 Get this and get it straight crime is a sucker's road and those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave It could have been perfect Snowbound in the 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 It happened like this From the pen of Raymond Chandler outstanding author of crime fiction comes his most famous character in the adventures of Philip Marlowe With Gerald Moore starred as Philip Marlowe. We bring you tonight's exciting story the grim echo You're lucky you caught me son. Yeah When you have a better fill it with a regular, huh? Okay. That's right. You got to get back to LA Is it son? Oh, I would hit 10 below they say. Yeah Where you been skiing a week of it up at angels roost as a road ahead You've got 40 miles or nothing but mountains to the next town, you know About to get Drifted over it. Why don't you blow that thing? Yeah, what's a tariff? Oh? Call it three bucks even You know, I've been running this mobile gas station here for 20 years and I know these storms are nasty. Oh Thanks. Yeah. Yeah, I'll be all right That's what you all say out on the road you can freeze to death This plaid shirt I'm wearing you're ripping me pop That shirt won't even start keep you warm on a deserted highway in this pleasure Take it from old jacker and shine. I know Well, thanks. Anyway, so long old jackerts took me a solid nerve-wracking hour to make 12 miles I began to realize just how right old Jack Ernst the gas station boy had been when the road ahead was lost completely in a constant racing blur of white Transformed every rise into a treacherous barrier. I had a batter my way through the chains on all four wheels chewing at the drifts I Managed to keep on the road somehow and plow out another five miles And then I caught a glimpse the first lighted window I'd seen in all that distance just as I started down the backside of a short steep hill Then it happened First the help was feeling of a skid Before I could do anything about it I was off the road in the ditch knows first and hood deep in a culvert drifted full of snow. I Forced the door open and plound it back up to the road I knew there was no chance of getting the car out without help and lots of it And the ten below zero that the weather bureau had bragged about was setting in I Looked back through the slashing snow for the lighted window. I'd spotted and Saw a lantern swinging crazily in the hands of somebody coming toward me Minute later. I could see it was a girl No, I'm okay my car stuck guys to get it off the road I know I watched oh my no chance of getting out of there tonight Oh, that's up. We can get you out each time you better come on up to the large mister large Mean I slow off the road right in front of a tourist line. Oh boy. How can I be that lucky? Yeah, well, maybe it's fate. We're not open for business no winner But on a night like I know what you mean believe me. I really appreciate it Could get tough staying out here. Oh, by the way, my name is Marlowe Philip Marlowe. I want to pay you for it Did you say something wrong? What's your business? Mr. Marlowe? Oh, well, I'm a private detective from LA. I've been skiing I don't care where you've been away. You're going you'll get no help from me. Mr. Philip Marlowe. You understand I'd rather get shallow to a dirty dog. I hope you freeze. Do you hear I hope you freeze again She was a thin girl with black hollow eyes full of hate for me She didn't stop or look back all the way to the door just ran in and slammed it shut Couldn't understand it Even on my worst day my reputation never was that bad That didn't wait around to worry about it because I was cold Besides, I want to know why the good name Philip Marlowe was such poison that the place I'd never heard of before I waited up to the heavy rustic door and looked in through a tiny window All I could see was one corner of what had to be a big room. It was slog leather and Navajo rugs Dominated by an enormous fireplace that filled every nook with a warm dancing glow Poison or no, I want it in Sure did Won't you come in? Oh sure sure I'm Donna. Oh, I this is a collage it. We're not open now, but of course you can't go on in this dorm No, I can't Besides my cars in the ditch You'll be spending the night. I'd love to but there seems to be two schools of thought on that subject Oh, what do you mean? I don't know why but you know, I don't think I'm very welcome Well, I tell you why don't you what's wrong? You've been crying. Do you know who is and no We haven't gotten around to the magic of my name yet, Helen, but maybe you'll be good Does that mean anything to you Baraki, oh Helen yes, Baraki Virgil Baraki was my husband Virgil Baraki was Donna's brother and Virgil Baraki was the man