 Personal notice, dangerous white stock and trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details. Greetings once again, Mr. Lover. Time for another Let George Do It adventure. This particular yarn puts murder on a very high plane. It's called, Is Everybody Happy? And it chiefly concerns a rich old codger named Lorenzo, who had a fetish for constantly quoting Mr. Ted Lois' hallmark. Namely, Is Everybody Happy? Now, of course you know that nobody was. But why this condition existed is not for me to tell, but for you to find out. Is everybody frustrated? Madam Estabi. How's that, Professor? Where I come from, we say, come and get it. Different, huh? That's very good, Lorenzo. So I'm learning. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, huh? How would that go in your pipe, Dr. Merkel? Hey, hey, what's that? No, no, no, no, thank you. No soup for me. Listen to that. Still upstairs with his test tubes. Me, by a medium. I could only invent a rose bush. Make a million bucks and smoke cigars. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Lorenzo. What would you say? There once was a doctor of psych. His mind, there was nothing like. More absent than present. Stop it, stop it. You answered me quiet. Uh, pipe. I think you said something about that. Never mind. Is everybody happy? Now is everybody happy? Well, let's see where you feel I go back to my garden. No, no, no, of course we are Lorenzo. You just ask it so many times, that's all. I know, I know, excuse me. But there never was a place like this once there. There never was such. Why am I only kidding, Lorenzo? It's the house of Lorenzo the Great. No, no, no, no, for February. I only want you all to be happy. Besides, aren't we going to wait for that brother-in-law of yours? Fred? No, no, he is unimportant. He is not scholar like you are. Fred is nothing. We'll not wait for Fred. Forget him. Whatever you say. So, there you are Lorenzo. Everybody's happy. Let's eat. No, no, wait. Professor Amy. What? I should have noticed. I rang for dinner before she finished reading her letter. Now what kind of a letter do you suppose a professor of romance languages would have? Oh, no, no, it's nothing like that. Well, she blushes. I mean, it's just one I was writing. So, she writes to someone, it gets better and better, into every life, a little bit. Please, please, all of you. It's no one you know. I mean, just a man named George Valentine. Now, please, everybody's happy. Let's eat. You are listening to Let George Do It. Our adventure will continue in just a moment. Now back to Let George Do It and George Valentine. Little doc, you can't see much. Certainly a beautiful place, isn't it? The House of Lorenzo. It's going to be one of the most unusual places in the world. I think Lorenzo must be one of the greatest men who ever lived. Well, he made one of the greatest piles of money. Oh, Mr. Valentine. I don't mean on account of that. But it is on account of that, isn't it? There are three of us here so far. Dr. Merkel, he's a research psychologist. Lorenzo's going to build him a laboratory later on. Then there's Mr. Hansen. He's a poet, a good one. And he used to have to work in an accounting office to earn a living. So you can imagine how much poetry he got written. How about yourself? Well, I taught romance languages. But translation is always what I wanted to do. I'm working on Francois Beyond now. Everybody gets a chance to do what they want. Well, not quite everybody, Miss Brooks. Lorenzo is being very choosy about his guests. But I guess eventually there'll be 30 or 40 here. Sort of a one-man Guggenheim foundation, huh? In a way. Lorenzo says that he always had to work so hard that, except for his roses, he never had a chance to do anything he wanted. So now he's giving all of you a chance. Oh, he's a little eccentric, maybe. Is everybody happy, he always says. I know people laugh about that slogan he stole from Ted Lewis. But then, why do you want me here? Suppose Lorenzo would permanently endow me with a fresh mystery case every week? He might. I'm sorry, I was trying to be funny. What is it you're afraid of? Fred. Who? Fred Jeffries. He's one of those horn-rimmed sort of men. He's a lawyer, and Lorenzo's brother-in-law. Uh-huh, go on. Well, he'd been here a week now, from back east where the company