 An adventure of the Green Hornet. He hunts the biggest of all game. Public enemies that even the G-men cannot reach. The Green Hornet. The Green Hornet. The Green Hornet is a copyrighted feature of fictitious characters and events in which the principal character is Britt Reid, manager of the Sentinel newspaper. Only Kato, his faithful Japanese valet, knows the dual role the young millionaire plays to strike at law breakers within the law who cannot be reached through the court. Though innocent of major crimes, the Green Hornet is hunted by everyone. The cry of both police and underworld is, dead or alive, get the Green Hornet. Joe Desmond, boss of one of the wards on the lower east side, managed by cash and votes to maintain a strong position in his community. He laughed at all attempts to interfere with his racket and continued to take advantage of the arriving immigrants. As tonight's adventure of the Green Hornet opens, we find Desmond in his office in the rear of the club rooms of the social club from which the ward is controlled. This is hot. This makes me laugh. Hey Nelson, get a load of this. What is it Desmond? The Daily Sentinel. The Sentinel once conditions investigated. Yeah, well I wouldn't laugh too hard if I would you. Why not? The boys from the DA's office have been eyeing this place the past few days. So what? Didn't we put the right boys in office? Let them try and do something about us. Sure, but just the same. The fire is running things. I'd lay low on the citizenship rag until the heat dies down. Forget it. How about some business? There's a burden in the club rooms now if you want to talk to him. He's got cash on him, over a hundred bucks. You talk to him yet? Sure, he's fresh from Ellis Island. He wants to make his fortune in America. He wants to become a citizen. You told him details? Well, sort of. Melvin can use some more labor. Send them all hunk in. How many more can Melvin put on the job? All he can get. The bigger the payroll, the better. It's one of those city jobs. I'll call that guy in. His name is Russo, Tony Russo. Talks enough English to get by. Good. Hey you're a Russo. I'm Schuss, so what's the matter? Come on in here. We'll get you fixed up. I'm Schuss. Turn your cut. Hello Tony. My name's Desmond. Just call me Joe. Hello Joe. How you like America? Tony, she's a like of this country. He's a wonderful place. Tony, she's a make a much better one. That's right Tony. And we're here to help you fellas. Of course you want to become a citizen as soon as you can, don't you? Schuss, Schuss. Have you found out what's required? Schuss. I gotta make him a home here a long time. That's the usual thing. But there are ways to take a shortcut. What's at this? If you could get a hundred dollars together, we could make you a citizen right now. And if you were a citizen, I could put you to work right away. One hundred dollars? One hundred. To make him here United States of America? That's right. I told you all about it, Tony. We paired them on good. These are making me a medican. Give it to me the job. Yeah, but it's gotta be kept quiet. You understand? It isn't the regular way of doing it, but it'll be all right. You gotta watch your color pool, no? Yeah, I got the pool. You pay your cash, get your papers, and then I'll take you over and get your job right away. Oh, thank you. See? Tony, she's in Ohio. She's a red. I stand astray. I raise at the right hand, and I say the word... I pledge allegiance to my flag. Yeah, you know it all right. Yeah, sure. You gotta remember one thing. What's at this? Now, if the other men find that you've been made a citizen before them, they might get sore about it. You gotta keep quiet. Don't say anything, or you might go to jail. Hand over the money. Here's your paper. The price, sir, should come high. I got the sore little amount. All right, you're going to work right away. Now, Antonio Russo, she's American, no? Sure. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I am so happy. Look, look, I carried the flag. The stars and the stripe. Oh, that's the stuff. Take him out, Nelson. Melvin, put him right to work. All right, come on, Tony. Oh, sure thing. I'm so happy. I sing. My country is everything. Hi, Tony. Hold it. Folks don't sing on the street here. Me? I am very happy. Ah, listen. You wait right here. Don't go away. What do you go? I'm going to get a car to take you to your job. Now, don't go away. I'll be back in a minute. My country is everything. Everybody, we want to talk to you. Sure, sir. What do you want? We're police officers. We want to ask you a lot of questions about what you did in that place just now. Better come down to headquarters with us. I've got to wait here. My friend, this is a comeback. Talk to him in Italian, Pete, while we take him along. Come on, brother. You're going riding with us. Hey, wait a minute, sir. Where do we go? I got to the job. I've got to go to work. Then take your hands off of me. Relax. Relax. We aren't going to hurt you. Hey. Hey, Gus. Down, sir. Those bugs in the DA's office picked up Russo. They did? Yeah, just before you drove up. Keep the motor going. Chopper will be right here. Order's from Desmond. He's seen it from the window. What's up? Slide over out of the drive-in. I'm checking out of this. When Chopper rides, there's trouble. Sit still. There comes Desmond and Chopper now. But I... Hi, man, Chopper. What are you doing, Desmond? Those lugs picked up a witness. Assure shooting he'll talk. We got to stop him. How? You'll see. Go on, drive. Chase that car. Get close enough to do some good. Red light ahead. Go through. I told you, Desmond. I warned you. Shut up, Nelson. I thought you had a drag in the right places. They get that guy to the office. He'll talk. And there'll be Sentinel reporters there to get it. Hang on. We're taking this turn fast. There they are. Go on. The cops saw us. Keep going. Chopper, you get ready. Heal him as we go past. Sentinel radio commentator. Joe Desmond, notorious ward boss, was released late this afternoon after questioning by police in connection with the brutal slaying of Antonio Russo. Russo was picked up by special investigators to be queried in regard to suspected irregularities. But before arriving at his destination, machine gun bullets took his life. In his pocket was found a newly purchased life insurance policy. Desmond, licensed to handle certain forms of insurance, admitted selling him the policy a short time previous to the shooting. But declared he knew nothing of the murder. Once more we have had demonstrated the futility of police in combating well-organized crime. In the opinion of this commentator... That's enough of that. Kato, I thought sure they'd get someplace when they picked up one of the poor devils that Desmond's worked on. Desmond, did the murder then? It's the old story, Kato. There were witnesses who identified Desmond as one of four men in the murder car. Then how did he get flee? He was released, Kato, because he had an alibi for the time of the shooting. So did his pardon in Nelson. Oh, and they had a lawyer on the job and officials who were in their pay. The witnesses were vague on their identification after Desmond's attorney went after them. At the time the police got around to checking the license number on the murder car, they found it an entirely different car than the one described by the witnesses. Perhaps you'll have to work a little bit. I don't know how even the Green Hornet can get a Desmond in his racket, Kato. No. But tomorrow, I'm going to get everything I can in connection with Desmond and Nelson and all the rest of their rotten grafting gang. If the law can't smash them, the Green Hornet will. The next morning, Britt read the secretary at the phone. No, Gunningham. Mr. Reed hasn't come back yet. James is here if you want him. Oh. Of course the city had safe, hasn't it? Well, he hinted that he didn't want you. Gunningham don't know what he wants. Hand him a store and a silver platter, and he says it's not enough. Mr. Reed's been writing Gunningham pretty hard. He's after information concerning Joe Desmond. You're telling me? You rotted me out of bed last night. Tell me, get up and get out and hang around wherever I thought best to pick up things about the rat. Rat? Desmond. I tell you, Casey, Reed is on the war path. He has been for some time where Desmond was concerned. Well, I got plenty to tell him. You really learned things? Yeah, I got. Gunningham said you were here, James. Yeah, say, boys, have I got news? I doubt it, but go on. Desmond has a racket you didn't know about. What's that? He gets immigrants where they still got cash. Makes him think they're getting their citizenship. Tells them if they get it, you get them a job right away. Takes their cash and then... And then what they think is citizenship