 The Adventures of Sam Spade Detective brought to you by Wild Root Cream Oil Heratonic, the non-alcoholic heratonic that contains lanolin. Wild Root Cream Oil, again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. Authors of Samuel Spade Private Investments? I mean investigations. Good morning. Uh, evening. Effie? Miss Perina's on a vacation. Perhaps I may be of assistance, no doubt. I don't know. The whom am I speaking to? I am sorry. I cannot devolve that information to an entire stranger. May I take a message? Look, Miss, whoever you are, I don't want to discomode you, but... I am sorry, but I will have to ask you in no certain terms to resist from this line you are handing me. I am not the type secretary. Forget it. I'll just call Miss Perine long distance and dictate my report over the phone. Oh, my stars and goddess, how utterly gouch of me, Mr. Spade! Oh, I'm Bernadine, Effie's Relief. I mean yours. I could use some. Oh, shall I send out for some medicine? Yeah. The phone number's on the wall behind the water cooler. Tell them the hundred proof bonded and hang the expense. I'll be right down to dictate my report on the failed bond, Caper. Dashel Hammett, America's leading detective fiction writer and creator of Sam Spade, The Hard Boiled Private Eye and William Spear, radio's outstanding producer, director of mystery and crime drama, join their talents to make your hair stand on end with the adventures of Sam Spade, presented by the makers of Wild Root Cream Oil for the Hair. Only three days left, gals, and June, the month of weddings will be over. But don't worry, there are still 187 days left in leap year, still time to snag the man of your dreams. You know, the one who uses Wild Root Cream Oil on his hair. He and millions of other men use Wild Root Cream Oil daily because Wild Root Cream Oil grooms the hair so neatly and naturally, relieves dryness and removes loose dandruff. Any smart man who wants to look smart always insists on Wild Root Cream Oil hair tonic. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. And now, with Howard Duff starring as Spade, Wild Root brings to the air the greatest private detective of them all in the adventures of Sam Spade. Yes, but why? It was faith. I knew it was going to be like this. I had my qualms too, Bernadine. Oh, that's good. I sent the other back. The other what? I called that number, but it was euphonious. They sent whiskey. Is something the matter? No, no, nothing at all. I'm perfectly qualm. Well, I'm glad. My previous employer was very nervous, which is why I just happened to be tentatively at large when Effie reproached me about being a relief to her. Figures. Bernadine, now I'm not being fresh. Honestly, I'm not. But do you take shorthand? Yeah, but I don't speak it. What is that you speak? Don't answer. Ready? Rodney. I mean, Roger. Date. I'll have to ask my mother. Down, Bernadine. Date, June 27, 1948, to Micephie Parrain, care of Perry's Lodge, Cannab, the Pearl of the West, Utah. What? Oh, wrong letter. I'll get to that later. Date, June 27, 1948, to Leo M. Scarlett, care of Leaf Branch, Root, Knox and Wood, attorneys at law, 333 Pine Street, San Francisco, from Samuel Spade, license number 137596, subject to bail bond, Caper. Dear Leo. I'm sorry things turned out the way they did, Leo. And I'd like you to know how I got into it. It wasn't for the reward. I don't take rewards. I'm not in love with your wife, no matter what she says. And I wasn't sore at you about anything. I was just sitting in my office, minding my own business when the door opened, and Vivian walked in. She looked every bit as beautiful as she did when she lived under me in Mark Tuttle's boarding house in 41. In fact, I didn't recognize her until she slithered out of her mink. Hello, Sam. Surprised to see me? Yeah, but I'm trying not to show it. What's on your mind? Is that all you've got to say to me, Sam? Well, you're here on business, aren't you? All right, I don't blame you. It all happened pretty sudden, Leo and me. I should have written her phone to you, I suppose, but somehow it was. Forget it, Vivian. Now, what do you need a detective for? You thinking of divorce already? Oh, please don't, Sam. If it was a mistake, I'm the one who has to live with it. And I made up my mind when I married Leo. This time it's for keeps, no matter what. What's the what? He's in trouble, Sam. Well, that's nothing, no? Well, this time I don't think it's his fault. When Leo went legit, he meant it. What's he say he's doing now? He's a bail bond broker. Judging from your new look, I'd say he's a success. Sam, a man called him on the phone today, I answered. He said his name was Holliday, but I recognized his voice. He was an old friend of Leo's, Charlie Rosenfoy. Charlie, huh? When did he get out? A couple of weeks back, he was paroled. I don't know what he said over the phone, but Leo looked scared and sick. I don't wonder the word around town was that Charlie took the rap for Leo. And I don't know anything about that. All I know is Leo's on the level now, and Charlie never will be. He did plenty on his own during that time he served. Well, I won't argue that, but