is. He... he thinks Lorenzo is crazy. Oh, I see. I'm beginning to get it. Voice of reality, huh? And you're afraid he'll persuade Santa Claus to go back to the North Pole? Well, Lorenzo has a great deal of money. How he chooses to use it is... Well, I mean, it could cause unhappiness as well as happiness. Oh, no, please, don't stack the cards for me on who's right and who's wrong. I'm right, Mr. Valentine. I'll prove it to you. Crazy, he said. Crazy. Yeah, that's just what he said. Dr. Merkel. You see, this Fred Jeffries came here, uh, maybe a week ago. The same day Nolan left. Who left? Dr. Nolan. A loafer. No good. Electronics man of some sort, but a... a putterer. And really not so much of an authority. Remember, I told you how careful Lorenzo is in picking his people to stay. Look, both of you, please. Yes, yes, we were the lucky ones. We stay. You stay unless Fred interferes and blows the whole idea up, right? Persuades Lorenzo not to sink his whole fortune into this place? I'm a skeptic, too, Mr. Valentine. You have thought we are prejudiced that we would persuade Lorenzo to endow us with his money, eh? Of course we do, but we don't persuade with talk of court orders. Uh, just what do you mean? I was trying to tell you. When Nolan left, an MD moved in. Fred brought him. His job was to see if Lorenzo couldn't be committed to an asylum. Uh, it'd be one way to keep him from giving his money away, wouldn't it? Obviously, he found Lorenzo was no more irresponsible than any of... And besides, uh, you scared the doctor away, I suppose. Eh? Well, you have quite an imposing list of degrees. Oh. Yes, I did introduce myself. The doctor left. I think he agreed with me that Lorenzo could never be judged insane. He persuaded Fred not to bother calling any experts. Well, kind of a nasty way to try and stop Lorenzo's little project, but... Don't why don't you believe me, Mr. Valentine? This Fred wouldn't stop at anything. But what does Lorenzo have to say about it? He's not the kind of man to talk about such things. And we are. And that makes us nasty and suspicious, I suppose. Oh, Professor Red. But I don't care. Sometimes a woman can tell things that a man has no idea... No, no, no, no, Amy, we're dealing with a man, so we'll stick to the facts. Eh, here. Sorry my place is such a mess. A little too much equipment for such a small room. But here in the desk, I have a letter from that doctor I spoke of. Eh, just in case you doubt what I've said. No, I don't doubt it. I just don't see what it amounts to. Eh, switch on the lamp there, Amy. Of course. Hey. Ah. What happened? Lights. Lights. That's all. Blue fumes. I've known there was too much drain on the power. No, just stand still, everyone. I'll run it down. Yeah, that wasn't all that happened. It sounded like a shot. Oh, these lights. Hurry, get the... Just give it, will you? If that was a shot, it was outside. Come on. It sounded to me like it was misdirection. Nobody there, Angel. Oh, he's not in the rose auger. That's where he always sits, but he hasn't come out yet, I guess. Roses are so thick a man could be hiding. Not in roses, Angel, not in those thorns. Besides, I just looked down those paths. No, maybe we were wrong. There's certainly nobody out here now. Dr. Merkel. I fixed the lights. Lorenzo was mad because he spilled his cigar ashes into his brandy. He's all right. Of course. When he didn't hear anything, everybody is happy. You know, Fred had been doing some shooting. Almost every day he goes out into the woods and... What's the matter, Mr. Valentine? Do you think our imaginations are running away with us too? Uh, Professor, let me make a couple of phone calls, would you? And then let me meet this auger, Fred. So, you've made inquiries about me. Well, I don't blame you. If you've been talking to the inmates of this squirrel cage for retired nurses... Now, just take it easy, Mr. Jeffries. I only wanted to get it straight who you were. Vice President, lawyer, nurse made to an old goat. That's what I am. Yeah, yeah, I know. And in between you do, uh, some shooting. Here. Smell that. Has this gun been fired in the last few hours? I work off steam shooting at squirrels, Mr. Valentine. But scarcely at night. Okay. Okay. But I know what you mean. I heard that myself. Backfire, I guess. At least I ran out back and then