papers, but which turns out to be nothing but a simple life insurance policy for which they pay an exorbitant rate. You know about it? More than that. After they've got their paper, he takes them to Andrew Melvin in charge of city improvements. Melvin puts them to work, puts them on the payroll. And when the need arises, purges himself to give Desmond an alibi. Oh, you knew? Of course I knew. What do you think I'm after Desmond for? Well, I thought it was because of the graft in his ward. Ah, it's a mere detail. And you call yourself a reporter, James. Lay off. Get after Melvin. Find out what you can about him. Somewhere in this setup Desmond has built, there must be a weak link. It might be Melvin. Find out. Okay, boys, sounds right. If I can only... No, Gannigan. Here's what I want. Give me a story on Andrew Melvin. Yeah, that's a man. Story? I want to scare him. I want him to think we have a lot of information on him. Leave his name out, but point it so we'll know what we mean. If we can scare him enough, he might back down on that alibi he gave Desmond and Nelson. You get the idea? I thought you would. Later that same day in Desmond's office. Found at Sentinel. What's the matter, Desmond? Melvin will lose 10 pounds from war if he sees this. I wouldn't trust it, Alvin. He'd run out on us if the heat was turned on. And maybe you think the Sentinel ain't turning on the heat. This won't do, Nelson. Get it? It won't do. What do you mean? I have an idea that when Andrew Melvin reads this, he might take his own life. That night, Britt Reid drove as the green hornet. If Melvin will left in the car we just saw leave his house, wait inside, Kate. Only return. I think the hornet can make him talk to what the Sentinel published. I hope so, Britt. Leave the car here in the alley. Do you have the master keys and weapons? I have them. Yes, sir. Mr. Britt. That's so loud. Oh, in this corner. What's the matter? Here's a flashlight. Yes, sir. In the drawer. Yes, sir. It's Melvin. He's been shot through the head. The head? Yeah. That car that drove away as we turned the corner. The police. Someone must have heard the shot and called him. There's a note, Mr. Britt. I'll take it. We've got to get out. There's a gun on the floor, Kate. I'll pick it up. Yes, sir. This way, quickly. Probably a suicide. Oh, is it head for this? It is all right. I've got to call my paper. Hold on. If it's suicide, where's the gun? Say, listen to that. What is it? The car is coming out of the alley. It's the green hornet. This ain't suicide. It's murder. Murder? One other means to expose Desmond failed. Britt Reid as the green hornet attempted to frighten Melvin into confessing his heart of the racket, which included among other things the murder of a witness for the state. Arriving at Melvin's home, Britt Reid found the man dead. A gun and note pointed to suicide, but Reid knew it was murder and removed the gun and note. Police arrived as the hornet fled. In the next day's newspapers carried an eight-column banner. What does it say about the hornet, Desmond? The cops got there as he drove away. Did they find a suicide note? No. The gun? No. We have Melvin's body. Don't drive so fast, Nelson. I'm nervous. Well, what's the odds? Melvin's dead. He won't talk now. No, but I... And the hornet's blamed. That puts us right in that clear. I hope so. There's just one thing. What's that? The hornet's got the note and gun. So what? There's no way to connect them to us. I still don't like it. Gosh, boss, I never saw you nervous like this. Why do you sing me now? You always laughed at anything of this sort. Listen, punk. We had the law to worry about. I didn't worry. Sure not. When the DA tried to investigate me, that was a laugh. Now, I don't like it. The green hornet don't work like anyone else. He's after something. If he wasn't, what did he take the gun and note for? Well, what could he be after? Maybe cash. Maybe power. Maybe it's figuring on taking over the ward. Maybe it's after me, I don't know. But I don't like it. Now, what about the party? You figure on going ahead with it? Sure. Except the vids are. We've got to go ahead with it. Our political pals figure on it. We've got to make some plans for the next election. The party has to go on. I shouldn't have. Well, I just thought maybe you being so nervous... The party's on. The vids all went out yesterday. Oh, a macro case. Imagine this. A party. What? Desmond