 Get this and get it straight Crime is a sucker's road and those who travel it wind up in the gutter the prison of the grave It happened in the place called Bay City where I was unwelcome to a fat fry cook with a secret and a dapper gambler But to the long arm of the law I was poisoned it happened like this On the pan of Raymond Trampter outstanding author of crime fiction comes his most famous character in the adventures of Philip Marlowe Now with Gerald Moore starred as Philip Marlowe, we bring you tonight's exciting story the long arm My Sunday best done going strutting with this Laura Bailey. Oh fine Every time I take a shower. I've never seen it All right, okay Hello Yes speaking one moment, please sir Bay City is calling I have your party Hello, is that you Marlowe? Yeah, this is Ernie Parch Phil at Bay City Parch. Yeah, you remember me. Don't you know? I can't see oh Yeah, yeah, Ernie Parch you're the guy who saved my life when the Bay City law left me beat up and bleeding all over the city dump, right? Yeah, yeah, that's it. Oh, yeah, Marlowe. Please listen what I'm in an awful jam like what I just got out of jail yesterday Like you're in a day jail Ernie. Yeah. Yeah a very neat frame, Phil Not half as neat as the one they're trying to hang on me now This one's worse You remember my wife, don't you grace tall blood? Yeah. Yeah. What about her? She's dead Marlowe. Oh, no She was murdered. They're going to try to pin it on me. You'll come right away Oh, look Ernie. I I'm poisoned in Bay City. You know that please rake sermon We give a year's pay just to watch me break an arm five if I drown But Marlowe, you don't know it was terminal had you messed up for sticking your nose into Bay City politics No, no, but I can sure second guess it. It was tough cop tactics all the way Can you mean you won't help me? Yeah, well Ernie really I'm sorry kid, but you better get yourself an honest lawyer and in Bay City You know better than that Phil Who'd have the guts to knock heads with a police in this town? Especially when they got a custom tailored pigeon like me standard by with one wing already clipped Phil I tell you it looks like I murdered grace. Yeah now look kid Phil I saved your life one Okay, what's your address Ernie? It's 38 for land of life Ernie was a snug seacoast town some 20 miles southwest of LA and about twice that distance from being on the up and up The string of gambling houses were politely winked at by some elements of the law and its gamblers in turn politely winked back While the folding money passed from suck it a slick at a crooked cop But Bay City also was home to a lot of honest fishermen retired real estate brokers And another element of the law good cops Which side detective lieutenant rake sterman was on I'd never been able to figure He only added one way all cop morning noon and night The kind who made any private detective feel a little less welcome than a leper All an hour after dark I pulled up in park well away from 38 Orlando street Five minutes later. I was watching a nervous Ernie park Where out the carpet in his shabby living room It was it was at art mannelli's place Phil about a year ago the little casino South north on the edge of town I've had a few drinks with some of the guys who worked at my gas station one thing led to another and Finally we were out there trying to pyramid 50 bucks into 50,000. That's when the cops came in, huh? Yeah, yeah, you know one of those pre-election raids that look good in the papers You want to drink no no But look that raid couldn't have gotten you a year in a day Ernie. Oh, no But the gun they found in my top coat pocket could it Indeed Yeah 38. I'd never seen before in my life plant. Huh? Yeah plant that I could only figure two ways Phil Either someone at art mannelli's place just happened to choose my pocket to drop his gun into or Well, someone just happened to drop it in on purpose Someone who was sweet on grace and wanted me out of the way. Now look you're sure you know what you're saying Ernie positive 366 days in prison with only one miserable letter from her convinced me That and the word I got a gumbo's place late this afternoon gumbo's place. Yeah. Yeah gumbo shantier The chicken joint run by a fat fry cook named Lou gumboski. Hmm grace work there I stopped then just before I ran into lieutenant rake stern. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. What do you mean ran into stermann? What happened? Well, fill it. I was on the street getting into my sedan. You see. Yeah, I picked it up from a guy who was using it Well, I was away When stermann pulled up alongside of me in a squad car and he He started to tell me how much he likes seeing ex-carns back in bay city. What interrupted him Oh calling a police radio But before he left he promised to drop around here sometime tonight and chat a while And before that at gumbo's place I found grace now. