 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 They dressed in red white and blue and jumped from an ancient biplane at 3,500 feet Twice a day every day and nobody worried until five million bucks went along just for the laughs and Death went along for the ride From the pen of Raymond Chandler 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 birds on the wing It had been the kind of quiet work this week that speaks well for human beings and their relations with one another But doesn't do much for a private detective's bank balance So when at exactly noon the telephone call eject me out of Chandler's new novel the little sister and a voice aged with anxiety It dangled a hundred bucks worth of negotiable bait my way Had snapped at it But then I wondered if I'd done the right thing Because it had been my musts haddie Pembroke guardian of the millionaire thrill-seeking screwball page Pembroke And now an hour later I left the sunlight and felt my way into the gloom of the carefully tucked away Hollywood bar Where she had suggested we meet When I could see again I spotted her at a corner table That the old girl would be the other side of 50 and doing a little too much to disguise it I had expected but that she would be drinking her whiskey neat I hadn't when I approached her and introduced myself. She started to come right to the point, but didn't quite make it I'm sorry. You're probably dying for a drink. Oh wait. Well, frankly, no miss Pembroke. I'm not exactly dying I know you man in your early afternoon appetite for friendly drink There's no harm in it matter of fact, I've already had I've had a small drink myself. No fallen Waiter and this gentleman's order, please. Oh, yes, ma'am. I want a pizza scotch and soda if the lady will join me Oh, no, no, I couldn't I really? Well, all right It's got for me to waiter Johnny Walker. Yeah Now mr. Marlowe, let's get down to business Have you ever been to Oxnard, California? Uh-huh good because that's where my nephew is Also, it's where the Calumet Valley County fairs being held really whatever that may be Most important. It's where you can probably find out what kind of trouble page is in you see the poor boy It's down to his last five million bucks. Now. I'm sorry miss Pembroke. I don't think I want the job after all One moment. Why not? Well, frankly, I hope you'll excuse the reference to actual living persons But your polo playing motorboat racing daredevil nephew is a jerk. I know Page Pembroke the food is an unmitigated ass a virile egomaniac an idiot who's never done an honest day's work in his life Wait, what is that drink ready, ma'am? Oh, thank you No, mr. Marlowe sit down drink you drink When I referred to my nephew was a poor boy in trouble. I was only trying to avoid saying all this Your help sir. Yes Well my health Now your next question Since I obviously share your sentiments about my nephew why all this concern over him correct a close, right I Want to help page Pembroke mr. Marlowe because it's my job my Shall I say bread and butter? All right, say You see I'm executive his estate which my brother pages father left for him But as such I get twenty thousand dollars into pages 35 another six years But if page or die disappear or be committed to any kind of a public institution Institution before then the entire estate goes to charity. I go find another job and Specialized jobs like handling five million dollar estates are hard to come by these days, huh? Now mr. Marlowe this letter here is all you have to go on it was postmarked last night from oxenot Oh If you want your precious nephew to keep on being healthy better come and get them at once Three of us had a nice little act going here at the Calumet Valley County Fair before he joined us just for laughs We intend to have a nice little act going after he's gone and one way or another. He's gonna go a friend Yeah, what do you think? Oh, it's five to one. It's nothing more than the woman's spurned very young woman this Pembroke So you might be wasting a hundred dollars sending me up there. Then you'll go good. Yeah, but only because of my bank account Mr. Marlowe, there'll be another hundred dollars for you if and when you get all this straight no Now call me at my home Beverly Hills crest few five four one two four one two four Yes, as soon as you find out what's wrong. Oh Mr. Marlowe. Yes, Miss Pembroke on your way out signal the waiter for me. Will you please? The ride to oxenot was a pleasant but frustrating hour and a half drive along the kind of beckoning sunscrub Pacific shoreline That always demands to know why you have to work for a living The ride through oxenot with the sprawling county fairgrounds located at a semi-retired airport was a fast 10 minutes So all in all it was a little better than three o'clock And there was still a measure of boyish bounce in my stride when I started past the prize cows and Plain and fancy leg horns and headed for the midway looking for the ag page Pembroke adjoin just for laughs But it was four o'clock and I had checked a half a dozen Deftifying numbers before I was standing in front of a bannock Columbus could have used for a sale and said I was getting warm In iridescent orange cloth on black it read the plunging comets Taffy star and midge mated on wings of death with feelers setting up with the controls The greatest