 sounded good real good a weekend at Malibu expenses paid with a cash bonus thrown in but that was before I knew about the henchmen the redhead and the corpse these three in the white Panama hat ruined it all for me from the pan of Raymond Chandler outstanding author of crime fiction comes his most famous character as CBS presents the adventures of Philip Marlowe and now with Gerald Moore starred as Philip Marlowe we bring you tonight's unusual story the Panama hat I was sitting in my office bombing the ashtray on my desk with paper clips wondering what kind of a job a private detective gets when clients stop calling completely I was seesawing between the picture of me as a well starched huckster and the more comfortable portrait of Marlowe author in English tweets man of distinction the telephone brought me to a rude awakening Marlowe speaking my name is Isabelle Gordon Mr. Marlowe I must see you at once my husband Bruce is in terrible danger could you possibly meet me in our at the Pelican Inn it's a small roadside place on the way to Malibu I'll explain everything then Pelican Inn one hour Mrs. Gordon the Pelican Inn was strictly a liquor license with chairs and a board piano player in one corner grinding away the place was empty and I was about to order a drink when the front door opened and a woman entered she was tall and thin and right out of Harper's Bazaar from double-lap ankle strap shoes to close cropped hair one look at her fear crowded eyes and I knew it was Isabelle Gordon I got up and introduced myself then we went to a table and she started to talk for two weeks now Mr. Marlowe my husband Bruce has been receiving unsigned threatening letters I'm almost sick with worry I don't know what to do now wait a minute Mrs. Gordon the first thing to do is to get hold of yourself and tell me the whole thing right from the beginning yes all right well first of all Bruce and I have only been married a little more than a year we're living with my uncle every fair child on an estate out beyond Malibu I've seen what does your husband do for a living this is why he's a photographer movie a commercial but present it's neither you see Bruce has been terribly unsettled since the war lost sort of an then recently he got interested in photography and it's been a great help to him he doesn't exactly work at well he's converted one of the rooms in the guest cottage into a studio and he spends almost all of his time there experimenting with portrait work but he doesn't actually have a job if that's what you mean how does that appeal the uncle Avery I'll be honest with you Mr. Marlowe my uncle thinks the sun rises and sets on me but with Bruce total eclipses edit I'm afraid so all his life Uncle Avery has been concerned only with dollars and cents he simply doesn't understand or sympathize with an artist viewpoint now what about these unsigned letters well Bruce has been getting them for the past two weeks they're always made up of words cut from newspapers and pasted on ordinary paper that's a cheap stunt what do they say each one threatens my husband's life yet both he and uncle Avery consider them nothing more than the work of some harmless crank in spite of the fact for the last several days I've seen a strange man lurking around our place every night can you describe him no no except where he's about your height and build is that all yes no I wait a minute there is something else each time I saw Mr. Marlowe he was wearing a white Panama well it's not much to go on tell me why haven't you called the police Uncle Avery wouldn't hear of it he hates publicity dreads it that's why I suggested contacting you a private detective sort of a bodyguard for Bruce huh yes however Mr. Marlowe Bruce is somewhat temperamental and I know he'd rebel at the thought of being watched over so I'd rather you posed as a house guest in old college chum of mine perhaps my fee is 25 a day plus expenses Mrs. Gordon any price is all right Mr. Marlowe let's see it's a little after seven now can you be at our place at Malibu at nine I think so but it's a fellow alumnus Isabel one last question where'd you go to college Southern California why but I was afraid you might say Vassar after Isabel left her remember that I was already on my expense account so I had a tasteless cold hot blue plate special and a burned cup of coffee and I stepped out of the pelican Inn and headed across the paved parking lot to my car was already dark and I was admiring the full moon and the beautiful wash it made over the ocean when it happened you all right Mr. yeah yeah I think so thanks to your sounding off that nut was aiming right for you yeah looks that way you happen to get his number no what about his face can you describe him no matter of fact I only noticed one thing what was that the hat he was wearing it was a white Panama I tried to be broad minded but there was no other way to look at it the gentleman in the white Panama hat definitely meant business I returned to my apartment in Hollywood where I shaved showered and packed and I hit it for Malibu