 California on behalf of independent shembran gas stations and standard stations throughout the west invites you to let George do it another adventure of George Valentine personal notice danger is my stock and trade if it's way over your head and you need discreet confidential help call on me George Valentine write full details my dad Valentine as a newspaper man and dramatic critic I've seldom been wrong when I have been the public has preferred my polished civilized verdict on the play for the clumsy mouthings of my colleagues but be that as it may I've discovered a man of the Theros cutting on a fabulous masquerade and must be exposed I need facts and you can get them for me I can meet my office so we can arrange an appointment sign Jonathan Thorpe Jonathan Thorpe on just a minute Bruxy where's this morning's paper where it always is after you read the sports page in the way back now here's the great man's column today's theater by Jonathan Thorpe now the last time he had a kind word for a play or an actor use the rest of the column to apologize it will burn the incense angel I'm about to read some of Thorpe's deathless prose I quote since its opening two weeks ago I have been repeatedly warning the unsuspecting public against that dramatic abomination now holding forth the majestic theater a wind from the prairie by Luke Eberhard could be more aptly titled a breeze from the stock yard them's harsh words partner what this play lacks in dramatic instruction it makes up for and sheer illiteracy out of sweet charity sake I say nothing about the inane high school performance of Mark Guilford the alleged leading man in more than 20 years I have seen some pretty bad play all right all right I get the general idea you know Bruxy it might be very interesting to meet this poor man's George Bernard Shaw so how about making that appointment I'll ring Mr. Thorpe and tell him you're here Mr. Valentine now that's okay we're expected but he likes to be warned he never can tell whether to expect an actor he's roasted in his column or just a blind man he tripped on the street I'm his first line of defense all the perfect receptionist I see you're a member of the down with Thorpe society what have you got against Jonathan oh nothing he just won't stop breathing right down the hall here on the main floor the last office come on okay Mr. Thorpe there's a Mr. Valentine on his way to see you all right Betty just a little run with a Napoleon complex please angel please you're talking about a clown oh Valentine come in this is my assistant miss Brooks how do you do the pleasure sit down sit down well Valentine I suppose you're just corroded with curiosity about this character I mentioned in my letter well I'd like to know more about him if that's what you mean I am not a malicious man I live for the theatre I regard it as a sacred temple it's bad enough to see it desecrated by mediocre talents I won't have a criminal take refuge in it what is this this monster done Mr. Thorpe several years ago he was the key figure in a rather daring robbery a robbery which by the way has never been solved yeah go on this were the young man down the bank messengers uniform hypnotized a dim-witted lady cashier with his charm and walked out with ten thousand dollars well tell me how did you get this information though I came up from the ranks as a reporter Valentine I have a great many shall we say unorthodox contacts well let's have the name of your man Mark Guilford what you mean the star of Luke Eberhardt's play the one you've been planning for the last two weeks that wasn't the reason that I panned it Valentine but that is the man when he decided to take this fling and crime you just another unemployed actor Mark Guilford oh that's hard to believe oh miss Brooks you're just like my wife Evelyn mm-hmm here look at the picture very young and beautiful but equally naive you see things like this do happen excuse me that's Peggy who oh tell him I want to talk to you never mind Peggy the win from the prairie just blew in what can I do for you Eberhardt I don't remember you're making an appointment why don't you lay off me for you got something else to write about besides my play what do you got against me nothing personal my dear fellow except that I find your brain child particularly offensive now please I have business with mr. Valentine here oh don't mind us the other critics didn't think it was so bad you're deliberately murdering it if I am it's a mercy killing I don't know why you're doing this but I'm warning you lay off if you don't bravo you should be playing Mark Guilford's part will be an improvement good day mr. Eberhardt his first play one is tempted to be kind but that would only encourage him to write another one now where were we Valentine tell me mr. Thorpe this business about Mark Guilford why don't you go to the police with it maybe that's so simple you didn't think I'm a newspaper man mr. Brooks when I'm sure of the story all the facts I'll write it up then the police can take it from there now Valentine yeah this list unsavory individuals to be sure but they'll give you the information you'll need about Guilford and this check it'll do as a retainer I'm sure okay thanks now how about a couple of passes for the majestic tonight I wasn't wrong