 Get this and get it straight crime is a suckers road and those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave There's no other end, but they never learned this time It was going to be a vacation in the wide open spaces But a black stallion a tiny emerald and a battered horseshoe met a 24-hour delay It could have been worse because to the dude from Manhattan. They meant death From the pen of Raymond Chandler outstanding author of mystery comes his most famous character and crimes most deadly enemy as we present The adventures of Philip Marlowe With Gerald Moore starred as Philip Marlowe. We bring you tonight's exciting story the dude from Manhattan Every so often life in the city seems to boil down to nothing but noise and concrete Where all a deep breath does for you is to pack more exhaust fumes into your lungs The nearest thing to nature is a mangy sparrow pecking survival out of a dirty alley So when I got a long-distance call from an old friend inviting me to spend a week in the great outdoors Or a ranch. She just bought me a rattlesnake mountain. I snapped at the chance Inside an hour. I was rolling down the highway towards San Bernardino and 120 miles later at five o'clock I turned in under a big arch of gnarled cedar that spelled out rainbow ranch But the layout beyond was about as primitive as a dry martini a Ranch house the size of Union station was backed up by blue tile swimming pool paved tennis court and a semi-circle of bungalows with all the rustic charm of a Hollywood motel I drove on in slowly as a broad brimmed hat red gabardine shirt Hickok belt and hand-tooled boots Bounced out the door and ran toward me. It was my host the ex-hotelman Harold our loss How are you boy? I am sure glad you can make it find out now show you around. Hey, what is all this Harold? From your phone call. I expected a shack with oil lamps or wood stove and at least a few head of cattle Well, you mean I didn't tell you why this is a guest ranch Phil guest ranch the best in the way Oh, brother. Oh, and incidentally don't call me Harold. No bad atmosphere for the dudes. The name is Buck now Buck Lawson Buck. Oh, no Spread here Phil real spread 14 big cabins string of 30 horses stables down there Oh Howdy folks sure is Mr. Mrs. Doverman. He's a big fan of storage man in LA. No as it was saying Who's coming red rider? Not funny. They're not funny. Look. It's thunder that black devil. He's loose again That horse will kick the fence down of those fools don't hold him. Hey, hey, that's some animal. He's a beauty Yes, and a renegade a skittish temperamental Bronco with anybody but Virgil Sawyer. Yeah, oh, they got a rope on him now That'll hold him. I'm not for long Sawyer's the only hand I've got him get close to that stallion. He's leaving tomorrow blast it How come well frankly, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Yeah, I wait a minute I came up here for a rest not a job. I know I know you'll get it Phil you'll get it But since you're here, I figure you could sort of keep your eyes open for me. Lawson. It's a dirty trick No, no, please. I'm expecting trouble and bluntly. I can't afford it Every cent I've got is tied up in this ranch a serious scandal could ruin me and you're just the one who can keep that So okay, okay, so it's the old hotel business on horseback. How does this Sawyer mean trouble? Well There's a couple here from the east the Mortons. He's a top silk wholesaler from New York and Rick Oh, and that kind means everything to me Phil But his wife Judy an ex-dance instructor with Arthur Murray back east is Well, she's bored stiff out here and the upshot of it all is that somehow Somehow she and your cowboy Sawyer started making eyes at each other and the husband got nasty about it I don't know. How did you know that? Yeah? Well, it's standard like a bee picture plot Well, anyway, they came to blows this morning Maybe Virgil's innocent maybe not but I can't take a chance. So I fired him Ordered him to pack and get off the place by tomorrow. Well, that's that. What are you worried about? Plenty Sawyer's a proud man Well, oh he he was furious. He threatened to get even I'm not sure he means it but if he does Well, that's what we have to look out for the we Now look buck you built me into coming up here and I got a good notion to turn around What's the matter see that couple going into cabin number eight? Yeah, that's the couple I'm talking about the Mortons Paul and Judy cabinet. They don't tell me just let me guess. Yeah. Yeah You're right Phil. You've got number seven Okay. Yeah, sure number seven it is. I'll be seeing you buck The number seven and waited for the boy to show up with my bag and I started on pack but stop when I heard a riot next door At that point sprawling rainbow ranch was just a horizontal tenement nothing more The voices rattled on for a few minutes then dwindled off into a long and golden silence That said maybe a peace treaty had been signed But then a door slammed the number eight so I peeked out. It was Morton and from a look on his face I knew the peace treaty was nothing but an armed truce. I Followed him to the big lodge and into the bar and when he sat down I took the stool next to him Well, what'll it be gentlemen scotch and water. No ice. Yeah, the same with ice. Well, mr. Morton I guess that brands us as dudes, huh? Bourbons the only drink out west. I wouldn't know I'm sure. Oh, it's a fact Hey, that's a handsome ring you got there and the initials are the same as mine Those