at a quarter to nine I was inside the grounds of the Fairchild estate another mile and I was at the front door when I entered Isabel greeted me like I was a keg of brandy around the St. Bernard's neck then we waited through an inch thick carpet to the library where Uncle Avery fat bald and looking like he just bitten into an under-ripe persimmon was waiting I wasn't asked to sit down and I wasn't offered a cigar every fairchild was not one to waste time I'm a very rich man Mr. Marlowe as such on the target for all kinds of fortune hunters confidence men and cranks in my life time I've been threatened and pestered by a score of crackpots each one slightly more psychopathic than the last never bothered me it never will however in this case the approach is a bit different meaning you think somebody's trying to get it you through your nephew or never refer to him as my nephew my niece's husband if you please and don't forget it Uncle Avery Isabel my feelings about your husband are no secret you're being unfair Uncle Avery just because Bruce is an artist and artist is a by Isabel that man's no more an artist than I am a horse jockey everybody hello Bruce hello darling you were saying something Uncle Avery Bruce I want you to meet Philip Marlowe we were great friends at school and when I heard he was in town for a while I insisted that he spend a weekend with us how do you do Mr. Gordon it's a pleasure to have you with us Mr. Marlowe you're very welcome I do the welcoming around here Bruce Mr. Marlowe's had a long trip and I'm certain he'd like to turn in early Bruce darling he's going to stay in the guest cottage the room next to your studio will you show him there please oh I'll be glad to by the way Isabel I I'm going to work late so I'll say good night to you now good night please please be careful yes Bruce by all means be careful remember the true artist belongs to posterity or something guest cottage was only a landscape top skip and a jump from the museum that Uncle Avery called home and as Bruce and I strolled along a flagstone path I feigned a deep interest in photography that was all my host needed he struck at the bait like a shark with malnutrition well Mr. Marlowe it didn't even occur to me that photography might be one of your hobbies Isabel never said a word good for Isabel I'm strictly a dabbler and tell me Mr. Gordon how long have you been at this portrait work all about six months you see I divide my time between my studio here and a school I attend in Hollywood that way I capture both the theory and practical experience at the same time now well here we are would you like to see the studio yes I would I'll be get the light well this is all right and larger two cameras darkroom are these your pictures yes what do you think of them I don't know exactly they're certainly different they are unusual aren't they yeah you see Marlowe each picture is actually made up of two separate studies which are superimposed I call it interpretive photography now this one a splash of light and bent pipe cleaner the sun and the plant shoot it's called metamorphosis oh what about that one there in the corner the girls face and clouds Mr. Marlowe you'll excuse me but that picture is ready for display I'm sorry I didn't mean to pry I thought it was just another interpretive photograph that isn't it isn't finished yet now Mr. Marlowe I'm afraid I've forgotten what my wife said about your long trip shall I show you to your room yes please do Mr. Gordon my room on the other side of the guest cottage was wider than Hollywood Boulevard after Bruce apologized for his display of temperament and bid me a polite good night I climbed into the silk pajamas that were laid out for me stretched out on the bed and tried to figure who belonged to the white Panama hat right an hour past and I wasn't getting any sensible answers so I switched out the light put my gun on the table next to me and snuggled into what felt like a mile and a half of mattress I was almost asleep and the clutter of a shovel falling on the walk outside brought me straight up in bed and grabbed my gun and made for the door the second I threw it open I knew that I'd made a mistake whoever kicked over that shovel it hurt me and met me with a large fist that came straight at my face oh as I came back into the world I was embarrassed to find myself alone and flat on my back when I started to get up it felt like the L.A. Don's water boy and all run over my face my gun was a few feet away and when I went to pick it up I stopped short it was a souvenir from the man with the great big fist a gold cigarette lighter it was engraved to skipper on his birthday putting it in my pocket I picked up my gun and made for Bruce's studio he wasn't there I threw on some clothes went back to the house and found Isabelle in the living room it's about to give her a biased account of the shortest fight on record when I noticed Uncle Avery quietly entering the house from a side door that led to the garden what's the matter Phil Bruce isn't in the studio anymore what now is a