 Broadway's My Beat, with Anthony Ross as Detective Danny Clover. Broadway's My Beat, from Times Square to Columbus Circle. The gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomeest mile in the world. That's the street I walk. But today, trouble is waiting for me in the squad room at the 47th Street Station House. Lieutenant Clover? That's me. Well, they told me off. They told me out front I'd find you here. You've got to help me. Sure, sure. Hey, buy those tags on your shoulders. I see you two fellas are in New York for a convention. What's your trouble? Well, you see, I've never been in the big city before, and, well, I've heard about things like this happening, but I never thought it would happen to me. A girl is trying to blackmail me. Blackmail? That's right. Now, there's nothing to it, but if my wife finds out about it. Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute, young fella. Now, uh, make me acquainted with you first, and then we'll listen to your troubles. Oh, my name's Peter Daley. I'm stalking at the Cleveland Hotel. Exactly two hours, my wife arrives in New York. Hold on, now. Hold on. Where are you from? You sound like Kansas. No, Arkansas. That's close enough. Who's this gent with you here? I'm his friend, Lieutenant. The name is Ben Cotton. Uh, Pete asked me to come up here to the station with him, uh, sort of, uh, moral support for a devil. Ah, you're from his hometown? Uh, yes, sir, a little rock. We're partners in our little business out there. We've been in New York a week now, Pete and I, attending a convention here. Oh, boys, boys, when were you out of town as learn how to relax in New York without getting into trouble? You attend a convention, you gotta go unconventional. Oh, sir, I don't even know that girl. She's a stranger to me. Huh? Well, then I don't get it. I don't get it. Just what did happen? Well, a lot of the boys, after yesterday's convention session, went down to the hi-hat club, and, well, I'm standing at the bar, Lieutenant. Having a drink. Mine's in my own business. The bar was pretty crowded, and this red-headed girl takes a place next to me and asks for a light. And I give it to her. Lesson one. When a strange girl asks you for a light, zip your wallet. Yeah, go ahead. What then? Well, a little while later, the nightclub photographer passes by, and this red-head stops her and says to her, she'd like a picture taken, right there against the bar. And just as the photographer's about to snap her picture, this red-head takes my arm with a laugh to include me, you see. And, well, I was feeling pretty good, so they enter into the fun of the thing. Hello, sucker. She must have been saying under a breath. So, you both listen to the birdie. Yeah, and when I got back to my hotel, I thought nothing more about it. This morning, I got a phone call. From the red-head? That's right. Oh, she'd sell you the picture for a price or show it to your wife, huh? That's right. Well, she wanted $500. I don't have money like that. How'd she know you were married? Lieutenant, I never told her I was married. Hardly said a word to her. What? Well, then how did she know? I don't know. She even knew my wife was arriving in New York at two today. Can you beat that, Lieutenant? Go on, go on, Daily. Well, she told me over the phone that unless I came across with the money, she'd mail that picture to my wife today. So what'd you tell her? Well, I told her I wouldn't give her a cent. Why should I pay her? Look, Lieutenant, believe me, I'm a happily married man, and I haven't done anything wrong, but what'll my wife think if she gets that picture? Daily, what's the name of that redhead and where does she live? Well, I don't know that. She didn't tell me. Well, then how did she expect you to get to her with the dough? Well, she said if I was agreeable, she'd tell me where I could leave the money and she'd later leave the picture in the same place. But I told her nothing doing. I'd go to the police first. Then she hung up. No, you did the right thing by coming to the police. Well, but if she sends that picture to my wife, my wife's an understanding woman, Lieutenant. But after all, oh, if I could get my hands on that girl, I swear I'd kill her. Hey, hey, hey. Go on, go on. Pick up your wife at the station, Daily, and relax. I'll drop into the hi-hat club, see if that redheaded is known over there. And Daily, make sure your wife puts you on a leash. Yes, Sergeant, what's up? Look, it all over for you, Lieutenant. Broadway Towers. Detective Tom Donnelly's already up there. The apartment 5E, some dame there. Found dead, Lieutenant. Looks like murder. How do you like that? Just when I was staring up at the skyscrapers, wishing I was a pigeon. All right, let's go, sir. Broadway Towers. Who is she, Tom? Name Rita Rondell, Danny, calling you a building