 The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective, brought to you by Wild Root Creme Oil Hairtonic, the non-alcoholic hairtonic that contains lanolin. Wild Root Creme Oil, again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. Soon from not one, but two. Yeah, my bad, not. You wouldn't take that lying down. Well, you did first, Sam. I did not. Oh, you mean your actual work? Oh, don't pin me down. Anyway, I was present at two dying declarations. Would you believe, Effie, that a man could say something that wasn't true at a time like that? Oh, no. You mean a man would be lying on his deathbed? Joke. Oh, Sam, now stop it. I don't know what you're doing. It's all right, Effie. I forgive you. You can atone by telling me how wonderful you think I am. I think you... That you may do when I arrive in a trice to dictate my report on the deathbed caper. Dashel Hammett, America's leading detective fiction writer and creator of Sam Spade, the hard-boiled private eye, and William Spear, radio's outstanding producer, director of mystery and crime drama, join their talents to make your hair stand on end with the adventures of Sam Spade. Presented by the makers of Wild Root Cream Oil for the hair. Tell me, mister, how many times a day do you have to comb your hair? Not many I'll bet if you groom it right first thing every morning with Wild Root Cream Oil. For this famous hair tonic grooms your hair neatly and naturally, and helps it to stay that way throughout the day. Wild Root Cream Oil also relieves dryness and removes loose dandruff. With Wild Root Cream Oil, you don't have to keep combing your hair every two minutes. That is, unless your gal can't resist running her hands through it. Get Wild Root Cream Oil hair tonic. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. And now with Howard Duff starring as Spade, Wild Root brings to the air the greatest private detective of them all in the adventures of Sam Spade. I'm asleep in the deep. I'm Sam, you're a sailor. Captain Sam, there's the brig for you. You got your logbook handy gal? Oh, yes, Captain. So beware. You make it that awful deep. Be... A date, June 20th, 1948. Where? I have no shame. To Marin County Sheriff's Office, San Rafael, California. Attention, Deputy Woodington from Samuel Spade, license number 47596. Subject, the deathbed caper. Dear Bill, the dawn came up like thunder out of Chinatown across the bay. In San Francisco, all we could see was fog. But on your side, it must have lifted briefly because somebody named Dan Starbuck managed to find his way to a phone booth, call me and ask me to meet him at the third street pier in Sausalito. I didn't see him when I first got there. I didn't even see the pier. It was too foggy. But on the glow of the neon lights in front of the Viking Saloon, I saw a man who seemed to be waiting for somebody. He was a big guy with a good face, but plenty of worry on it. Mr. Spade? Yeah, Mr. Starbuck? Dan Starbuck. Come on down to the end of the pier. I'll explain as we go along. We gotta hurry. You act hot. You want it for something? What? Not yet. What's the caper? Well, my brother's out there on his yacht, the margarite. He's dying. When he's dead, they may call it murder. I want to be there with a witness. That's you. In case he has anything to say about it, who did it? Who did? They think I did. Did you? Well, honestly, I don't know. It happened the night before last. I went out there to see him. We've hated each other for years. We've both been drinking and we drank some more. Then there was a fight. I drew a blank somewhere. The next thing I knew was around midnight. I pulled myself together, went into his cabin. Gordon was lying there with his head all kicked. I realized I was covered with blood and I was holding something in my hand, big glass paperweight. I dropped it. I got out of there fast, the swam ashore. I planned to tell you a different story, but that's it. You want the job at night. You think you'll make a deathbed statement that'll clear you and you want me for a witness? Yeah, that's it. I've got a lot of guts. I'm hired. Good. Halverson, get down there. Halverson, who's Halverson? He's a boatman. He'll row us out. Halverson, hey, Nils. Danny? Yeah. Is that you, Casino? Sure. Can I do you some favor? I want to go out to the margarite. I can't find Halverson anywhere. All right. I guess I can take you. Are you sure that you're... Yeah, I'm sure. Sam Spade, Dell Casino. He's the boss of the margarite. I don't know him. He's the boss of the margarite. Glad to meet you. Sam. Any friend of Danny's? Hey, listen, Danny. Are you sure you want to go out there? Any reason why you should? Well, it's up to him. In his place, I would be on a freighter for China. Way out there where the fog is more thicker. No, it's all right, Casino. I know what I'm doing. Well, uh, your friend, you... Excuse me, your