you that out on the kennel we have our latest
release, What May the Golden Aids Shine, in which I discuss a big
question of why someone who's younger is into the Golden Age entertainment. You can
get that for the kindle, so still available. Is all I needed to
know I learned from Colombo and which we take a look at life lessons from
the lives and histories of seven great fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes. That
one is also available for the iPad and the nook. All right, well,
this is our last episode of Sherlock Holmes. So I'm sorry to see
this go. I think of a pretty appropriate episode. You'll agree once we
listen. Here now is today's final episode of the John Gielgood Ralph Richardson series
The Empty House, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Original and Immortal Stories
of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle dramatized Danile, with Sir Ralph Richardson as Doctor Watson
and Sir John Gildgard in the role of Sherlock Holmes. It has been my
privilege in these past few weeks to come before you with some of the exploits
I shared with my friend Sherlock Holmes, the greatest detective the world has ever
seen. I had to conclude the last with the account of his death,
as he fell into the great chasm of the Falls of Reichenbach in Switzerland,
locked in the arms of his deadly enemy, Professor Moriarty. For three long
years I mourned him, my loneliness deepened to by the loss of my dear
wife. To pass the weary days, I tried to interest myself in crime,
as a gesture, so to say, to a Holmes memory, our
old associate, less trade of the yard, was sometimes even good enough to
consult me with some of his problems. And so in the spring of the
year eighteen ninety four I came to hear of the singular mystery surrounding the death
of the Honorable Ronald Adare murder, doctor Watson, it's stark murder. For
the life of me, I can't see how it was done. Well,
sit down, sit down, let straight. I'm sorry to have kept you
waiting. I was seeing a patient. Thank you, doctor. I'm quite
exhausted with it all. I have a drink whisky sourda. Thanks. I
will to tender the truth. Doctor. This is the kind of problem I
wish to heaven I could have talked to mister Holmes about. Ah, we
all wish that the Strade. Is that an APSDA or plenty? Doctor?
Thank you, Well, here's your health. Ah. Yeah, I don't
suppose what I don't know, just a notion I sometimes have. I mean,
he really is dead, I suppose, mister Holmes, I mean,
well, of course he is. You must have read my account the Strade.
Yes, yes, of course I know. It's just I can never
quite bring myself to believe it. I tell you, I wouldn't be a
bit surprised if I was to walk along Baker Street to night and see the
old shadow on the window blind there. Well, don't let's talk about it,
the Strade. Tell me what your problem is. I thought we might
even walk around to the scene of the crime together, doctor, if you
can spare the time. It's a queer business. It's a dear case,
you said, queer. Yes, I've read something about it in the papers.
Found dead, wasn't he. That's right, Honorable Ronald Adare, very
upright and promising, young fellow. Terrible blow to his mother. Tell me
exactly what happened. Well, he was fond of cardjes Se, who never
prayed for very big stakes that he couldn't resist. A bit of a flatter
now and then, no gambling enemies or anything of the card. Shouldn't think
so. Seems to have been very popular. Anyhow, he was playing at
one of his clubs the night had happened the bag of Telny is he?
Who's he playing with? Well there was a mister Murray and Sir John Hardy,
and a fellow called Moran, and Colonel Sebastian Moran, mother hardy Man.
Well what next to them? Well, younger Dare got back home about
ten. He shut himself in his room. He lives in Park Lane,
you know, one of those big houses, and his room was at the
front. His mother got in from a theater about half past eleven went in
to say good night to him. She couldn't get any answer. Had the
door forced? Who was locked them on the inside? Doctor, And they
found him dead to see all Dublin, mutilated about the head by an expanding
bullet. What a dumb dumb you mean suicide? Maybe? Did you find
it a weapon? No, doctor, not a single blissed sign of one.
