 And now the Mole Mystery Theater, presented by M-O-L-L-E. Mole, the heavier, brushless shaving cream for tender skins. Good evening. This is Jeffrey Barnes, welcoming you to the program that presents the best in mystery and detective fiction. Tonight we bring you a rollicking comedy mystery written by Sid and Larry Sloan and entitled, Follow That Cat. In it you're going to meet a couple of very strange detectives. Moe and Julius, taxi drivers who spend all their time between calls reading detective stories. This, in their own opinion, qualifies them as expert detectors. And when they attempt to apply their knowledge to the solution of a murder, they get some rather startling results. You mean they catch the murderer red-handed, Mr. Barnes? Well, I can't tell you that then. Okay, but I can tell you, as well as our men listeners, when it gets caught red-faced and sore right after shaving, it's probably cause he's got wiry whiskers or a tender skin. So he needs Mole, the heavier, brushless shaving cream. Yes, sir, with Mole, it's smooth, so smooth. It's slick, so slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-L-L-E. Mole, the heavier, brushless shaving cream for tender skins. That's right, Mole is the shaving cream that's heavier, the cream that's right for a wiry, hard to cut beard or tender skin. Because Mole is heavier, it not only softens your whiskers, it stands them up straight and lets your razor whisk them off. So you shave faster, closer, easier, and you shave painlessly with Mole. The heavier, brushless shaving cream for tender skins. Mole. And now for tonight's Mole mystery, follow that cad. Maybe you were reading in the papers about them two hat drivers, Julius and Moe, which is solving this here lock and murder. Well, I am personally acquainted with these two characters very well. As a matter of fact, I am one of them, Moe. You see, Julius is all the time reading a magazine called Absolutely Authentic True Crime Fiction, in which is run in a series by the name Daniel Daremore Detective, which is our ideal. Now, on the day in question, Julius and Moe is parked in a hack stand at 55th and 6th, waiting for a fare. And I am standing with my foot on his running board while he is reading A-A-T-C-N. Then a dark, pointy man climbs into the camp. Yeah, yeah, go on, Julius. Driver, he whispers hoarsely, oigently. Driver, follow that cab. Look, what's the matter, what's the matter, Julius? Moe, how many years you've been driving a hack? Let me see. My wife's appendix, 11 years. May I have been pushing one for nine? So? So what? It says here in black and white that the dark, pointy man is saying, driver, follow that cab. Did a guy ever say that to you, Moe? Gee, you're right, Julius. You got a head full of brain. You know what, Moe, if I had the chance, I could be a private dick like this here Daniel Daremore and this here man. Yeah, I bet you could, Julius. You're smart. Smarter than Daniel Daremore. I would not go so far as to say that. I would. Julius, you are a genius. Maybe, but you know, Moe, I could make with the clues and the fingerprints. Yeah, fingerprints. Just give me a chance, Moe. Just give me a chance. I'd show them. Can I go with you on your case, Julius? Sure, Moe. All good dicks has got stooges. I'd see it, Julius. You're a real pal. Follow that cab. Oh, it just ain't done, Moe. It never happens. Driver, follow that cab. Huh? I said follow that cab. Hurry. Yes, sir. Why, Julius? Well, what do you know? That cab we're following is pulling into the curb in front of that apartment building. Stop. Stop right behind him. Yes, sir. Hey, look, the guy in the cab is running into the building. He's not going to get away from me. Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. What about my cab? What happens? What's the deal? It's Moida. That's what it is, Moida. Moida? Yeah, that big so-and-so is running off into that building without paying the tab. And I'm going in there and collect. Come on. It's Julius. Moe. That was a shot ringer now. A real shot ringer? Yeah. Come on, something is going on in there. There's the guy who was in my cab. Come on, Moe. Yeah, right where it's at. Come on, Moe. Come on, please. Hey, you. Someone's been shot in this apartment. Shot? How do you know? I heard it, Julius, didn't you? Shut up. I ain't asking you. I'm asking this gent here. Oh. Okay, mister. I was trying to get into this apartment when I heard a shot fired inside. Oh, you was trying to get in, hey? Besides jumping taxi fares, you're also up by glass. No, no, you don't understand. Hey, Julius, the door is open. What? It was closed just a minute ago. I tried it. A likely story, a likely story. Julius, if the door's open, why don't we go in and see what goes? Don't rush me. Don't rush me. Come on. Everything looks okay in here. Holy mackerel. A corpse, Moe. A corpse. Yeah, and dead too. It's locked. Jay, how come you know his name? He... I was associated with him. And he was the guy who was fallen in my camp. Hey, Julius, look. He's got something in his hand, a dead corpse. Get it, Moe. No, you get it, Julius. I don't want to touch those thefts. A fine assistant you were going to make, afraid as stiffs. Get it. Okay. It's a piece of paper. Give me it. Yeah, sure, Julius. Here. I've been trying to see you for weeks. You can't brush me off any longer. You stole Joan away from me. Signed Boyton. What's your name? Boyton. I wrote that note. Ah, this is very serious. I get it all now, Julius. This guy... I told you before, Moe, I am running this here investigation. Now, the way I see it, you two guys is in love with a lady by the name Joan. But Joan isn't a lady. Now, look here, buddy. Leave her mortality out of this. Please. Joan is the name of the song, a song I wrote which Larkin stole from me. I tried to see him to get what belonged to me, but he wouldn't let me in his office. You see, he's a song publisher. So, you knocked them off to get even, huh? Julius, leave us called the cops. You're not going to turn me in. I didn't do it. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Maybe you didn't. Suppose we was to let you go, Boyton. Then... Then you believe? You can't do this, Julius. I'm doing it. Thank you. Thank you. I didn't kill Larkin, but I'll have a terrible time trying to prove I did it. Just a minute, Boyton. Before you go, just for the record. Where do you live? Who? Yeah, we gotta know. Just for the record, you know. Oh, uh... The 709, East 78th Street. Take that down in the notes, Mo. Notes? What notes? Take it down. Oh, okay, Julius. I got it. All right, Boyton, go on. Beat it. Thanks. But, Julius... It's outside. Julius, we're gonna get into all kinds of trouble. Let that guy go. He done it. I know, Mo. I know he is knocking off this body here. But if we turn him into the cops, what's in it for us? Nothing. If, on the other hand, this case is a mystery, no one knows who done it, the cops is baffled, and then we are solving it from the clues. What clues? Think of the tabloids with my picture on the front page. Heroic hacky solves case which is baffling entire police force. Think of it. Go on. Think. I'm thinking, I'm thinking, but I'm worried. Don't worry, we got this address, ain't we? I think of them things. Now we gotta find some clues. Clues? What for? We know Boyton. You done it. You said so yourself. Of course I said so, but that ain't the way a good detective works. It'll be like reading a back of the book first. We gotta show the cops we solved this here case legitimate. We gotta start at the beginning. With fingerprints? Correct. Now, I just happened to have here in my pocket my little nifty, knick-knack fingerprint detective kit. Oh, did you write away for one of them? I seen the ad too in the magazine. 49 cents covers postage and hand lint. Yeah, just the same as the G-man uses. For 49 cents? Well, nearly as good. Now, let me see, that bottle there on the table. This one with the liquor in it? Don't touch it, don't touch it. I don't want you to smudge the prints, understand? I will take care of that bottle. Oh, yeah, sure, Joyce. Now, I just blow a little of this powder on the bottle to make the fingerprint show up. Hey, look, what did I tell you? Fingerprints. Gee, real ones. Now, I need a clean white handkerchief to wrap around the bottle right there. Then, now... Julius, you're drinking the evidence. Don't be a jerk. The evidence is on the outside of this here bottle. Oh, that's not bad stuff. Now, look, wipe the rest of the things off in this room, door knobs