parachute act in the world admission free Five and nine p.m. North end of the midway come one come all Yeah, this had to be it At the north end of the midway just outside of a sagging weather peeled hangar I found the world war one by plane that went with the plunging comets being mothered by a mechanic who didn't have grease on his face And beyond that on an inside wall at the hangar with a parachute used in the act each on a separate hook It's owner's name carefully block let it on a card tacked above Taffy Midge and Eddie and then scrawled in black crayon the name. I wanted most of all to see page Something mister The voice went with the woman and the woman with the act At the top there was what used to be called the boyish Bob sticking out of a white aviators helmet circa 1918 Then a bright red leather jacket open wide at the throat like riding britches black boots a Color of hair that stuck out and said this one was taffy. I asked if you lost something. Have you? Well come to think of it. Yes six foot two eyes are blue and carries a big big checkbook Seen one around maybe Why who are you names Philip Marlowe the millionaire's friend of me out salesman? Here's my car I got all the very funny jokes. Now. What do you really want? Page Pembroke before he breaks his neck in your act or isn't he in it yet? I don't remember now your point What is it a letter you could have written let it? It says pages in trouble. Where is he? Goodbye, mr. Marlowe easy wings You wouldn't want to hold that on somebody who's only trying to help brother page. Would you? I mean what reason could you possibly have? Other than five million bucks. You might want for your very own. Why you I said goodbye What's the matter to me? You having problems? Yeah This mr. Yacht salesman is Emmett Kingston head of the fairs midway, and you'd be surprised how popular he is with the concessionaries Now are you going what else good name is taffy mr. Kingston You know sometimes it works lead with your chin right with a punch and watch for your opening And I figured I'd try it just that way So ten minutes later when Emmett Kingston it was carnival people from check at vest past on eight watch five the high-button shoes And shaped like a bowling pin left taffy and started trundling down the midway I went after him when he stopped in front of a lunch wagon I stopped too and when he went in and approached the man playing pinball machine was maybe five foot four And from where I stood conscious of it. I was still behind him At the pinball machine a stranger with a thin face that wore a nervous toothpick was also watching a little man's game Oh boy doctor's pitching. So when I moved closer to the trio my face turned away from Kingston nobody seemed to mind Many trades I see well. Oh Mr. Kingston, how are you sir? 800 Morris jackpot doc come on come on you wanted to speak to me mr. Kingston Hershey nothing important except about last night last night, sir You were working late for a parachute rigger weren't your boy? Or am I wrong to consider two o'clock in the morning an odd hour for you to be folding me so hey doc You're gonna shoot it on you, which of course she is gone. I'll shoot for the gentleman. Yes, sir Hey 2003 thousand fourth. Hey, that's great. Now do that again with your last ball. Oh was there something else mr. Kingston Yeah, sir. She why were you near the shoots at that hour and don't bother denying that you were because they didn't have saw you there Well, son, why I was there to double check the rigors. Mr. Kingston. Hey look I'm sick and tired of Mitch Maynard complaining about the way I pack her shoot It's a stupid excuse just trying to cover the fact that she's losing her nerve. Hey boys don't ignore me And get going Get this stumble bomb out of here. Will you sure mr. Kingston, whatever you say and the social huh? All right All right, I'm going my own free will too. I can stay up on one or two Yeah, you were saying well just this mr. Kingston Mitch Maynard and taffy star fighting because of that Pembroke fellow or because Eddie Knapp is crazy about taffy is wanting But but bringing me and my work into it is different meaning the parachutes mentioned taffy user Identical in the act both girls jump from the plane wing at the same time But midge always gets scared and opens a shoe sooner than taffy So taffy is on a ground wall before midge, but this has nothing to do with the way I rigged the shoes and I think She nobody's blaming Say you yeah, you wouldn't be trying to sell another yacht in here, would you just waiting for the finish of an exciting pinball game? That all right, or is it time to call Rosie again? No, no, it's quite all right. We're leaving you try for the jackpot Go on her sheets about time for the five o'clock show. Oh, yes, mr. Queen. Hmm. Only 40,000 to go It's the first time I ever hit the jackpot. Oh, that's pretty good mr. Marlowe considering that it wasn't your nickel you want on oh Now that you mentioned him as the Pembroke it wasn't which will take care of the introduction Yeah, and that leaves very little but something but definitely Marlowe you can tell Aunt Hattie from me that at the moment I don't need a watchdog and when and if I do I'll go to the nearest city pound for one not to a private detective agency I told myself it was foolish to slam the door on my way out so I slammed