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. We've had enough Ernie. You found grace and what? We had a fight She admitted running around said I wasn't worth waiting for But she wouldn't say who was I slapped it hard. All right. Take it easy Grace is dead now murdered remember. Yeah Yeah, she's dead Yeah, they're gonna tag me for it. Maybe Now tell me what happened after you left gumbo's Well I ran into stermann like I said And I drove around for a couple hours to cool off When I got hold of myself I I came back here and I found it strangled a bit In that chair Phil It was horrible. What'd you do about it, Ernie? I I'm not sure exactly. I here I changed my mind Thanks, Phil No I I decided to get around here It was just getting dark. So I waited a little and I carried her down the rich stairs and I put her in my car in the back seat I put a blanket over She's still there Phil I was going to drive the car away, but well, I guess I lost my nerve Well, I gotta do Phil Sturman might be here any minute Then you gotta help me Must I Ernie Ernie that won't do it I'm sorry. All right, kid. Are the keys in the car? No, no, no. I got them here What are you gonna do? I don't know but you get out of here do something But what anything go to a movie actors relax as you can do anything Except come back here for the at least two hours and I'll go on All right, Phil, whatever you say. I'll go to a movie yet right now right away Thanks, Phil. I know you'll get me out of this Ernie Parch's vote of confidence made comfortable listening for both of us When he was gone and I was down the rear stairs and out to his car in the alley keys in hand I realized that it stopped right there in the back seat Then in the light that spilled from a nearby unshaded window. I saw I was going to have company Sharp pointed elevator shoes careful blue flannel and patent with their hair over a pasty face All of it no more than five and a half feet and held together by a hand-painted tire that sported a dapper nut The size of a cantaloupe good evening I wonder if you could help me. I'm looking for any parts 36 Orlando drive I couldn't find any number on this house. Is it? Yeah, but parts isn't any just left. Oh, you know where he went No, no It's all right gorgeous. I only want to talk to him My name is out in LA. I'm a friend of his and the queen You the same He went to a movie mr. Manila here I saw the picture so i'm going home back to san diego I live there. Oh good san diego means us 101 to the south and right past my next stop I came in a cab or don't those keys in your hand there said that you're leaving I mean, I don't want to appear present or wait for a taxi or wait for a Shall I get in or do you want to slide over to the driver's seat from here? I want to slide and if that's all right with you Um tell me mr. Um Crew shutter You had business with any personal business you mr. Manelli Yes, I wanted to see only about a good location. I have in mind for a new gas station You know about such things. Uh, no, no, and I don't think you do either Manelli Unless of course the pumps can be converted into roulette wheels. Oh, you know who I am Yeah I also know it's a little strange for you to show up at Ernie's place the day after he gets out of the state pen For a frame that took place at your little casino What are you getting at mr. Crew shutter and outside chance that you yourself were responsible for that frame That you're anxious to see what if anything Ernie intends to do about it lights red No fool I'll tell me Why would I want to frame Ernie park? I don't know Could be Manelli that you did it accidentally you know a little gun hidden in a big hurry Or it could be you had a title reason, huh? Like what like grace prox very pretty girl You're out of your mind. Yeah, sure. I am Manelli Just plain nuts. So why don't you get out here? Get yourself a nice sane taxi cab. It'll be safer. All right All right He was probably going for the highway sure is I hate smoke come on. All right. I'm back. See no, I got stuff in there close that door and beat it Okay, happy like so what? Stop the crew shutter. What kind of stuff? Rum Manelli I'm a bootlegger who never got the word to leave me. Oh, but I do The light green Okay I went for a short blocks and I got out of the traffic and drove as far back to Orlando street as a vacant lot That was only a block away from earnings Thereafter, I wiped the wheel with gear shift everything else had touched clean prints I left the sedan as he is and walked back to where I originally parked my own car Behind the wheel of my coupe I spent the next 20 minutes finding gumbo shanty where grace bought wooden daddy long legs standing knee deep in the Pacific ocean And circled at the waist by an imitation ship's deck for summertime outdoor reading A gang plank led up from the street level and when I'd gone about half the length of it I saw something at the door ahead Shaped like a bowling pin topped by a chef's hat Encompassed by a yard and a half of Hickok Delta said this had to be fat fry cook glue gumboisky He was turning the reversible sign from open to close Sorry, mr. I'm closing early tonight. Food's all gone. All right. How about a drink? I only want a quick shot gumbo gumbo You're a stranger here. Now, you know the name now. It's written over head and four-foot letters. I keep my eyes