 Welcome, Weirdos! I'm Darren Marlar, and this is Retro Radio Sunday on Weird Darkness. Each week I bring you a show from the Golden Age of Radio, but still in the genre of Weird Darkness. I'll have stories of the macabre and horror, mysteries and crime, and even some dark science fiction. If you're new here, welcome to the show and be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don't miss future episodes. And if you're already a member of this Weirdo family, please take a moment and invite someone else to listen in with you. Spreading the word about the show helps it to grow. If you're here because you are already a fan of nostalgic audio and print, you'll want to email WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. When you do that, you'll get an instant reply with links to download full-length Pulp audiobooks, Pulp eBooks and old-time radio shows for free. That's Weird Darkness at RadioArchives.com. Coming up, it's an episode from Mollay Mystery Theater. From the day it debuted on NBC in 1943, Mollay Mystery Theater intended to bring listeners the best produced mystery programs possible. Until the show moved to CBS in 1948, it succeeded in doing just that. Combining quality adaptations of mysteries by both classic and modern authors with the top radio talent at the time and high-end production values, Mollay Mystery Theater produced suspenseful thrillers that today still put listeners on the edge of their seats. Mollay Mystery Theater was sponsored by Sterling Drugs, the makers of Mollay shaving cream. Although the name would change in later incarnations of the show, the best-remembered episodes were aired under that title from 1943 to 1948. Tapping some of the best talent available, Mollay Mystery Theater featured Richard Widmark, Frank Lovejoy, Anna Seymour and others. Whether it was a classic mystery tale or one penned by an author of the time, each episode was a tangle of twists and turns, usually wrapping up suddenly with a shocking ending. Every indication is that the creators of this program intended to not only make the best possible mystery anthology on the air, but also to make it unique. To this end, Mollay Mystery Theater didn't simply have a host or narrator like most shows of its kind. Jeffrey Barnes, played to low-key perfection by Bernard Lenro, was the program's annotator. While narrators simply helped move the story along, Barnes' purpose was to assist the listener in working through the mystery of each episode in understanding the finer points of whatever foul deed and investigation took place. Tonight we present Mollay Mystery Theater's broadcast entitled Red Wine, originally aired the evening of March 8, 1946. Red Wine is the story of a member of the San Francisco Police Department on the trail of a murderer. It has led him to Brazil, the Amazon jungle and four men working on a rubber plantation there. The hard-won clues have led him to four men sitting around a table in a room playing cards, gambling. He is sure one of them is his killer, but one of the methods he was sure would expose the killer has failed and he finds himself back at square one. Or does it? Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and come with me into the weird darkness. And now the Mollay Mystery Theater, presented by M-O-L-L-E. Mollay, the heavier, brushless shaving cream for heavy beards. Good evening. This is Jeffrey Barnes, welcoming you to the program that presents the best in detective and mystery fiction. Tonight we have selected for you a masterful story of suspense entitled Red Wine, in Red Wine we have an unusual thing. It's a mystery story that stood a good chance of being completely lost to mystery fans. It was published more than 15 years ago and to the best of my knowledge has never been republished in any mystery anthology. And so it is with great pleasure that we now present LG Blockman's Red Wine. It's an extraordinary story and one that certainly does not deserve to be forgotten. Before you begin your story, Mr. Barnes, here's something it will pay the men in our audience not to forget. If you have wiry, hard to cut whiskers or a tender skin and you dread the agony of that morning shave, then shave with Mollay, the heavier, brushless shaving cream. Yes, sir, man, it's smooth, so smooth. It's slick, so slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-L-L-E. Mollay, the heavier, brushless cream for tender skins. That's right, Mollay is a heavier cream, the kind of cream you need if you have a wiry, hard to cut beard or a tender skin. Because Mollay is heavier, it softens your whiskers, holds them up straighter, and makes them easy to cut. So you shave faster, closer, easier, and you shave painlessly with Mollay, the heavier, brushless cream for tender skins. Mollay. And now here is Jeffrey Barnes with tonight's Mollay mystery, red wine. This happened at Bohar Plantation down in the valley of the Amazon, and the men who grow rubber in the jungle will vouch for the story, and they tell it nights in the bars of Maracas. And they say that it had to do with three who were hunted, and the fourth the hunter, for in all they