the door on my way out I Started north down the midway toward the open stands the five o'clock sharp performance of the plunging comets I got there the act was already underway with the silver biplane taking off And he nappin white at the controls taffy in a red jacket and parachute crouched on one wing Which made it in blue jacket and shoot on the other Then as they slowly gained altitude high button shoes himself took over the PA They did it up well by the time the plane was at about 3,000 feet Every pair of eyes was riveted skyward and I expected hush thicker than winter fog it settled everywhere Within five hundred feet on the ground now He's drawn up tight arms close into their sides. They jumped specks in the sky growing bigger as they fell 1,000 2,000 3,000 feet and then from taffy shoot cloth long and colored a huge flag rippling in the wind from the end of a long rope The flag seemed to rise above her as she fell until the slack was gone And then suddenly a shoot open billowing and then midge another flag rippling from the end of a long rope And then and the flag drifting free major shoot not open miss plummeting down The third slammed home all the way around kicking hard at every stomach a minute ago a girl very much alive our smash still body Some place near me a woman cried There was a bitter six sweet taste in my mouth as I hit it for the hanger where I'd first met taffy At the moment I figured the guy who packed the parachutes was a good man to see When I got there the only one present was Emmett Kingston stop right there boy and tell me straight and fast just who you are Philip Marlowe Los Angeles private detective mr. Kingston you can prove that sure Here is my business card state license County permit. I'm working for page Pembroke's aunt She wants his nibs kept out of trouble which has what to do with your being here now Here at this hangar I mean close to where the parachutes are kept I'm not sure Kingston I've only got a hunch a hunch that midge maynard's death was no accident I got more than that already mr. Detective. I've got proof. Oh, you see this flag. It's the one that came off Midges shoot. There's a long rope attached to it. Yeah, I know I saw the egg pulls a shoot open after the flags flown A while right sometimes but not tonight mr. Marlowe tonight. It couldn't why not wasn't it attached to the shoot It was one end of the shoot release cord the other to the base of the flag what went wrong nothing Nothing mr. Marlowe except that the long rope on midges shoot was cut in two by a very sharp knife In just a moment the second act of Philip Marlowe, but first Sunday nights on CBS the biggest bargain in show business today Skelton Bergen and Benny without spending a penny Amos and Andy Eve Arden Corleis Archer for a's four-star Entertainment the family hour with its Hollywood stars and stirring dramas the contented hour with its musical stars and brilliant form Horace height with his rising stars Eight great shows heard on most of these same CBS stations every Sunday night with the night Jack Benny being heard on them all Hear them all this Sunday night Now with our star Gerald more we return to the second act of Philip Marlowe and tonight's story the birds on the wing When Midge Maynard's grim accident turned out to be grimmer murder. I left Kingston and headed for a phone to call my clients Everywhere the chill of the viciously spectacular death Lay like a soggy blanket At the exposition office. I found the phone and finally got through to haddie Pembroke She listened up to the word murder and then between gasps and sister on coming out to help me When I hung up I turned to see that the pilot Eddie Napa been standing in the door listening He looked sick. What's it to you, mister? What's what to me? Midge The long drop she took out there and Pembroke. I heard you say Pembroke. What do you got to do with him? Just a minute fella. I'm not sure it's any of your business. It's my business. All right The kid gave me a big grin up there just before she jumped Now watch her fall every inch of the way so did everybody else look I know how you feel. They don't have any idea how I feel Don't try to kid me that mob out. They loved it. That's the only reason they come to watch the hypocritical buzzards You got a finger in this pie an angle all your own I'm gonna find out what it is. Take it easy Napa. You're talking yourself into something real silly. Yeah Listen ever since that last Pembroke showed up here. There's been trouble Bruin Now Midge is dead She was a friend of mine That's friend I had aren't you pulling a switch buster? What happened to your red hot passion for taffy star? Oh, you know she's coming a jerk I'm buzz boy unless you want to take over the busted wing stand still I'll get this city. I've got no beef with you yet In fact, we might even be on the same team because I want Pembroke out of here just as much as you do Who are you private detective named Marlowe and I got news for you Midge fell because a shoot was fixed. She was murdered but you heard me where Where's Hershey? He packed the shoots. Have you talked to him? No, I can't find him I mean he's run away with that filthy hairpins like your own sake Eddie leave Hershey to me and the police You know where he's staying. No, no, I don't in town someplace. What didn't you ever tell you where come