around front and didn't see anybody. All right. All right, Skip it. No, I... I don't think I will. You know I tried to railroad Lorenzo into a booby hatch. That's what you really checked on? Sure. Why not? And I find you did. But it didn't work. Correct. Mr. Valentine, I'm a practical man. To me, it's beside the point whether this throw your money away start of Lorenzo's is good or bad. I have to fight it to protect the estate's interest. I'll try anything, but I'm not given to hysteria. Would you mind clearing that up? Sit down. Sit down, please. Lorenzo endows these people for life. Hasn't their interest in it occurred to you? Hasn't it... That was a shot. Out back. I'm sure it was. Come on. Rose Arbor. Amy. What on the mima? You it was. I couldn't see anything. Just somebody in the dark. Amy, Amy stop that. Get hold of yourself. Lorenzo. Yeah. He's dead. Shot to death. Single bullet, Bruxy. Big caliber, I guess. There was a gun flash. But I don't know where it was. Lorenzo was just about to sit down in that big marble chair. I was walking behind him. Professor, couldn't you see anybody? Oh, I couldn't see anything. Whoever it was got away before I... Think, would you, Amy? Try to remember, please. Look, he startled me so that I couldn't notice anything. But somebody must have been standing over here by the entrance to the Arbor someplace. Yes. And the way Lorenzo's allowed these precious roses of his to grow over, a man could run down any one of these... Get away from there! Get away! What? Well, there might be footprints mightn't there. Well, I... I don't see any. Have you searched him, Mr. Valentine? Search him quickly before he can get rid of the gun. Professor! He's been causing trouble for Lorenzo ever since he got here. Oh, Amy, stop it. I think you'd better know now that at the time of Lorenzo's death, Fred was with me. What? No. No! I don't believe you. Now, get hold of yourself, please. I've got work to do. I'll take her inside. Yeah, that's a good idea for us. Lorenzo was such a wonderful man. Shall I call a police, George? No. Now, I'll be inside and do it myself. Amy doesn't like you much, does she? No. Well, okay, I want to ask you a question, Fred. About Lorenzo's endowing these people for life, what people did you mean? Amy, the female professor, Dr. Merkel, Mr. Hansen. There would have been others as time went on, and good many others. But if you've been able to make him change his mind, then what? Well, it's his money. Lorenzo could have changed their trust set up, taken it away from them again, and... Oh. But now he can't. That's what you're driving at. Uh-huh. Now you're not a menace anymore, at least of these three. Yes. With Lorenzo dead, their interest has been protected. Yeah. Yeah. We have three very fine suspects for murder. You are listening to Let George Do It. Our adventure will continue in just a moment. Back to George Valentine. Is everybody happy? Those were the favorite words of Lorenzo. Lorenzo the Great, at least in the eyes of the few people to whose research he was devoting his money. Of course, to his brother-in-law, Fred, the man nobody likes, he was Lorenzo the Foolish. But if your name is George Valentine, he's just Lorenzo the Dead. And there are three very fine suspects for his murder. Yeah, that's right, Sheriff, and Stepan. Would you please? Hmm? Yeah, thanks. They have rather good police around here, I believe. Oh, you've done business with them before, Mr. Hansen. Don't be ridiculous. You still don't believe that I didn't hear that shot. I don't know. But I was in my room. You can't hear anything from that distance. You were alone? Well, of course. The person doesn't write poetry in tandem, you know. Oh, never mind the sarcasm. I can't help it, Mr. Valentine. I'm very sorry that he's dead. Is everybody happy? You know, to Lorenzo, that was more than Ted Lewis' famous phrase. He actually believed we were happy. Oh, what do you mean by that? People like us all want to do something, the opportunity to do it. He gave us the opportunity. And as I understand, now you'll all have it for life. That's the ironic part. I've been here three months now, and it's no good. You know, it doesn't work out. You don't make sense. It's not a routine. Over and over. Every evening, just the same. Merkel out-puttering around me in my