 Face the camera, please. Hold it. Thanks. Look for it in the morning express. Casey, press photographer. Columbia brings you another adventure of Casey, press photographer. The night and every Saturday this time, Columbia invites you to follow Casey on his exciting assignment and meet the strangely assorted people who pass in swift-moving parade before the shutters of his camera. The night, the clue in the clouds. In the quiet evening air, there suddenly comes a whirring of wings. It's a helicopter, apparently, out of control. Like a giant bird, it flaps crazily about for a few minutes and then heads out to sea. What is it? Yeah, it looks like a bird. It's a helicopter. It's a wild plane. It's out of control. It may fall. Then it clears the sea. There he does, Berk speaking. Hey, Berk. Who is it, Casey? Yes, it's Casey. Listen. There's an airplane loose over the city, a helicopter. Yeah, it's out of control. Something has happened in the pilot. It's headed out to sea. The Coast Guard is trying to get the plane in the air to follow it now. Oh, yeah? Where are you? I'm at the Blue Nose. I thought so. Now listen, Casey, go home and sleep at all. I'll see you in the morning. Now listen, are you inspired? Yes. You ought to know better than to phone me in that condition. Now go home and go to bed. Oh, stop it, Berk. I'm as sober as you are. I tell you, this is a story. Okay, okay, so it's a story. What do you want me to do? Stay up all night waiting for you to get it? Oh, that's well, chief. I knew I could count on you. We're going down to the Coast Guard headquarters now and get all the dope we can. Maybe some pictures. Who's with you? Ann Williams. All right, you crazy loon. But this has better be good. If that helicopter turns out to be a halloween witch on a broom, you shut your last picture for me. You get that? Get it? I know it by heart. Goodbye. Goodbye. Stop. Tell your cop. It's telling you, Berk. It fell into the sea like a mill stone and disappeared. Well, Casey, if 4,000 other people hadn't seen it, I wouldn't believe it. Whose plane was it? The police say it was John Hampton. He had the only helicopter around here. Oh, yeah, I remember. He flew it in from his estate to the top of his office building every day. Our pioneer commuter. And he's missing, huh? Yeah, he and Mrs. Hampton both. Well, take that stuff you've got to a rewrite man. Have one of the boys fix up an obituary. We've lost one of our leading citizens in a plane accident. And that's that. Now, listen, Berk, there's more. Casey doesn't think it was an accident. No, for Pete's sake. And why not? Berk, I think that dive into the ocean was planned. There's something phony about this story, and I want to track it down. All right, all right. What do you want to do? Go chasing geese again? You better let him, Berk. Someday, Casey, you'll go out and cover a story that I won't cover. Now, go on. Get out of here. Thanks, Berk. Berk, I'll tell you, I'll make a bet with you. If I'm right about this, the drinks are on you. And right now, I'm going over to John Hampton's offices to see what I can find out. Oh, you better take Williams with you. She'll just sit around and suck till you get back. Oh, Gebo, thanks. OK, Berk. We're on our way. You're as Miss Gray, aren't you, Miss Matilda Gray? Yes, I'm... I was Mr. Hampton's secretary. Yes, what we want is material for a little story on Mr. Hampton. You think you can help us? He was a wonderful man. Everybody admired and respected Mr. Hampton. I don't know what else I can say. He owned this building, didn't he? Yes, the Hampton Importing Company occupies the top three floors. He liked the idea of having his office here in the penthouse. Mm-hmm. Is that the landing platform for his helicopter out there? Yes, that did. You mind if I get a picture of it? Not at all. Can you take it through the window? Now, let's see. Yes, I think so. Yeah, go ahead, thank you. Now, could we have one of you, Miss Gray? Of me? Yes. I... Well, I don't know. I don't refer... Oh, you look swell after this picture. What about Mr. Hampton's picture? Oh, no, I... Hey, boy, this is just for the record, you know? Oh, I don't... Do you want a picture of your department? Yes, yes. I think so. Okay, all right. Thanks. Now, that's one you won't have to look for in the express. Now, Miss Gray, what other interests did Mr. Hampton have? Business interests? Anything at all. Well, he had a little commercial movie studio, the Aristocrat Film Company. But that's been closed up for six months. Oh, where's that? At 292 Form of State. They need shorts, commercial reels, and trailers. But it was only sort of hobby with Mr. Hampton. Never made any money. Well, what do you know of Mr. Hampton's family? I'm Mr. Hampton. She was alone when she married John. Mr. Hampton. She had no living relatives. And he just had an uncle. A Robert K. Hampton. Oh, an uncle, eh? Where's he? Well, he lived somewhere on an island in the Solobies Sea. Now held by the Japanese, I understand. He was sort of black sheep. Mr. Hampton hadn't heard from him for many years. It seemed he was dead or a prisoner until... Until? Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you this. But shortly before his death, a letter came from Australia. I didn't open it, but when Mr. Hampton read it, he seemed terribly upset. Then he told me it was from his uncle. Do you have that letter now? No, I... I think it disappears. And this was just before his death? Yes, he may have had it in his pocket. Miss Gray, this uncle, was he by any chance mentioned in Mr. Hampton's will? Yes, I would say. All his money, the business, the building, everything. Oh, Mr. Casey, this is all a terrible nightmare. I can't believe that he's gone. I don't know where to turn. Oh, Miss Gray, it's all right. You mustn't take down. You need to rest a bit. Sorry, you know what you see there. I'm... I'm all right. I'm sorry. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back. Well, certainly, Miss Gray. I'm sorry we upset you. Thank you. I'll be all right. Casey, you know something? What? A clue. She was in love with her boss. You think so? Why? Never mind. Just take a woman's role for it. What's the matter, young woman? Nothing. You'll get me a start. Why should I? It's like you. Well, you look like... And if I may ask, who are you? What are you doing here? I'm just a reporter. Who is this young lady? I'm a reporter, too. What a reporter doing here? If you'll pardon me, sir... Who are you? My name is Robert K. Hampton. I'm John Hampton's uncle. Well, you think this uncle had something to do with Hampton's death, huh? Well, look. A guy named the Black Sheep Uncle has beneficiary in his will and suddenly gets a letter from him. From her report. He's very upset about it. And the next day, he packed himself and his wife off in a plane for a double suicide. So, Kenneth Logan pronounced it an accident? Yeah, well, it doesn't add up to me. This uncle ties in somehow. Come on, Ann, I gotta speak. Let's get out in the air. The nice, smoke-laden air is a blue note I have no doubt with. Hi, Applebird. Hiya, Casey. Hi, Miss William. Hello, Applebird. What do you have? One beer. Same as usual for me. Okay, beer and the usual coming up. Hey, what are you reading, Applebird? A book on victory gardening, I guess. My sister, Edna, gave it to me. Oh, you did the right thing to like to read. Yeah, she does. She don't drink much. What's the name of the book? Five Little Peppers and How They Grew. Why don't you read something interesting? Like that death-plane story of yours, The Express. I'm following that, too. Good. Here's your beer. Well, what's your opinion? Well, I think it was a sort of chameleon of errors. I think this guy was planning to run away with some things. He gets the plane all heated up for it when a heavily veiled figure sneaks into the cockpit beside him and gives him the nod to get going. Then he finds out that it's his wife and not his lady friend under the heavy drapes and that she's crossed him up. And by that time he's so disgusted, he dumps the whole thing in the drink. On what do you base these deduction, Applebird? Yes, mastermind. Tell us. Quote, he who tries to fool his wife ends up playing the fool himself. You better stick to your books, Applebird. Leave the amateur detecting the cases. Yeah, and you know, Applebird, I wouldn't waste my time on Five Little Peppers, either. It's way over your head. Well, I... Well, to tell the truth, I'm having a tough time waiting through it. You got any ideas? Well, it's Gibbons decline and fall of the Roman Empire. They got that in a book already? Sure. Well, it just declined and fell last September. Hey, look, Annie, you tell him. I'm going over and talk to Ernie. Hi, Casey. Hi, Ernie. Ooh, you look worried. Ernie got an old tune handy, something for me to think by. Sure, sure. That's good. Can't quite tag it, though. Me and my shadow. Oh, yes, you're me and my shadow. Yep, you know that other self always under your feet. Other self, huh? Yep. You got another self? Now, one Casey has to stay here and work on the express. Yeah. The other wants to fly away. Go deer hunting up in the woods somewhere. Ernie, hmm? You got an uncle? Sure, I got an uncle. Look, if you knew he was coming to see you, would you want to fly away? Well, I'd be tempted to. Yeah, why? Because it means that he was bringing his eight kids along to live off of me. Yeah, but the thought wouldn't make you want to kill yourself, would it? Oh, Casey, why you got to be so dramatic? Of course not. Tell me, Ernie, what makes guys want to get away? Oh, a name you play from one and go right to another. Leaving all their worldly good to me. That kind of cost me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The names are cost me. Now, it's me now. I try to get the name to fly away and leave my worldly good to me. And what? Well, what? I say it is fair for the better if he could get the name to fly away and leave the worldly good to you. Ernie, I think you got something there. Yeah, thanks. Five little peppers and how they grow has got me pleasant. I'm in the fourth chapter already and they even