say, and the bitter ending in a bottle of red wine. Four sit at the table, no sound as the dealer fix the cards. The lamp shines wirily on the set faces. The dealer's eyes move slowly, watching each man. Joe Best, hard, heavy-lipped, sensual. I open for two bucks. Dick Halop, easy, full-muscled, sometimes smiling. I'll bump that three. William Carr, quiet, quick, handy with a knife. All right along. The dealer's eyes move slowly, watching each man. Inside the stifling room, the never-ceasing smell of coagulating rubber from the mill, of the dull, wet heat of the jungle. Cards, gentlemen. The dealer spoke. Boyd Trasker, the dealer. I'll take two. Joe Best takes two cards. And now the fifth man in the room, Don Hernando Vaca, gets up from his chair in the far corner and comes close to the table. Uh, is permitted to watch, senor? Thank you. Cards, Halop. Three cards. Carr, one card. Dealer's stands, Pat. Well, Best, you open. Opener checks a bit. Halop, check. Carr, check. I'll bet 50 bucks. I have it all I can stand in this cat and mouse stuff. What do you mean? I mean, Trasker, you're an out-and-out phony. You're not watching the game at all. You're watching us. You heard what I said, Trasker. I heard you, Best. What are you here for, Trasker? Yeah, Trasker, you said you were a stockholder in Bohar Rubber, Bohar's privately owned. There are no stockholders. Somebody was snooping around my bunk this morning. What are you here for, Trasker? Somebody went to my footlocker two days ago. I'm warning you, Trasker. You better go back where you came from. We don't like you. Ah, gentlemen, gentlemen. We don't like you either, Vaca. Easy, Halop. Easy for what, a native flight cop? So he's Don Hernando Vaca. So he's police chief of Maracas. So what? So we're American citizens, all three of us. What are you here for, Trasker? Maybe we can help you find what you're looking for, Trasker. Maybe you can, Carb. I'm looking for a murderer named Jerome Steak. Jerome Steak. So? Yeah. Jerome Steak wanted in San Francisco for the murder of his wife, known to have escaped to Brazil. Brazil's a big place, Trasker. Also known to have paddled down the Amazon Valley to Bohar rubber plantation. Appearance, of course, will be altered. Dark hair probably bleached blond now. I'm blond, Trasker. See? All three of you are. That is what I told the senior Trasker when he first came to my office in Maracas. I said, all three men are blond, senor. I said... Go on, Trasker. Jerome Steak is an American. Quite cultured, very well-read, kind of serve wine. Fond of horse racing, women, good clothes. Also a heavy gambler. So that's why you arranged this poker game to see how we bet. Jerome Steak is also very clever. He's a good actor. He's capable of concealing his breeding, of passing himself off as a ship's engineer, say, or a stevedor. Field hand. I'm a ship's engineer. You want to see my papers? I don't want anything, Halop, except... Except what? Except... To admit, I've made a mistake. Okay. Yeah, that's better. Don Hernando, I apologize. I should have listened to you. I told you it was a wild goose chase. I had to see for myself. Well, have you? Yes, it's quite obvious that none of you is Jerome Steak. So when the launch comes up the river again, I'll take it and return to the United States. The launch won't be here for a week. That's unfortunate best. You'll have to put up with me until then. Awake is a long time, Trasker. Four guys could get on each other's nerves in a week. Well, I have to take a chance on that car. My nerves are pretty good. Yes, it's your best trunk of the right. Must be something here. To the love... Oh, Don Hernando, I didn't hear your wife... Your nerves, Senor Trasker? Don't be foolish. I would not blame you, my friend, coming here to the bunkhouse and snooping. This is an unwise thing you do. If that Joe best saw you going through his trunk, Senor Trasker, please, come away from here. I have heard them in talk. I am responsible for your safety. You're a good guy, Hernando. Relax. Please, I have heard the talk. These are dangerous men. You know what I'm going to do when I get home, Hernando? I'm going to make you an honorary member of the San Francisco Police. Ah, Don Hernando Vaca, San Francisco Police. That is nice. An honorary member for helping us catch Jerome Steeck. Steeck, Santa Maria, why you keep mentioning his name? You already said you have made a mistake that you do not believe any of these men could be... I said that for a reason, Hernando. One of them is Steeck. Come here. Now, if you were a fieldhand on a rubber plantation, would you be reading the poems of Charles Algernon Swinburne? Senor, I do not understand. Maybe I do. Senor Best. What's the matter with reading Swinburne, Trasker? Nothing at all, Best. It's just a little unusual. Jerome Steeck is the sort of a man who might read love poems. Joe Best wouldn't. He might. And he might not. I put that book back in my trunk, Trasker. Close the trunk and get out of here before I... Joe Best was known to have a severe temper. Why, you... No, no, no, Senor Best. He would not be good to resort to violence. After