Speaker 1: Hello, Yes, this is the Falcon speaking. Oh Sherry, I'm
glad you called. I let to cancel me out tonight, Angel,
I'm all jammed up. Some client of mine wants me
to locate a missing girl. He doesn't care what it costs,
so naturally I'm going to shoot the works. Once again,
the National Broadcasting Company brings you the transcribed Adventures of
the Falcon, dedicated to private investigators everywhere, Those hard hitting
detectives who like Mike Wearing, risk their lives to aid
law enforcement agencies. So join him now. When the Falcon
solves the case of the Killer's Key, it is early
afternoon in New York, and in a shabby rooming house
in midtown Manhattan, a nervous young man, Larry Gordon, gives
himself a dose of artificial courage. Then, deciding further treating
as indicator, he starts pouring again. Who is it?
Speaker 2: They lay?
Speaker 1: Open up? Wait a minute, Claire, to get them everything
you aside to Chicago and lare I made a reservation
for you on California Limited. What names do you use?
Larry holkm good? When's the plane leave? Eight twenty five tonight?
Couldn't you get me out? Sooner. No, listen, Mary, I
still think you're making a mistake. Running away is no solution.
Are you crazy? Maybe this isn't Badgesty, it's worse. If
whatever lays his hands on me, that's it. I think
you're wrong. Look. I worked for the man for eight shes.
I know how his mind operates. I never should have
opened my apter those Treasury boys in the first place.
You had to darling. Why with someone twisting my arm?
They got enough on him to send him up for
ten years. But without you they've got no cap I
don't think that mister doesn't know it. How do you
want to help them? Pat, Larry? I think you could
have been followed. No, no, I was very careful. Who
was it? Campo Internal Revenue? Oh just met a miss Camper? Look, sweetie,
hay awful sort. They know I told you where I was.
What do you want me to do? Get in the
kitchen and for Pete's sake, be quiet, all right, I'm
coming with the camper. Hello, Larry, it's the hunt. Yes,
but I thought I would help. You'll forgive the deception.
I did it very well, don't you think Kemper Internal
Revenue Department? You know the stage may have lost a
great talent. Listens to Hunt. I'm afraid I haven't time, Larry.
I'm pretty busy these days, coming internal revenue men out
of my hair. I wasn't gonna testify against you. No, No,
I was beating it. See I I got the tickets
right here. So you were bound for California. Huh. I
have an opinion you couldn't have chosen better. Where were
you planning to stay? Why? Well, someone should cancel the
reservation since you're going elsewhere. No, now, don't have a
pleasant jurny. I'm going. Yeah, I'd like to see mister Hunt. Please.
Oh you a sergeant Corbett. You don't look like a
soldier to me. You're right, I'm with the police. Where's Hunt? Well,
it's like this, Sergeant Bruce to douce it. Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't realize we're entertaining. You ain't so entertaining you,
Charles Hunt. That's right, I'm Sergeant Corbett. Homicide. Ya, how morbid? Well,
somebody's got to do the job. You ever hear of
a fellow named Larry Gordon? This? Of course he works
for me? Or should I say he wants did? Why well?
I'm being investigated on an income tax matter, as you
may have heard. I've heard, and since Larry's going to
testify against me, naturally I don't consider him in my employee. Well,
he won't need the job anyhow, pardon. He was knocked
off at three this afternoon. I can't believe it, or
take my word for it. I saw the body. I
have an idea you, sir, even before I did. You're
not serious, I certainly am. We got enough evident evidence. Yes,
you see, by an odd coincidence, Larry's girlfriend, Claire Marlowe
was in the kitchen when you gunned him. Is that
what miss Marlo friends? Well? Well, what, well, it's the
way we figure it. We found her fingerprints. You're evading
the question. Has miss mallow accused me? Well, I I
haven't spoken to her yet. Why now she disappeared? She
must have been scared that that. The fact remains until
you discover miss marlow you have absolutely okay, I don't worry.
We'll find her, and when we do, when you do,
give me a call. Okay, Hannah, I'll be seeing you shortly,
and then we'll see how you're creating a draft. Sergeant Well, Bruce,
you hurt. How can I help? But I'm not deaf.