started to spade the ground up. Hey, come on, Anne. I suddenly got a hunch. Hey, where are we going? Home. But tomorrow, we're going back and have another look at Uncle Robert K. Hampton. You may come in now. Thank you. This is Mr. Robert K. Hampton. Miss William, Mr. Casey. Yes, we've met before briefly. How do you do? This is a young lady who was so startled yesterday when she first saw me. I'm sorry, Mr. Hampton. It was just that she looked so much like... I know, I know. You were struck by my resemblance to my nephew. I did. Well, I don't blame you. You know, I never realized how much he'd got to look like me until I arrived and saw his picture here. Yes, it is a striking resemblance, sir. Your hair is gray instead of brown. And of course, he had a moustache. Yeah, but anyone would take it for brothers otherwise. I think it's quite different. Well, after all, there were only seven years' difference in our ages. I was just a kid when my brother's son, John, was born. Yeah, we were very sorry about what happened to your nephew, Mr. Hampton. These things are always kind of tough to take. Yes, they are. But of course, it wasn't entirely unexpected. You know, I thought John would probably come to some violent end. My, even as a kid, he was always cleaned up. Couldn't relax. And there's also a notion. Hmm. He should have taken things easier. Now look at me. I spent my youth bumming around the world. Never made much, but I had fun and got along. Then I found a spot where life was pleasant, and I settled down. Where was that? Shudang Island, near Borneo. Paradise, simply paradise. That is, until the jabs came along. Then I somehow managed to get out. Just by the skin of my teeth, too. Hmm. Right. Yes. Now, well, here I am. You see, everything worked out pretty well. Yes, thanks to John Hampton who spent his whole life. You're great. You were sane. I, I'm sorry, Mr. Hampton. Do you mind if I take some pictures, Mr. Hampton? My paper wants to run a feature on you and your nephew. You know, your, your vastly different lives and activities. You know, the, the Hampton who traveled the Earth and the Hampton who stayed at home. That's rather a good idea, Mr. Casey. Uh, where would you like me to? And decide this picture of John? No. No, please. Sorry. Yes, yes, I would if you don't mind. Let's, let's try behind the desk there. All right. How's this? Uh, you'll pardon me, Mr. Hampton, but your, your hair's a little musk. You know, with such striking gray hair as you have, you ought to have it looking at best. No, I'm sorry. I'll... No, no, no, don't move. Miss Williams will arrange it. Oh, all right. Have you got a call, ma'am? Uh-huh. There's one right here in my bag. No, just a second. There you are. Thank you. Fine, that's it. Now, Mr. Hampton, hold it. Want another? I'm sure that one picture should be enough. This gray, if you please. Well, we'll take one more, just one more for good luck. Now, hold that just as you are, right there. Thank you. Oh, but I'm afraid I'm in that one too. Your camera was pointed right at me. Well, we'll see when they develop. Thank you both very much. Thank you. You know, Mr. Casey, I'm somewhat of a camera fan myself. Now, that's all? Yes, taken pictures all my life. I have some beautiful shots of Shirang Island. I was wondering if, uh, if perhaps you couldn't print them, along with the feature on my nephew and me, not that I would want to monopolize the story, of course, no, but, uh, I only thought it, uh, well, it might set off the differences in us. Hmm. More dramatically, you know, give it a little added color. Yeah, sure. Sure, that might be an angle. Let's see the pictures. Yes, well, I have a few small ones in my wallet here. Uh-huh. The Japs got most of my stuff, of course. Oh, yes, I can imagine. Let me see now. Yes, here's a nice shot. Now, turn them out. Ah. Hey, look at this, man. Beautiful. And this is the view of my back yard, so to speak, looking north. Is that you and Hampton? Yes, that's me. I used a self-timer, set it, and then ran and got into the picture. Used a flexo camera with F-35 lens at 120 seconds. Hmm, it's not bad. What's this one? That's me again. Same trick. Uh, that was taken from the front porch. Looking south? Yes. That's a lovely country. Looks almost like a stage setter. I think perhaps we're following these people, Mr. Hampton. Yes, I'm afraid we are. No, no, really. Not at all. I'd like to use these pictures. They're exceptional shots. Mm-hmm. And pictures always dress up a feature. Well, all right. But you will be careful to return them to me, won't you? They're the only prints I have, and I treasure them beyond the world. Don't worry. I'll treat them with kid gloves. Thank you, Mr. Casey. Now, that's all right. Now, I think we better be pushing off time and deadlines. Wait for no man. And no woman either. We're happy to mention Mr. Hampton, and we hope that you like it here. I think I shall. Take good care of the picture. All right. Let's borrow them in the morning and explain. All right. Thank you. Goodbye. I don't like that young man. He's