all, there is a law in Maraca's district. I am only its humble means... Okay, okay, okay. Put the gun down. But I'm telling you, Trasker, you're poking your nose into trouble. A car seems to have enough bottles hanging around here. Looking for something, Mr. Trasker? What? Oh, hello, car. I cut myself. I was told there was some proxide in this first aid cabinet. Funny they told you to come all the way down to my shack for proxide. Is it? I think so. They have iodine up at the main office. Is that so? Yeah. Iodine's much better for cuts, particularly little scratches like that. Thanks, car. I'll remember that. I would if I were you, Trasker. You can't be too careful. That's right. Especially when your bottle-labeled machine oil contains proxide. My fool, people. Really? Nothing important. I was just thinking proxide is bad for the hair. Tends to bleach it. Does it really? That's what they say. Trasker, you lied to us the other day. That apology of yours was a stall. You still think one of us is just your own stick. Could be car. I've got five days to find out. Yeah, Trasker, you've got five days if you live that long. As the curtain falls on Act One of our story, it looks as though Boyd Trasker's in for plenty of trouble and very shortly. The chances are Mr. Trasker would much rather be back in San Francisco right now than risking his life in the Brazilian jungle. Well, Mr. Barnes, I don't know about Mr. Trasker, but I do know this. There are a lot of men who'd rather face all the tortures of the worst jungle than go through the punishment of a morning shave. Well, almost. You see, many a man has a wiry hard to cut beard or a tender skin, and shaving can really be painful, and yet it needn't be. Not if they shave with Molle brushless shaving cream, the heavier cream for tender skins. Yes, Molle is a heavier cream. The cream that softens your whiskers sets them up straighter and lets your razor sweep right through them. With Molle, you shave faster, closer, easier, and you shave painlessly. Try it and see if you don't say, it's smooth, so smooth, it's slick, so slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-M-L-E. Molle, the heavier brushless cream for tender skins. Molle. And now back to Jeffrey Barnes and act two of the Molle mystery, Red Wine. Trasker, San Francisco detective, is on a rubber plantation in the jungles of the Amazon looking for a murderer named Jerome Steak. He is convinced that one of the Americans there is the murderer. When he challenges the three men, each denies he is Jerome Steak. The search becomes a hunt. One man hunting, three hunted. Joe Best, William Carr, Dick Halop, the hunted. Boyd Trasker, the hunter. But as the hours of the week slip by, the tension grows tighter, the hostility comes out in the open and the tables are turned. The hunter becomes the hunted. Then one afternoon the four go off into the jungle to shoot wild pigs. Say no, Trasker. Say no, Trasker. You are all right. Why did you come from Hernando? You, you are all right. I told you not to worry about me. I could not help it. I had to come. When I heard you, I agreed to go pick hunting with those men. I can take care of myself. But such unnecessary risks in this jungle, anything. What could you want me to do? They came to me this morning, all three of them, and said they always hunt pig on a day off, and would I like to come along? But it would be so easy. A hunting accident. Pin. Everybody is so sorry, and you are dead. Yes, I'm expecting it any minute. What? The hunting accident. One of those men out there on a brush's stick. I feel certain of it. He already has one murder to his credit. Now I'm going to find out if he has nerve enough to try a second. Say no, Trasker. See that little rise of ground ahead? See. They gave me that as my post when a pig is sighted. A car is somewhere to the left. Best is over there to the right by that clump of trees. And Halup is behind us. Now when- Please do not go to your post, say no, Trasker. I don't intend to. Huh? But my son helmet is going. My son helmet will show just above the bushes in the spot where I'm supposed to be. Oh, wait, wait. I'm coming with you. Hey, Trasker! Please, say no, Trasker. Please, Fernando, and stay down. This is your post right here. Yes. Trasker, please! Here goes. Say no. Boy, Trasker's helmet showing just above the bushes. You know one would, Trasker's helmet, gentlemen. Is Jerome's stick watching? This will prove nothing. You'll see. I'll watch. Santa Maria! Yeah. Didn't take them long, did it? Clean through the helmet. Mother of heaven. Clean through the helmet. And a direction indicated clear as a weather vane. It came from behind us. Behind? Señor Halup is behind. Halup was behind us, but car and best could have dropped back. It could have been any one of them. But it was one of them. What do you say now, Don, Fernando? What do I say now? I say you are right, senor. One of these three men is the murderer. Jerome's stick. That was the first attempt on board Trasker's life. The second attempt involves a melee man catcher, that horrible machine that is set off by a concealed wire and plunges