on? Thank Eddie. Well, yeah, he told me at a buddy in town some guy runs a pool hall. I didn't pay much attention It's enough for a starter. I'll find him and keep a lid on your temper Eddie. I'll see you As I crossed the grounds to my car. I look back once at any nap standing in the office door Rubbing the shoulder I twisted for him I hope he'd stay out of circulation until I got back because Bond-storming flyer was charged up like a high-tension wire The way he felt that these sparks no matter who he touched Taffy Pembroke or Lyle Hershey My immediate worry was the location of the lambing parachute packer. So I drove into Waxnaud Found a phone booth and went through the book calling pool followers. I Finally hit paydirt at the joint called Pindies. It's 2 12 V Street upstairs in the back To 12 B Street was an apartment second floor rear over a boarded-up fish market I went up the stairs the half-open door with my hand around my 38 But the shooting part was all over Because Lyle Hershey was crumpled in the bedroom door with the slovenly abandoned that violent death always has The look of the puddle of blood under me been that way over an hour. I Started backing out Just as someone else started up the stairs So I flattened myself against the wall beside the kitchen door and waited Lyle Lyle, it's Taffy. I'm come on in take a good look Taffy. What are you doing in here? Where's Lyle? It's a great act baby holds water like a duck's back. What do you mean that wherever there's murder? There's also motive and you've got it Taffy lots of it me. What are you talking about? Maybe he's dead. Maybe you killed him keep him quiet because maybe he fouled up Midge Maynard's parachute on your orders Consequently had you over a barrel on my orders You're out of your mind and maybe you had to get Midge out of the way because you objected the page Pembroke and his coincidental millions honing into the act Objected so strenuously that she was doing something about it such as sending threats to his aunt Hattie Let's face it baby. It fits but not tight enough Marlowe page darling. I got worried when you didn't come back to the car So I decided don't move Marlowe or I'll shoot Pembroke if you got any sense in that gold-plated skull You're sure it Marlowe. I stood outside and listen to enough of your crackpot theories to know your nuts I don't need any advice from you at this point to keep your long nose out of my business I listen you have brain told just stand there like a good little boy Tappy and I are leaving and don't try to follow too fast go on Tappy outside. I'll follow you so long detective I let him go Spent 20 useless minutes searching the almost beer apartment for any kind of an answer but came up with nothing Hershey's buddy at my feet convinced me there was nothing in Oxnard for Marlowe The sooner I dumped the whole mess into the lapse of local law and order the better So I kicked out the 10 cent lock on the flimsy door and went down the stairs I cut through an alley to the street and started across to where my car was parked When I was bracketed by a pair of headlights on a sleek Nash convertible Hey, yeah, Marlowe, what you doing here boy? Nothing even that's an exaggeration Kingston. What about you? I thought you had a show tonight. It's certainly do but the police don't give a hoot about that boy They insisted that I bring the rest of Mitch Maynard's parachute harness in for investigation Get in come on. Well, you son, maybe you can help me out. Okay. I want to see the police myself. Oh Is this major stuff here? That's it. Don't mind holding it. Do you Waste of time boy Only have to do was pick up Lyle Hershey and they'll get all answers. I'll have to pick them up All right, but he'll give them problems not answers. Mr. Kingston Lyle Hershey's dead. He was murdered You say yeah, yeah, I just came from his place somebody shot him great suffering sardines Well, that means there's another killer and still on the loose. I knew I shouldn't let him do it But who do what why taffy's going to give an air performance tonight They pulled me into the grounds just as I was leaving and told me that Pembroke fellas going up midges place. You mean those two showed up out there. It doesn't make sense Well, Pembroke's got plenty of nerve in his own shoot. So I shoot. Yeah, he's wait a minute. Wait a minute Kingston stop under that streetlight. Will you What is it my oh, are you sure sure red smudges on the inside of these straps? There's something wrong here Kingston, but I can't quite peg it Say Kingston, what time was that performance going to start wait nine o'clock five minutes and five miles to go Come on boy turn the heap around and ramp on it. We got a killer to catch Swing out in front of the hangar Kingston hurry It's empty. They're already out on the runway. Yeah, it's one parachute still on the rack Why that's any nap shoot and he never goes up without it So who's at the controls of that plane out there? I don't even have to guess it's Eddie Napa all right, but he figures a suicide doesn't need to shoot Pilots Kingston's as far as you go. I'm taking over from here. Where do you try to get out? They're turning around now. Hey, he's gonna make us run back this way. So long Kingston here. He comes There's no possible chance for a miss and I headed the car straight into the path of the plane