 Broadway's My Beat, from Times Square to Columbus Circle, The Gaudiest, The Most Violet, The Lonesomest Mile in the World. Broadway's My Beat, transcribed with Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. It's the time that was saved up for, night time on Broadway. The time when the great explosion flings itself out over the city, and the lights plume in colors against the dark walls, and the crowd gathers to give it voice, and brush their shoulders, the hawkers, the gawkers, the hurry up boys, and slow down girls, the laughers and weepers, and footsteps and whispers, and inside the thickness of glass, cocktails on the bar, piano, and the secret sounds from a corner table. This is it, Broadway in the blaze of the moon, night time, and party time at the end of the corridor and down the stairs in the house where I was, East 63rd, and above it, in the bedroom, the pull motor and Detective Muckerman. With her head in the sink, isn't that right, Miss Brady? Yes sir, yes sir, that's right, yes sir. You okay? I'm not drunk anymore, if that's what you mean. Good, let's start all over again from the beginning. I came upstairs here from the party, I was going to take a shower, cropped up the here, and there was Cora with her head in the bathtub, and I screamed. I never got sober so fast in my life. Listen, how's Cora? She's not breathing, Miss Brady. She was so drunk. Drunk enough to beat herself over the back of the head and let the water in the tub and put her face under the water. Who do you think you are? Just a little old me, Miss Brady. Mrs. Lee has her bruise on the back of her head. I asked you a question, I want you to answer. What am I supposed to do? Say pardon me because I happen to stumble in. Okay, okay. What am I supposed to do, huh? Just keep on with what you were doing. That's all I remember. I screamed. I dragged her away from the tub, I ran downstairs, and nobody paid attention to me, and someone did, and that's it. That's a story I got before you got here, didn't you? How's she now? How's my life? I was just saying, she's still not breathing. Where have you been, Mr. Lee? What about me? You can go. Tell everybody to break up the party or what? Hey, real kind of you to help. Just don't do a thing. Stick around. You're a stinker. That's the word I use in mixed company. Detective Muggerman asked you where you've been, Mr. Lee. I heard him. You sneak in another vodka? Two of them. Wait a minute. Nice going, Don. But what about my wife? She's on the other side of the room. You think you can make it over? You're going to be all right, Cora. You're going to be all right. Let's go out of your mind. Cora. Sure. I want to show you something anyhow. Dung hole. Mr. Fraser. Mr. Fraser. I rise and shine, Mr. Fraser, sir. Up and out on your rump pot. Your daughter was dead for a little while. She's breathing again. All right, come on. A fine daddy you are. What's the score on him? Well, I got it from Miss Brady. He's throwing the party for his son-in-law. Roughly. Right. Daughter Cora wanted to have this wing thing to show off to her college chums of a couple of years past. Her husband, who suddenly became her father's junior partner. Hey, Danny. Yeah? You ever dream of becoming a junior partner in anything? I did. My wife's father had a small... Yeah, yeah. That's a good comedy. He went broke the day after I married his daughter. How about this Anne Brady I talked to? Also college chum. One's roommate, still very, very close friends. Your daddy-in-law chooses to sleep it out. How's your wife? She's gonna be all right. You know, you never know when an accident's gonna happen to you. You know some insurance companies say that the most dangerous place in the world is right in your own home and you never figure that anything's gonna happen to you. Tell it to your daddy-in-law, Buster. Shall I bring on the guest, Danny? Yeah, I'll do that. So it went on. Interrogation of celebrants gathered to launch with magnums of champagne the latest accomplishment of Ralph and Cora Lee and who set it afloat on currents as spilled from fifths of gin. And celebrant, young woman, astonished, positively astonished that she had been invited at all. After all, the only time her path and Cora's had crossed at college was a double date once. And Cora must have been stoned to have tripped like that into her own bathtub in the strapless like she was. And celebrant, young chap who, were he married to boss's daughter would not let one harm befall one golden hair of boss's daughter's head. And celebrant, who stands before you, pushes her face into the contours of compassion leans it close to yours and then is carried out. So it went on and finally no more partygoers and no new information. Only that Cora Lee had lain her head against death and was now not dead. And how about one for the road, fella? And leave. And try then