spiked bamboo stakes into its victim. Señor, Señor Trasker, Señor Trasker. I'm all right, Fernando. Luckily for me, I've traveled in Java. I know the setup of a melee man catcher when I see one. My house boy wasn't so fortunate. Oh, poor Manuel. Those bamboo stakes pierced right through. But how could... How could a melee man catcher suddenly appear outside my shack? Jerome's stick lived many years in Java. He could answer that. That was attempt number two on Trasker's life. And then that night, attempt number three. Fernando, this way, quick! See, what has happened? Mother of heaven, a bush master. Yeah, it was curled up between my bedsheets. I got it just in time. If I hadn't been on a lookout for something... It'd be a snake in all the world. Yes, another quaint device of our friend Jerome's stick. The hunter has become the hunted and both are working against time. One day left. Senor, I cannot stand much more of this. You won't have to, Fernando. It has been Steak's life of mine. Now it's going to be Steak's. You are sure the river won't arrive tomorrow? I know, but I still haven't played my trump card. Your trump? Yes, Fernando. In North America, we call it our ace in the hole. I'm not going here, Trasker. This is a private part. I don't expect to stay, best. Good. Amen. I came to extend an invitation. Yeah. How far you'll get with any of your invitations, Trasker? Will you listen or not? If it'll help get you out of here any faster, go ahead. Spill it. Tomorrow I am leaving Bohar for good. To the boat. To the boat. But I'd like to leave with no hard feelings if you let me. Boys, I want to throw a party for you. We're having a party. A real party on board the steamer before I sail. I know the skipper of the Salvador and the skipper knows food. He has a top-notch wine cellar board. Specializes in chateau malerve. He also has a fine Chinese cook. Now, what do you say? Ah, to devil with you and your partner. Now, wait a minute, fellas. Wait a minute. We don't like Trasker, and we've made no bones about it. But I think we should take him up on this offer. After all, good food and wine don't turn up around here every day. I'll eat you chow, Trasker. Thanks, Halif. And you, Carm? Uh, it's okay with Halif. It's okay with me. That leaves you best. Well, I wouldn't like any, but Trasker would count me in. Thank you, gentlemen. You'll come on the launch with me. No, we'll paddle down the river ourselves. Would you like? Well, good night. I'll see you on the steamer tomorrow. If I have an idea, it'll be a party you'll never forget. This is Jeffrey Barnes again. In just a moment, we'll return you to Act 3 of Red Wine. Don't let specs of dandruff on your coder collar embarrass you. Do what thousands are doing for relief from this social and business handicap. Use double dandering. You'll quickly discover the double dandering is unlike so many hair preparations available today. Preparations that really do no more to fight a common type of dandruff than plain water does. That is, they simply remove loose dandruff. Double dandering, you see, actually combats this dandruff by killing on contact the germs that many outstanding authorities contend are cause. I repeat, it actually kills them on contact. Now, the amazing effectiveness of double dandering is due to a special ingredient called alzan, an active antiseptic so remarkably efficient that many hospitals use it. And among hair preparations, double dandering and double dandering alone has it. So try double dandering and see if you don't agree that most ordinary hair preparations can't compare with its dandruff combating effectiveness. If you're not satisfied, return the empty bottle and get your money back. Buy double dandering at your drugsts. All right, Mr. Taska. Flight sims ready? Our students aren't toast ready. Everything ready. You taste? No, yank. Everything smells perfect. That's proof enough for me. You agree, Don Orlando? See, see, as the Chinese say, oh, yank is number one cook. My guests have arrived. They are waiting in the ship's salon. Let's go then. Everything is all ready. Now, don't forget, you bring in the ice cubes when I call for you. See, I will bring them. I will remember. He's all planned. Good. Now, Don Orlando, I am ready for my ace in the hole. Yes. I told you before, Jerome Steak is a connoisseur of good food and rare wine. Now, this little bottle of Chateau Maler will be his finish. This little bottle? It will. As surely as he meant his melee mancatcher to finish me. A midway through the dinner, I'll rise and call for silence. Gentlemen, I'll say, in a moment I'll open this rare vintage wine. I'd be pleased if all of you will join me in a farewell drink. She left the place. I was standing out there. You're having a good time, boys. Fine. Good. I may have your attention for just a moment. Gentlemen, please. Gentlemen, in a moment I'll open this rare vintage wine. I'll be pleased if all of you will join me in a farewell drink. Why not? Pour it out. Ah. Mine's will go the limit. This wine is Chateau Maler, 1911. Pour it out. Never mind the buildup. Ah, the vineyards produce real nectar that