stones are emeralds, aren't they? That's right. Yeah It's supposed to be four of them one's missing. I see is that an emerald too? It was Happens to be my birth now. Here you are gentlemen. Oh fine. Allow me mr. Morton. There you are. Thank you, sir How'd you lose it stone? I mean I don't know it happened several months ago and in any case It's no concern of yours now if you don't mind. I just assumed he left alone Oh, well, that's too bad here. I was hoping I'd find out all about the silk business a silk What do you mean by that? Oh just conversation you are in that business, aren't you of course, but Hey, who are you anyway? Name's Marlowe and Just why you're prying into my personal affairs mr. Marlowe because I got a little free advice for you Cool off before you start the kind of fire. You can't put out, huh? So that's it at Cowboy Sawyer Marlowe now you're getting too personal. I suggest that you mind your own business. I'm sorry Didn't mean to lose my temper that way Good night Yeah, it's bound to be Well, Mrs. Morton, where'd you come from? I was standing over there watching My husband has all the social grace of a tarantula. Well, maybe you should have looked closer before you made the leap Oh, that's the wonderful thing about him. Yeah, you're not up to like Paul much when you first meet him But once you get to know it you hate him. Yeah, I'm not sure that's funny. It's not supposed to be I've been living with him for six months now So jealous, it's unbelievable He wouldn't leave me in New York. Oh, no insisted on dragging me out to this this dust bowl with running water Why a rancher I'll never understand. He doesn't know one end of a horse from another well with his aptitude he'll learn You know, it might be figured you two might get back together if you had a chance to relax in the open Mrs. Morton So he said However, we weren't here ten minutes before he accused me of getting romantic with that leather-faced cowboy That makes sense. I don't know both gentlemen are justified. You're lovely to look at somebody ought to remind my husband His idea of welding a marriage is to spend all his time playing gin with that Doverman Oh Doverman the van and storage character from Los Angeles. Oh, which of course leaves me saddled with his wife Kerry Now there's a cute personality for you if you happen to like neurotic parrot So what with the desert the dame and gin rummy Virgil began to look pretty good. Is that it? Excuse me folks care to order another drink before yes, I would and I'd like it over there alone Megan Manhattan bartender strictly Manhattan and make it double Mr. Marlowe good night No, I'm not so sure It was almost dark when I left the bar and headed down to the bunkhouse where the working personnel of Rainbow Ranch called home The casual clutter of rumpled cot-scattered pulp fiction and dusty boots gave it the only sign of authenticity I'd seen in the entire place But aside from that it was empty and a noise from outside brought me around the building to the back where I ran up against six and a half lean feet of solitary cowboy with his hat shoved back on his head pitching horseshoes He was out of uniform for a flashy dude wrangler, which left him in a faded blue shirt and Levi's that Fitted his lanky legs like a pair of bent stovepipes He spotted me and stood there swinging a battered horseshoe in each hand while I walked up to him Hello, hi a Sawyer little doc for horseshoes, isn't it? Hey, hey, you're good Good at horses, too. I understand. You're the only man who can handle that black stallion thunder. Yeah, what's the secret? No secret just have to treat him right What's on your mind mister fact that you're leaving tomorrow, I reckon you better keep out of my business now Look Sawyer it takes at least two to make a fight and fights are poisoned to Buck Lawson. So I don't like to see my friends poisoned Now why don't you take it easy, huh? Lay off keep your nose clean. I don't know who you are mister But I'll tell you this anyway seen as you're so interested I'm leaving here tomorrow. All right, and I'm gonna square up with a couple of folks first before I go I got a raw deal here, and I'm just not the kind to take it laying down What do you mean raw deal? You're a big boy now. You ought to know better than to get yourself all involved I'm not much for conversation fella, but I'm going to say something real plain so you'll be sure to sell it By the time I got myself untangled and back on my feet The strong silent fugitive from the old chism trail was gone However, my original theory that it takes two to make a fight was still valid I decided to find Paul Morton and spend the rest of the evening close to him His cabin was dark, but I remember the running gin game. He had with a big van and storage man So I went down the line to the Doverman cabin and knocked It was Carrie the perennial dude who galloped up to open the door Howdy stranger come on in and set a spell our latch is always stringing out. Well, I sure do. Thank you, ma'am My name's Marlowe or bill is as mr. Marlowe Howdy hope you'll excuse the looks of the place our box of extra clothes just arrived from town Carrie's been on Packing it sit down there mr. Marlowe. They're mostly old things just roam on the floor Oh, thanks, but really I can't stay I'm looking for Paul Morton. I thought I might find him here Morton say there's a nice chap met him day before yesterday for the first time and Won $90 off him in gene already haven't seen him tonight. Oh