pull the hand throttle out As far as it would go and jumped There on it was easy The plane sort of stumbled over the car rolled up on its nose and stayed there Quick work by the volunteer crash crew took care of that Box of bandages took care of the collection of minor cuts and bruises all around in the Oxnard police took care of Eddie Napa Everything had come out more or less even except my client Patty Pemberham She showed up at the finish line slightly on the bias which no doubt was her normal late-evening state Also, she was as full of questions as an insurance adjusted now young man I paid you a substantial sum of money for this day's work and therefore as your employer I'm certainly entitled to a comprehensive report the entire business and I all right. All right, Hattie Hattie. Whoa I'll run through it once more and that's all now look first the threatening letter You got was written by Midge Maynard because she was afraid Paige was gonna break up the act you get it But the real screwball was Eddie Napa He was crazy about taffy star and insanely jealous when your nephew and his money showed up Napa decided if he couldn't have taffy nobody else would because he'd kill her and yet Midge Maynard was the one who got killed you catch on quick Napa killed Hershey because he was afraid Hershey had seen him tampering with the shoots you get that no Second thought Milo, maybe you better smitter written report tomorrow. Yeah with adding machine and clothes now look Hattie It's not that Marlowe Marlowe Paige and I want to apologize We treated you pretty badly tonight and well you did save our lives business is business. Yeah, that's right He was hired to do a job dear and he did it. I'm only interested in one thing Marlowe How'd you know it was Eddie Natt? Well, nobody had a really good motive for killing both Midge and Hershey So when I realized the shoots have been switched. I knew Midge's murder was a mistake and there it was easy How'd you find that out Marlowe from red smudges on the inside of the harness shoulder straps Red that had to come from your leather jacket there Taffy the one Midge always wore was blue. Mm-hmm very interesting Well, Hattie, write the detective a check so we can go. That's the best idea. You've had to date Pembroke and Include on at the price of a repair job on Kingston's car a new tweed suit to replace this one that lost knees and elbow on the runway when I jumped Also, don't forget the bonus you promised for keeping your job alive. I've had it Just a minute Marlowe. As for you Pembroke the only reason I'm not filing an assault and battery charge against you is that You've got great grounds for a counter-suit. What do you mean? This? Bless you my boy. Mail me the check. Good night Well a few informal cups of coffee at the Oxnacht police headquarters cut through most of the paperwork But at that it was after two when I finally picked up my car and drove the inland highway for home Past dark quiet farms Where down-to-worth people made down-to-worth livings and slept at night Yeah, the countryside was full of them So it was with a real sigh of relief that I finally opened the door to my apartment And look forward to some peace and quiet Hello, mr. Marlowe Eh, aren't you Gracie Allen? Yes Well, how'd you get into my apartment? Well, you see this key? Yeah, well, it didn't fit so I opened the door and walked in Yeah, well that figures. What can I do for you? Uh, mr. Marlowe, you're a famous detective and I think you're just the man to handle a very important case for me Oh, really? Well, I'd be very happy to Gracie. What's your problem? Well, you see mr. Marlowe our sponsor won't let my husband's sugar throat burns sing on our program And I want you to investigate the possibilities of another radio program. George can sing on And then our sponsor will realize he's wonderful and let him sing on our show Yeah, well, I'm sorry Gracie and the next time you pass my house. I'll be very grateful. Oh, thank you And I'll be looking for you too. Goodbye. Goodbye The adventures of Philip Marlowe bringing you Raymond Chandler's most famous character star jerald moore and are produced and directed by Norman mcdonnell Script is by robert mitchell and gene levitt Featured in the cast we're lois corbett rita lin don randolph junius matthews jack moyes and jimmy eagles The special music is composed and conducted by richard orant Be sure and be with us again next week when philip marlowe said It started with a kid hawking papers on hollywood boulevard And moved from there to a house full of hate on a quiet street A blonde liar on ice skates in a corpse in a burned-out shack And it all wound up right where it began in the heart of the kid on the corner Two music programs that make your sunday afternoon listening a delight and a pleasure are the symphonat and the corollers The corollers sing popular and semi classical songs in stirring style The symphonat brings you excerpts of great orchestral works Here the symphonat and the corollers tomorrow and every sunday as well as sammy k's sunday serenade now heard exclusively on cbs All of these outstanding music programs are heard on most of these same cbs stations This is roi roan speaking Stay tuned now for gangbusters which follows immediately on most of these stations This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system