name? Spade. Pardon me, I better ask. The police don't want you for nothing? Not yet, but don't make a book on it. Push us clear, Danny. All right. This fog is closing in. But I can still see the lights from the margarite. I wish we'd don't find her. But we did. She was wearing clam diggers, an off-the-shoulder t-shirt, and was leaning against the rail as the dingy pulled past a police launch and nestled in under the ladder of the yacht. Who is that you? Yes, Mrs. Starbuck. Who is that with you? Keep quiet. Dell. Dell, what are they saying? A sure about... Oh, I thought you... You're Mrs. Starbuck? Yes. I'm Sam Spade. I'm from San Francisco. I'm a detective. Your brother-in-law's in the boat. You captured him? He wants to come aboard. He wants to... Why? He's hoping your husband will say something to clear him before he dies. Is there any reason why he shouldn't come aboard? Oh, there's every reason in the world why he shouldn't. The police are in there with my husband right now. Yeah? The doctor says there's a possibility that he may regain consciousness long enough to make a dying declaration. Mm-hmm. If he's face-to-face with Dan, there's no telling what he'll say. I wish Dan wouldn't... My husband is dying. Dan? Yeah, what'd she say? I don't know, but I think you'd better come aboard. He seemed almost delighted as he swung his weight up out of the dinghy and planned to ladder. Dell Cassino, the bosson followed wearing a puzzled expression that turned to fear as we entered the cabin. The yellow glare from the lamp swinging overhead was almost blinding to walk into out of the foggy night. The first thing I focused on was the bunk that held a dying man. His head was heavily bandaged, the skin was chalk-white, and his lips were beginning to turn blue. The room was tense with waiting. Ranged around him in a semi-circle with the supporting players. Two doctors, one family type with a nurse, one police medic without, one sheriff with cigar, one police stenographer female with pencil and notebook poised, nine-tenths of a widow and us. At 18 minutes past seven, somebody moved. He was a dying man. The two doctors rushed forward, took his pulse and blood pressure. The scuff, adrenaline-3CC, carmine-1 saline solution. All right, sheriff, he's conscious now, but you'd better hurry. I would. Hi, Mr. Starbuck. You can hear me all right? Take that down. Can you hear me? Affirmative answer. Now, Mr. Starbuck, we have to ask these questions. One, what is your name? Please try to answer. What is your name? Gordon M. Star. You got that? What is your name, Gordon M. Star? That's close enough, fill it in later. Now, Mr. Starbuck, where do you live? Where do you live? I'm dead. You got that? Oh, 77 Marymount Pasadena. Hey. Now, Mr. Starbuck, let's try a little harder. This is a long one. Have you been injured? What was the cause of your injury? Yes. Hurt's my... You got that? Affirmative. Now, the second part. What was the cause of your injury? Head. Head on head. Do you believe that you're about to die as a result of your injuries and have you no hope of recovery? Now, let's get to the point. Who inflicted said injuries? Mr. Starbuck, please. You have much time, you know. Go away. Doc, is there anything you can do? I'm afraid none. This is ghastly. Can't you leave him alone? Can't you let him die in peace? What are you afraid of, Maggie? What are you afraid he'll say? All right. All right, tell them, Gordon. It was Dan that struck you, wasn't it? He was jealous. He always hated you for marrying me. It was Dan... No, no, no, Mr. Starbuck. I know how you feel, but we can't allow this sort of thing. Please step aside so we can finish up here. Mr. Starbuck. Doctor? Very low pulse, I'm not sure. Here I am, Gordon. Tell them. Tell them the truth. Do you identify this man, Mr. Starbuck? Yes. You got that? Brother Dan, he's... He's the one. He's lying. Gordon, you know who did it? Why don't you tell the truth? What do you got to lose now? I'm finished. You finished me. Gordon! Gordon, not yet. I'll come back. Doctor, can't you... He's dead. Well... Okay, Doc. Then, as Starbuck, it is my duty as sheriff of this county to take you into custody on suspicion of murder. And I must tell you that I didn't even say maybe hell against you. You'd better come along too, Spade. Routine questioning, don't you? Okay, sir. And I don't think we'll need the handcuffs, will we, son? No, I'll go with you. Yes, indeed, son. It's always smart to come along quietly. Yeah. Look, this is as far as I'm going! Hey, Dan, come back here! Use your hand! He's the best friend in the world for a man on the land, the Fogg. The searchlights and the police launched spun frantically as the craft healed around in a half circle to head him off. Instead of cutting the Fogg, the beams from the power of the lights bounced back from it and blinded the men behind it. After 10 minutes of