superintendent. Redhead, huh? Yeah. Fractured skull. Body was discovered by the Super. Yeah, no witnesses, no unseen entering or leaving. Hey, look over that back room, Sergeant. Right, Lieutenant. Say you found off the phone off the hook, Tom? Yeah. Yeah. Looks like the whole scuffle was over that phone. Yeah. What's this written on the calendar here, Danny? Bobo 1 p.m. Yeah, let me see. Bobo. Could be some guy. Ask around the stem, Tom. Any characters named Bobo. Okay. You say dark places of death are about 110. Right. Well, whoever a visitor was, boy, they had quite a tussle. Hey, Danny, look here. I found some photographs hidden in the bottom of this drawer. Take a look. Hmm? Well, what do you know? What's matter, Danny? Hey, you remember that nice guy daily from Little Rock came in the station house this noon about a blackmailing Redhead? Yeah? Yeah, this is him, with Rita Rondell taking against the bar at the hi-hat club. Look, how about that, huh? This must have been the day he was trying to shake him down. And this is the frame of pictures he meant to sock him with. Yeah, so this is the Redhead. And me, I'm looking all over for her. Open and shut. Remember, he said he'd like to kill her? Huh, never can tell. He didn't look that mad. Well... Like I always say, share shale of motive and you got your man. Shall I bring him in? Hey, hold your horses, Tom. There's no evidence he had anything to do with this, but... I'd better drop in on him and have a little chat. Question him, huh? Yeah, yeah. Anything else turns up, let me know. And check Bobo. Right. I'll keep in touch. Ah, poor daily, I feel sorry for him. And with a wife just arrived in town. Tom, this is gonna be a heartbreaker, especially if the little lady from Arkansas answers the door. Mrs. Daly? Yes? Uh, is your husband in? Oh, yes. He's just lying down for a bit. Who shall I say? Uh, Mrs. Daly, I'm Lieutenant... Well, here's an old arty. We forgot our appointment, fella. Huh? Oh, darling, I want you to meet Art Schmidt. He was my lieutenant, third airborne. Ha, the old dog. Imagine meeting him at the convention after all these years. Yeah, yeah. Mr. Smith, just imagine. You two must be thrilled. I guess New York's the place one meets all the... Be right with you, Art. I just put on my jacket. Uh, yeah. Okay, I'll wait. How do you like the little Mrs. Art? Oh, just fine. Pleased to meet you, ma'am. Step on it, Pete, huh? Uh, won't take a minute, Art. Why? Where are you boys off to? Oh, Cookie, I forgot to tell you. I promised Art I'd have a cup of coffee with him. You know, a catch-up on the old gang. Uh, he leaves for Cincinnati in a little while. Uh, Mrs. Daly, does your husband often go to conventions alone? Oh, heavens, no. This is the first time we've ever been separated. In the three years we've been married. I see. Ben Cotton, his partner, was going too, so there was nothing to worry about. Besides, I know that Peter wouldn't even look at anyone else. Oh, let's go, Art. All right, Peter. Let's go down to that coffee shop, then. Have that little chat. Yeah, we can talk right here in the lobby. Yeah, okay. That's one sweet wife, Daly. Yeah, you can say that again. You can see why I didn't want to let on you were police officer. Yeah, yeah, I got it. Well, Lieutenant Clover, did you ask in that nightclub like you promised to find out if anyone knows that red-headed blackmailer? She hasn't sent that picture yet. You wouldn't be kidding me, mister, would you? What do you mean? When did you see alas, this, this Rita Rundell? Oh, is that her name? You found that out? Oh, I last night at that bar. You didn't go to her apartment today? At one o'clock, say? You know, son, if you're on the level with me, I'd be about the happiest guy on earth. What do you mean, Lieutenant? I'm on the level. What's up? Rita's dead, son. Dead? We found that picture you were talking about in her apartment. It was beautiful from the look of the place, and she fell against something in the struggle and fractured her skull. Probably accidental, but there'll be a manslaughter wrapped for somebody. My gosh. Who do you suppose? Daily right now, I don't have any idea, but my men are going over that apartment inch by inch police routine. I'll get a report just as soon as I call headquarters, but before I put in that call, were you or were you not in Ron Dell's apartment? No. Well, I told you before, I didn't even know where she lived. Good. Good. Come on. Now, let's walk over here. The phone, I'll call headquarters. If nothing else turned up, you can go back upstairs to your wife. Yeah, she'll think it's funny by leaving her to talk with you so soon after she gets to New York. Yeah, you wait outside the booth, will you? I'll only be a minute. Clover, Sergeant, no, you didn't. There's nothing else, huh? Out where? Oh, then he... I see. Thanks, Sergeant. Daily, where's