open Okay Morning Make it fast. I want to hit the a now you live here. Yeah What do you want scott anything weird little information? Oh By what girl who works for you great parts. I don't know anything about it Not even for five gumbo make it 10 Okay, 10 and the drinks on the house Grace part is five foot two ways of glue also She could work at six tonight like she does every night period. Uh-huh. Here's to you Now tell me why's she been going while Ernie's been in stir another 10 Yeah for another 10 on one condition no more lousy poems gumbo just few straight facts Sure Another drink no no no thanks first Where's she been hanging around a little casino? That's manelli's joint, huh? Yeah manelli's place where a lot of people hang out What is it? What are you staring at gumbo a window? I thought I saw someone out there on a dick looking in probably seagulls forget it now look at Sure sure it is someone get away in a car. Oh any idea who it was? I said any I heard you Now go on home. Mr. Get out of here. Take it easy big guy. You got 20 bucks. Give it Yeah There's your lousy 20 bucks and the drinks on the house and good night after one question The guy in that car that just took off was it manelli? I'll repeat myself. Good night, mr. Okay Let it go at good night gumbo, but just for now I didn't get any more out of gumbo so I went back to my car appointed as north By the edge of town in the little casino where I figured I might get lean on manelli's whereabouts The 30 minutes later when I was there out of my car and standing in front of what looked like an oversized Concrete blockhouse alone in a parking lot the size of the coliseum I figured different A huge sign out front red clothes for all the rations will reopen soon bigger and better than ever Gambling in base city was obviously on the qt like an artillery barrage At the time I got back to 38 Orlando street nearly three hours and gone by since I'd last seen her As I started up the steps toward the light in his living room Wasn't happy over the lack of information I had for him But when I opened the door and saw what was waiting for me That didn't matter And won a huge beefy freckled hand. There was the usual police department 38 revolver. Hello, kid The ice cold gray eyes the thick broken nose the nasty curl of the lips All belong to bay city's toughest homicide detective lieutenant rake starlin Hello marlo I've been waiting for you too long kid Why I would have baked a little cake if I knew I was going to have this much time Where's any parts coming he's under arrest, kid We found his life's body He's under arrest for murder You know what else kid? No, what else kid? So are you In just a moment the second act of philip marlo, but first Fred allen's crack that it's no wonder comedians can't find work when singers go comical has had a fast reply from bing crossby Bing has invited fred to be his guest on his cbs show this wednesday night And you can get right into the very middle of the argument on most of these same cbs stations Where bing crossby show is every wednesday night Be sure to hear fred allen's visit to bing show this wednesday following groucho marks and you bet your life Now with our star jerald more we return to the second act of philip marlo and tonight's story the long arm Lieutenant's term and move taught me he curled the thick fingers of his left hand into a fist I braced myself with the blow never came Instead he shoved his face up close to mine and his mouth twisted into a one-sided grin that was as full of fun as a Set of thumb screws So as you finally came through for me, didn't you kid? I don't know what you're talking about I've been waiting a long long time for you to pull something in my town marlo Well, you can't run back across the line and hide behind the scourge of your cop friends over in la You're having yourself a pipe dream sterman lieutenant sterman And don't forget it Real sorry officer How do you mind explaining what this is all about? That's one of my rights as a citizen, you know even in bay city boys. I'm concerned killers ain't got me right How come you had nothing to do with grace parches murders so I can tell you why you're a stinking liar private detective I suppose private detectives have no rights either, huh? None We found the girl's body in a car parked at a vacant lot and somebody overlooked a couple of fingerprints Which i'm gonna match up with yours marlo How come you're so sure because we pulled Ernie porch out of the movies five minutes after we found his wife And jailbird singing bay city marlo. We don't hearts around with him. Come on. Let's go. Wait a minute Boy, you're pushed too far on the wrong track. There's an angle here. You ought to know about There's always an angle with you ain't it right boy. Yeah, but you're gonna like this one First in that car. You're so proud of you're gonna find prints from one art manelli. That's right One who stays in operation when everybody else in bay city is closed up They better find out whose toes you're stepping on down at city hall before you We've got problems in our town people, but that's not one of them