that you shot down and killed. Do you remember? Six months ago a trail that led up a blind Los Angeles alley to a garage where stolen cars were switched. I Remembered the pair of vicious blue eyes blaring at me over the sights of a blazing 45. I Remembered shooting back fast When it was over, I was alive and he was dying Later the coroner's jury decided that killed in self-defense Savagery here in the eyes of the woman who'd been Virgil Baraki's wife said that that decision meant nothing Is this true? Are you the one yeah? Yeah, it's true. I shot a man named Virgil Baraki. I had to or be killed by him There was no choice you liar. You killed him in cold blood I'll get out of here. You've done enough to us get out This is the man who killed Virgil I know I've been listening and I heard everything Go find Ralph for me Helen then you'd better go off your workshop for a while. Did you hear me? I said go call Ralph now at once Tell him to open the cabin and go back to your carving Can't turn a man out in this weather not any man You stay mr. Marl Thank you mr. Baraki Donna go get some hot food. All right So you're Philip Marlowe the private detective Look much like I'd imagine you do people ever Oh Would you mind fixing the fire? Needs another law. Oh, no, it's all You were stopped by the storm mr. Marlowe. Yeah My car is getting into the ditch about 50 yards down the road Almost at our doorstep you might say Rare coincidence, isn't it almost too rare mrs. Baraki I? I'm sorry the circumstances are painful for you I've grown used to that kind of pain having lost both the husband and a son Fate up to now has never been very generous Do you believe in fate mr. Marlowe? I don't know No, some things happen for which there's no explanation maybe but nation who knows Perhaps everything happens according to a pre-arranged schedule and Oh, come on. You don't really think I was deliberately shoved off the road at exactly this spot for a reason You might admit it strange though that there was a house nearby just when you needed one and that it was our house Oh, thank you, don't I tell me soon, but it's hot and good and the fresh bread The coffee will be ready in a few minutes your head mr. Marlowe sit down. It'll do you good. Thanks. It looks wonderful In the meanwhile, I'll check up on Ralph. He should have the cabin ready by now It's small, but you'll be comfortable. There's a fine big oil heater in it. I haven't worked one for years You won't have any trouble Tell me who is this Ralph Ralph Tolman young fellow who lives near here Ralph works And looks after us in the winter staying over tonight because of the storm. He was my son's best friend Oh, don't let the soup get cold mr. Marlowe The soup was thick and delicious and the coffee was rich black and steaming Don I sat across the table and watched me eat There was no hatred in our eyes. I look for it closely Wasn't even animosity Only confusion and for some reason Shadow of fear What is an hour slip by and the conversation came easier the shadow disappeared Her eyes even began to smile a little When I'd finished down to the third cup of coffee and started to help a clear the table the cup slipped Both grab for it caught one slim inch from breaking and wound up together on the floor Our faces close Table waiters are jugglers Oh Ralph yeah, Ralph What's going on? We have almost dropped a cup. Uh-huh. That sure would have been too bad. Wouldn't have done it You only got about 50 like that one. Hey, I don't know why it's so important to you before it's worth I was the one who dropped it. It's not important to me. I guess other things aren't so important to Donna either Think you can get it out to the kitchen now without any more help Donna Ralph. It's high time that you This is Baraki asked me to tell you the cabins ready Marlowe. Thanks. No, thanks necessary. Mr. It's just part of my job Guess everybody's job has its lousy side, huh? Even a private detective Some of them get trigger happy. I heard I'll see you Donna. You better get out there right away Marlowe Donna's got four whole dishes to carry out and at the rate She's been going sure to get started or she'll never make it keep your fat trap shut busty You're causing a draft So I'm gonna walk behind me as far as the door and pointed through the snow to a tiny square of light sitting apart from the rest of The buildings that made up echo large Soon as I was outside he slammed the door against my back and bolted it I stood on the porch and thought about the setup for a minute while I lit a cigarette And I stepped out to the snow and headed for the cabin F-way there I could see it clearly it looked snug and warm Under the circumstances, I knew it was better for everybody that