from where I sit, it looks like Leo better start wearing a gun again. He has. That's what I'm so frantic about, Sam. You hear any of the conversation from Leo, Sam? He didn't say much, but I did hear him say, all right, 10 tonight, I'll meet you there. That wasn't very smart of him. I know, but that's the way he is. It might be only for a payoff. I thought of that, too. But Leo hasn't got that kind of money. He's been dropping a lot of the racetracks lately. And even if he had it, he's not the type to pay blackmail. I don't like it. Why should I stick my neck out? Why did you have to come to me anyway? Because I trust you, Sam. I know you were jealous of Leo. I was? Sam, if we ever meant anything to you, if you meant half the things you said to me when we were. Stop it, that's blackmail. Oh, I feel so lost and alone. I don't know where to turn. OK, OK, I'll see what I can do. Oh, Sam, I'll make it up to you somehow. You see if I don't. Sure, you will. And tell Leo to stop dropping his money at Tan Faran. This is going to cost him plenty. Vivian had said that your rendezvous with Charlie was scheduled for 10 in the PM, and that you were too upset to go to work that day, so you'd be at home 1246 Dunbar. I took a plan in your apartment building from a sleepy lagoon-type cocktail bar across the street called, you guessed it, the Sweet Laylani. Your wife joined me, and after a while, we got around to talking. At least she did. I bet you can't guess what I'm thinking about. Huh? Listen, Sam, you remember that night we drove to the half moon? Bay. Oh, you do remember. We used to do the craziest things. I should have married you, Sam. Please, no, I'm drinking. You know what? The trouble with crooks, they have to work day and night. Hey, you're not listening. No, but everybody else in the place is. Let's talk about you, Sam. Never tell your heart, Matt Leo. No, and please don't. And then he opened a bucket shop. You know what a bucket shop is? Yeah. It's stockbrokerage. Yeah, that's right. Only it's crooked. That was the first business Leo started when he went legit. He had to shut it down on account of those securities. Somebody was always stealing out of the safe. Were they insured? Yeah, but they wouldn't renew his policy. So after the second nightclub burned down, and he couldn't get any insurance at all, even on his own life. That's why I'm so frantic, Sam. Hey, give me a nickel. I want to play sweet, Leilani. 50 nickels and two hours later, sweet Leilani broke under the strain. So we had Princess Papuli to leave a nightgave out. We were starting on the Hawaiian war chant when she disappeared through a door marked Wahinis, Hawaiian for powder room, and never came back. Around 9.45, I mumbled something to the bartender about the lady we'll pay, put on my smoked glasses and strolled out and across the street. You came out of the building a couple of minutes later. You led me a zigzag course up Merchant Street to Salon across Salon, the commercial down commercial to Drum and made a lateral pass over Drum back to Dunbar. Your destination, I'd never have guessed it, was the Sweet Leilani. Happily, they were not playing Sweet Leilani. It was very, very quiet. The regular customers had taken a powder and I didn't blame them. In the new crop at the bar, I counted 10 broken noses, at least five broken peroles, assorted knife scars and four pairs of cauliflower ears and one maverick. You slid into a booth at the end of the bar, took the gun out of your shoulder holster and laid it down on the table in front of you. I walked over, turned it around, so it was pointing at the jukebox instead of me and sat down. Some other time, Spade. Some other time I drink with you, I'm waiting for a friend. Why, the gun? You selling it to him? Maybe I give it to him. Go on, you drink at the bar. Ah, it's kind of crowded. Looks like Charlie Rosenfoy's old mob. Who were they gunning for? You or Charlie? Why don't you ask them? What are you drinking, Leo? I was with that bottle the whole day, got a bad taste. Do me a favor, Spade. There's a bar, two doors down the street. Go drink there. There's my friend coming in the door. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, Leo. Looks, Spade. Hello. What's the matter? You bring a bodyguard to meet your old friend, Charlie? This shamus threw his weight in here. I didn't ask him. I don't need him. That sounds like the old Leo Scarlattia you said. The name is Scarlett. Oh, pardon me. I've been on the rock for so long, it's hard to catch up on all the changes. There's been a war, Charlie. Anyone tip you to it yet? You got a smart bodyguard, Leo. Let's talk. Let's go somewhere else and talk. Uh-uh, I like it here. OK, we start. How come you tipped them up? We were coming here. You promised you wouldn't. Like the shamus, they got to drink somewhere. All right, say what's in your mind, and I'll go. Yeah, and if you don't mind, I think I'll do my drinking at the bar. Both of your guns were on the table. It didn't look as though you're going to use them on one another, and I figured that neither of you was going to do much talking in front of me anyway, so I strolled back to the