when I called you in Valentine you're a brave man I just want to see if a win from the prairie could possibly be as bad as you say it is besides I'd like very much to get a load of Mark Guilford in action but we belong in this house you and I are complete and our love will be as timeless as those mountains and always is clean and fresh as a win from the prairie George you haven't even been listening what's that angel that girl in the front row you haven't taken your eyes off wait a minute let it go up the aisle ahead of us okay George I recognize her now the picture thought show his wife now let's stay right behind right for mrs. Thorpe there was only one person on that stage tonight Mark Guilford I thought he was quite good and it really wasn't a bad play I can't blame ever hard for wanting to see Thorpe roasted on both sides Jonathan's campaign worked all right the house was half empty where'd you park car George oh wait a minute but see oh I see what you mean yeah mrs. Thorpe is heading down the alley straight for the stage door and Mark Guilford oh angel I think I want out of this deal why it's the old triangle but with Jonathan Thorpe in one corner it promises to be nastier than usual all this talk about the theater a sacred temple oh no I'm not digging into anybody's past for Thorpe and whatever game he's playing and Brooks I'm gonna tell him tomorrow that it's strictly out of my line oh it's you again how are you mr. Thorpe it's okay Peggy I found a message of my apartment last night his highness wants to see me at 11 o'clock and I sure want to see him is he free Peggy if he left a message for you he knows you'll be here he usually gets what he wants from everybody you know how to learn to keep my mouth shut look out you might talk yourself into that yet wait a minute I don't have you down on talk this of a point again it beautiful we'll skip protocol this morning now look for if I don't know why you wanted to see me but I'm here to call it quits you oh now listen you're not that busy you can at least turn around when I what's what's matter with him George I just a minute quick see if he could turn around with a knife stuck in his chest it'd be the neatest trick of the week the letter opener yeah he just seemed to sit there as well hey Peggy get me lieutenant Riley a police headquarters quick you okay brook see oh fine but wait a Riley hears about this yeah I know he'll probably oh lieutenant this is Valentine I want you've been asking for this job of internalize this is so put that gun down on him George hang on Riley stay on the line I killed him you certainly did your best he didn't suffer as much as he made other people suffer I don't care I don't care what happens now brook see take her over there yeah yeah no matter what they do to me couldn't be worse than what I've been through all right all right now okay Riley you can stop you yelling yes those were shots you heard Jonathan Thorpe the dramatic critic fine arts building better get over here right away look try to get hold of yourself Mrs. Thorpe who are you what are you doing here the names of Valentine your late husband hired me to investigate my guilt I know about that he made sure I did he taunted me with it that's why I killed him but Mrs. Thorpe I think you ought to know that let it go on I wasn't gonna let him wreck Mark's life I asked him for a divorce but he couldn't stand the thought of my finding any happiness oh it was all right for him to humiliate me whenever his ego needed some woman to fall over him even that girl Peggy outside was one of them I suppose I should feel horrified at what I've done but I don't George you've got to tell her tell me what you didn't kill your husband Mrs. Thorpe what are you saying just that somebody beat you to it Valentine you never come up with a nice simple but oh no no the guy's got to be killed twice just to make things twice as complicated for me why do you do this to me you flatter me lieutenant I didn't arrange all this just to keep you from getting bored what about Mrs. Thorpe I still feel as though I killed Jonathan I meant to I had murder in my heart well you'll have to work that out with your own conscience Mrs. Thorpe the simple legal fact is that he was already dead when you shot him well then there can't be any charges against Mrs. Thorpe Lieutenant yes Valentine if I promise on a bright not to complicate things how about me playing along well okay but just stay out of my way oh that'll be easy lieutenant I'm pretty sure what I have in mind would be much too weird for your tastes we'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment meanwhile a word about your vacation inventory when there's a family vacation coming up usually it's the lady of the house who keeps a checklist of things to get ready but there's a man in your neighborhood who keeps a checklist for your vacation to you'll find him at an independent chevron gas station and at the standard station his checklist is designed to get your car in shape for the toughest trip so before you start out better ask him to inspect your car's battery headlights tires spark plugs and oil he'll see that everything's in order that your cars ready to take on all the carefree vacation miles you want to cover and by the way while you're at his service