He was stumped across the table, with bundles of notes and stacks of
coins laid meekly out all around him. Huh. But he couldn't have been
shot through the window, I suppose. Well, it seems the only way,
of course, and the window was open. But the minute you have
a look, you'll see it was pretty near impossible. Let's go round,
shall we? Bye bye. I'll get my boots on now, Doctor.
That's the house to feed tore One with the blue railings and the crocus bed
in front bears. I see quite a crowd outside, isn't illustrade? Oh?
Usual sight servis stroll in the papers, you know. Morbid takes people
ahead, which is the room where he was found up on the same before
up there where one of my members. They're still looking around for clues,
you know, body was taken away some days ago. Quite so. Was
the window open as wide as that when it happened, will be bitter.
We haven't touched it at all. Step upside there with you. I'm a
police officer and I'm taking up the old blood in pavement. I suppose the
murderer couldn't have locked the door on the inside and then made his escape through
the window that fade. Not a chance. And you see for yourself there
isn't anything you would climb down by if you dropped there, and it would
have been marks on the cloakerspit there I see. You know, you know
this crowd is really intolerable this right, I know. I already must have
a card and put around the base. Well aren't you coming in, doctor?
No, I don't think so. You're giving me most of the facts.
The clue must lie outside somewhere. Younger. There must have been shot
through the window, that's what I said. But whoever did it must have
been an uncommonly good shot. You've had to stand right back at the roadway,
almost to avoid leaving tracks in the garden and get the young chapman range,
as he said at the table, almost impossible with a revolver at that
distance beside you know there's that cabman shelter just there by the game. They
say there wasn't a sound of a shot that night, made me certain to
have heard it. I tell you, which a pleasant doctor hers is.
Indeed, I say, I almost wish like you. That's what I didn't
know? What I mean, it would have been a problem after his own
heart. Oh well, let's get back, I suppose. But if I
think of anything kind, get watch with your cook I beg your pardon.
I'm afraid i've made you drop your books. You certainly have seated. There's
a prople of books. I'm sorry. I wouldn't have had it happened for
the world. Here you are. I picked him up for you. It
was quite an accident. I should hoop, so I should hoop so indeed,
huh, poor old fellow. And I must give me a bit about
bump Lane too, an old bookseller. I should think, looks it were
those thick glasses too much peering over a small print? On myself? You've
been studying poor Holmes methods, less said, I only wish I could choose
them on his case. Doctor, Well, good bye, you'll let me
know if you have any ideas. Yes, yes, I will go by
this strad I'll certainly think about it, And so I did. Indeed,
as I walked back home the part Lane mystery, as I'd already decided to
call it, if ever I should write an account of it, the first
that I should ever write of my own small efforts in detection. As opposed
to Holmes, Adair had plainly locked the door himself. He therefore met his
death from the outside. And yet what shot could possibly have traveled such a
distance and still caused so much mutilation? And who had done the deed and
for what motive? I was still pondering when I reached my study, and
I hardly had time to light my pipe. Went to my astonishment, my
maid ushered in no other than the old bookseller with whom I collided In't park
me, well, sir, you're surprised to see me, no doubt?
Well, I most certainly am. How on earth did you know where I
lived? Followed Ye, it's been on my conscience a bit the way I
spoke so rude to you when you bumped me. Oh but really, you
make too much of a trifle. I won't you put your pilot books on
the table and sit down for a moment. You look tired, right enough,
I am sir. You went pretty fast for my old legs. I
had a job to keep up with you. I was thankful when I saw
you turn into the house here and I could come up a bit slower.
Ah. Well, they have a little refreshment. I have some brandy hair
or some whiskey and soda, Thank you, Watson. I rather fancy a
little hock and seltzer. Homes su Oh almost, Watson, my dear friend,
Oh, my dear fellow. You sit down, you'll fall quick quick
here drink this homes homes. That's a bit better, isn't it. There?