room. Amy in hers. Lorenzo in his big marble chair where he could admire his roses. This is called being happy. Mr. Valentine, all I mean is that Lorenzo was a well-intentioned old fool. I was happier when I worked as an accountant and only had a very little time to write my poetry. Okay, okay. It's a good sales talk, anyway. Mr. Truth. Where does this fall lead? The front part of the house, why? Well, Mr. Hansen, if you're not even interested in Lorenzo's money, then I ought to be looking for his murderer someplace else. Is that supposed to be your brand of sarcasm? Hold it. There's no one in there. It was Dr. Novan's suite when he was here. Valentine. Nobody in there, huh? If you startle me, Valentine, I... Fred. The villain of the piece. Oh, shut up. As a matter of fact, Novan hated Lorenzo, you know. There's nothing that says someone from the outside couldn't be the person you're looking for. No, there isn't. But Fred, what were you doing there? Looking for Merkel, Valentine. I can't find him. Merkel? Well, he's always deep in his work at this time of night. His room's right here. He's not in there. I already looked. I'll try the other side of the house. Yeah, but wait a minute. Listen. Door closing. Downstairs. I'll see you later. George? Oh, it's you, Brooks. Yes. I came out just a minute ago. Amy's all right now. I saw a light, and I thought it was you. Light? What light? Well, I don't know now. It was out by the rules, Arthur. Out by the rules? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Where's the arms, Arthur? Up at the... come on. There was a man unsure there was. I could see his shadow running around the other way out toward the front. What? From the arbor in here? That's where the light was. Matches or cigarette liners? All right, all right. Let me have yours. Lorenzo's body hasn't been touched. George, look. Somebody's been trampling around over there where the roses is to pick. Yeah. Look closer, Angel. Right on the table here by Lorenzo's chair. A pocket flashlight. Mirror, pieces of wire, copper wire. Why wouldn't he take these things with him? Real tricky mirror too, see, see here. Steel frame to hold it in place. Only what place? L, M, the pocket flashlight initials. Leon Merkle. Yes, so he was the one I saw. Sure, sure, this makes sense, all right. Well done, hurry! Careful, I almost fell over him myself. Dr. Merkle, oh no. Blood on his head, here, help me, he's dead. No, no, he's breathing, George. What? Just barely. That brick there, somebody hit him with that brick. See the blood on it? Let's lift him. Get him back in the house. No, no, don't touch him. Brooks, he stay here with him. Valentina, you crazy? Whoever did this is right around us somewhere. Right here on the door. Lever should be all right. The Sheriff's car will come up that driveway in about one second. Sheriff's car is turning in now, George. Put the murderer back to the rows, I have a red step on it. I'll get the murderer all right. I'm sure the police have flashlights or lanterns. Never mind them. Their first job is taking care of Merkle, getting him in a hospital so he lives. Yes, yes, of course. Oh, these thorns. What are you looking for? Well, the murderer will be pretty disappointed if Merkle dies. Or if he lives, I should say, one big blow and figure he was dead. Yes, but what was Merkle doing out here by himself? Yeah, and I'll be pretty disappointed if he doesn't live. There's a real mild understatement, Fred. Don't you get it? He was running for help. What? Yeah, yeah, that's right. And here's where the mirror was. It fits, see? Just about in line with Lorenzo, where he was shot, stepping in front of his marble chair there. Look, I asked you about Merkle, not Lorenzo. Merkle had a lot of the facts, and he had to play detective. He was out here doing the same thing I am. Only the facts aren't here anymore. What facts for heavens? What's the matter? Listen. Just the police out in front, wasn't it? No. It was right close by. Now, you listen, Fred. Merkle noticed the same thing I did, that first shot. What? Sure, that's what I'm looking for on the chair here. There ought to be some... Yeah, here we are. It was a splendid place. You mean that first shot was fired here in the same place? Yeah, looks that way. The bullet that is still in Lorenzo couldn't have done