your hat? My hat. I must have left it out in my room. Shall we go up and see? Well, I'm not sure. Maybe I lost it. That's right. You lost it at Rita Ron Dell's apartment. What are you driving at, Clover? Well, lots of people have initials. Okay. Then let your wife identify it. No. No, no, I'll leave my wife out of it. I'll tell you where I lost it. Come to think of it, I remember now. Yeah, yeah, at that bar last night where I met her, that's right. I missed it when I got back to the hotel. So, so, so either that girl or someone else picked it up and... Well, maybe that explains how... Father, you killed me. You were wearing that hat in the station. How's this noon? I'll have to take you to headquarters. I'm charging you with manslaughter. You're listening to Broadway's My Beat. We'll continue in just a minute. But first, Sunday nights on CBS are famous for their top comedy with Jack Benny, Amos and Andy and the other great comedians, for the splendid drama that Helen Hayes brings each week, and for the appearance of one of the greatest detectives in modern times, Sam Spade created by Dashiell Hammett. Sam Spade's approach to crime detection has now become the pattern for many another sleuth. But none so well combines the hard-boiled view toward a fast dollar the down-to-worth appreciation of a well-formed ankle and the readiness with a wise crack. A bestseller in the fiction field, Sam Spade's adventures on the air are now among the top-rating mystery shows. You'll find here tonight and every Sunday night on most of these same stations, Sam Spade ready for rough-and-tumble action in a battle of wits that's Dashiell Hammett tradition. And all back to the 16th Precinct and Detective Danny Clover. Well, this is awful. Look, Lieutenant, I'm from Daly's hometown and I've known him for years. Why, he couldn't have had anything to do with this. Mr. Cotton, I... I know you're Daly's friend and I... I know how you feel. I simply phoned you seeing as you're a friend of the family to notify Mrs. Daly of her husband's arrest. Yes, of course. Well, she wasn't in her room when I stepped by, so I rushed down here as fast as I could. Those two are so much in love, Lieutenant. I just don't have the heart to tell her. Any luck this time, Tom? Nah, try to persuade Daly again, but no soap, Danny. See, Mr. Cotton, we... well, we offered to allow your friend a few minutes to call his wife. Tell her himself about his arrest, but... he says he can't do it. Mr. Cotton says he didn't kill him to tell her. Why don't you tell her? She's such a sweet kid. She's gonna take this awful hard. You see, in a way, I feel kind of responsible for this being here with Ben. I... I just don't believe I could face her. Tom? Unless it's an order, Lieutenant. I'd rather be included out. Okay. I guess a policeman's job can include almost anything. I'll get over there right now. Oh, uh... Oh, Tom, come here a minute. Yes, Lieutenant? Yeah, Danny? You didn't find any guy anywhere named Bobo. No Bobo. No Bobo. All right, then that's that. Okay, fellas, I'm on my way. Oh, believe me, this is gonna be tough. Breaking the bad news to the little lady from Arkansas. Oh, why, it's you, Mr. Smith. Where'd you two boys get lost? Where's Peter? Isn't he with you? Well, uh, no. Uh, no, Mrs. Deli. Uh, say, let's go inside. I want to talk to you. I don't understand, Mr. Smith. Where is Peter? Well, the fact is, Mrs. Deli... Where for goodness sake? Well, I mean, the fact is, Mrs. Deli, I'm not... I looked downstairs for you two and couldn't find you anywhere. Now you come back alone and... do tell me you're frightened of me. Has something happened to him? Mr. Smith, I thought you had to catch a train. Well, now you see, that's just what I wanted to explain, Mrs. Deli. I... Oh, I get it now. You went to a bar instead of the coffee shop, so you missed your train and he... Oh, Mr. Smith, why didn't you say so in the first place? You had me so worried. Oh, I know, I'm sorry. Where is he? Is he in bad shape? You just bring him back here, no matter what condition he's in, and I'll take care of him. Maybe some coffee would help. Do you hear me, Mr. Smith? Mr. Smith? Mrs. Deli, I'm not Mr. Smith. What? You're not... Aye, it was all just an act, I'm sorry. I mean, your husband called me that when I came in before, and well, I played along. An act? What in heaven's name are you talking about? And who are you? Detective Lieutenant Danny Clover, ma'am, of the 16th precinct. Your husband... Oh, now wait a minute, wait a minute. Hey, perhaps you better sit down. No, I'm all right. Please go on. Something happened to him, an accident or something. Is he hurt badly? Oh, no, no, he hasn't hurt. Oh, that's good. Ma'am, your husband is under arrest. Under arrest? Peter? Nonsense, what for? Well, you see, it dates back to before you