or bill was out looking for him himself Just a few minutes ago weren't you dear why yes as a matter of fact it was it didn't locate him Huh? No, I didn't you know he seemed to be all upset this afternoon couldn't keep his mind on the game I thought I'd have a little chat with him to calm him down Over the whizz at that mr. Marlowe. Oh, it's not me Carrie is this country I don't see how a man can keep trouble in his mind on a place like this ranch Marlowe Yeah, it can happen. Believe me poppycock. Why son there's something about this open land around here that cleans Out a man's head and his heart to you sound like a travel art. I mean it a few more days of this and mortal forget There ever was such a thing as a cash register. Yes, sir Give this untamed countryside a chance and it'll cure anything. Yes, well What was that wasn't the call of the world mr. Doverman? Find out about it lossy one of the boys told me hurt thunder racing a terrible fuss come over to check But then it was all over. Give me the Latin Harold. Yeah, yeah, yeah, holy smoke For more than all right. He's been tripled a bit. Oh, it's a ghastly accident And it's all my fault. I knew thunder was dangerous and I didn't get rid of it. All right. Take it easy Take it easy. There's a lot of questions to be answered before anybody takes them Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Look at this here by the game. It's just a whole show Stables are full of them field. Yeah, not like this one. Look at it. It's all batted up. Well, all right What's that supposed to nothing yet It gives me an idea because the last time I saw one of these was being pitched at an iron stake behind the bunkhouse What are you getting at let chances are at least 50-50 that Paul Morton's death was no accident. It was murder In just a moment the second act of Philip Marlowe, but first Perfect musical settings for a Sunday before the fourth will be yours tomorrow afternoon The symphony at the half hour of fine orchestral music and the choral air is a half hour of brilliant vocal music Are regular sunday afternoon features on most of these same cbs network stations Now with our star gerald more we return to the second act of philip marlowe and tonight's story the dude from manhattan Labeled paul morton's death something worse than an accident lawson's mouth fell open and the muscles in his face Jerked as his eyes moved slowly from me Out to the now quiet black stallion in the chorale who somehow or other seemed to sense the death at our feet Then as the trembling man's lips silently formed the word murder he gestured for me to help him carry morton's body out of this table After that he looked at the dead man's broken face once more said he was going to call the sheriff's office and hurryed away A minute later judy morton stepped into the small circle of light that surrounded what only a short time ago had been her husband But except for a thin line of perspiration above her lips. She was no different than when i'd seen her last I just passed buck on my way down here Told me my husband was dead. You tell you anything else judy not how paul died. I mean no It was a stallion wasn't it an accident i doubt it Why marlowe one thing this horseshoe too close to the body But this is a stable and this a horseshoe that's been used exclusively for pitching at a stake in the ground Here look at it And remember cowboy virgil's favorite sport is horseshoes Besides what reason would your husband have for coming down here at this hour in the first place It wasn't too crazy about horses, you know, no what he was about me Let's move a little away from here marlowe cigarette No, thanks I'm not coming apart at the seams because it isn't in me I hated paul hated him with all my heart marlowe I'm down here only because he pleaded with me begged me to talk to him once more to listen to reason about why About the decision I came to less than an hour ago, which was divorce unconditionally I thought you said you came out here to try to patch things up. I did But I also said that we weren't doing a very good job of it Then tonight a little after we left you with the bar marlowe I got my hands on the lever. I needed to prime myself loose from that jealous maniac It was a knowledge marlowe that my late husband was crooked silk business. Yes While he was drinking his dinner. I went to one of his suitcases for an aspirin Found what instead at least three dozen samples of the best silks made without any importers or manufacturers name and underneath that $1,000 in cash I know enough about the silk business to fill in the blanks marlowe All of which comes under the heading black market. Yes I added what I had found to the fact that this dude ranch he had insisted on was close to los angeles Close enough for him to run off and conduct his purchasing while I thought he was communing with nature of playing jinn with that mr. Doverman Then I had him. Mm-hmm. You also had a divorce. No strings attached right exactly Blackmail to get rid of your own husband Pretty, isn't it? Yeah Well, at least with this This accident or whatever it is It's no longer necessary. No How Judy only two things are necessary one the location of virgil soya and the other you and your own cabin Where I can ask you some questions later. Why do you want to ask me questions? Well, I might be making a big mistake, baby But it might be that virgil and you are out for the 200,000 bucks You know, honey that man in the saddle might like money too I'll see