I was sleeping outside the main lodge But then I saw a sudden flash and felt the impact before anything else Right in front of me the cabin lurched one entire wall burst out in a roof collapse a second later as I ran toward what was left of it I could hear the others coming Yeah, yeah, I'm okay Donna. I don't know told them Yeah, yeah, that's the way it looks but it was working okay when I left I guess it's not gonna burn though the snow put it all out In there you've been killed. Yeah, maybe that was fate to her maybe I wish you had been in the Himalo you deserve it He's got no business here This was an accident Donna an accident you hear they happen Oh sure sure Everybody knows accidents will happen. Mrs. Baraki, of course, but Oh, then let's get back into the house before he frees to this you can have my room now. I'll sleep with Donna Come along In just a moment the second act of Philip Marlowe, but first Groucho Marx his famous ad libs and his teams of opposites will be back betting their lives on most of these same CBS stations tomorrow night You've missed half your life if you haven't bet your life with Groucho Marx on Wednesday nights this season Hear him on this top quiz show tomorrow night on CBS Now with our star gerald more we return to the second act of Philip Marlowe and tonight's story the grim echo Was a dreary little procession that trudged back toward the lodge again from the shattered cabin I said nothing and pushed hard against the storm as far as the front door When they were all inside I ducked back into the biting blizzard and ran down to my car in the 38. I kept in the glove compartment there I figured it would be a warning comfort through the long cold night ahead Until I saw that somebody else had figured the same way The lock on the glove compartment had been sprung and the gun was gone Now there was no doubt about the explosion It had been no less accidental than Lucretia Borgia working over an after-dinner drink As I hurried back to the lodge. I suddenly felt the kind of Inside cold you can't have a blame on the weather around you But a moment later That same cold began to thaw Because huddled at the edge of the large steps ahead was dumb Everything's going to be all right Why did you go down to your car and I'll tell you what you're going to be sorry But you got so upset over nothing I want to get some cigarettes out of the glove compartment. I was fresh out That was your only reason cigarettes sure sure now come on, huh? You got to worry. Let's do it where we can both be warm Come on over to the fire. I'm a city boy, you know this cold isn't doing me any Those tears in your eyes There they're from the wind it it always makes me crying Oh bell Quite a things have to be this way An hour ago when you were eating everything was so nice So friendly And then suddenly Ralph angry the explosion Helen screaming and clawing at your mom up there. Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean But look Look, baby Listen to me hard, huh? You see the things you just spoke of Ralph the explosion Helen all of it all the trouble It belongs to tonight Like the blizzard out there Oh, it's raging now sure but tomorrow or maybe a little after tomorrow it'll stop Everything will look bright and clean to you Honest honey, that's the way it'll be all the way around Believe me I want to but But what? But you're talking about tomorrow I'm worried about tonight I'm afraid Phil awfully afraid I spent the next 10 minutes trying to convince Donna that there wasn't anything to worry about And then when she'd gone to a room I went to mine and started all over again trying to convince myself The out of season fireworks at the cabin and the gun stolen from my car Made that a very tough proposition And I checked the room which was on the ground floor and close to the kitchen And then I bolted the door and looked forward to some much needed sleep After that I took off my shirt and shoes only got in the bed And waited for sleep which a weekend of skiing made more important than a cabin full of hate Suddenly I was wide awake and sitting straight up in bed The footsteps could have belonged to my dream the door the clothes couldn't have I scrambled out of bed and ran to it but it was still bowling So I turned to the single closet in the room and opened it sharply It was empty Except for a long thin finger of light that streamed through a keyhole A keyhole that belonged to a door at the rear of the closet that gave out onto the kitchen Obviously the closet had once been a pantry I tried the door but it was bolted from the kitchen side I got into my shoes, grabbed my shirt and ran out of the room around the kitchen and smacked into a very surprised round Oh