the sleep of October night and make the edge of it just in time for waking and for headquartering. Welcome. Morning, Genome. Your chair, Danny. Thank you. Genome, uh... Such a mismatch in the outer office, Danny. The noises, the running through and through, fella can't concentrate. So I took the liberty... It's all right, Genome. Also, being so near my lunch hour, I thought I'd swipe a few minutes of peace and quiet in your office. Which explains why the contents of my lunchbox is spread on your desk. You got anything for me, Genome? Yeah, under here somewhere was a report from Dr. Sinski. It came in a couple hours ago. She is somewhere. What did it say, Genome? Words, Danny, medical words to the effect and the opinion of Dr. Sinski. Mrs. Cora Lee was tapped on the head and said the member was held underwater by person or persons unknown. Eh, dear, it is, Danny. Under here all the time. Anything else, Genome? Early this morning, a phone call from Mrs. Lee's personal physician to the effect. Mrs. Lee is in state of shock and cannot be talked to for, as I was saying, Danny, for several hours, perhaps longer. Your desk, Danny, clean of my lunch. Thanks, Genome. Muggevin... All at your lunch, Genome, are you expecting a bridge club? Let him whose wife permits her husband to eat at a coffee cup. Break it up, huh? You got something, Muggevin? Yeah, I got a preliminary report on it. It's your lunch hour, isn't it, Genome? It is that, Detective Muggevin? Why don't you go and join us somewhere else? As I was about to do. Well, bye, Danny. See you after a while. Preliminary report on what, Muggevin? Cora Lee. While you were out this morning, I did some legwork. Caught up with a few of her guests in the hangover stage. I got some sober answers. Consensus seems to be their hostess, Cora Lee, a wild baby. Real wild. A woman you can't count on one minute to the next. Today a friend, tomorrow an enemy. While Cora was at college, wow. Did you, uh... Yeah, made an appointment with the dean. He said any time after one o'clock, that's why... I'll get it done. Detective Muggevin speaking. Uh-huh. Well, yeah. I'll do that, Doctor. I'll give him the message. Thank you very much. How about that, Danny? I wouldn't know. How about that? That was Cora Lee's personal physician, Dr. Chalmers. He says, Cora's recovery's been phenomenal. He says, already, her college jumps are pouring in to celebrate the fact. He says, do you want to talk to her? You should get over right away. Yeah. I'll see you, Muggevin. Oh, Mr. Lee, I... You got here very quickly, I must say. Your wife's position phoned. He told us... Oh, he didn't phone. I did. It was me. I was the one. Just a few minutes ago, I just barely hung up the receiver. What are you talking about? You don't know? You don't know... No. Tell me, Mr. Lee. Cora's dead. Yeah, she is. I'm not drunk now. And I wouldn't make a joke about a thing like... I tell you, Cora's dead. You come right in and I'll show you. You don't believe it. I can see that. Well, I'll show you. I've told our friends that they're having such a gay time. I didn't want to... You see? The way her eyes stare at you and that knife in her. And, Cora, don't you see she's dead? I'm not drunk. And I wouldn't make a joke about a thing like that. It's just not funny, Mr. Clover. It's not funny at all. You are listening to Broadway's My Beat, written by Morton Fine and David Friedkin, and starring Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. Would you like to go behind the footlights of the theater? Would you like to say hello to some of the fabulous names up in the bright lights? Then you will enjoy Stagestruck, its CBS radio's great and glamorous new program that takes you front row center and backstage behind the scenes to meet Broadway and Hollywood stars. As you'll meet the stars, the producers, the men and women of the theater who are little known but key figures in the success of curtain calls all over America. You'll hear the singing stars of Broadway musicals. You'll hear dramatic stars re-enact the scenes from the plays that audiences are cheering. You'll meet the fabulous composers of hits, the dramatists of Pulitzer Prize fame, the scenic artists, the stagehands, all the talent that makes up the fabric of the theater. Just a few of the theater greats who have been heard on Stagestruck are Rodgers and Hammerstein, Yule Brinner, Alfred Drake, Ezio Pinza, Cab Calloway, and you'll meet a host of others when you get Stagestruck Friday Nights on CBS radio. Afternoon of October is of gold and of an autumn leaf drifting in a river that spills into winter seas. And for Broadway too, the gentle time. Time of the strollers and the long time appraisal of winter's mannequins. And the autumn song to hum meanwhile electronically phrased by the avenue's loudspeakers. And time for the drawing of lots in office football