station ask about Polaroid sunglasses they'll spare you a lot of ice-drain in glaring sunlight on the highways and byways keep your vacation carefree by stopping in at standard stations and independent chevron gas stations where they say and mean we'll take better care of your car now back to tonight's adventure of George Valentine well if you were in George's shoes here's the situation in which you'd find yourself a caustic well-hated dramatic critic hires you to clear up an unsolved crime but before you can even get started you find said critic with a letter opener in his chest and then before you can even say well what do you know the critic's wife rushes in pumps her already dead spouse full of lead at headquarters George and Lieutenant Riley are trying to bring a little order out of chaos all right now piggy take a good look at mr. Gilbert look Riley you don't have to drag this out you better let the lieutenant do this his own way girlfriend it'll save a lot of time well I'm looking lieutenant all right when was the last time you saw him ten o'clock this morning he breathed past my desk and headed straight to Thorpe's office and words began to fly not being a lady I'd be glad to go into detail I've already told you Thorpe and I had a quarrel he knew the trouble I was mixed up in three years ago and was holding it over Evelyn so she wouldn't divorce him I told him to go to the police with it get it over with and what did Thorpe have to say what did he ever have to say he just sat there and made with epigrams you're on the spot Gilbert you were in love with his wife and he was digging into your past that's an awful lot of motive our Peggy yes mr. Valentine after mr. Gilbert left are you sure Thorpe had no other visitors till I showed up with miss Brooks at 11 I ought to be sure all I have to do with that desk is to watch people go in and out we had a fight Lord knows I felt like killing him but I didn't the coroner's report says Thorpe was stabbed to death sometime between 10 and 11 I didn't kill him if you ask my opinion lieutenant mr. Guilford to the world of favor young lady we're dealing with murder just the same exterminators are paid for getting rid of things like Thorpe that's a personal character reference lieutenant you know I'll keep my mouth shut you know that's a good idea oh and mr. Thorpe you come in now please oh easy darling get away from here anyway mr. Thorpe Peggy tells us that only one person saw your husband this morning that is before I showed up why you've been questioning Mark in here all this time well why he wasn't there tell him Mark tell him about Luke about Jonathan had an appointment with him at 10 30 he mentioned that breakfast he never kept it I still don't know what that has to do with Mark I was there darling well you promised you wouldn't sorry mrs. Thorpe but there's no question about his being Evelyn you've got to believe me I didn't kill him I had to talk to him about us once and for all your food I'm booking you weren't suspicious of murder come on with me and if you have any more talking to do you'd better wait till you see you wait you can't lock him up I'll raise bail for him this is a murder charge mrs. Thorpe that'll be all for now Peggy you can go and thanks hmm and I think he once said he might make me the second mrs. boy was I lucky I ever learned to keep my mouth I won't believe it mr. Valentine Mark couldn't have done anything like that well unfortunately mrs. Thorpe the faith that moves mountains doesn't move the police they're sticklers for evidence mr. Valentine yeah you were willing to work for Jonathan well as a matter of fact he wanted to do was hurt people won't you help me now prove that Mark is innocent you mean you're putting me on the payroll mrs. Thorpe yes please okay okay we'll call your husband's retainer check the down payment now you understand of course I may only come up with a kind of evidence that'll build the case for the police no you won't I'll take that chance mark is innocent all right mrs. Thorpe all right I'll do my best and I think I'll start by having a chat with Luke Eberhardt the man who didn't keep his appointment I thought you'd be dropping around Valentine hi ever heart this is my assistant miss Brooks how do you do she was rather charmed with the way you blew your top at Thorpe's office yesterday you know if I wanted to read things into it I might even say you were threatening mr. Thorpe I should have pushed that guy's face to the back of his head now get out of here both of you on our look friend put a lid on that temporary yours here have a cigarette I roll my own sure George like they do on the rolling prairies but I don't understand how with all that wind you can see stooge for you like this all the time anyway the routine leaves me cold go and get up Valentine don't crowd me prairie boy I'm here on business I want about that appointment you had with Thorpe this morning at 1030 who made you a cop showing you Dick Tracy bad dog come on answer the question or you will be telling it to the cops I don't know anything about an appointment get going thought was a prissy methodical man he kept an appointment book and he also gave a list of expected visitors to Peggy the receptionist you were on that list ever hot okay I didn't keep your point