You're all right now? Why, poor old Watson. Sorry, I
have fainted the first time in my life. It was unforgivable of me,
my dear fellow, but I simply couldn't resist him. No, call it,
call it it's really come. Yes, really Watson, really and truly
here touch me. I'm flesh and glad. You see the same old homes,
but the falls at Ryton Park and the cliff edge. Yeah, how
hard did you ever get out of here? Said back old fellow. Take
another sip of Brandy. Yeah, I'll take my wig and whiskers off,
and then you'll be able to believe it's really me. You're the second person
you know who's fainted at the sight of me today. Who else will dear
old missus Hudson back in the old rooms in Baker Street upon my life.
I didn't think she'd ever stopped crying. I've tried pulled her around from her
faint it is. He never helped liking your homes for all the confirmed.
That's very nice of you, believe it now. Oh, but when I
tell let's trade, when I tell the whole world now now, not yet,
Watson, not yet, this trade perhaps, but no one else at
all. And for a very good reason, I assure you. We are
back in harness, my old friend. How what do you mean when this
very night, provided you can spare the time hard and dangerous task, Watson,
are you still game? Or? Of course that's what I've been longing
for. But I want to know what's been happening homes. You must tell
me a million things, but all in due course, my dear fellow,
we have our work to do. First. You think you'll be all right?
All right, I'm alright, homes a hundred times, and then I
was I'm sorry, how went to pieces like that? Was the greatest compliment
you could possibly pay me. But your escape, your escape, man,
how can you be so calm about it? Oh? That will? That
was also long ago, three years after all? But how did you get
out of that dreadful cassima? Because, my dear Watson, I was never
in it, never, my dear, Oh, I assure you my note
to you was quite genuine. I hadn't any doubt that I was done for
when I stood there to fronting Moriarty with that inexorable purpose in those eyes of
his that you described so vividly. Ah, he'll read my account. Of
course, I congratulate you, my dear fellow, to the most convincing thing
you've ever done. I was even strangely moved by it. But the two
sets of footsteps to the cliff edge and none returning the signs of a struggle
we fought together, of course, there was no doubt about that. We
fought most bitterly. Would you know the curious bypaths of my knowledge, Watson,
I have some acquaintance with baritsu, the Japanese system of wrestling, and
I managed finally to slip out of our friend, the Professor's grippin Down he
went at last, uttering the most horrible scream that I've ever heard from human
lips. Yeah, the devil Holmes. You'll truly are the only one whoever
has always been on the side of the angels, you know, Watson.
At that moment, I suddenly realized what a heaven sent opportunity had come my
way. How do you mean by Arty, wasn't the only man who had
sworn my death? There was another, his chief left, who had also
managed to escape the trap which the police had laid for the whole gang at
my instigation. I mean, you deliberately chose to make it appear that you
died so that you could delude this fellow into a sense of false security.
Precisely well, I began to climb up the face of the cliff, but
you couldn't have homes. It was almost cheer. I had an anxious moment
or two out confess, but I did manage it somehow, you know.
I could even hear your cries and see your tragic face when you thought I
was gone. I was there above you on a ledge about a hundred feet
or so up all homes, and you never made a sign with my strongest
card, old friend. If you believe that I was really dead and wrote
on me as you did, then the whole world would believe it too.
And that was why only one person knew the secret that I was safely on
my way to Italy. And who was there? My brother Mycroft. You
could trust him at Holmes and not me. Ah, my dear fellow,
I know you are the very soul of discretion, but you could never have
written so vividly and so convincingly if you've really known the truth of the years
of misery. I'm not gone the year. It was the only way I
couldn't even reveal myself to you in the street today because the place was so
crowdy. That might have been spies. Ah, not the cause of the
strade because he was there. No, No, I'll tell the strade this
afternoon. We'll need him dadly for to Night's adventure. What are you planning,
homes, I've been planning all these years. I've been away traveling in
Tibet, Persha, France, planning to defeat this last member of Moriarty's game.
And to night at last, I think I'm going to get him.