pools. And time also for tilting with another form of chance. Emotion as a raid on the wide screen and of a scope unheard of till this, your lucky day. The good time of autumn, the gentle time. Before night happens. And where I was, time reckoned in number of cocktails consumed and in swift flow of laughter. I'd better shut this door. Where I was, a door shut to still a woman's death. At her side her husband. They wouldn't do that if they knew. They love Cor. At her side her father. Why don't you go out there and tell them, Ralph? It's a husband's place. Look, I... A husband's place, Ralph, to appraise his guests a thing has happened to his wife. They're hostess. Cor, I can't do it for you anymore. And I won't. You're her father and you... And I what, son-in-law, mind? She's dead. Cor has a knife in her heart. Your daughter, you don't bat an eye. I was very, very drunk last night. I believe I still am. In that condition at my age it becomes quite difficult to concentrate and you'll forgive this emotional lapse over my daughter, your wife. I'm sorry. Son-in-law, mind? You see, Mr. Clover? See what? How simple it is. How simple for a man of my means to buy understanding from his family as I bought this house for my daughter. You listen to me. I... Yes, Ralph? I won't. You won't what, Ralph? Nothing. Now, you needn't have trembled. I would not have said to Mr. Clover that because Cor wanted you, I did things for you. This house, your position in my firm, you're a good man, Ralph. You got where you are practically on your own. You're a very good man, Ralph. I remember once... You still hold it, huh, Mr. Downing? Well, Mr. Downing, as I have said, I believe so happily. The fact that your daughter... The fact of my daughter is this, Mr. Clover. I love Cora too much. Whatever she wanted from this high. I loved her and happily I am still drunk and Cora dead is only a woman who is dead. For now, drink does that. Fetch me a drink, Ralph. Now, fetch, fetch. Stay here, Mr. Lee. Fetch. Stay. Fetch. Stay. That. My son-in-law. Oh, I'm very proud. What happened here, Mr. Lee? This morning, Cora felt good. She didn't remember what had happened last night. How she almost died, and I told her. And she said, let's celebrate. Let's call the people back and celebrate. I didn't die, I didn't drown. I asked her doctor and he said it was all right. And they came. They celebrated with her and one of them killed her. You, Mr. Lee? Him? Oh, oh, oh, oh. Why? Why should he kill the swan or the golden egg? You think my son-in-law's a fool, an idiot? I'm not more. You killed your wife, Mr. Lee? No. I was out there with them and then someone said a funny thing and I came back here to Cora to tell. I loved her. Cora was beautiful. And rich? I loved her. And rich and kind to her husband and generous. So why kill me around? Mr. Lee? Yes? I want to question your guests again. Go round them up. Last night's celebrants trek again into the library for questioning again. Carrying the same drinks with them again, what's the big difference? The drinks have a touch of tomato or orange dashed into them because it's a little afternoon and that's a good time for vitamins. They file in again and take their stance. The young women, the young chaps who include again and is carried out again. And there was Mrs. Knox who wore a feather in her hair and a dab of various things all strung together by a net. And Mrs. Knox had a thing to say. I'm the girl who calls her shots. Oh, yes, indeedy. What did you call? What are you trying to say? I was in college with Cora. I knew her for two weeks and I said to myself, there's a classmate who'll never see 30. One way or another she'll never make it. So when you consider what's happened here today and when I tell you I'm a girl who calls her shots... How well did you know, Carly? Nothing I say here is going to get out, is it? Oh, no, I didn't think it would. Cora, the most jealous, vicious, detestable, beautiful girl in the class of 1950. That's knowing someone pretty well, isn't it? Who would want to kill her? Oh, I suppose anyone with a knife and... Oh. Hi, Ann. Hello. Mr. Clover, I just came in to ask you whether you want a sandwich or a highball or whatever. Taking over, finally, dear. Mr. Clover. Mr. Clover, you're a policeman. Well... Have you ever seen the damage a woman's high heel can do? Taking over, finally, dear. Get her out of here, Mr. Clover. You want to talk to me? Get her out of here. Confession's good for the soul. I want to talk to you, Mr. Clover. All right. Thank you, Mrs. Knox. Of course. Miss Brady, what did Mrs. Knox mean when she said that... I was just going to tell you. Okay. You're wondering why it's me who came in here and offered you things as if this house were mine. That's what I was doing, huh? You must have. All right. Once upon a time, it seems that long ago... Let's go, Miss