that, they gave up. The sheriff had a theory. Don't worry. Between the Fogg and the current side, doubtful makings. We'll probably recover the body in the morning. And they did. But it wasn't Dan Starbuck's body. It was the Boson Dell Casino. And he was found in Richardson Bay, adrift in the dinghy from the Marguerite. Somebody had creased a skull of the same type blend instrument that had been used on Gordon Starbuck. The Dell hadn't lived long enough to make a dying declaration. The makers of wild root cream oil are presenting the weekly Sunday adventure of National Hammett's famous private detective, Sam Spade. Here's important news on good grooming. If you want the well-groomed look that helps you get ahead, socially and on the job, listen. Recently, thousands of people from coast to coast who bought wild root cream oil for the first time were asked, how does wild root cream oil compare with the hair tonic you previously used? The results were amazing. Better than four out of five who replied said they preferred wild root cream oil. And no wonder. It gives you the advantages that men consider most important. Wild root cream oil grooms your hair neatly and naturally, relieves annoying dryness, and removes loose dandruff. What's more, non-alcoholic wild root cream oil is the only leading hair tonic that contains soothing lanolin that's like the oil of your skin. So ask for wild root cream oil hair tonic. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. By the way, smart girls use wild root cream oil too, and mothers say it's grand for training children's hair. Now back to caper with two deathbeds. Tonight's adventure with Sam Spade. The police theory of the Del Casino killing went something like this. Casino had shoved off in the dinghy to join in the search for Dan Starbuck and rescued him and been maced for his pain. Also found in the dinghy, but not as yet worked into the police theory, were two items. One, a waterproof wallet containing the seamen's papers of one Nils Halvison. Two, a tattoo mark on the right bicep of the deceased. A small heart with a name in it, Maggie. The brand new widow of the same name was waiting in my office when I got there the following afternoon. For you, Mrs. Starbuck. What can I do for you? Mr. Spade, I know very little about the ethics of your profession and... Well, are you still working for Danny? If you mean do I know where he is, the answer's no. I hoped you'd say that. Why? Because I want you to work for me. Need a new bosom? You needn't have put it quite so crudely. No, I needn't. Since your work is confidential, I'll admit I've done a few things that... Well, it's all too true. My first mistake was marrying Gordon Starbuck when I didn't love him. And I should never have let myself fall in love with Dan. I certainly should have known better than to let Del fall in love with me. What about Nils Halvison? And me? Well, hardly. No. Nils Halvison was employed by my husband for various odd jobs whenever we put in at Sausalito. Mostly he'd row the guests out of the ship. He rode Danny out the night my husband was killed. At least I think he did. I didn't actually see him. Where's Halvison now? I don't know. He goes off on drunks for days at a time, but... But I have a feeling that someone has paid him to disappear. He might have overheard something. Hold on a minute. You're going too fast. Are you working up to a confession? Oh, no. It's just that I'm afraid a great injustice may have been done to Danny. After all, Mr. Spade, a man who's dying, I don't see how he could be all together in his right mind. Do you? The law says he is if he knows his name and address. A deathbed accusation is the strongest evidence a lawyer can shove at a jury. He can't cross-examine a dead man, and most people have the quaint idea that a man on his deathbed is a lot more truthful than he was when he was Hale and Hardy. Then you think Gordon may have been lying? Could be, or wool gathering, or picking up some of the lines you were feeding in. Oh, I was just afraid he might die before he... You see, I thought I might shock him into saying yes or no. He could have said no, couldn't he? Well, make up your mind. All I know is it's on my conscience now. If we could find old Halverson and force him to tell what he knows. He's a very strange man. He's devoted to me. If the police find him before I do, he might refuse to talk out of a mistaken loyalty. To you? Well, I meant if he thought I had anything to do with the... Well, he's very strange. I told you that. But make sure so sure he's alive. Why wouldn't he be? If I'd been the killer and he'd rode me to and from the scene of my crime, I'd see him secured in Davy Jones' lackey. Fish feed, lobster bait, asleep in the deep. Will you work for me? I'll let you know. I didn't have time to get tattooed, but the rest of me was marinated enough. On my head, I was