bell there's no reason for alarm my Bruce often goes off into the night like this call to the search for beauty or some such rot and what was it you were after just now outside Mr. Fairchild I was looking for my niece Marlowe Isabelle the cousin John telephone to say he wouldn't be down this weekend I didn't know there would be other guests just my cousin John Martin Phil not really a guest he comes down often too often to suit me Uncle Avery please you know that I'm fond of him yes but I don't know why he's a chronic gambler and of no use to anyone living at the Wilshire Gardens when he can't afford it driving expensive cars you're too hard on him skipper is a skipper yes do you know him no no no I don't you're not missing anything believe me I do believe you Mr. Fairchild I believe your every word good night all I left the house and headed straight for my car with the Wilshire Gardens in Hollywood in mind it was just a chance the John skipper Martin might own a white Panama hat I got to the prodigal cousin's bungalow it was dark inside so I pressed one hand close to my gun and the other against the door though there was no answer the side window was open and I started toward it when a nasty voice greeted me from the shadow of a palm tree good evening lovely night isn't that I hadn't noticed I've been busy I know we've been waiting for you for a long time we me and my nice shiny revolver here 38 oh I see well you make a handsome couple and I hope you're both very happy together now what do you want I don't want anything I'm here to give you something advice brother I've already told you I'm busy so if this is a heist let's get it over with fast you know I think you're confused I'm holding the gun Mr. Martin Martin John skipper Martin surprised that I know your name why yes yes I am I don't recall having had the pleasure you haven't people never forget me if Mr. Martin my tag is Brock I mean anything no what you do sing dance tell jokes yeah that's it the last one I tell Joe I can't wait you won't have to Mr. Martin I'm gonna tell you one right now goes like this once upon a time a young punk borrowed ten thousand dollars from a generous gambler on his promise to pay the money back within a week but the young punk never came across so the gambler told a nice fella named Brock to call on the young punk and tell him that he had 48 hours in which to get the money together and that if he didn't he'd never see the 49th hour what's the matter Mr. Martin don't you like jokes brought Grinch of this 38 into a shoulder holster and walked away soon as he rounded the corner I went to the open window and climbed in I rummaged through two closets looking for a white Panama you know what I was about to search a third when I heard something that brought me to a dead stop was a key in the front door lock closed my right hand over the gun in my pocket move flush against the sidewall and waited at the moment the door swung open and telephone rang and the Hulk of a man that ended went straight for it was wearing a gray fedora hello oh hello Isabelle what Bruce are you sure but that's impossible I I mean things like that just excuse me Isabelle I think I have a visitor I'll call you back reach Mr. Martin who are your name is Brock you owe a client of mine $10,000 he wants his money in 48 hours I'll get it I swear I will I'll have it right here on time all of it how you're gonna do that Mr. Martin I've got a way someone's gonna give it to me tonight why why because it's the healthy thing to do that's why that's all you wanted to know isn't it that's all good night Mr. Martin this is Marlo Isabelle I'm calling from a drug store in Hollywood has Bruce returned yet no and he won't he's been kidnapped what's that whoever didn't want $50,000 before morning or we'll never see Bruce alive again I walked my car up at the Wilshire Gardens I felt like my brain had spent the night in a cement mixer I was about to head back for Malibu when I suddenly saw a skipper Martin dash out of his bungalow and pile into a long glossy convertible I followed him out to the Pacific palisades where he made a call at a little house which sat on a bluff overlooking the sea once he was inside I moved up quietly and saw that the name on the mailbox was Miss Colla Winters I crawled up to a lace curtain window where I could see what was going on one look at Miss Winters made the damage I was doing to my tweeds worthwhile she was strictly dragonlady with flaming red hair and a waist you could span with two hands if you were lucky enough to get that close and the rest of the measurements fit just perfect listen Carla I've got myself skipper Martin to look after first last and always remember that why should I you've always been cheap talking no more look at you now you're in trouble so what do you do you holler black male go on down here go here before I kill you and skipper slammed the front door stomped to his car and roared off I couldn't figure any reason legitimate reason that is for calling on color winters so I returned to the Fairchild place Isabel