Marlowe! Marlowe! Marlowe! What are you doing up and rowing around? I'm a sleepwalker. What's your excuse? Come on, let's have it. I'm still playing target for the night Target! Turn your hands off me, Marlowe! And I know why you're hearing exactly what's on your mind. I will not before Why don't we come to terms? Well, I don't mind. Let go I'm here because my room is on the ground floor and I heard somebody cross through the house and come into this kitchen So I decided to investigate You're a liar. You're in my room, Toman, and you know it You got in through the door that leads into the closet Come on, Buster, let's level. We're keeping each other awake Listen, Marlowe, I don't like you Honest! And I don't like the way you and Don are The way we're what? Come on, boy. Get it off your chest Never mind that now. Look at this Woodshaping, so what? Yeah, I found it near the door to the closet in your room Might also be the answer to who your visitor was She left her calling card What do you mean calling card? Helen, she's always covered with these shavings She makes things out of rough pine Where is this workshop of hers, Toman? Up in the back, just beyond the barn What are you gonna do, Marlowe? Not that it's any of your business, but I'm gonna see the lady and I'll see you What do you want? Conversation, Helen, if you don't mind Oh, wait a minute, you would slay and I don't... Close that door I will not Then I will I'll get over there and sit down. We got a few things to clear up Like what? The way you murdered my husband, perhaps? Cut it out! Stop it, Helen, or I'll push you around more No, I didn't mean... No, you won't! Just as soon as you decide to behave Those nails are the oastro of blood, baby Wouldn't that be good? Yes All right Now sit down, over there, away from those shop chisels you work with And keep your hands in your lap Go on, that chair there Which brings us right to the point You deny it? You deny that you shot him down? I fired in self-defense That's all a rotten, speaking lie You did it to feather your own nest To be a hero to the police and the newspapers You're wrong, Helen, I killed your husband because I had to He was on the wrong side Oh, don't make me laugh You call trying to get money for his family, for me? You call that being on the wrong side? So much that he should have been killed, shot down by the likes of you Oh, Mr. Mollow, you have no idea how through these past six lonely months I've thought of you I wondered what you looked like What the man who killed Virgil was doing How you'd like to meet this same death you brought to my husband Under the brave banner of law and order Oh, wait a minute, listen And I don't think I didn't plan your death a thousand times over Don't think I didn't approach Mama Baraki Ralph, even sweet little Donna with a delicious thought of revenge No, no, they talk like you talk, Mr. Mollow Virgil was doing the wrong thing, he was caught It wasn't right or wrong, it was him or me Oh, you shut up and listen, sure Sure, Virgil was stealing, all right Was stealing from me as wife That's why he left here That's why he drives so hard That's why you had no reason to kill him And that's why you should die too Oh, that's also why we had an accidental explosion at the cabin I was supposed to sleep in, huh I was clumsy, I was hasty, I won't be the next time You're completely out of your mind, Helen Out of my mind? Of course I am Did you think this existence, this living without the man I love could lead me otherwise? Did you think me, King, they still Me isn't going to bring him back You'll get it Well, go back to bed While you wait for a chance to get me with my own gun, the gun you stole from my car I'm not going to shoot you, Mr. Mollow That would only further disgrace the Baraki name, no Now I'm not going to shoot you But I am going to get you A long chilling moment I stared into the eyes of a half-crazed woman standing in front of me The ice-cold, bottomless eyes that a cancerous hate had destroyed is something human Then as I turned and started out of the room, I knew that I made a mistake that night When Virgil Baraki had died in my arms The mistake I had to correct before it was too late And there was nothing left of Helen but the ruthless machinery of a mind dedicated to murder I headed back to the house and had talked with Mama Baraki, which I figured had to be the first immediate step But when I'd gone only a dozen yards from the workshop, I stopped Bill, Bill, I'm over here Sonner, what are you doing out here? I couldn't sleep, Bill, I was too worried about you And then when I saw you leave the house from my window and head for the workshop, I Bill, fill your face Oh, it was Helen, she, uh, she got a little