What do you think I think when they find Claire Marlowe,
I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. On the
other hand, suppose I find her first. Who's that private
detective Logan mentioned the other day? You mean Mike Wearring,
see the one they call the Falcon Yeah? Well, uh
s a good boy and look up his address. I
think I've got a case for him. That's the situations
to Wearing So you see my problem? Oh, I'm afraid
I don't, mister Hunt. Isn't it obvious? I want you
to locate this Claire Mama. You said the police are
looking for it. Unfortunately, I haven't much confidence in them. Well,
the jails are loaded with people who thought that. Uh. Nevertheless,
I'd like to see you take the assignment. I don't
like it. Why not? It smiles to me of tampering
with the witness corpor claims as Claire Marlowe can prove
your guilty of Larry Gordon's murder. But there's another sign
to the coin. If missus Marlo says someone else, she
can establish my innocence. Yeah, I suppose that's true enough. Well,
if the police find it first, so much the better.
I just want the additional insurance. In my position, I
need it, all right, Hunt, I'll do what I can,
that's all I ask. You do what you can, and
from that point I hunt, it's up to me. Yeah,
you're the superintendent at Shrack. My name is Mike Wearing.
Wonder if you could give me some information about one
of your tenants. Oh, Claire Marlowe, you a cop? Why
say tell the other fella everything? I knew? What other fellah?
Twelve thin fella vot chosi. Oh you must mean Sergeant Corbett. Yeah,
that's his name. I don't know what you've told Corbett?
Why not tell me? I don't know nothing. Came home
yesterday like she was scared of something, went right to
her room. How long did she stay? Oh maybe ten
fifteen minutes. Did she have a grip with her when
she left? Nope, just a pocket book. And she didn't
say where she was going Nope. And I didn't ask.
I believe a fellow should mind is out. If it
needs one thing, it's another. Excuse me a second? Sure? Yeah,
what you know? Special to livery from Claire marrow Let
me see that. Hey, what you're doing in just a minute.
Dear Hermann, please don't tell anyone you've heard from me,
anyone at all. I wonder if you'd be good enough
to do me a favor. I've made arrangements with North
American band Lines to move my stuff on Wednesday. They
know where to deliver it. My bank book is in
the upper right hand drawer of my dresser. If you
take it with the enclosed with doors slip, I'm sure
you'll have no trouble getting the money. Will you please
bring it over to me at the Kenton Hotel. I'm
using the name Claire O'Brien here. Why if she want
to use her name like that for kentam Hotel? And hey,
where you're going have to report to my client. You've
been a great help Herman. Thanks a million, Bruce. Yeah,
I believe that's the poon. I believe you're right. I
don't you think you should answer? What's the point, mister Hunt?
It's probably for you you know something, Bruce. I'm beginning
to dislike your attitude. No answer the phone, we still
say it's a waste of time. Yeah, I'd like to
talk to Gerald Hunt. Please want it, But I tell
you it's for you. Who is it the falcon? All right? Oh?
I don't think I've been eating you anymore today? You
mean you want me to leave? That's what I want?
A far be it for me to hang around on
not one. Hello, I've got good news for you, Hunts.
Really really look at Claire Marlow. That is wonderful. He's
staying at the Kenton Hotel. She's registered under the name
of Claire O'Brien. I needn't tell you how happy I
am with your services, mister Wearing. I was lucky. Let's
say we both were. You may have been fortunate to
find Claire, but I was lucky to find you. I
would have had a difficult time of it without you.
I don't think nothing of it. When are you planning
to see Claire immediately? You're familiar with the old proverb
he who hesitates his last, Well, in my position, I
can't afford to waste a second. Goodbye, mister Wearing, Thanks
ever so much. You and your children can expect to
live long, thanks largely to better medicine and surgery. But
you could expect to live even longer were it not
for the danger of automobile accidents in the fifteen to
twenty five age group alone, traffic accidents wiped out three
one hundred thousand years of life last year. Had the
six thousand, five hundred automobile victims in this youthful group
lived out their lives, think how much richer and happier
America would have been if driver education could be taught
in all of our high schools instead of only a
third of them. It might someday help to save the
life of your own son or daughter. If your schools
don't have them, demand driver education for your children and
then your own automobile. Remember to drive as though your
life depends on it. It does. And now back to
the Adventures of the falcon. An hour has passed since
Mike Wearing reported to his client Gerald Hunt where Claire
Marlowe could be found. And now in that young lady's
hotel room.
Speaker 2: All right, all right, you guys, come on, let's hurry
it up.
Speaker 1: Get out of here.
Speaker 2: Oh David, if you can find any prints around, I doubt.
Speaker 1: It, and I move the body in asans.
Speaker 2: Now you better wait for Louis. He may want some
more pictures. Right, Hey, Ravie, how you going on that? Oh?
Speaker 1: You boys? Carry on i't get it. I'd like to
Sergeant Corbett, hey, what are you doing here? I came
to see Claire Marlow? Okay, look? Oh no, oh, yes,
there's this close enough? Or would you like to hold
her hand? I don't think she'd get a kick out
of it, neither do I. What do you want with it?