wearing a dirtied up yachting cap, and the rest of me, I was wearing a pea jacket, dungarees, and sea boots. I was also wearing clamshell number five as I rolled up to the Viking saloon. Well, what would be, mate? Uh, archivite and vocteur. Uh, have you seen my cousin? Your cousin? Who is your cousin, Prince Valiant? No, my cousin, Niels Halverson. Niels Halverson. Oh, no. Your Niels cousin, are you? Yeah. Well, coming from the old country? Yeah, Minnesota, uh, by Yemeni. Well, now he'll be right glad to see you there. Uh, where, uh, fair is he? Uh, uh, I don't want to say this too loud. Yeah. And over there is what is in trouble, you know. Oh, yes, I got him holed up down below. Oh, yeah, come on, come on. Well, by golly, I sure have been glad to be going to see my cousin Niels, Niels Halverson. Drop the act and get down there. Hey! Okay, Joe, I'll take over. Here he is. Okay, Danny, my boy. I got his gun. Well, watch him now, watch him. He's full of smorgasbord. Well, Spade, you're the one person I didn't expect to see. But I'm very glad to. Yeah, I wish I hadn't found you. I wanted to find somebody else first, Halverson. Yeah, he's here. Want to see him? That's what I came for. And under here. Watch your head, low bridge. And here we are. Where? The boathouse under the pier. Halverson used to hole in here to sleep off his schnapps. Where's he now? Over here. Uh-huh. Yeah, he's gonna be a long time sleeping this one off. He'd been missing since that night. Nobody knew he was here till last night. I headed for the saloon when I swam ashore. Joe hid me out here. He could still talk then. What'd he say? I wrote it down here. But it's no help. Let's see it. Well, it's just a jumble word. Marguerite. Marguerite. Merry Christmas drink. My beautiful Helger. Row, row your boat. Now throw me back. Roll me back. $20 good and drunk. Fog rolling in. Good and drunk. Gonna be five days no business. Oh, my head. Paint the boat. All crazy stuff. $20. Do you give him 20 bucks to row your boat? I didn't even see him. I swam out. My loving brother wouldn't have let me on board if he'd hurt me arriving like a gentleman. 20 bucks. Do you press him? No. I'll have a look. No, I don't. Hey, wait. Real soggy, but a 20. I don't care. I'm sticking to my story. I swam out there. I didn't give him that 20. Maybe you didn't. Maybe you didn't. But you gotta believe me. I didn't even have 20 bucks. That's why I got... Shut up. What's the matter with you? What are you gonna do? Come over here, Dan. Why? I don't believe a word of your story and you invite debt. It wouldn't make any difference. What are you doing? Shut up. You're gonna stop talking and listen for a while. I stuffed a gag into his mouth and muscled him over to a piling and handcuffed him to it. He didn't even look surprised. He just stood there staring at me as if he'd lost his last friend in the world. But I wasn't looking at him as much as I was listening to those footsteps and the boards overhead. I waited for them to come back. They did. I walked across the soggy planks to where Nils Halvison lay in the shadows. Nils. I want you to answer these questions again. Now, this time I'm gonna take them down. You get lots of $20 and lots of drink. Now then, I know you don't feel so good. You don't have to talk if you don't feel like it. Just nod your head for yes and shake it for no. Okay, Nils? That counts in a court of law as long as there's a witness. Okay. Now, your name is Nils Halvison. Your address is 213 Bayview Sausalito. That's correct, is it? Nod your head. Good. Good. That proves you're in your right mind. You know you were injured. Yeah. You know the cause of your injury. Hit on the head and thrown over the side of your boat. What? Huh? Not from... Oh, dingy. Well, it's the same thing. All right. Now, you know you're dying. You have no hope of recovery. That's obvious, but nod your head. That's the boy. Now, Nils, on the night of the 18th, around 10 o'clock after your usual working hours, you rode somebody out to the yacht margarite in return for which this person gave you a $20 bill. This person is also the person who killed who inflicted your fatal injuries. It is. Now, the name of that person, if you can possibly speak even in a whisper, so there can be no mistake. Can you hear me? Just say it close to my ear. Yeah? Yes. Yes, I got it. That's all. Now, I know you don't write, Nils, but make your mark here. Come on, I'll guide your hand. There. Now, we're going to take Nils. Nils. All right, Maggie. Come on in and join the party. Don't try anything. The light's on you. I'm a better shot than you, and if there's a ruckus, the whole saloon will be down on us. They're all friends of Danny's, too. Stop there. Toss the gun. Okay. It's not a rangel. You look kind of scared. No. Just disappointed, that's all. Don't give up so easy, sweetheart. I always wanted to take a trip around