was somewhere between hysteria and collapse over the fact that she and Bruce had less than $2,000 in their own name Uncle Avery of course was more than reluctant to pay the ransom amended for the return of a man he'd rather not have returned but his niece won out all right Isabel I'll give you the money but understand I'm doing this for you not for that no yes Uncle Avery I understand but can you get that much cash at this hour the banks who said anything about banks you know I don't like them money will be in your hands in 30 minutes and in the meantime tell Mr. Marlowe here what arrangements you've made with your husbands of doctors one minute Mr. Fairchild what about the police the police have already been notified Mr. Marlowe they've agreed not to interfere until tomorrow morning by that time I suppose we'll have Bruce return to us too to us Uncle Avery as a miss slip of the tongue Isabel I'm only paying for his return you take over from there I don't want him a half hour later Avery Fairchild handled me a bundle of bills which added up to $50,000 cash the bills seem slightly dirty the old geezer must have had them buried someplace for a moment I couldn't help thinking boy to get at this place for the shovel sometime but then I got back to the more pressing matters at hand I wrapped up the money in a shoe box and I drove north along the Pacific Coast Highway I covered the 60 miles to the rendezvous which was a junkyard near Ventura in about as many minutes and according to instructions I slowed down to 10 miles an hour I blinked my lights twice tossed out the shoebox I was just about to resume my speed when the headlights of an approaching car fell on a man as he darted back into the junkyard and I saw what I'd been expecting all the time a white Panama hats I was still playing by the rules so there's only one thing I could do about it I slam my foot down on the accelerator and kept it there until I reached the nearest telephone where I telephone skipper Martin at the Wilshire Gardens it was just possible that he owned two hats that little balloon exploded in a hurry Mr. Martin who is this this is Brock remember me oh yes yes of course you mean you got the money right now not this minute but I will have it in a couple of hours you're sure Mr. Martin I'm positive Brock now only one thing figured the man in the Panama I had worked for Skipper Martin it had to be an hour later I pulled in at the Fairchild estate the moment I put my double A over the threshold I knew that the kidnapper to it kept his part of the bargain Bruce Gordon was back safe and sound it happened shortly after you retired Mr. Milo I was working in my studio when a man wearing a white Panama hat yeah but how did you know that Mr. Milo they're very popular this season Mr. Gordon darling Mr. Milo was a private detective but I'll tell you all about that later go on with your story this man was wearing a handkerchief over his face and he forced me to go along with him at gunpoint took me to a car parked in the service driveway and told me to turn around and I was hit from behind and went out cold I came to I was bound hand and foot blindfolded and gagged I had no idea where I was but didn't you see anybody before you were released no uncle Avery before they let me go they they hit me again when I came to that time I was lying on the road out near Ventura untied that's about it I suppose you've told the story to the police already huh no he hasn't missed tomorrow and what's more he isn't going to I'm sorry but I was forced to like you earlier this evening the police mean reporters and they mean publicity and I hate publicity I'm sure you see my point I wouldn't make book on that Mr. Fairchild secrets like this only encourage kidnappers well since we no longer see I do I Mr. Milo I'd suggest that we consider your services at an end I'll have my check at your office in the morning good night sir every Fairchild wasn't the kind of a man you argued with I threw my coat of my arm tipped my head to Isabel and stepped outside I hadn't once mentioned Skipper Martin to the family that might have been a mistake but I still want to look around before I yelled copper as I walked past the guest cottage I decided to go in and check Bruce's studio maybe the man in the white pH had left a few odd footprints on the ceiling I tossed my coat and a corner chance started through the clutter ten minutes later I found nothing I was about to leave when I suddenly remembered the picture of a girl and some clouds that Bruce had been so careful to keep out of sight hadn't been moved and when I brought it into the light I didn't have to look twice it was the portrait of Carla Winters a red-headed dragon lady that Skipper Martin had visited now things began to add up at the chauffeur's quarters there was an outside telephone and I put through a hurry call a lieutenant Ibarra at homicide in LA the best I could get was one sergeant Neely I'm sorry Mr. Marlowe but the lieutenant's out on the call right now there's some kind of a row of time well do you know where he