Now if you've got something intelligent to offer spill it without wise correction. All right Ernie potch was framed a year ago in manelli's joint. No doubt on manelli's orders Why because grace potch was a pretty girl with the end for gamblers. That's why All the time ernie was in the cooler. She was running down to manelli's place and i got a witness to prove it She also makes it a kind of little cheat tramp that gets out of hand go on Nelly showed up here tonight with no satisfactory reason for it What's more you warned ernie potch just this afternoon that you were keeping an eye on him Even if he wanted to kill his wife, he's not stupid. It'll not to have done it tonight Manelli standpoint. It was a perfect time. You see because you guys would go for it just exactly as you have I know you got no use for me stuff But you're a cop after all As long as somebody's got to take a rapid might as well be the right guy You know what sweetheart what Your fairy story makes the average listener just average not the mouse now get Too tired to take what i know it'd be given once rave sternum got me inside the bay city headquarters I made my decision fast There were three steps in the front force of the wall and he was right behind me I took the first two then turn and grab Sailed over my shoulder and i heard him lying flat on his back on the sidewalk as i rounded the corner of the house I crossed the backyard bolted the fence and put a hundred yards of alley between us before i even stopped to think Then i went back to my car Grew down to the water again in gumboski's chicken shanty Place was dark and locked up tight Went around to the back where his living quarters were and listened Crocodiles slithering over the floor inside would have made the same sound I pushed the door open and went in Was gumboski all right, but you couldn't tell it from his face That had been worked over long and hard by an expert He didn't know i was there until i touched Get away Come on, go out of here. Who gave you the beating gumbo? Way off me, please How much are you gonna fall ready? All right, come on get up That's it Hello gumbo You told me one thing about ottman ellie the grace porch went was joined a lot And you spotted somebody outside the window and you climbed up. I come back now and I find you like this Isn't it obvious you're wasting your time trying to protect him. Oh, shut up Shut up and get out of here. Listen to me you poor sap Can't you see you're gonna be living with this now on every time he gets the jitters He'll give you another going over to match this one But he really gets jumpy bust and then it'll do worse than that. Don't you get it? Oh listen, mister, let's guess him and I know what'll happen if I open my yap again I'm just not gonna take that chance. Don't you realize we'll never lick manelli if we don't fight leave me alone There leave me alone. I'm not saying nothing. You understand nothing. Not one word I get out All right, you miserable suck-on through talking to you Don't think the other guy gave you a light massage by the time I'm through with you I'll stay where you are I don't want to kid you mister, but I will unless you beat it I'd rather face that than talk Getting in too deep aren't you gumbo? There's nothing else I can do Do nothing to me. I know which side my bread's butted on Yeah, but you made one big mistake already What what do you mean? You left yourself wide open for this coffee Sorry, I don't have much time drop the gun come on drop it That's better. I just tell me one thing and I'll leave you alone All I want to know is where I can locate off manelli right now These are this club, but they're a little casino. You're lying. I was down there as closed as being remodeled Oh, no, I'm not lying. All right. You need some more rubbing Okay You've got a suite of room downstairs under the club. They're not being done over. That's where he lives You ought to be there now But you've got to protect me storming the manelli. I'll kill me up That's all I want to know Salon gumbo At the first phone booth I came to I stopped looked up a base city number and made a call which took five minutes But I went on to the little casino I parked on a side street and went down the ramp to the underground garage in the rear There was a door between two ornate bronze urns alibaba size and I started taught it On a hunch I stopped and studied the decoration on one of the urns I finally found it A small hole in the side I took my handkerchief out and stepped into the hole From somewhere inside the apartment. I heard a chime ring I got my gun out then tried the door and it opened Into a long lush hole where you break to the far end with a heavy gold curtain I waited through a green carpet deep enough to mow Up to the curtain and pulled it aside Manelli sat at a wide glossy desk methodically filing his nails His eyes staring straight at me You got this far come on in Don't tell me you're all alone here. Manelli. No, I got 500 dancing girl smart guy What's on your mind? You act like you were expecting me. I knew somebody was coming There's an electric iron those brass jugs