has thrown a party in his social club. Every crook in town will be there. It's not that sort of a party. It's an important one. Mostly important politicians in my part of town will be on tap. They will? Sure. Super fishing champagne. James. Well? Tell me something. Desmond's a crook. Everyone knows it. Not till he's proven it. All right, but everyone still knows it. Yes, they'll accept favors from him. Why? As far as the record goes, Desmond isn't crooked. We can suspect all we want, but that doesn't make him a crook. Well, if I knew what I'd do about him and was invited to a party of his, I'd certainly not go. Yeah, but Casey, you're not after votes. That's the difference. I'm glad I'm not. You going? Wouldn't miss it. You're not after votes? I'm after the guys that are after the votes. Besides, I'm curious and I got hunches. What? Here, Melvin's murdered. Yes? Just at a time when he might have squealed and made it hot for Desmond. Very convenient for Desmond. It... It what? Makes me wonder if my own little hunch might not be correct. What's that? James, I hate to think that the Green Hornet would kill. What? I mean it. I wonder if he did kill or if someone else did it and framed him. You were right to your hunch, but as usual, you're all wet. Have it your way, James. I'm going to take in Desmond's party and I'll make a bet with you. What's that? Maybe it won't be known, but I'll bet Dallas to donuts. One of the men will be there as the Green Hornet. You wouldn't be smart enough to realize it. You could talk to the Green Hornet face to face and never spot him. Yeah? Well, I just like the chance. Yes, Mr. Reed? Oh, very well. Mr. Reed wants to see you. Okay. Yeah, boys? Oh, James, are you going to this party Desmond is giving? Sure. Thought I covered. Any objections? Cover it, James, but don't go alone. No? Take a couple plain clothesmen from headquarters. Think it'll be tough? I don't know what it'll be, but if anything does happen, I'd like to be sure that some of the people there will be on the level. Get the techies who are just as anxious to get the goods on Desmond as we are. Okay. Maybe you got hunches too. What do you mean? I heard a hunch the Hornet might be there. Maybe he bumped Melvin because Desmond wanted him bumped. James, I think you have something. Huh? That isn't a hunch. It's a theory. Why not publish it? You mean that? I don't know the police with it. Not to be a police theory that the Hornet might be in league with certain political bosses. Okay. And use that for a new lead when information lags on the Melvin murdering. Right. I'll be at Desmond's party with bells and detectives. He is hoping something happens. Guys, what a mouth. This company isn't even good for a couple of flat feet. Lay out the cracks, James. Remember we in here because we like it. So there's a reward in such hot company. Hold it flat for it. Can I give you credit for Ethereum and the Melvin bump on? Yeah. Thanks, James. I wonder where all these red faced mugs go in the daytime. Crawl back in the cracks in the woodland. Something I don't know what it is, Nelson. How'd they get around that the Hornet might be here? Don't ask me. I had the feeling all evening something was going to pop. Jinx of the signal has it too. See who was with him? Dick's. I haven't done anything but stand and wait. I know. Hey, boss. What? What's the matter with everyone? What do you mean? They seem like they were waiting. Waiting for something. Oh, screw it. It's crazy. Come on. Let's have a drink. I don't feel like drinking. I'm going after some fresh air. My collar's kind of tight. What time is it now, Jinx? A little afternoon, didn't I? Why? What's funny? My name is Rome. I've never felt something like that before. I wonder if he is here. Who? The Green Hornet. If he is, I'd like to know it. I'd like to get my hands on him. That's what I'd like to know. Nelson, let's check for the doorman. There's no one here without invitations. Okay, it was just a fool idea of mine. We'd check the list a bit real careful, didn't we? Sure. I guess nothing will happen. I never saw you with it, jitters like this. I am. Listen, boss, what's the matter with you? I just come to the back room. Well, whatever. I just wondered, did you leave the window open there? No. I shot it and locked it and had the slides closed over it. That's what I thought you said. Why? It's wide open now. It is. How opened