that. And over here there ought to be... Ah, here's something. Oh, what is it? Hi. Amy. You are? Yeah. The sheriff is taking care of Dr. Merkle. Yes, I know. What's that you're holding? Well, I'm not sure, Amy. A piece of black glass, a filter, maybe. Or is it red? What? Yeah, sure. It'd have to be an infrared light. Or you'd have seen it, wouldn't you? Mr. Valentine, what on earth? I didn't see anything. I told you I didn't see anything. Another possibility. But there wasn't anything to see. But the man who fired the gun... Amy, when the gun fired that first time, it happened when you switched on the lights, didn't it? Mr. Valentine. Take it easy, both of you. Well, you all make sense. Professor, that guy who used to be here, that Dr. Nolan, who didn't make the grade and got sore at Lorenzo, he was an electronics man, wasn't he? Well, did he have any equipment? Is there any of it still around? Equipment? Yeah, like maybe a photoelectric cell. What? You heard me. An electric cell can be used to do anything from opening your garage door to setting off a burglar alarm. So why couldn't it be used to fire a gun? Mr. Valentine, I just don't understand... I do. Dr. Nolan. Yeah, at least that would explain the mirror and copper wire and the black glass. And it would explain what else Merkel figured out. But a short circuit, when you switched the light, would have fired the first shot by accident. Anything that interferes with the beam of the cell, its current, in other words, could very easily fire a gun. Magnet for releasing the trigger, for instance. Oh, I don't follow you at all. And then the second time, after a reload, I guess, the gun fired when Lorenzo stepped in front of the beam, when he sat down in the same place he came to every night. Oh. But, but if you can't find the gun or that cell thing... I know where to find it, don't worry. There's only one earthly reason for killing a person with a mechanical contraption. And that's to set up a perfect alibi. Well, don't look so blank, Fred. Sure, I know how upsetting it's all been. Merkel's still alive so he can talk. But it's a little ironic too, isn't it? Set up a perfect alibi, Fred. And then get hung by the fact you're the only person with an alibi. Now, let's go upstairs and take a look at Dr. Nolan's room, shall we? You want to bet that's where we'll find the equipment? With your fingerprints on it? Well, Fred? Well, bustee, you've only got a couple of seconds. So make up your mind. Back to the conclusion of our Let George Do It adventure in just a moment. Yeah, right here, Angel, I'm busy. But the sheriff is through with Dr. Merkel now. You and the sheriff meet me upstairs, will you? Well, Fred, how about it? Are you coming? It would have been so different if you hadn't been here. Oh, sure, I know. Things kind of got away from you, didn't they? Mr. Valentine, look out! I suppose you might find the photoelectric cell upstairs. But I doubt if you'd find the gun. Oh, yeah. Didn't get rid of it yet, huh? No. So things kind of get away from you, too, don't they? George! Dan Steele, Bruxy! Hey, you! Stop there! I suppose Mr. Jeffries was already so desperate after trying to get rid of Dr. Dr. Bullet... Sure, sure, but a bullet in the leg just makes him talk that much faster. You know, I thought that since Lorenzo's money was already in your name, Professor, and Dr. Hanson, it was... There was only three, Angel. If Lorenzo had enough money to figure on and dying 40 or 50, then there was plenty left for Fred to try to hang on to by killing him. But now what'll happen? But after this, I have a hunch the courts will let his endowment plan go right on through. He'll still be remembered as Lorenzo the Great, all right. Is everybody happy? It's a wonderful thing to try for, isn't it? Sure. No matter what kind of answers you get. But if you keep asking the question longer... Oh, don't be so serious, Angel. All it leads to is a song called, When My Baby Smiles at Me. You have just heard is Everybody Happy, another Let George Do It adventure. Robert Bailey was starred as George Valentine, with Virginia Greg as Bruxy. David Victor and Jackson Gillis wrote the story with music by Eddie Dunstetter. Now, this is yours truly inviting you to another visit with Valentine, when you will again hear what happens when you Let George Do It.