Who is he homes? Not yet, Watson, not yet. You'll see
it here enough before the morning. The games are what Watson, old times,
old times gone, the adventure, as you no doubt call it,
of the empty house. Can you blame me? If all other thoughts were
driven from my head that day? I knew nothing of what Holmes intended,
what wild beast we were to hunt down in the dark jungle of criminal London.
I forgot everything in my joy and impatience, even the murder of young
Adare, which had been so occupying me. Charlotte Holmes called for me at
half past nine, and we set off on our mysterious journey. His knowledge
of the bypaths of London was extraordinarily. We twisted through a maze of hidden
allies and narrow passageways until I was quite bewildered. And always as we went
I saw his brows drawn down and his thin lips compressed in the old sardonic
smile. I knew so well, ah, Watson, because he's like old
times, being with you again. If you only knew how I've looked forward
to this moment and I Holmes, except that I never thought I'd live to
see it. He brought you on another with you, the old armored revolver,
of course. And by the way, talking of revolvers in the addare
case, Wait, Watson ran this way, that's right through the empty yard.
There where are we, Holmes. You'll completely last night, you'll see
in a moment. Ah, yes, that's right, I thought. So
along the mus turned to the left, and we're almost there. You still
can't tell me what we're after. You know already Moriarty's right hand man,
the last of his whole gang. How does he know you're alive? That's
been part of the whole difficulty, my dear fellow, one of the reasons
I've had to lie so low. He saw me that day at the falls.
But what you mean that Moriarty wasn't alone that day after all? Oh,
yes he was. He was quite chivalrous in his own strange way.
But this lieutenant of his must have followed him some way behind to see that
all went well. I caught sight of him for a moment when I was
right at the top of the press of his looking down, and realized that
he could see me climbing up. Good Heaven's hope. Yes, he tried
to dislodge me. Of course, a boulder or two gave me a few
uncomfortable moments, but I managed to get round by another path and elude him.
Did he know for certain that you'd escaped till? I was never sure
until these last few days. And that's what's brought me back to London.
But I don't understand the heart night thought this was the adventure of the empty
house. Well, here's the door. I'll use the skeleton key. Ah,
yes, that's it. Quietly, my dear fellow, dash, say
old Watson. I'm excited, Holmes a bit out of practice. You now
this way through here, this passage way. Careful now, Watson, there's
a low doorway. Don't bend your head. Oh that's the netter. Now
wats something brushed my things into spider's word or a strip of wallpaper? Can't
you see how it's peeling away? The place hasn't been lived in for years.
I still wish I knew where we were. This is the room,
Watson, Nah, then look out of this window. There, God heaven,
Baker Street exactly we're in Camden House, my dear fellow. Don't you
remember it? Exactly opposite our own old quarters at number two hundred and twenty
one B. But what are we doing here? We are here because the
window commands such an excellent view of that picturesque interfice of ours. Come closer,
Watson, and just look up at the window of our old sitting room.
Cool. I believe I'm almost going to think. Hold up, my
dear fellow, there's no Brandy here. Unfortunately, I thought that even three
long years could hardly rob me at my powers to surprise you. Watson,
Holmes, is you up there? It's your shadow on the blind up there.
I trust that age cannot wither me, Watson, nor customs stale my
infinite variety. It really is rather like me. Don't you think he's not?
I could swear that you were sitting up there as the real credit belongs
to mister Oscar Mernier, the distinguished sculptor. A bust of me in wax
Watson placed very carefully so as to cast its silhouett up on the window blind.
I'm out of my dead homes, all things beyond me. What does
it all mean? Simply that I have the strongest possible reasons for wanting a
certain person to believe that I'm up there when I'm really somewhere quite different.