it? I don't know, boss. I went to check up and see if the room was all set for the meeting to discuss the slate of the next election and see the window open. I'll go have a look. Yeah, you better. Well, I'm going to have a dance. What the heck? Nothing will happen. What are you so worried about? Hey, Maisie, how about a dance? I don't feel much like dancing, Elton. No one feels like doing anything. Blast it. This is the worst party, Elton. The boss wants you. Me? Yeah, I just called down. Go to the conference room. Okay. I'll see you later, Maisie. Yeah, don't be long. Where is he? The window's still open. This way. What the? Take it easy. Raise the hands. Turn slow. You, that mask too loud. The hornet. You're the hornet. Desmond. Joe, Joe, where are you? I'm taking his place. You're likely to squeal after the cops pick you up. No, no. What cops? What cops do you think? Those flat feet out there out of the house. They're there to crack the Melvin murder. Listen, wait a minute. Who are you working for? What do you think? Desmond? They won't get their goods on Desmond. He's too handy at putting those who might squeal out of his way. Not me. No, no, not me. I won't squeal. You bet you won't. Desmond has the rod that killed Melvin. What did you take it for? It was all set for... For a suicide, I know. The police wouldn't accept a suicide, Terry. That's where the boss fell down. There was too much reason to suspect murder. That's why I took the rod and the note and the blame for the murder. Now I'm putting myself in the clear. The boss as well. You'll follow up what I do. Plant the gun on you. You can take the murder app. Wait, wait. Listen to me, won't you? You do the list. Don't worry. Even though you're blamed for the murder, it won't bother you any. You won't know about it. Don't bump me. Wait a minute. Won't you let me talk? Five shots left on the gun. It'll match the one that was taken from Melvin's body. Don't kill me. Give me a chance. I won't squeal. I swear I won't squeal. I'll not get the chance. Help. Help. It's a green harness. You take it, rat. Help. Help. He's got me. The harness. I didn't squeal. Help. Help me. Where's the water? That window. Go on. Get after me. Help, Jake. The harness. You're so easy. You're all right. That gas he uses don't kill you. I tried to get me. I don't know why the gas didn't knock me out. Take the car. Get the green harness. Let him watch your car. Desmond, that double crosser. He had me put on a spot. He's the one. He's the one that got Andrew Melvin. He had him bumped. Where is he now? Come on. Get this man out of here. Come on now. Get back out of here. Don't elect this room over. No chance getting the water. I'm going to talk. I'm going to spill everything. Listen, Desmond is a killer. I get a load of this. This Desmond is closed-press. Knocked out. Killed. Wow! I ain't just gas. I want his gas worked on him all right. Wait, let me show you. Let me prove you, Bump Melvin. Here, let me show you. His pocket. There. There's the gun he used. We'll test it. Check the bore. You'll find it's the same rod that killed Melvin. And Desmond did it? Ain't I telling you? Check the gun. That'll prove it. The Green Hornet didn't do it. Desmond done it. He was the boss of everything. He had Tony Russo bumped off. He ran the insurance racket. Throw the crook in jail. Try to have me bumped, will he? I'll fix him. Boy, we got a story. Let me get my paper. Now break everything now, Kato. Are you sure that needs to be it? Nelson had to frame Desmond because he was sure that if he didn't put him in jail, Desmond would get him. Yes, sir. When he starts talking, he'll involve Nelson. Kato? I think the racket will be smashed before long. I'm expecting a call from headquarters any minute. Well, answer it. Yes? Yes, James. He dead? Good work. All you have to do is find the Green Hornet. Okay. Call the office and give the details to a rewrite. Kato? Desmond has started talking. That is good. He denies all knowledge of the Hornet. But he must admit enough to suddenly where he belongs. Hello, let me have the desk. You call it Ghanigan? Yeah. Hello, Ghanigan. Concerning that headline you hope to use someday. Well, use it. Desmond and his rackets are both finished. The Green Hornet Program originates in the studios of WXYZ Detroit and is presented each Tuesday and Thursday at this same hour through the facilities of the Mutual Broadcasting System.