end of the bar to look at the television. The 10 o'clock news roundup was on, and the ticket tape that was moving across the screen said dot, dot, dot in Atlantic City today, period. I ordered a highball, and then the ticket tape started again. This time, it said San Francisco, million dollar bail bond robbery, $1 million in negotiable bonds tonight in the hands of a group of daring, holed up men who commandeered an armored truck at the very portals of the police department and the Hall of Justice. And it said, this concludes the 10 o'clock edition of the television news roundup. I had a slight hunch that if the television boys had had their cameras on the big bail bond robbery, that at least some of the characters would have been played by at least some of the bad actors that were foregathered in the Sweet Lailani. In fact, what you and Charlie were saying and doing when I walked back to your booth was almost too much to the point. You let me see the bulky portfolio Charlie shoved across the table as you. It looked like a carrying case for bonds, bank messenger type, but it was sealed with wax blobs bearing the imprint of the great seal of the state of California. I was impressed. Where'd you get this? You can read about it in the papers, and if I was you, I'd get this out of sight before them papers hit the street. One thing more, don't try to clip none of them coupons. And one thing more in addition, don't open it at all. Sure, Spade. Yeah, Leon? I think I hire you after all. I took the job and you handed me the portfolio. Outside, we flagged the taxi and you gave the driver an address on Portsmouth Square. Your office, I hate to remind you, was behind one of a bunch of neon lighted store fronts across from the Hall of Justice. The sign on the door said press the button and let freedom ring any hour, day or night. The only bell in sight was a stop, press type burglar alarm. You unlocked the door and we went in. You paused in front of a big green safe with a combination lock and started twirling the knob. The tumblers clicked into place. I picked up an inkwell and waited for the safe to open. Right Spade, give me it. I did, with both hands. With my left I handed you the portfolio and with my right I pitched the inkwell at a well-wired slab of plate glass window. When the burglar alarm went into action, so did you. You dropped everything and were out of the door and out of sight before you could say, let freedom ring. While I was waiting for the cops to arrive, I helped myself to a $500 bearer bond I found lying loose in your safe. I had a feeling I might be needing some bail myself. The makers of Wild Root Cream Oil are presenting the weekly Sunday adventure of Dashel Hammett's famous private detective, Sam Spade. Now here's important news on good grooming. If you want the well-groomed look that helps you get ahead socially and on the job, listen. Recently, thousands of people from coast to coast who bought Wild Root Cream Oil for the first time were asked, how does Wild Root Cream Oil compare with the hair tonic you previously used? The results were amazing. Better than four out of five who replied, said they preferred Wild Root Cream Oil. And no wonder, it gives you the advantages that men consider most important. Wild Root Cream Oil grooms your hair neatly and naturally, relieves annoying dryness, and removes loose dandruff. What's more, non-alcoholic Wild Root Cream Oil is the only leading hair tonic that contains soothing lanolin that's like the oil of your skin. So ask for Wild Root Cream Oil Hair Tonic. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. By the way, smart girls use Wild Root Cream Oil too and mothers say it's grand for training children's hair. And now, back to the bail bond caper, tonight's adventure with Sam Spade. I had hoped, Leo, when I made my spectacular move in your bail bond office and set the bells to ringing, then I'd get the caper off my neck and onto the capable shoulders of the police where it now belonged. Then I told myself I could go home and get some sleep. I had never been that fond of Vivian anyway. I was holding the million dollar portfolio complete with its big official seals still unbroken, ready to hand it over with the flurries of the first boy in blue that rushed in. But then I saw something that dashed my hopes. There was a strip of Scotch tape across the bottom of it. It wasn't up to me to tamper with important evidence, but I didn't have to. It was only a question of what magazine had been cut up to replace the million dollars in bearer bonds. That question was answered at headquarters 20 minutes later. It turned out to be the last 52 issues of radio life which even Captain Walsh of the robbery detail admitted was no help. Neither was Captain Walsh. Now Spade, in your statement here you state, so and so and so and so and so sweetly Lonnie, and that Rosenfoy didn't hand portfolio exhibit in question to Leo M. Scarlett, alias Scarlett, he had approximately 10, 20 p.m. this day. That's it, Captain. Now, you're sure you wanna stick with this? You don't wanna change any part of the statement? No, I just wanna go home and go to bed. I'm