over the door Anybody passes it rings that chime there satisfying Now what's with the gun? Put it away in a minute. Maybe Stain lieutenant's turmen tonight. Why should I even rub an elbows with homicide? I didn't kill anybody No, I guess you didn't I've got a good idea who didn't turn it parts, of course. No, no chance Was your business partner lieutenant rake's turmen himself and five will get your tennies got big news for you Yeah, hey rake steady marlowe. Don't move. Well, uh, look what crawled out of the woodwork. I'll get his gun rake Sit down Manelli. I'll take it myself Yeah, that's better I don't budge either want to wait a minute. What is it? Shut up said you kill grace park But you were in love with her but you used to meet her right here in this room Yeah, that was before she found out a couple of things and began to put the pressure on me We got in a brief today. I lost my head. I shut up Okay, marlowe, let's have it. How'd you dope it? Oh Gumboski took a beating tonight just because he mentioned manelli here With a little more pressure. He mentioned someone else You sterman And why would you shut gumboski up about manelli unless you and manelli were connected? That connection was all I needed Right on the button sweetheart for all the good it'll do you and I don't get this. I don't understand You don't have to anymore. You're through. What are you saying rake? You know too much about me manelli. You know it all wait. You can't do this. Yes, I can In fact marlowe here gave me the idea. He even worked out all the motives So it's easy I I came here to arrest you for grace park's murder. You you resisted and I had to shoot you Isn't that the same but but how about this herney park? I intended to hang it on him manelli, but he's nothing to me. I don't care if he lives or dies But you you're you're getting too big for your britches anyway So this is better and I get three birds with one stone grace manelli In you marlowe before you start pulling the triggers term and you better ask your boy Huh a couple of them are waiting for you behind that gold curtain there Now you're a liar marlowe the elected guy would have tipped us off if anybody else came in I blinded that I was my handkerchief on my way in right How long you've been there what long enough I'm gonna drop it lieutenant. I don't take orders from you sergeant you do tonight Chief himself sent us out. Yeah, I took the liberty of going over your head lieutenant just before I came in Under the circumstances, you'll understand. Why are you better drop it lieutenant drop it Okay, now come on you two guys do come along quietly Sure sure always glad to ride with old rake's turban anytime at all Just as long as there's a couple of policemen in the same car Before it was all over in the Bay City police headquarters everybody from The mayor the dog catcher put his two cents in And given the same answers for the same questions at least 50 times All about crooked cops and rake's turban in particular But finally hours later I was greeted a home And as I drove through the quiet streets I was still thinking about cops This time the other kind The underpaid overwork cops That pound the city sidewalks day and night, you know the guys who do everything from telling kids the way to the grocery store to Untangling the rush hour traffic Yeah And I thought about each one of those cops who someday Chases a hopped up gunman down a blind alley and Doesn't get home that night Or any night ever again Then I forgot all about rake's turban Because after all he was just one bad one in a multitude of good ones An insignificant sore on the long arm of the law The adventures of philip marlowe bringing you raymond chandler's most famous character star jerald moore Are produced and directed by norman mcdonnell and are written for radio by robert mitchell and gene levin Featured in the cast where barney philips ted osburn sydney miller tom tully and britt holland The special music is composed and conducted by richard iran Be sure and be with us again next week when philip marlowe says It could have been perfect Snowbound in a mountain lodge with a girl who was falling in love But also present were a widow sick with rage A bitter old woman And a jealous man All with reason they hate me More than anyone else in the world Two all-star bouts are promised on cbs this wednesday night Bing Crosby faces fred allen across the cbs mic to battle it out on who's funnier singers or comedians And in the second attraction gracey ellen and a smashed vendor team up against not so gorgeous george burns and a gilly conscience This wednesday also brings you groucho marks his ad libs and his teams of opposites on you bet your life And a dr christian story about two red heads in love Fun action variety They're all yours with dr christian groucho marks Bing Crosby and fred allen and george and gracey on most of these same cbs stations this wednesday night This is roi rohan speaking Now stay tuned for pursuit which follows immediately on most of these same cbs stations This is cbs where wednesday night is bing crosby night the colombia broadcasting system