arrived, naturally. You see, last night he got into a jam at a nightclub. A jam? I mean, that is... There was a girl at the bar next to him. Oh, don't get me wrong there, ma'am. In that respect, I assure you. But it's something else that happened. Now, Mrs. Daly, let me tell you the whole story from the beginning. He wouldn't do anything. No, please don't get me wrong, ma'am. You mean he got mixed up with a girl, but he couldn't? Oh, no, no, it's not that. There was this red-headed... Oh, no, wait a minute. Oh, I'm no good at this sort of thing, Mrs. Daly. Go on. Well, look, it was all a framed up thing. Your husband came up to the station this morning and then told us the whole thing. Your husband was blackmailed. Blackmailed? But you said he was framed. Yeah, well, as far as the redhead... I mean, the girl is concerned there's nothing to it. Oh, of course I should have known. He was framed with a picture taken at a bar and, well, to protect you, to keep you from seeing that picture. Oh, well, a picture? What would I have cared about an old picture? There's nothing to it. Everything's all right. But you said Peter was arrested. Well, you seem, ma'am, to keep you from seeing that picture. I figure maybe he went up to that girl's room and there was a little fight or a struggle or something, and this girl fell. Oh, she's hurt. She's dead. Dead? She's dead? What do you mean to... Well, it's a charge. We call manslaughter. Manslaughter? He didn't. He couldn't have killed anyone. Does he say he didn't? Yes, ma'am. He denies he was even in her apartment, but you see, there's some evidence that... Then I believe him and you've got to believe him, Lieutenant. My husband's never told a lie in his life. He's incapable of lying. Ask anyone in Little Rock where he's loved and respected and they'll tell you... But, Mrs. Daly, the evidence shows that... His words good enough for me. And I'll tell you something else, sir. If he was guilty, he'd have told me so. In our whole married life, he's never held back one single little thing. Lieutenant, my husband didn't kill that girl. And if he says so, he was never even up in her apartment. Ma'am, I'm glad to hear you talk like that. I was pretty soul. Your husband was holding out on me, but... Maybe there's a chance he was telling the truth. Could be he was framed again. I'll go back and have another talk with him. I'll be praying, Lieutenant. Yeah. Yeah, Mrs. Daly. You do that. Danny! Danny, Peter Daly's confessed. Confessed? Oh, no. I just visited him again in his cell with his friend, Mr. Cotton, here. Darned if Daly didn't say... Wait, wait, wait a minute, Detective Donnelly. Peter did not confess. At least not to killing that girl. He just admitted that he went up to her apartment and he saw a line with her head in the kitchen against a milk bottle. She was already dead. That's an old one, Danny. You know, she was already dead. Lieutenant, you've got to believe him. I'll tell you what. I think I'll have a talk with him myself. Hello, Danny. They told you, Lieutenant Clover? Yeah. Yeah, so you were holding out on me. You were in that Rondell Danes apartment. Oh, I... I was afraid to admit. You know you should have told me everything right from the beginning. Well, after I left here this morning, I stopped back at the hotel and she called me again. Said she had settled for $25. So I figured it'd be worth that much to get the thing over with. I didn't tell you about it because I... Oh, I was afraid it'd get in the paper. It'll make the papers now all right. Go on. Well, she gave me her address. I went up there and the door was partly open. I didn't go in. But I could see through the open door that she was lying on the floor. When you were talking to Donnelly and your friend just now, are you... you told them she was lying with a head in the kitchenette? Oh, no, I couldn't see her head. Oh, I see. Then what'd you do? Well, then I heard someone coming. I got scared, so I ran down the fire escape. Mm-hmm. Oh, please believe me, Lieutenant. Poor Joan, she... she comes to New York for once in her life, and this has to happen. How long have you known this pal of yours? Uh, what's his name? Cotton? Yeah. Oh, way back from school days. How does he get along with your wife? Oh, fine. Well, you see, Lieutenant, he... well, he and Joan were sort of engaged at one time. Before I met her, that is. Naturally, when Joan and I fell in love... Oh, so that's the way it goes, huh? Did he marry someone else? No. Ben's still a bachelor. Still a bachelor, huh? What's so strange about that? Well, what do you know? Lieutenant Clover, you back again? This is the third time today. What gives? Like this, like that. Hey, a couple of perfectos, let me... Did you come in here to see me, or did I see you keeping an open eye on that gentleman from 305 that just got on the