That's a long story. Well, I never knew you to
tell any other kind, So let's get started. Well, a
client of mine wanted me to find her, and you dead.
I was lucky. I wonder who's your client? I'd rather
not say, Oh, you'd rather not say, uh, looked blunkhead
and innocent girl has been murdered. Nobody knew where she
was hiding out and if you found all right, all right,
you don't have to draw me a diagram. I was responsible. Yes, indeed,
you set her up for a clay pigeon. I've known
stupid jerk in my time, but a ball. Never mind
the name sergeant. I can think of a million to
call myself. Well, who's your client? Or maybe I can
guess don't bother. Look, Mike, don't try to hold out
on me. I'm not going to I admit I was
a patsy. In this case, you were a patsy? What
about her? Well? I know, I know someone's going to
pay for it. Hey, wait a minute, where are you
going when I have a word with my client? After
that you can have him. Frankly, I thought it will
be much left. I'll be seeing your sergeant. Yeah, it's hunting.
Who are you? Never mind, I'll announce myself now wait
a sad Bruce, try and keep me off through skill.
The gent's going to drink? Sure where you have, busty
a little privacy because you leave me alone with your boss.
What orders I take? I take from him? You better
get miss walk Papers hunts really, mister Werving, and't you
being a bit high handed? Tell him to blow? All right, Bruce,
here me go as long as you put it that way?
All right? Now? What was the idea? Hans? What was
what I did? Don't give me any double talk. I'm
in no mood for it. Oh it's easy, I'll show
you no that you made a sucker out of me.
You got me to find Claire Marlow so you could
kill her. You mean Claire's dead, as if you didn't know,
But I didn't. I suppose you don't remember me phoning
you at one thirty this afternoon. I told you where
you could find her. I could blow my brains out
not calling on her first. But you didn't make that mistake.
Did you let me go? I'm sure I'll let you go.
My confessions are in order. You killed her, didn't you? No,
come on hand, I'm going to get the truth. If
I have to break every bone in your body. You
murdered that, just as you murdered Larry God. I swear
I didn't. Where's your coach? I'm not going with you?
Yes you are. I promise to deliver you the sergeant
call it down the head course. And that's one promise
I ain't tend to keep. Now. We had to go
quiet now, okay, so come on, get up. We got
a long, rough trip ahead of you.
Speaker 2: And hey, Maddie, here's sergeant Carlon reported in Yet just
about two minutes ago, Well where's Hunts?
Speaker 1: Hey couldn't find him? You mean he skipped?
Speaker 2: Yeah, Colin said the place was a shambles. Well, get
a forty seven OD. I want every bus and train
depot watch and cover the airfields. If Hunt gets away
with he won't Hey, never mind Maddie.
Speaker 1: All right, from inside, let me go. What's the idea, Mike,
what's the matter with you? Sergeant? Don't you recognize him?
Who would? He looks? Wait a minute, it's Hunt, that's right.
Well what happened now? He had a little accident. Go on, Hunt,
sit down. You slug him, sergeant? You know me? Well
that's why I asked, listen, Mike, why don't we both listen?
All right? Hunt, make like a birdie. I don't know
what you're talking about. Look if I've got to bounce
you around again. What's going on here? He admitted to
me that he murdered Claremarl. I lived what I couldn't
help myself, Sergeant, he would have killed me. And it's
not too late, now, do you deny? I deny everything.
I was supposed to make that admission to protect myself.
Under the circumstances, I felt I was justified. Look, sergeant,
could you leave us alone for a couple of minutes.
Don't be as sad, and it's all right for you
to talk. But I feel responsible for that girl's death.
If I hadn't found her, she would still have been alive.
I phoned him at one thirty and i'd to wait
a minute. When did you phone him at one thirty? Oh? No, why,
what's the matter. Do you realize what you've done? You've
just given him an alibi? Are you not?
Speaker 2: Claire Morlowe was killed at a quarter to one, what
forty five minutes.
Speaker 1: Before you called him? That means that means he couldn't
have killed her. Look Hunter five onion and justice? Did
you have I want to do any good? IDVI? I said,
I was sorry, I'm at all. Good day, gentlemen. I
trust I'll never see either of you again. Well, welcome home,
misterie hot. I see you've taken over. Bruce. I didn't
think you'd mind you like some champagne. No thanks, you
don't know what you're missing. This is a bitter end. Hey,
tell me, it's the only thing when you're celebrating? Is
that what you're doing? Sure? Aren't you back? I'm flattered.