is the address I mean those bungalows at the Wilshire Gardens the Wilshire Gardens that's right what's the special about that maybe nothing I'll know in a minute thanks Neely this is Marlowe Ibarra what brings you to Skipper Martin's at this late hour well it seems as though some person or a person's on own fired a gun several times a little more than an hour ago four shots to be exact what you think Skipper Martin fired him no I'm sure Martin didn't fire them you see he stopped him personally before I hung up I gave Ibarra a quick rundown on the whole story after making me feel like a schoolboy for keeping him in the dark so long he told me to sit on the Fairchild's front steps until he got there well it gave me a half hour to kill most of which I spent walking around aimlessly trying to get something close to four out of two and two but I couldn't finally I heard Ibarra siren up to the front door I was about the head for him with a chill in the morning air reminded me that my top coat was still in Bruce's studio I went back and got it when I turned for the door again I noticed a little slip of paper that had been under the coat fall to the floor I picked it up I must have held it for a full minute before I realized what it meant just a small slip of paper and yet it made everything the kidnapping call of the murder fall right into place when I entered the living room at the house one glance at Isabella and Bruce told me that she'd already knew about Skipper's death only Uncle Avery who was not one to shed crocodile tears hadn't changed Ibarra of course was unhappy Marlowe we can't run any kind of a police department whenever he private detective acts like he's the commissioner himself why don't you call me when this business first began to smell you know better I'm sorry bar and I hate to sound immodest but I happen to be one of the two men in this room who can name Bruce Gordon's kidnapper and Skipper Martin's killer you know what you're saying Marlowe I think so the man in the white Panama had who kidnapped Bruce Gordon Lieutenant is Bruce Gordon himself in other words Bruce Gordon kidnapped Bruce Gordon am I would just still say that Gordon if we paid a call to call a witness and asked her to hand over the $50,000 of a so-called ransom money she's holding for you to oh would you prefer the window we bought words Marlowe Bruce who eventually planned to divorce Isabella and marry call a witness want to have a little steak like $50,000 around first that's right Ibarra but Skipper Martin knew about Bruce and call his plans to marry later and he tried to blackmail them to pay off his gambling debts that's why he came to Bruce's cottage on the slide however he got there just in time to see Bruce leave of his own free will and therefore knew later that he couldn't have been kidnapped which gave him two holes over Bruce that's right but he made a mistake when he went to call his house and got too demanding because she told Bruce about it and before he released himself he took care of Skipper with four gunshots to be exact charming people aren't they borrow lovely sometimes I think I should shoot higher and save the state a lot of money and he almost got away with it by the way Marlowe how do you know that Bruce was the man in the white Panama hat I was pretty certain but I got my proof accidentally promise not to repeat this Ibarra yeah well I practically fell over a little slip of paper in his studio it was a receipt from a department store and it was made out the Bruce Gordon for one Panama hat nothing else but when I finally got back to my place on Franklin Avenue the Sun was already up and the people who work at nice sane jobs were beginning to fill the streets had been on the go for a steady 24 hours so I could think of nothing but my bed I was about to put my key in the lock when a next door neighbor walked by did me a cheery good morning and started down the corridor now that alone wouldn't have disturbed my sleep but why why did he have to be wearing a white Panama hat the adventures of Philip Marlowe created by Raymond Chandler stars Gerald Moore and is produced and directed by Norma McDonald featured in tonight's story where Jack will and DeWitt as Isabelle Gordon Wilms Herbert as Uncle Avery Fairchild Bill Lally as Bruce Gordon Shep Mankin as Skipper Martin and Lou Krugman as Brock detective Lieutenant a bar is played by Jeff Corey the special music was conceived and conducted by Richard Orant be sure to be with us again next week at this same time when Philip Marlowe says when her will was read everybody figured she'd been crazy when she wrote it and that included me but I changed my mind after spending the night on an island with a pig a cat and an ape because in reality they were people tonight Amos and Andy returned to the CBS network and along with all their friends Kingfish Lightnin and Henry Van Porter they're settling down for a permanent stay be listening for them later this evening over most of these same CBS stations this is Roy Rowan speaking for CBS the Columbia broadcasting system