I was afraid I'd lose my temper and kill him can you prove you weren't there in anybody prove I was look I read the papers they got guilt and they don't want me now how'd you go and I'm not sure I'm a straight army wants to walk out George not do more than that out and stay out well I'd say Shakespeare junior has a tough guy complex here well next time Brooks he remind me it needs psychiatric treatment hmm yeah something therapeutic like a haymaker oh well now we're thought office there must be something there we've overlooked anyway that's the way I've got to play well Mrs. Thorpe I see you're doing a little private snoopy I was just going through Jonathan's correspondence so many people hated him enough to kill him I thought I might find a letter or note that would help us thought of Mark and J.O. tell me Mrs. Thorpe how did you get into your husband's office they've got a police sergeant stationed outside at Peggy's death I know came in by the fire exit on the second floor and down the stairs on the rear well you don't say you know it might be a good idea for you to stay on the sidelines and let me take care of this now brook see let's be just as methodical about this is the late Jonathan Thorpe would be first we'll have time well in this air straight cigarette butts five ordinary cigarette butts so what this one it isn't like the ones Jonathan has specially made for him I roam on remember George ever heart when he was here yesterday wasn't smoking so he must have been here this morning I'll take this was his thought he could have known about that fire exit on the second floor and that's why Peggy didn't see him Bruxy take Mrs. Thorpe over to Lieutenant Riley right looks like I may have to use that psychiatric treatment on ever heart sooner than I thought so come on mr. ever heart you and I are going visiting what are you talking about we're going to have a little coffee clutch down at headquarters and you may turn out to be the guest of honor see I'm gonna have to throw you out again oh brother if you do I'll bounce right back in your face let's see how you bounce you're wide open sucker now you were lying through your teeth before about you were in Thorpe's office this morning we found a butt of one of your hand-roll cigarettes for you you're out of your mind that's right that's right come on up get up and be sociable you made a natural mistake most times people pinch out a cigarette and don't even realize they're doing you're not putting anything on me hey what do I have to do to soften you up brother now come on okay okay yes Lieutenant Riley how was it just like Valentine says and why did you lie about it when we first questioned you well I was playing it safe a lot of people knew how I felt about Thorpe where he was needling my play yeah you were pretty specific about what you'd like to do the thought when I was there yesterday why don't you ask him why use the fire stage and stairs in the first place oh miss Brooks miss Brooks what would I do without you and why don't you give me a chance to find out touchy yeah well what about that ever huh well Thorpe really went to town on me in this morning's newspaper I didn't want that receptionist to come barge in in that before I was through taking him apart with the help of a letter opener no no he was alive when I left him factor I didn't even touch him why the change of heart I suppose he begged your pardon pretty please huh he said he was gonna stop writing about my play didn't fit in his plans anymore whatever he met by that I think we know what he met by that lieutenant all Thorpe was ever interested in was giving my guilt for the works with me on the job he thought that was in the bag ever hot you know what your story is done for you don't you what how do you mean if Thorpe was alive when you left that let's mark gilford out Peggy saw him lead the building at a quarter after 10 oh wait a minute you now you're the last known person to be in Thorpe's office before Valentine got there and just a few minutes before that at that I don't care how it sounds I told you the truth I'm afraid I'm gonna have to hold well do what you want but it won't get you anywhere would it be all right if I went outside and told Mrs. Thorpe you're releasing Mark Gilford hold it Bruxy lieutenant yes how about keeping the status quo for about a half hour huh well forgive my curiosity but why and would you mind getting Peggy the receptionist over here I still say why and would you call the boys in the photo lab and ask them to extend me the courtesy of the profession I would ask why one of these days I'm gonna say no to you even if I have to eat crow for it thanks lieutenant the truth is when I told you I had something in mind that was on the weird side well that was understatement this is all very cozy lieutenant but what do you want with me I told you all I knew oh this is mr. Valentine's party Peggy let him go on thank you lieutenant why can't Mark leave this place now that you know he didn't kill Jonathan well for one thing Mrs. Thorpe there's still the little matter of that robbery oh for heaven's sake George get to the point all right here lieutenant take a look at this cigarette stub yeah it's hand rolled sure that's what put the finger on ever hot whatever just this lieutenant when you