This lieutenant of monarchic, of course, he knows I'm still alive, and
he believes that sooner or later I'll be sure to come back to my old
horns. He knows you're Backley. I'm quite sure he does. I took
pretty good care that he recognized me in the street this morning. Look that
gang of ruffs around the street. They're looking up watching your shadow on the
blind too, aren't they ruffs? You think? Keep back, Watson,
don't let them see you. A great heavens, your shadows moved up,
my dear good Watson. Am I such a farcical bungler as to erect an
obvious dummy and expect the sharpest eyes in Europe to be deceived by it?
What is it? Clockwork? Missus Hudson? The good soul crawls forward on
her hands and knees every few minutes and moves the effage around a little bit,
a different angle I can face. I'd like to see what's really?
What is it? I do believe he's coming. Always listen the stairs.
Yes, he's coming up, actually into this room. I hardly expectence to
a stroke hi black as this listen now about it? Keep your gun ready,
Watson, And yeah, I take this police whistle when I tell you
blow it. What's going to happen? Homes you'll see you'll open that window
and then you'll hear something a sound you'll never heard before in all your life.
What a sound that listen to? Sound at all? An explosion that
doesn't explode upon myself? Quiet now? But another word, my god,
last sluck? No, sir, I got you, dy watsonnother Wison man,
No, come on you it's all right. Oh no, you don't
watch the hold on his arm. That's a hard in him. His name
is the straight, right, thank you, thank you? List straight.
I'd rather fancy everything's quite in order. What is your home's in Heaven's name?
Why, Watson? Just as I told you, the late Professor Moriarty's
first lieutenant, who feed luck you clever? Clever quite so, Colonel Journey's
end in lovers meetings, as they used to say in the old play,
Colonel Sebastian Moran, my dear Watson, once of her Majesty's Indian Army,
and the best big game shot that our Eastern Empire has ever produced. There's
an interesting weapon you've got there as strains, that's mine. No, you
don't. I never seen anything quite like it. Mister Holmes doesn't seem to
have any kind of paradle train, for the simple reason that it's an air
gun of a particularly powerful design, made to the order of the late Professor
Moriarty himself. Of course, Holmes, I remember you told me about it
three years ago, that harmless bust of mine. Across the way you will
have been shuttered by the missilid fires a simple soft nosed bullet. A bust
an effigy, you fiend you've already used that if it's at once, Colonel
for a master marksman. Your vocabulary seems to me a trifle limited. I'm
really quite surprised that so simple a strategy you should have deceived you. You
have not heard the last of me yet, Ols. Indeed, well,
I be ready with Watson, ready, ready for what I rather fancy.
A pipe in our old rooms, my dear fellow. But Holmes, you
will climb them in perfect order. My brother, Mycrops, has been in
charge of everything while I've been away, and there are still a few details
you may care to hear. Wait hon't if it was only an effigy in
that window, you've no right to detain me. I've committed no crime,
no crime attempting to murder, mister Sherlock Holmes. So he's quite correctless trade.
We do need something a little more definite than attempted murder, and in
any case, I think I prefer not to be involved in the matter myself.
Well, I must say, you see, instruct those men of yours
to release me at once. Don't worry less, strate your men can take
him away with perfect impunity. Won't you join Watson and me for a little
refreshment across the way. As to the charge, well, mister Holmes,
you must have one, you know, Oh yes, I have, of
course, the murder of the honorable Ronald and dare shopped through the open window
of his house in Park Lane with an expanding bullet fired less trade from that
very gun you now have in your hand. Goodbye, Moran, Oh,
my best respects to the professor. I feel sure you will meet him in
the nether regions. Well, well, the same old room, mister Holmes.
You could have knocked me down with a fellow when you're walking into the
yard. This afternoon was nothing to her I felt this morning, less said.
I actually fainted, and I was only saying to you, I wouldn't
be surprised to see a shadow on the blind eh ah. But look at
it, my poor old like miss Watson, shot right between the eyes.