you When I started back for the bunkhouse the only place I knew of that might give me a lead on the strong silent horseshoe pitcher I realized the tagging paul morton's death a murder was one thing proving it was going to be quite another And when I was there and the place was empty without even signs of a hasty departure I was sure of it But not by intuition as was the gentleman standing the open doorway watching my every move Orville Doverman champion of the wide open spaces didn't believe that a clean cut cowboy could be guilty of anything more unrefined than Spitting on a putt-bellied stole. Oh, I think you're crazy buck told me about you're finding that horseshoe next to morton's body On the conclusion you jump to from there. You're being very hasty boy. And that's dangerous. And that's the reason I'm here I don't believe in necktie parties necktie boys. Hey, hey hold it Nobody said anything about lynching your hero I want to find soya so that if I'm right we can save the state the time in trouble of a man hunt But since you brought it up vigilante don't scramble for conclusions too quickly yourself I happen to have a little more to go on than the relative position of a horseshoe Not that idle gossip that's going around the same but the moment it figures two ways Virgil's unhappy enough for the status quo to liquidate the city slicker or Virgil and the squall light out after a clean start the hard way choose one Not a small in either case and especially the stupid suggestion that the girl and Virgil soya are in cahoots that I can't believe Well Sentimental reasons I can't either Besides judy morton found out enough about her husband within the last hour to make murder for freedom's sake very unnecessary She learned he was a crook mr. D if you can stand the disillusionment Jazz and shady dealings and silk Judy didn't go into details about it But I gather she found out enough to make him sit up and take notice And that brings us right back to Virgil boots saddle and all And we'll argue the fine points later But right now mr. Doverman if you want to make sure that everybody gets a square deal Get close to judy's cabin and stay there central duty your object If I'm wrong about the cowboy you've done nothing worse than waste your time. Goodbye I Spent the next 20 minutes talking to cowhands guess miscellaneous hired man any and everybody who might have been able to say he went that Away of Virgil soya With no success And to make matters worse when I'd given that up and was on my way back to the lodge to help loss and wait for the sheriff I found myself being paged western style, of course by no one else But mrs. Gary Doverman the capital d in dude ranch. Howdy. Howdy, ma'am Oh, mr. Marlowe. Yeah, mr. Marlowe. Look at this. Look at what I've found. I've struck it rich You might say much like the old rustlers the old rustlers mrs. Doverman stole cattle. Oh, yes Oh, yes, so they did. I guess I meant those panhandlemen, you know gold is where you find it Anyhow, look, it's a precious stone small, but nevertheless precious mind while digging for worms. No doubt Mr. Marlowe, you're teasing me. You know very well that this is a polished stone Funny thing though is where I found it. Shall I tell you? Oh, please please do mrs. Doverman Well, I was just unpacking those clothes that orville has sent up from los angeles Some slacks and things like that and well when I started to hang a pair up this fell out of one of the cuffs and then Now I wonder how a little old emerald like this ever got there. Well, it was probably mice mrs. Do Emerald Let me see that quick. Well, yes, of course, but believe me, mr. Marlowe. It can't be very valuable I'm not what are you talking about murder or a reasonable facsimile there of and a girl named judy morton If I don't hurry goodbye and bless you mrs. Doverman. Are you talk too much? But now was the right time As I ran for judy's cabin I didn't know any more about the wise and wherefores of paul morton's death and I had before I made small talk with mrs. Doverman But I did know that unless lady named luck and I were on the same team The rainbow ranch was you for a second corpse When I was close enough to the rough oak door number eight and orville doverman who might ask to stand god was nowhere in sight The full impact of that responsibility sank into where the wingtips on the butterflies in my stomachs was scratching at my hip pocket Until I moved in still closer and There in the light of a single lamp that was halo enough for me. I saw the girl from Manhattan Nervously lighting one cigarette from the end of another but more important very much alive I didn't bother knocking What am I doing here honey? I'm uncrossing fingers and toes alike You know, they've been that way since I realized that I open my mouth too wide too soon Which puts you right smack on what used to be known as the spot. Oh, that's the way it happened. Yeah, that's the way it Now look judy, baby. You can't know what I mean yet It's doverman honey the gin player with all the moving vans He's the one your husband was buying that black market silk from I didn't know that until a few minutes ago Which was after I told him where you could be found and that you knew an awful lot Oh, it's mr. Milo. He thanks you and warns you're not to move. Yeah, oh see what I mean phil. Yeah, oh sure I see You know, it's funny doverman when I was outside and didn't see you around That did see the judy here was still in good health I figured that either you had