the world. We might go on the marverite together. Yeah, yeah, sailing into the sunset, sleeping with our death bed statements under each other's pillows. I see what you mean. I guess it wouldn't work. How much for yours, and what do we do about him? Dan, I'll take care of that. Throw it in with a deal. Okay, but I want it in writing. A little statement to the effect that I can keep under my pillow. Fair enough. Now, all I want from you is a little statement from you to this effect. That you, Marguerite Starbuck, employed Nils Halverson to row you out to the yacht, and the night of the 18th, that you there overheard a quarrel between your husband and brother-in-law, and that taking advantage of said brother-in-law's inebriated condition, you sneaked up behind your husband, hit him with a paperweight, and decamped, leaving the murder weapon in Dan's hand. You then started back to shore in the dinghy and realizing that the only witness who could testify you were aboard that night... All right, all right. All right, I'll sign it. Okay. Well, I have plenty of time to put in all the legal decorations later. I'm afraid we won't, baby. You're going to be spending all your available time at the hatchipy and points west. What are you talking about? You just made a full confession in front of a witness. You heard it, didn't you, Dan? Every word. Oh, we'll fight. Honest. An honest man. Well, I did tell a fit. Now, this is really going to hurt, I'm afraid, Maggie. You see, we didn't actually have any deathbed statement to match yours. No? No. Nils Halverson was a good deal too dead to have made a deathbed statement just now. He's been stiff for 12 hours. Sam, I'll type this right up because then I'm leaving. Wait a minute, Effie. I had to do it that way, don't you understand? Of course, Sam, I quite understand. But you object, huh? A cruel, ruthless murdering, though beautiful woman foiled by a clever ruse, a great acting performance by the greatest private detective of them all. Is that all? You're still leaving. Yes, Sam, I bag the pack. Well, pardon me for having feet. There's a reason, men. In fact, there are five big reasons why more men every day are turning to wild root cream oil for well-groomed hair. Wild root cream oil grooms your hair neatly and naturally. Wild root cream oil relieves dryness and removes loose dandruff. Wild root cream oil is non-alcoholic and contains soothing lanolin. Five big reasons why you too should join the millions with handsome well-groomed hair. Why, you should step up to your drug or toilet goods counter and ask for wild root cream oil. Get the big economy bottle and the handy new tube that's easy to pack when you travel and just right for the office or plant. Also, ask your barber for a professional application of wild root cream oil hair tonic. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. Goodbye. Now, wait a minute, Effie. You can't leave like this, not without... All right, I'll talk to you while I'm putting my hat on. Well, can't you at least look at me? After all, you should give me a chance to justify it. Well, apparently you're laboring under an apprehension. Of course I am. Oh, boy, am I glad I picked the last in June and the first in July. What are you talking about? My vacation. Vacation? Well, you just had a vacation a few months back. Well, Sam, that's a year. Well, if you want to take advantage of a legal technique. Now, Sam, don't say goodbye, man. Well, it's customary, I suppose. It's lucky that some of us keep our nose to the grindstone. Our ear to the ground. And eye to the future. Television's just around the corner, you know? Oh, Sam. Come here, sweetheart. You look lovely in it. Come here. Have a wonderful time. Oh, Sam. Oh, Sam. Come here. Now go on. You miss your train. Where are you going? To Los Eris. Well, just so you don't go to Canab, Utah. All right, Sam. You're no best. Good night. Good night, Sierra Sue. Now, who can we get for that part next week? ADVENTURES OF SAM SPADE Dashel Hammett's famous private detective are produced and directed by William Spear. Sam Spear is played by Howard Dove. Lerene Tuttle is Effie. The Adventures of Sam Spear are written for radio by Bob Tolman and Gil Dowd, with musical direction by Lud Gluskin. Join us again next Sunday when author Dashel Hammett and producer William Spear join forces for another adventure with Sam Spear brought to you by Wild Root Cream Oil. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. This is Dick Joy reminding you to... Get Wild Root Cream Oil, Charlie. It keeps your hair in trim. You see, it's non-alcoholic Charlie. It's made with sooth and lanolin. You better get Wild Root Cream Oil, Charlie. Start using it today. You'll find that you will have a tough time, Charlie. Keepin' all the gals away. Hiya, baldy. Get Wild Root Root... This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.