too clever. Darling, take it easy. After all, he's only a newspaper photographer. Are you sure this article on you is a good idea? Of course. We'll need it. Why do you think I went to all that work to get those pictures? The public must be convinced, too. Don't worry, my dear. There'll be no slip-up. I'd better hadn't be. Not after eleven years of planning and waiting. Now that those people have the pictures, and that fire will be evident. You mean, very negative? There are little fires and big fires. Oh. Do you mean? Yes. Tomorrow night. A nice big fire. Let's see that negative, eh? There you are. Yes, sir. That I call a nice layout. Yeah. You think you look pretty good, eh? Mm-hmm. My article's all right, too. Mm-hmm. You know, someday I'm gonna teach you how to read. Oh, yeah. See, these of Churang Island came out really bright and clear, didn't they? Mm-hmm. Hey, Ann, look at this. What? You notice anything strange about those two shots taken in Hampton's front and backyard? No. Well, I do. Look at this bank of clouds here. Mm-hmm. It looks sort of like a face, doesn't it? Oh, sure. It looks like my aunt Sophie. Now quit clowning. Look at it close. I'm looking. Well, now that's supposed to be a view, looking north. That's right. Well, here's exactly the same formation in the view looking south. Well, that's clear. Clear. It's a physical impossibility. There haven't been two cloud formations exactly. It's the first day of creation. Well, for me, see, you'll see. Yeah, they were beautifully fake. You know, I thought Hampton froze a little when you made that crack. What crack? About those pictures looking almost like a state setting. Oh, Annie, Hampton gave us these pictures of a paper for a reason. He wants everyone to see them. He wants everyone to think that he has lived all these years miles away from here. And that he arrived here just in time to have a pot of gold fall into his lap. Oh, that's a little too mean. Yeah, these pictures, all he's got to prove he wasn't here all the time. Well, if he was here, how do we know he didn't murder John Hampton? He had the motive for it. The world gives him everything. Yeah, and right under John Hampton's feet. Hey, who said something like that? Ernie. That's right. Me and my shadow. Annie, I think I got it. Quick, let me look at your comb. Well, sure, Kate. We're here, but what on earth in there? Wait a minute. Here, look at this. A hair. A lone gray hair. I gotta take this down to Logan and have him run some tests on it. I'll see you back here in about an hour. Here are your pictures of Hampton, the ones we didn't print. Yeah, thanks. I just wanted to check on them. Let's see. Yeah, here it is. Look, Bert. This one of Hampton with Miss Gray in the background. You see this? Yeah. And what a sugar-coated look she's got on her face. Okay, let me see. Don't she look like a mother whose son has just been made president of his class? Is she in love with this guy? Of course not. Is she sure, Anne? Well, she just met him. You swore she was in love with her boss. That's right. And a woman like that couldn't be in love with two men. Why not? Because she's the perfect one-man woman type. Uh-huh. That's all I wanted to hear. I got a theory on this case, and this just about puts a pin on it. Come on. Hey, where are we going? We've got a little job of breaking and entering to do. We're going to crash the deserted studio of the Aristocrat Film Company. I think I just about got it. Is he just a tiny little bit illegal? I can fix that with Logan. He and I are just like that. There we are. Come on. We've got to work fast. Oh. Boogie in it. Where did I light a match? See any light switches around here? Wait a minute. Good work. That's better. Well, so this is the Aristocrat Movie Studio, huh? And a fine place to bring a young girl in the dead of night. Annie, you see those crates over there? Yeah. I'll bet you ten to one they're full of prop palms, grass, mats, and tropical foliage. Let's see. All right. Mr. Casey, your intuition is appalling. I'm glad I didn't cover that bit. Uh-huh. Artificial flowers, trees, rocks, leaves, everything you need to build up a nice little South Sea Island setting right here. Uh-huh. You mean Hanson could have sneaked in here alone and arranged a beautiful little proper setting and taken pictures all over the place? Not only could, but he did with a self-timer. And by changing the bushes and foliage around, he got the so-called view from his front porch and the one from his back porch. Well, where's the sky with the funny clouds on it? It's hanging right over your head. Look up. All those big hangings? Yeah. Yeah, it's one of those. Those are backgrounds, you see, held up there by these ropes tied right here. Oh, quickies. Hey, look out. You want to kill his bones? You pull that knot and all those heavy drops will crash down on our head. Oh, sorry. I only thought you might want to get some down to see if you could bind the one with the crown. Yeah, but we'll have to snub the rope around his peg and let the drop down gradually. Those things