Brady. What are you trying to say? Once upon a time, I was going to marry Ralph. Cora's husband. Once upon a time. That's what Elizabeth Knox meant when she asked me whether I was taking over, finally. She meant had I gotten my man at last. I see. Why are you... You're investigating a murder, Mr. Clover. You will run into that bit of information about Ralph and me, and you will wonder why I didn't mention it. So I thought to tell you... Why didn't you marry Ralph? That's not what you mean at all. Oh? Not at all. You mean why is it that he married Cora? Any way you want it phrased. She was the better woman, I suppose. One day Ralph said to me, may I have my ring back, please? I said to him, why certainly, darling? But why should you want it back now with our wedding just a fortnight away? We used words like fortnight during our romance, Mr. Clover. Go on. And he said to me, well, I'll never forget how he stammered. Well, he said, over and over. And finally he said, well, I want my ring back because I want to marry Cora instead of you. I said to him, Ralph, for more worthwhile reason there isn't. I remember... What? I was reading the comic page at the time and I threw it at him. That's all I could think of to do. Then I threw the ring at him. Listen, I've got a motive for killing Cora, haven't I? Yes. Not the kind of woman I am. And that kind is... I've got to be in the middle of things, a doer. Busy, busy, busy. You talk to Ralph. He's a clawed, not for me. Once he was. But I grew up, or he didn't. Or something. He's a clawed. I don't have a motive in the world for killing his wife, Mr. Clover. I'm back, Danny. Uh-huh. I've been to college this afternoon. Yes. College where Cora matriculated. Got away with a degree. Bachelor of Fine Arts. Which surprise to professors, no end. Those I talk to, that is. Go on. The reason for the professor's surprise Cora ever finished a school, week after week during a semester, she'd come through with papers, just this side of being marked failure. Come final exams, passed. Not great, but passing marks. High enough to let her go all the way. That proves something? Uh-huh, proves this. With Cora in college was a very bright, exceptionally bright, the professor said student. Uh, name of Anne Brady. She helped Cora. The professor said he wouldn't know, so I asked an assistant professor. He said, he knew he said. Anne Brady's tuition, lab costs, sorority costs, texts, and incidentals were paid for by Cora's father. This, the assistant prof knew, as he had dated Anne several times and was told these things because he asked. Is that anything else? Yeah. I bought the yearbook from the year Cora graduated. Three years old and it cost me a buck fifty. There. Hmm? I marked the places where Cora's picture is and where Anne's is. Take a look. There. Cora was a very beautiful girl. Yeah, just read what it says underneath. Under ambition. Hmm? Ambition. To enjoy. Now read what it says under Anne Brady. There. Ambition. One, to write for magazine. Two, to tour Europe. Three, to get married. So... So this. Anne Brady never got to do any of those things. I checked it. She never did. Cora did, though. Oh? When Cora got out of school, she got a job at one of those women's magazines. State of year. Then quit the tour Europe. Sold cosmetics for an American firm. State of year. Quit. Came back. Married Ralph Lee. What Cora did, what Anne didn't do. Which brings up the point of Ralph Lee. What about him? Oh, you met him twice. How'd you figure him? A nothing type man. Weak. No character. Not too bright. What are you building, my government? In college, Ralph Lee was a flash. Football, flash, fraternity, flash, flash in the classrooms, too. Major in production engineering. Before graduating, competed for a position in a big tool-and-die firm. Won it. Did you get the idea? Yeah, Bruce, the tool-and-die on 23rd. They say Mr. Brewster was very proud he won a bright student like Ralph Lee. It'd be interesting to talk to Mr. Brewster to find out. Yeah, it would. Thanks, my government. Then he would look over the material requisitions handed to him by the sheet metal shop foreman and the machine shop foreman. What I'm trying to get out, Mr. Cawin. Don't you don't mind. Look, maybe your line of work is not complicated. Mine happens to be. Sorry. Ralph Lee's job was responsible. That's what I'm trying to say. He started pushing steel tools around in a truck from station to station to get the layout of the plant. And even a simple thing like that, he did well. Then as an expediter, so he could get used to the operations. And he did that well, too. I'm trying to tell you he was a boy in his way, eager, interested. College boy who starts learning the business from the bottom. Respect for the machine operators because here's the people he's been reading about in his textbooks. And they're just not