afraid you're gonna stay with us for a while. Who, me? Statement of Jordan Joyce, M.D., statements of Hilda Sack, writer R.N., and Mildred de Vilbes, R.N. Day and Night, nice as respectfully. Who's sick? Rosenfoy. He's been quarantined in his home in Daly City since his release from Alcatraz four days ago. Chicken pox. Sorry, Sam, I'll have to book ya. You sure you don't wanna add anything to that statement? Only this. Kelsey Walsh, if you continue to do such brilliant police work, you will be waving a stop sign at a school crossing in time for the fall semester. You are a hangnail and a finger of justice. I thought I had been courteous and cooperative, but even so, it was the middle of the afternoon by the time they set my bail, 1,500 bucks. That made it life. I hadn't had time to hang the curtains in my cell when I got even worse news. My bail had been posted by who? Vivian, a banana peel and the steps of progress. She met me outside. Well, aren't you gonna thank me? What for? Getting me in jail or getting me out? Getting you out, of course. It was all the money I had in all the world. Leo's money was impounded, you know. But Sam, when I thought of what you and I once meant to each other, and maybe we still could. Yeah, yeah, well, you'll get your money back. I'm not really guilty. Oh, I know that. What else do you know? I guess it's safe to talk. Leo phoned me today. Where is he? He wouldn't say. Some pay station he kept putting in nickels. Sam, you've got to talk to him. You've got to convince him it's best to give himself up. Now you're beginning to make sense, sweetheart. But how can I get to talk to him? I've arranged it. He's to meet us at the Club Leilani, you know, where we had our reunion yesterday. That place on Dunbar? Yeah. Oh, that's great. A crowded saloon less than a block from the police department. Besides, the place has lousy memories for me. By the way, did you ever get out of the ladies' room? If you don't mind, I'd rather talk about something else. OK, let's talk about how do we bring this big secret meeting off in a crowded cafe? Is Leo coming in a false beard? You really think I'm stupid, don't you? I didn't say so. Well, it so happens that the place is closed on Tuesday. See that sign in the window? Closed Tuesday? Now how do we break in? I was counting on you. You're a detective. Can't you use a glass key or something? Did you say that bail bond you bought for me was all the money you had in the world? That's a truth. Then get ready to forfeit it. It's a risk I've got to take. You've got to take. Sam, please, if we ever met any later. Yeah, I know. Half Moon Bay. But sometimes I wish we hadn't been childhood sweethearts. Wait here, I'll case the alley. The alley wasn't much better. There were two windows, washroom type, old glass brick, except the two small ventilators, big enough to put your hand through. The only hope was the kitchen skylight. I didn't have any trouble getting up to it. But once I was there, things didn't look so good. The view from the roof was a garage door with two green lights flanking it. Then it struck me where I was and why I was there. The club, Leilani, backed directly on the Hall of Justice where the big bail bond robbery had taken place at 5 PM the night before. Without further ado, I put my foot through a pane of the skylight, reached in, unlatched it, and dropped. At the front of the building, I could hear Vivian clamoring for admittance. I decided to let her clamor for another minute or two. It isn't a thing I often do, but I walked resolutely into the lady's powder room. It was very well equipped. It had furniture, a telephone, and more clues than I needed. The magazines were there. The razor blades were there. The scotch tape was there. There was even a scraping of red ceiling wax on the steel frame of the window slot. The best of all was what I found in the paper towel dispenser. I lifted it out and moved it next door to the men's washroom. Then I let her in. What kept you so long? You spoiled everything. I was afraid you'd come. Here comes your husband. Come on, let me in. What happened, Leo? You're early. Any objections? I just got itchy, that's all. How are you, baby? Don't, Leo. I'm so nervous. Strange. What are we going to do, baby? What's Spade going to do for us? Tell him, Sam. I'll leave you two alone to talk it out. Pression up a little. Poor kid. Well, Spade, let's have it. Yeah, she's right, Leo. I can't do a lot for you. But you've got to do something for me. Spade, this is level. I never saw those barns. I know that. Then what are you after? The truth. It's the only thing that can save you. And if you take this wrap, I take it too. I'm in clear of to my neck. OK. Charlie Rosenfoy came around to Vivian and made her this proposition. He was going to pull this bail-bond job and plant the goods on me. To get even for the wrap he thought he'd taken for me. Vivian pretended to play along with him, but only she got hold of the package long enough to take the bonds out and put the old magazines in instead. The idea was the mob would think Charlie had double-crossed them, taken the goods for himself, and delivered a phony packet