elevator? Hey, you know him? Shouldn't I? He smokes cigars. His name's Ben Cotton from Little Rock. I think I'll go up and have a word. I'll give Bobo my best. You know, for an out-of-towner, the tips he hands out... Bobo, did you say? Yeah, Bobo. You know how it is at these conventions. The nicknames you pick up. I've heard some good ones, but Bobo, that kills me. Everyone around here calls him that. Oh, thanks, Sully. Thanks a lot. Thanks for what? Oh, nothing, lover. I'll be seeing you. Oh, why, Lieutenant Clover? It's a matter, Mr. Cotton. You going somewhere? I see your suitcases all packed there on the bed. Oh, uh, yes, Lieutenant. Yeah, I'm going back home. Bobo. A note on Rita Rondell's calendar. Probably expecting some guy named Bobo at one o'clock. You know any Bobo? Why, uh... Well, that happens to be sort of a nickname of mine. I picked it up here at the convention. Why? Well, you said you didn't even know the girl. I was on the side of Rita's apartment better than Peter did, Bobo. He didn't tell you her head was against a milk bottle? I never said... So you arranged for Rita to bump into Peter like at that nightclub, get a picture taken with him, and then she was descended to his wife. I'll tell you why you arranged the two. You were in love with his wife. You wanted her to think the worst, maybe, and throw him over for you. Come on, come clean, Bobo. All right, all right. But I didn't mean to kill her. Let's have the story. Well, I told her yesterday I'd give her $100 if she could manage to get her picture taken with him and send it to his wife. Oh. And then this Rita pulled a fast one. Asked Daly for $500 for it. Yeah, that's right. But when Peter went to the police about it, I got scared. So you went up to her apartment. Yes, I did, to make her call the whole thing off. And she demanded from you that I refuse to threaten to expose you to your friend Daly. He began to phone him at his hotel. Yes, yes, that's just the way it happened. I struggled with her for the phone. I gave her a push and she fell. But I swear, Lieutenant, it was an accident. Oh, so that's that. Well, okay, Lieutenant, I'm ready to go to jail. But I don't know what got into me trying to do something like that to my best friend. The old triangle, huh? Well, you see, I've been in love with Joan for a long time, longer than Peter. But he came along and she married him. And, well, ever since, I've been hoping and waiting for chance Chance to break them up. Yeah, that's right. But I didn't mean to go so far. Once I got into it, you got into it all right. Yeah, I guess I've been a real number one healer. Mister, that's the greatest understatement since... Ah, come on. How far? That's us, Joan. All right, Peter. Lieutenant Clover, I... I don't know how to... We'll never be able to thank you for all you've done. Ah, I skip it, Arkansas. Hey, just promise me one thing. What's that? Well, I mean, you've come to New York. This is the first time for both of you, isn't it? That's right. You've had a pretty rough time. You've got one impression in New York. The wrong one. Come back and give it another whirl, will you? That's a promise. If I meet somebody like you, why the faith, the trust you have in your husband... Ah, you see, Lieutenant. We're in love. It's getting late now. A million lights have gone out. But I'm thinking about people on Broadway, in Arkansas, good, bad. They get into trouble here like everywhere else. Only maybe here it's just a little bit easier on the gorgeous, the most violent, the lonesomeest mile in the world. Broadway. My beat. Columbia has just brought you Broadway's My Beat with Anthony Ross as Detective Danny Clover. Gene Carson was Sally. John Forsythe was Tom. Today's broadcast was written by Joseph Roscoe and produced and directed by John Deets. The musical score was composed by Robert Stringer. This is Byrne Bennett speaking. In just a moment, CBS begins the presentation of its ten great Sunday evening entertainments. In order tonight, you'll hear Barbara Stanwyck starring on The Prudential Hour, followed by the unsurpassed comedy of Ozzie and Harriet, Jack Benny and Amos and Andy in Succession. Sam's Speed takes over next, and then on to Lumminabner's delightful Jottam Downe store in Pine Ridge, Arkansas. As the first lady of Broadway, Helen Hayes brings you Noel Coward's famous motion picture, Brief Encounter. A solid hour and a half of laughs follow with Eve Arton as the Arton school mistress, our Miss Brooks, with J. Carol Nash as Luigi and the little Italian immigrant with the geniuses on it pays to be ignorant. They'll all be heard on most of the same CBS stations, with Jack Benny of course coming to you on all of them. We'll see you next Sunday evening with CBS Now as Barbara Stanwyck stars on The Prudential Hour. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.