are heavy. Put your hands up, Miss Casey. Captain. He's got a gun. You too, Miss Williams. Oh, yes, sir. You seem surprised to see me, Mr. Casey. Why? Do you forget that I own this studio now? Rather, I should be surprised. What are you doing here? We're looking for Churang Island. And you? I came to burn this place down. For a reason that you may have already forgotten. Yeah. You didn't want anyone to find out where you made those phony pictures, did you? No, and I don't want you to tell them. And you won't. If you want your charming lady friends, you get France here and remake them. There's rather an ugly name for that. Murder. A murder is not a murder until it's proven so. But before I kill you, I want you to tell me something. Yes, I expected that. Most murderers are very cautious to know where they... where they slipped up. All right, I'll tell you, Mr. John Hampton. Oh. You guessed that too. Of course. You're not Robert K. Hampton. There never was any Robert K. Hampton. You never fled from the Japs on Churang Island. You picked that place because it would be impossible to check your story. This whole thing was arranged between you and Miss Matilda Gray. You planned this for years and been in love with her for years. Go on. You drew your will to a fictitious uncle and probably faked up enough credentials so that you could appear to be that uncle. And then when the time came, all you had to do was drug you white, put her in a helicopter. There was just enough fuel to get over the ocean and set the controls and let her go. Don't you think the plan was clever? Fiendishly clever. There was clever of you to spend ten years working out your disguise. Most criminals try to change their identity by putting on a disguise. You achieved a change by taking one off. One you had worn for ten years. You shaved your moustache, bleached the dye out of your hair, and then came down here and took a few pictures of yourself in a tropical setting. Then the very next day, you turned up as the long lost uncle inheriting all your own money and in a position to marry Miss Matilda Gray. I fooled everyone but you, Mr. Casey. Kill me. Why did you suspect me? Well, being a photographer, maybe I looked too closely at your pictures. And you made the mistake of using the same sky in all of them. Oh. Clever of you little noses. Well, you stood up on one other little thing, too. Your hair. Remember when I combed it for you, Mr. Hatton? Yeah, under the police microscope, a strand of your hair still showed traces of brown dye. It's those little things, Mr. Hatton. Perhaps. And then, of course, you should never have let me get a picture of Matilda Gray off God. Or although she treated you badly and seemed to hate you, her love showed up in the faces plainly as though it were a written man. Very interesting. And as Anne told me, a woman like Matilda Gray couldn't love two men. It turned out she didn't. Both men were yours. Quite right. Now, before you have a chance to turn this story over to the police, I'm afraid I shall have to shoot you both. I wonder if you've mind shooting me first. Besides a bludgeon. You can't afford a joke, Miss Williams. Oh, no. I don't want to be too near. May I stand over there by those ropes? Wherever you wish. Thank you. Oh, boy, that dude is... Okay. I got his gun. Well, that drop should be... Is he breathing? Yeah. But he won't know it for an hour or so. Gee, kid, nice going. Well, darling, you told me not to pull that nod. Annie, Annie, this was an inspiration. I could just about kiss you. Oh, so I've got to save your life to deserve one stingy little kid. Well, boys and girls, day of days, the drinks are on work. Now, now, now. Wait a minute, Casey. My bet was with you. You can't do this to me. Can I, though? Hi, Edward. Hi, Casey. Miss Williams. Well, Mr. Burke, this is a surprise. Yes, sir. We'll are you. Burke's buying the drinks, Edward. Wow. What'll it be? Hello, Edward. Oh, hello, Grace. Uh-huh. What'll it be, Miss Williams? Oh, double martini. A double? To all of them. Oh. And the usual for me. A double. Now, wait a minute, Casey. And a double scotch for Ernie at the piano, too. Go easy, Casey. One for his shadow. Yeah. And one for you, Edward, and a double for Grace. Hey, Casey. And see what the boys in the back room will have, too. And what would you like? A double. A double? A double? A double? A double? A double? What would you like, Mr. Burke? Oh, please, Edward. How much is sassaparilla? Well, as Carrie Nation once said, quote, he who partakes only of nature's liquor has the pleasure of remaining sober and paying the checks. Unquote. You've been listening to Casey Press Photographer, played by South Cotsworth, a new series of adventure programs and a professional character created by George Harmon Cox. Casey Press Photographer is directed by Albert Ward and produced for Columbia by John Deet. The night story was written by Charles Holden. And it's again next week at the same time for another swift-moving story of Casey Press Photographer. This is CBS, The Columbia, brought cast in the film.