I'm afraid. Oh well, all in a good cause. The welcome founds
met Holmes. Is how you knew about the Adare murder? And it was
exactly what I'd been waiting for Watson. As soon as I read in Paris
that Moran had been the young Fellow's partner at cards that night, I realized
he must have been the murderer. But because of the gun was the only
weapon in the world which that crime could have been committed at such a distance
and without a sound. He'd made his little slip, just as his master
did before him. So I knew it was time to come back, and
I was on his trail at last. Well. Well, and to think
that you were examining the scene of the crime at the same moment we were,
Hey, doctor, But what was the motive? Holmes? Adair had
partnered Moran more than once. He discovered that Moran was a cheat, threatened
him with exposure and set to work calculating the amounts that he had fortunately won.
He planned to return those sums, hence the piles of money lying on
the table, and Morin followed him and shot him from the other side of
the street, beyond the railing days. But I still had to prove it.
I knew if he'd got the chance, he'd turned that gun on me,
and I suspected that he might choose the empty house for his purpose,
as indeed he did. By the way, Watson, I'm afraid that that
gang of roughs in the street who were so suspicious are were really only less
strades, plainclothesmen waiting for our whistle. But do you mean that I was
mistaken the home? It's just this once, my dear fellow. And now
that the race of Moriarty is finally extinct, we are quite free to celebrate
the return of Sherlock Holmes. Would you pass me my violin this trade?
How splendid that it wasn't damaged in that fire the professor once started in these
rooms. Hey Watson, that's a matter of opinion at home. But we
welcome you back, sir by George. We do. London hasn't been the
same without you. Thank you less trade. I appreciate that very much,
Yes, Watson. Nothing like a violin, you know, to soothe the
savage breast. You know, I really missed it sorely in Tibit. The
return of Sherlock Holmes and a thousand other cases still before him, well well,
well, the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, based on the original stories of
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, have been dramatized in You, with original music composed
by Sydney Torch. Sir Ralph Richardson played the part of doctor Watson and Sir
John Gildgood that of Sherlock Holmes. The program was produced by Harry Allen Towers.
Welcome back, Well a pretty good hopeful end to the Homes series here,
and I definitely think there's some strong merit to the entire way they did
this. The ones that of all the Holmes is that we've heard. I've
enjoyed this and the Rathbone Bruce versions the best over the radio, and this
will definitely be missed. Miss This was just an overall pretty classy production from
start to finish, just tremendous, with two fine British actors in the lead,
and it's amazing. You know, we've had Sherlock Holmes on the program
for forty four months and it will be someone sadding, you know, as
we have something other than Holmes on Thursday, and as we've gone through these
Sherlock Holmes series, what's really come home to me is just how really amazingly
good the Arthur Conan Doyle stories are. Because you know, I think most
folks at one time or another had some issues with some of the other performers
and some of the scripts that were written for Old Time Radio. But if
you gave even if you were overall critical of their overall performance, you gave
these actors a well adapted Arthur Conan Doyle story, it would be well worth
listening these original stories or classics. And there were some very interesting and interpretations
on Holmes in the course of this, and I think I think this was
just you know, it was a pleasure to bring it to you. I
hope you've enjoyed it. If you've been listening for Sherlock Holmes, I hope
you'll stay around for some of the other series. Coming up next week on
Thursday, we will have another Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story, this one called
the Law Special from Escape, and then we will play all three of Edgar
Allan Poe's detective stories from various radio productions before we turn Thursdays over to Nick
Carter. But definitely we'll miss Sherlock Holmes. Love to hear your feedback on
our final Holmes episode listener comments and feedback. We do have one piece to
share, this one from over on iTunes Level Time Radio and this app really
fits my needs. Thanks so much that will actually do it for today.
We will be back tomorrow with yours truly Johnny Dowler and the Widow Is Willing
Part three, and then join us back here next Thursday for the Law Special.
In the meantime, sindry comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot now,
follow us on Twitter or Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends
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This is your host, Adam Grahamson and Off