I didn't dream you cared. Yeah, I was real worried.
I had a feeling I was never going to see again. Hey,
you ought to do something about that eye that Mike wearing.
Can really dish it out, Bruce, joke is over. What's
the meaning of this? I told you. I was celebrating.
Surely it don't be grudge your ex employee a bottle
of champagne. My ex employing, well away, I see it.
I've been working for you for seven years, sir, so
I decided it was time I bettered myself. Abster all,
this is the land of opportunity, and you feel opportunity
is knocking at your door. Definitely, be sure you won't
join me in a drink. Enough of this nonsense kept
me my robe. You don't seem to understand I'm through
taking orders with what I got I want? Have you
got on for one thing? You knocked off Larry Gordon
and Claire Marlowe. This becomes a shock to you. But
the police, I I'm satisfied I had no hand in either.
You say I have an unimpeachable anibi. Is that a fact? Yes?
It now develops that Ms Marler was matter at forty
five minutes perfomance to wearing reported the whereabouts to me, Well,
what do you know? I know you've been taking too
much for granted, I don't think so I have to
know how it work. You do? Yeah, I was going
through your clothes hunt Well, I thought maybe you wanted
me to send them out to the cleaners. Anyway, in
your pocket I found this card Lawrence Reagan Private Investigations.
So I wondered what you would want for two private detectives,
And just like that, it came to me you were
going to use wearing as an alibi. I'm mistaken. Well,
it's an easy way to check. Who are you calling?
The boy Sherlock Lawrence Reagan? Nothing ridiculous? Am I hello?
Let me talk to mister Reagan. Please. This is Bruce Webster.
I worked for mister Hunt. Well, the boss would like
to know whether you have any luck finding Claire Marlowe.
Speaker 2: What's the matter with the guy's he's Blona Hughes, I
reported back to him at eleven o'clock this morning. Is
at the Kenton Hotel, registered under the name of Claire O'Brien.
Speaker 1: I guess it kind of slipped his mind. What's going on?
Nothing you should worry about. Thanks a lot anyway, Well
you win, I always do. I'm the patient type. I
learned that from you. What do you want twenty five
thousand dollars? That's a lot of money. Well, and Amy,
though I was gonna throw it away, I'm gonna sock
it into the government box at three percent pay pay.
He'll come in mighty in now making a mistake. I
don't think so. I always say the least a fella
can do is be patriotic. You better get it up
fastest to hunt. You don't want to keep Uncle Sam waiting.
Well I don't get it, Sergeant, I don't get it
at all. Well you would if I had my way.
You ruined everything. But are you sure? Claire Marlow died
at a quarter of the one positive The deskerk at
the hotel heard the shots. Did you have any other enemies? No,
this thing's tied up with the Larry Gordon killing. For sure.
It doesn't make sense. There was no way in the world.
But hello, that you're wearing? Yes, who's this Bruce Webster? Oh?
I worked for Hunt? Remember? Oh yeah? I just thought
you might be interested. I'm terminating my employment. That's supposed
to mean something to me. It might mean a lot.
If you could dig up some cash, I can let
you know my reason. What are you talking about? Wouldn't
you like to know why? I'll hunt me to chump
out of you. I certainly would. How much joke can
you raise? I'm not in Hunt's class, but every little
bit helps. Could you lay your hands on ten grand?
Don't be ridiculous. Five, I've got seven hundred and twenty
dollars in the bank. Fine, I'll take it. Now, Wait
a minute, come on, wearing, make up your mind. Where
are you? I got a little place at the Fortuna
Apartments in West ninety third. Drop around with you in
the neighborhood. Okay, don't go away. I'll be in the
neighborhood in twenty minutes at your wading Yeah, just a second,
Come on it, mister Hunt Spry. Yeah, I thought I
saw the last of you. You thought wrong. What's the idea?
Fairly simple. I'm a man who hates loose ends. Naturally,
with you dangling about, you would oh you recognize the gun. Yes,
it's the same one I used on Larry Gordon and
Claire Mamma. You'll never get away. Whether the council know
for sure, are concerned for me, you needn't. Why you see,
I'm taking the liberty of preparing a note in which
you confess to both matters you're nuts. When the police
break in, they'll find the note, and then again, naturally,
it'll be in the traditional position for suicide. I'll never
buy it. I had no motive to knock off Larry Gordon.
You have the way I've explained it in this note.
Seems you were madly in love with Claire. When she
spurned you. For Larry, decided to rid yourself of the competition.