upset in there A little? Who'd look at you? Your pocket ripped off your shirt, your face scratched Oh, it's all right, Sonner No, hey Hey, my pocket ripped off The gun Oh, Bill, what is it? Tell me, please Now, hold it, Sonner, give me a second Yeah, yeah, sure it adds all right Now look, get over there inside the barn and scream Long and loud, huh? Yeah, yeah, it's our only chance Go on, do as I say, Donna, scream The second Donna cut loose, I stepped out of sight behind a tree that was opposite the barn And I kept my eyes glued to the door of the workshop I just left I waited for the shattering report of the gun I was afraid I'd hear But then the door flew open and Helen was running out toward the barn and Donna screamed My 38 clenched in a handkerchief in a right hand A look of stock bewildered me and stamped over her face It's a paper to me, Helen, let's have that gun back without further discussion Yes, there Now get back against that wall and don't move an inch But what is all this? Attempted murder, honey She's all right Attempted murder? You mean Helen here was gonna try and kill someone? Yeah, herself A suicide? Uh-huh, suicide that would be called murder and pinned on me It's gonna be her way of getting even I know, Phil, I can't believe you She tried to once, honey, the explosion at the cabin But when that failed, everybody knew how she felt about me Now warp mind hit upon this little plan And all the pieces would have fit tight, too What pieces? What do you mean? That one we argued To who she came to my room tonight and ripped the pocket off this plaid shirt So that we'd find it clenched in her hand after she was dead You see it? Three, she stole my 38, which has my fingerprints on it And four, she left an obvious clue on the floor of the kitchen A wood shaving that would bring me out here on the run So everybody could find me close by when it happened Oh, yeah, it was tight, all right Tight as a hangman's noose And then she was gonna shoot herself, Phil, just after you left her And that, that's why you made me scream Yeah, and that's why now, Donna Later tonight, I'm gonna tell her something that I intended to break to her gently Something I was gonna tell Mama Barucchi first Something I hoped would straighten her out What, Phil? Well, your brother Virgil didn't die the moment he was shot down, eh? He lived long enough to ask one thing of me What are, what are you trying to say, Phil? But I never let Helen or you people here know about the woman he was in love with in LA The woman through whom I tracked him down Well, I, I guess it It wouldn't be good for her if I was around too much No, honey, not for a while anyway It wouldn't be good for any of us, huh? Come on, Donna, let's get her into the house Yes Yes, Phil Well, it was the next morning I went into the kitchen for some coffee and found myself all alone Donna wasn't any place in sight So I got my things together and walked slowly down to my car And when I got in, I didn't feel like leaving Not right away And I was glad that warming up my motor was the smart thing to do Gave me time to light a cigarette and think Look around Back to our echolage where I could see Donna waving good-bye from an upstairs window I'd see her again in a little while There's a small world, all right? Full of echolage And just think how the web of paths we called coincidence had Brought me and those who knew and loved Virgin together Someday maybe Donna and I would be looking for each other And those paths would make it a lot easier The adventures of Philip Marlowe bringing you Raymond Chandler's most famous character Star Gerald Moore are produced and directed by Norman MacDonald And are written for radio by Robert Mitchell and Gene Levitt Featured in the cast were Sammy Hill, Betty Lou Gerson, Verna Felton, Frank Gerstle, and Junius Matthews The special music is composed and conducted by Richard Arrant Be sure and be with us again next week when Philip Marlowe says This time a peddler of pulp paper love A blackmailer with muscles A south of the border chiseler, a simpering prude and a corpse in a bedroom All had one thing in common Each was a woman Al Jolson will pay another of those wonderful visits to Bing Crosby this Wednesday night And the gags and songs will again fly thick and fast Bing and Al will team up to sing Waiting for the Robert E. Lee and Whispering And as for the gags, well just tune in on most of these same CBS stations Remember that's this Wednesday night the CBS Bing Crosby show This is Roy Rowan speaking Now stay tuned for Pursuit which follows immediately on most of these same CBS network stations This is CBS where you bet your life with Groucho Marks every Wednesday, the Columbia Broadcasting System