decided to sit tight until you knew exactly how much he did know that you Already started to run Yeah, this I didn't count on and this malo should point out what I said earlier about your jumping to conclusions It's dangerous handling hot silk is charles playing that has been for me for 20 years malo for your husband, mrs. Morton it was much more. That's why I had to come to you like this That's why I had to know if his stupidity went so far that even you knew of me You shouldn't have bothered mr. Doverman. I didn't know but you see malo did that leaves me even a correction doverman Paul mortons dead. You're out in front. I didn't kill morton malo and neither did virgil soya I saw it all my friend so I can tell you that the man who killed paul morton was paul morton himself Suicide are you out of your mind? No, not suicide mrs. Morton merely a plan for murder that backfired The intended victim was you his wife. Oh, no keep talking doverman Why malo I'd rather keep you guessing I wouldn't duck baby My shoulder now the man said keep talking. I can't I'm hit you'll be again if you don't so you know Stay out of this malo. Come on doverman. I'm not gonna ask you again. I'm not even gonna let you fall until you tell the Okay, okay I overheard morton ask him Tom go to your place for a soya pick up one of your horseshoes and then he went to the stables Near the black stallion stall the horseshoe in his hat Soya my soldier man doverman. You're not finished yet. I I figured that he was going to knock his wife out leave soya's horseshoe where will be found then half make it look Like an accident that would fool nobody, huh? What went wrong doverman? Why didn't it work? Oh he He approached thunder From the right side Instead of the left a horse got excited kicked out and caught him that dude now Let go soya sure doverman with play It was a slow but steady two hours of first aid and questions and answers mixed with a san bernadino deputy sheriff who Couldn't quite get over it before orville doverman was on his way to a hospital that featured barred windows Mrs. Doverman the complete innocent was on her way back to los angeles And buck loson julie and i were in the bunkhouse watching virgil soya watch a pot full of water boiled for coffee ranch style Well You know You can't ever tell mono this whole thing might have just the right effect Put the ranch on the map i mean After all it was a genuine 100 cowboy who saved the day for us Oh, no, that's not a ride buck. It was marlowe here. I only followed him Coffee's ready for oh, that's for me. Let's go. What did make you go up there mr. Marlowe Oh a little precious stone virgil an emerald that once fell out of paul morton's initial ring But marlowe that happened a long time ago three four months We're just after paul had returned to new york from los angeles. Yeah and negotiations with doverman You see honey, it was mrs. Doverman really who found the missing emerald tonight And the pair of slacks that orville had sent up here Then that was proof that paul must have been with doverman in los angeles before Yet they claimed to have met for the first time here at the ranch Yeah, that's what they claimed that plus what you told me judy made the man with the moving vans it And uh yo, hey virgil at coffee's hot. Yeah, but it's good Well anyway, since i told doverman where you were and that you knew your husband had been dealing in black market silks He took his cue accordingly. Yes And fortunately you yours Well that makes it two people who tried to kill me tonight my husband and his partner Oh fine Good night gentlemen virgil soya made good coffee and lots of it So another hour went by before we finally broke up and I was outside smoking a cigarette and Strolling toward my cabin in the start of a vacation that already had been postponed too long But halfway there I stopped the sound of raised voices ahead of me A man and a woman were arguing violently And a little away from them on the porch of my cabin watching the battle of the sexes with consternation while he waited for me Was buck loson my host I turned quickly and hurried back to the bunkhouse where I knew virgil soya would put me up for the night Where I knew that early the next morning I could sneak off find a quiet cool stream And fish The coyote high in the hill someplace Said I had the right idea Adventures of philip marlowe bringing you raymond chandler's most famous character and crime's most deadly enemy star jerald moor And are produced and directed by norman mcdonnell Script is by melden ellie robert mitchell and gene levitt Featured in the cast were charlotte lorence bill johnstone bill lally her butterfield dj thompson lou krugman and jack kerrington The special music is written by richard orant. Be sure and be with us again next week when philip marlowe says I went from a mansion in belair to a cheap flat in southgate Looking for a girl with a secret Who a man in a pork pie had a wise cracking secretary and a fat corpse didn't want me to find But who I found anyway because of the quiet number Three highly individual highly entertaining mystery adventure shows stand high among the top shows on cbs every sunday The green llama call the police Sam spade Go adventuring with them every sunday when they come to you over most of the same cbs stations This is roi roan speaking Now stay tuned for gangbusters, which follows immediately over most of the same cbs network stations This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system