As for Claire, she was a witness to the act,
so regretfully you had to dispose of her too. Isn't
that poetic? Listen, I wish I could my boy the time,
mister essence. No doubt many of you will remember the
Big Smog. It was a deadly cloud of man made
factory smoke carried in fogg that settled over Donald of
Pennsylvania in nineteen forty eight. It killed twenty persons and
made six thousand others ill before it lifted. That tragedy
alerted the entire nation to the peril of death dealing smog.
But did you know that another and far deadlier man
made fog will settle over this nation streets and highways tonight.
It's the fog that beclouds the brain of the drinking
driver and the pedestrian who has had one too many.
Let's start to clear this death fog from our roads
and begin now. Remember, if you drink, don't drive. If
you drive, don't drink. Drive as though your life depends
on it. It does. Now back to the Adventures of
the Falcon. Fifteen minutes have passed since Mike promised to
call on Bruce Webster. Now we find Sergeant Corbett helping
him keep that promise. This must be it. Yeah, I
suppose he won't talk. Just leave everything to me. I
left hunt to you. And what happened? Sure, he said
he'd meet you here. That's positive. I told him i'd
be open twenty We get out of the way. Now
what are you doing? What does it look like? Don't
you know? It isn't polite to peek through key holes now,
but it could be awfully interesting. What do you see?
Give me a half this stior? Oh what was it?
Come on, come on, put your shoulder to it. One? Two?
Holy smoke? Yeah, what did he want to do that for?
Don't ask me. I'm a stranger to hear myself. Hey,
wait a minute, what do you make of this? To
whom it may concern, this was the only way I
killed Larry Gordon. It was all Claire Marlowe's fault. She
led me on. I thought was larry out of the way.
We'd have a deal. But I was a chump. Oh
for they're looking for any relatives. I haven't. Hey, cut
that out, Mike. I was only going through park. What
you know better. I just wanted to see what he
had on him. Well, someone was here before me. All
he's got on him are these two keys. What do
you make of it? One's obviously for his grip, the
other for his car. Now this doesn't add up. What
do you mean he didn't commit suicide? Look at the gun.
You look at it. I tell you this was engineered
by whom? By Haunt? Of course? Can you approve that
to you? Where's my percentage? Let's find someone will give
me better rods. Oh, I can't believe this. When I
was up at Bruce's a few hours ago, and you
admit you were there, why should I do that? He
complained of not feeling well this evening. Naturally, the least
I could do was show him home, and when you
left he seemed perfectly all right. I never dreamt he
contemplated suicide. I still don't understand why. Oh, maybe there's
no clear things up. Let's make concern. So that explains it,
I said, would seem to I have realized he was
involved with Claire. Well, things are seldom what they seem.
For instance, when we broke into Bruce's room, it looked
as though he committed suicide. But you don't believe. No,
you told me I found a gun in the sand. Yes,
and it was the same weapon that was used on
Mary Gordon and Claire Marlow. And I should imagine that
would take care of everything. Oh not quite. There was
one thing missing. When Corbett and I got the Bruis's room.
The door was locked. Well, if he committed suicide, it
had to be locked on the inside obviously, Then what
happened to the key? That's right, It wasn't in the
lock because you were able to peek through the keyhole,
and it wasn't on him or in the room. That
means the door must have been locked on the outside
and the killer absent mindedly walked off with the key. Look,
mister wearing a right sergeant go through his pocket? Can
well what do we got here? So all a mistake, now,
you said, a friend. And the beautiful part of it
is it only takes one to land you in the chair,
all right, sergeant, he's all yours. Well, like my father
used to say, another day, not a dollar, And believe me,
you didn't earn this one. I did all the work. Well,
you schlump, you should talk. He gave Hunt that alibi.
You're out of your mind. It hadn't been made. It
would have been some other private day. Come again. It
also was down to one thing. Hunt had two of
us trying to locate Claire. He probably waited until the
other boy came through for him before he even hired me. Oh,
what was the point if it was other alibi? After all,
when I told you our reported to him after the
girl was murdered, it didn't seem possible. He could have
been responded, well, I still women hold everything. Well, what's
the matter? I just thought of something I never got
paid huh by Hunt for finding Claire. Sue him? See him?
He's going to the chair so worse. Why were you, kiddo?
I'd really make trouble for him. Good night, Mike. The
Case of the Grand Gamble. The Case of the Grand Gamble,
that's the title of next week's Adventure of the Falcon.
When Mike Wearing learns that when men play for high odds,
there's sometimes are grave consequences. The Adventures of the Falcon
are based on the famous character created by Brexel Drake,
Produced and transcribed by Bernard al Schubert, Written today by
Eugene Wangon, directed by Richard Lewis Left Damon starred as
the Falcon