open it you see a slight smear of lipstick on the inside of the cigarette paper this was rolled by a woman a woman you know Mrs. Thorpe a police chemist can always analyze this lipstick and prove it yours yes but it won't do any good to lie Mrs. Thorpe so let's have it looks like everybody gets to play in this game I'm not gonna lie I did plant that cigarette and Jonathan's ash tray I knew about ever tartness cigarette and it didn't matter at all to you that you might be framing an innocent man but is the innocent I knew he kept that appointment I had to find a way to make him admit it and I did yes you certainly did can't you see I had to do it lieutenant when everything looks so black for Mark I put that cigarette in the ash tray and pointed it out to mr. Valentine I had to fight for our happiness okay okay take it easy mr. Thorpe all right Valentine so she framed the evidence but it still leaves ever hot just where he was this is just like a movie mr. Valentine but where do I sit in or you play a very important part Peggy oh if mr. Thorpe was so scrupulous about giving you a list of the visitors he expected now why do you suppose my appointment for 11 o'clock wasn't there how would I know it was just a message left at your apartment George somebody else could have made the appointment ah you're so right Brooks come on get to the point will you Valentine here is the picture police photographers took a Thorpe's desk as soon as they arrived on scene there are five cigarette stubs in the ashtray see yeah that's right five stubs and Mrs. Thorpe you couldn't have planted another one at the time you said you did that would have made it six and there were never more than five in fact here it is right in the picture gee that's right it happened just the way I told you no no you left it when you stabbed your husband after ever hard left it was the added touch to make sure ever hard was connected with the crime yes and you made that appointment for me you needed a witness to say that you shot Thorpe after he was already dead almost automatically eliminating you as a suspect now wait Valentine the second time doesn't count Mrs. Thorpe but the first time calls for the works golly George Jonathan Thorpe must be turning over in his grave well if he is Angel it's with an appropriate effort here in the paper after the panning he gave a win from the prairie all the publicity is making it a box office smash the little Aaron ease of life this case was full of huh what do you mean darling well this is Thorpe with all her well-laid plans never dreamt Mark Guilford would blunder in that morning and make himself the number one suspect mm-hmm and the cigarette she planted set a clearing mark just place the guilt on her one final bit of irony the biggest slip she made was the most obvious but one we overlooked at the time oh what was that well look Angel when you come in and send three bullets in the general direction of a man's back you're bound to wonder whether he's still alive well Evelyn Thorpe didn't now she went right into hysterics you see Bruxy she already knew he was dead some folks claim that one motor oil is just like another until a mechanic tells them they need a new set of piston rings but folks who use rpm motor oil find piston ring troubles are few and far between this premium quality motor oil is compounded to keep a cooling lubricant on upper cylinder walls at all times whether your car is standing cold for hours at a time or running hot rpm clings to vertical engine parts left bare and exposed to wear by ordinary oils and because rpm is always on the job your chances of engine trouble caused by rust are reduced to about zero that's mighty important when you remember that hidden rust causes as much as 80% of engine wear in the average car no under rpm motor oil is the choice of western motorists two-to-one over any other motor oil for trouble-free operation and longer car life get rpm tomorrow at independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations where they say and mean we'll take better care of your car next week when you tune our way for another adventure of George Valentine you'll hear I am cornered and this is a desperate plea could you be at my apartment tomorrow morning and sign Joyce Dunning husband white best friend the time-worn triangle book see yeah but something new been added darling the third member of the triangle doesn't usually get such consideration from the rival female in the case yeah but Brooks see I wonder if Miss Dunning's reference to death could be a refined way of hitting it murder tonight's adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by standard of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the west let George do it stars Robert Bailey as George with Francis Robinson as Claire walley mayor appears as lieutenant Riley tonight story was written by David Victor and Herbert little junior and directed by Don Clark also heard in the cast where Ramsey Hill as Jonathan Thorpe Virginia Greg as Evelyn Thorpe Betty Moran as Peggy Peter Leeds as Mark Gilford and Jeff Chandler as Everhart music is composed and conducted by Eddie Dunstetter your announcer John Easton listen again next week same time same station to let George do it this is the mutual Don Lee broadcasting system