drawings or diagrams, but people who do an exacting job. Well, really good boy. Fine worker. Why did he quit? His eagerness ran out, I guess. He got tired. What do you mean? I had my eye on Ralph Lee, and he knew it. Teach him the whole shop. Let him come into the business. I had that in mind. I hinted it to him. Made him no definite promises, you understand, but I hinted plain enough. I guess he wasn't getting ahead quick enough. He quit, came in, said he was getting married, and he quit. That's Ralph Lee, as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Clover, a good boy who couldn't wait. Now the secret's over, huh? So tell me the secret. There's no secret, Miss Brady. Just questions. That's been our whole relationship, hasn't it? But this time no party, no sandwiches, no booze. Here we just sit and ask questions, and you answer. Don't make it sound so ominous. What do you do, Miss Brady? You really want to know? Yeah. What do you do for a living? I'm a buyer in a lady shop. I buy what I think ladies will buy, and I'm very good at it. Okay. Now I want you to take a look at this. The Westwood Ho, our yearbook from college. How nice. You're on page 21. Alongside your picture, which is set in an oval, tells it you were a sorority girl. Oh, I was, I was. That was me. And here it says you had three ambitions, to write for a magazine, to go to Europe, and to get married. And to get married. It doesn't make it, huh? I don't like you. I know. Not at all. Miss Brady. I'm not particularly keen about you either. Oh, we'll talk later, Miss Brady. Right now I hate to rub it in, but a friend of yours made it, didn't she? Cora Lee wrote for a magazine, went to Europe, got married. She really did. Got married's the really important one, isn't it? There are books out revealing. To the man you were engaged to. Right. Oh, very right. Yeah, we talked about that earlier, didn't we? What do you want from me? Really loused up your life, didn't she? Who? Oh, come on. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it? All the things you wanted, Cora Lee got. She was rich. Okay, let's get down to it. To what? Let's talk about Ralph Lee. Why? You didn't call him a slob, did you? You may. I often think of the term. Once? What? Once upon a time. That's the way you'd put it, isn't it? What? Quite a boy. Eager. Boy on his way up. That's when you loved him. We're gonna marry him. So? Would Cora take him away from you? Listen, I told you that. A better woman. I wouldn't say so. You'd be a good type for an eager boy. You're smart. Why, thank you kind, sir. But you saw what happened to Ralph. That's a good thought, Mr. Clover. Slob. Slob. She bought Ralph. Why get to the top by steps, anyway? Sure, why indeed. When a Cora Lee comes along and will guarantee you a partnership with her father, why indeed? And he took it. And he became a... A slob. Not quibble. Listen. Uh-huh. She resented me. I pushed you through college and it annoyed her. Her father paid my way so she could get through college on my brains. And it twitted her. When you both graduated, she set out to destroy you. Yes. I was up for a job on that magazine. She heard of it. Used her name and influence to get it. Then the Europe thing, the same. And Ralph took him away too. Married him. Made a hulk out of him. Last night. Yeah. Upstairs from the party. Yeah, we know. You slugged her and tried to drown her. I thought I heard someone coming, so I screamed for help. This morning I went back and put a knife in her. One thing though. What? Whatever happens to me, she's not going to be around. She's not going to louse it. Listen, I didn't think I'd get away with this. But I made sure she wouldn't louse it, didn't I? I sure did. The people race against the night time on Broadway. Each in his own way make time stand still. That's the trick. But dawn comes. And the gutters are soaked with the wasted minutes. The infinite man hours of loneliness. And the tears. It's Broadway. The gaudiest. The most violent. The lonesomest mile in the world. Broadway. My beat. Broadway's My Beat stars Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. With Charles Calvert as Tartaglia. And Jack Krushen as Muggevin. The program is produced and directed by Elliott Lewis. With musical score composed and conducted by Alexander Courage. In tonight's transcribed story, Gene Bates was heard as Ann Brady. Featured in the cast were Julie Bennett, Jack Edwards, Whitfield Connor and Tyler McVeigh. Bill Anders speaking. Friday night again, mystery fans are invited to match wits with Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons. A CBS radio presents his latest thrilling murder case on most of these same stations. Mr. Keen's powers of deduction and your armchair assistance will go well together Friday night at the Stars Address. You hear America's favorite shows on the CBS Radio Network.