to their banker, which was supposed to be me. Only you had to get smart and set off that burglar alarm. Now, I'm getting the squeeze on all sides. The mob, the law, Charlie are all gunning for me at once. Don't worry about the mob and the law, and don't worry too much about Charlie. What are you driving at? That'll be him now. Who tipped him I was here? Get back in the corner. It's dark in here. You'll never see it. I'll take care of it. All right, Spade. Hello, Charlie. Oh, come on in. Good boy, Spade. Get his gun. You're my friend. Sure, I'm your friend. Come here. Sure, Spade. Pleasant dreams, fellas. Now I act. Hey, Charlie. No, Leo. Is that you? Yeah. The last of your boyfriends. Charlie? Yeah. They just knocked each other off. Right here in front of the jukebox, hope to die. Drop it, Vivian. It's empty. Vivian, how could you? After Half Moon Bay. I'm sorry I had to knock you boys out, Leo, but better lumps than bullet holes, eh? After she started wrapping up the caper, it wasn't too hard to figure what she was up to, providing you could keep her smoke out of your eyes. She told Charlie how to operate on you and told you how to operate on Charlie. A million dollars for her and two dead gangsters lying on the floor of an empty joint where they'd shot it out. The secret of the missing bonds that have to be written off by the police is having died with either one of whichever of you ever had them, period, and of something. Pardon me, Mr. Spade. I know you're tired. And if you chew brush, please feel free to willood the whole matter. Yes, OK, let's do that. Thank you. Effie said that you were always glad to qualify any little points that she didn't understand. She said that, did she? Yeah. But she also said that quite accidentally that you sometimes leave things out that should be left in. Bernadine, times are very bad. They're cutting salaries everywhere. But where were they during the whole atherias nephare, if you'll pardon the expression? The bonds? In the paper towel dispenser, didn't I say so? Oh, that's what you moved to the men's. But how did they get there? In the Walrenies, if you'll pardon the expression. Simple, and the thieves whizzed through the alley after the heist. Vivian had her well-manicured little lunch hook thrust through the window slot to receive them. Bernadine, you're spectacular. Now go and type this up. You're making me nervous. You know what they say about people who like mysteries? Once a mystery fan, always a mystery fan. And that goes for heritonics, too. Once a wild root cream oil fan, always a wild root cream oil fan. Just try it, and you'll see what I mean. Wild root cream oil grooms the hair neatly and naturally, relieves annoying dryness, and removes loose, ugly dandruff. So tonight, or first thing tomorrow, step up to your drug or toilet goods counter and ask for wild root cream oil. Get the big economy bottle and the handy new tube that's easy to pack when you travel. Also, ask your barber for a professional application of wild root cream oil hair tonic. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. It is, Mr. Stade. I hope it's not too erroneous. Oh, I'm sure it's quite offensive. Don't you mean inoffensive, Mr. Stade? Have it your way. I don't want to sound imprudent, Mr. Stade, but I must say that your conduct through the whole thing was very brave and outrageous. Don't you mean courageous? Oh, now I've got you doing it. You're gonna be just like Mr. Cummill. Your previous employer, no doubt. Yeah, poor man. You know, he finally became completely erasable. They had to take him away. What were his symptoms? Well, when he ordered the puppy biscuits, I thought he was just being concentric, but after a while, he wouldn't answer to anything but Rover. I had to sprinkle his flea powder in the morning, you know? And then he had his little tricks. He always wanted to show off, you know, sitting up and rolling over. He could shake hands too. What's so great about that? Any dog can shake hands. Yeah, but can you scratch your ear with your foot? If I set my mind to it, now go home, Bernardine, or I'll report you to the SPCA. You can't frighten me. Effie told me that your bark is worse than your bite. Good night, Mr. Spade. Effie in far-off canab come home, sweetheart. The Adventures of Sam Spade, Dashel Hammett's famous private detective, are produced and directed by William Spear. Sam Spade is played by Howard Duff. The Adventures of Sam Spade are written for radio by Bob Tolman and Gil Dowd, with musical direction by Lud Gluskin. Gil Dowd directed tonight's broadcast in William Spear's absence. Join us again next Sunday for another adventure with Sam Spade, brought to you by Wild Root Cream Oil. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. This is Dick Joy reminding you to Get Wild Root Cream Oil, Charlie. It keeps your hair in trim. You see it's non-alcoholic, Charlie. It's made with sooth and ladle in. You better get Wild Root Cream Oil, Charlie. Start using it today. You'll find that you will have a tough time, Charlie. Keep on all the gals away. Hiya, Baldi. Get Wild Root right away. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.