year. Ah, let's drink and not talk. Oh. Okay, best. Here she comes. Mmm. Okay. I'll pass the bottle around, just have a whiff of it. Here, best. Smell it. Mmm. Mmm. Smells okay. Here, here. Take a sniff. Make the man happy. Ah. Let's grasp it for a drink or something. As you say. Your glasses, gentlemen. Now we're getting somewhere. Pass them down, Jess. All right. It's precious stuff. You'll taste no other like it. Glass for your best. One for Dick Hallop. And one for William Carr. Well, let's hope it tastes as good as you've tried to make it sound. It will, Hallop. I assure you. Ah, Don Hennando. Ah. Don Hennando. What's he doing here? He was with me in the launch. Don Hennando. Oh. Coming, cellulite rascal. Coming. We have the ice pail. See? Right here. Ice pail. Yes, Hallop. Look, are we going to drink this wine or not? We're going to drink it, Carr. We just remove the cover from the pail and drop a cube of ice into each glass. It'll add to the refreshment. All right. That's all right. That's not so bad. One cube for Joe Best. I can't wait to have it. One cube for Dick Hallop. That's a nice party. And one cube for William Carr. Hey, hey. You're not going to put ice in my chateau, my lord. Hey, what's the matter, Carr? Why not, Carr? Well, any fool knows it. Yes, Carr? Well, I mean, everyone knows that Chateau Mela is drunk at room temperature. Everyone does. I don't think so, Carr. I think that is something only Jerome Steeke would know. William Carr, or if you prefer Jerome Steeke, I arrest you for the murder of your wife. William Carr was arrested. But Joe Best and Dick Hallop are freed. The next morning, Best and Hallop push their canoe into the river and start paddling upstream toward home. Two of you are at liberty to return up river to four. That popper's fool. Yeah. I just can't get it through my head. Quiet, Billy Carr. Who'd have thought it could be our friend? Billy Carr. Yeah. Nice guy, all the same. You know, Best, when you come to think of it, that was pretty darn clever, Trasky. He figured only a guy who really knew his liquor would walk and have an ice put in his wine. Hmm. He sure enough trapped Bill with those cubes in the Chateau Mela in 1911. Pretty clever, I'd say. Maybe. And maybe not so. What do you mean? Not so clever. Any wine merchant could tell you, Hallop, there was no Chateau Mela in 1911. It was a bad year. The vineyards didn't bottle. Yes, that's... Hey, Best, wait a minute. Only one man around these parts had no a thing like that. Jerome Steak. That's right. Oh, keep right on paddling, Hallop. And don't turn around. You might be sorry. You, uh... You're gonna kill me. I suppose so, yes. You're the only man alive who knows I'm Jerome Steak. I can hardly allow you to return to Polaro with that knowledge. I'd be embarrassed. Yeah. You'll be even more embarrassed when you try to shoot that revolver. I emptied the chambers this morning. What? You see, Best, Trasky and I have been trying to find you for months. We narrowed it down to you and Carr, but we were stymied from there. We had to hear it from your own mouth. We chose this way, counting on your ego. I wouldn't try anything, Joe. The chambers in this gun are quite well loaded. I see. Shall we be getting back to the Salvador? Trasky will be waiting. I guess so. We can finish the bottle, if you like. Okay, Alep. I always was a sucker for red wine. Now, this is Jeffrey Barnes again, inviting you to be with us next week when we present a comedy mystery by Joseph Ruskell, entitled The Case of the Missing Mind. You'll meet a delightful little Broadway wise guy named Kenny, who has one of the most mad, exciting, hilarious experiences in the world. When he meets a strange mystic named Aladdin. So join us next week to meet two wonderful characters in The Case of the Missing Mind. The original music for the Molle Mystery Theater is composed and conducted by Alexander Semmler. Red wine was written by L.G. Blotman and adapted for radio by Louis Palatier and Jacques Finck. Kenneth Lynch was featured in tonight's program. This is Dan Seymour saying goodnight until next Friday when the Mystery Theater presents The Case of the Missing Mind. Tonight's Mystery Theater presentation came to you from New York's Radio City. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company. Thanks for listening to this week's Retro Radio Sunday episode of Weird Darkness. If you haven't done so yet, be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don't miss future episodes. And if you like the show, please share it with someone you know who also loves old-time radio and pulp audio. If you want to hear even more, drop an email to WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com and get an instant reply with links to download full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp e-books and old-time radio shows absolutely for you. That's WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. Weird Darkness is a production and trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright, Weird Darkness 2023. I'm Darren Marlar and I'll see you next week for Weird Darkness' Retro Radio Sunday.