and other things. We got the evidence now. We don't want the cop should get it too. This'll make it baffling. Yes. Now, let me see. I wonder... Holy mackerel, what goes, Julius? My meter and my cab, I forgot to pull a flag. The meter's still running. Wait a minute, Julius. Where you going? I got to turn off the meter. Stay down. I'll be right back. Holy mackerel, look at that meter. A buck, 65. Is this your cab? Oh, yeah, lady, but... I want to go to Grand Central Station. Hurry. Yeah, but lady, I'm busy. Didn't I see you cancel the meter just now? Yeah, but... I'm not busy anymore. Come on, I'm in a hurry. No, lady, you'll have to get out of the cab. I ain't driving you no place. Look, how would you like to lose your license? I wouldn't. Listen, I've hired you to drive me. If you refuse, you can lose your license. No, okay, okay. Don't get yourself in an uproar, lady. I'll take you. Okay, Grand Central Station. Come on, this is the place. Now, I think maybe it was a false alarm sign. Some crank hearing shots. Well, we'll soon find out. Here, this is the apartment. Is that your choice? Stay right where you are. What? Cops? Yeah, and what are you doing here? Me? Yeah, stay right where you are. Don't make no false moves. Come into your apartment, Mike. Shut the door. Okay, Bill. Hey, take a look at that. That's Locke, and he's dead. Yes, I see he is. Brother, you've got plenty of explainer to do. Start talking. As the curtain falls on Act One of tonight's play, Mo finds that being a detective has its ups and downs. And he's really got himself... Excuse me, Mr. Barnes, did I hear you say ups and downs? Yes, I guess you did, Dan. You know, I have a secret solution for some of the ups and downs that men have. Come on over here and listen closely. Men, if getting up in the morning gets you down because shaving is torture, chances are you have wiry whiskers or a tender skin. So try Molle, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tender skins. Why, Molle gives you a shave as smooth as an apple. Yes, Molle is a heavier cream, the cream that not only softens your whiskers, but holds them up straighter and lets your razor cut them off close and clean. With Molle, you shave faster, closer, easier, and you shave painlessly. Try it. See if you don't say, it's smooth, so smooth. It's slick, so slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-L-L-E. Molle, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tender skins. Molle. Now back to Jeffrey Barnes and act to follow that cab. Molle and Julius, taxi drivers and would-be detectives, having apparently caught a murderer red-handed, let him go so they can solve the case by the clues. Having wiped away all the fingerprints to make the case more baffling, Molle is left alone with the corpse, all unaware that Julius is not coming back. And now the police have arrived on the scene and confront Molle. Well, buddy, what have you got to say for yourself? Myself? Nothing? Don't look at me. I didn't do it. Yeah, that's what they all say. Frisk and Bill, see if he's got the murder weapon on him. He ain't got nothing on him. I'm being framed. What does he do with a gun, buddy? It ain't here. I've just been looking for it. It ain't here. Oh, it ain't. Hey, Bill, careful how you touch those things. Might be fingerprints, you know. Oh, there ain't no fingerprints either. Oh, no. And why do you say that? Because I wiped... Because you wiped? Go on, go on, as you were saying. I wasn't saying that. Where's Julius? Where is he? He was gonna say you wiped him off, right? I... Where's Julius? He said he's coming right back. One false move out of you and I'll let you have it. You really think I've done it? Who else? You look mighty suspicious. I didn't do it. But he's done it, but I tell you. Yeah, I will tell that to O'Brien. O'Brien? O'Brien? Yes, buddy, he's chief of the homicide bureau. And you're under arrest for murder. So, they are taking me to see Inspector O'Brien. At first, I won't talk because I remember what Julius says about how we are gonna solve the case our own selves and get famous. But finally, I am realizing that instead of getting famous, I'm getting a hot seat if they can pin the murder on me. So, they throw me in the cell and the next morning, about 10 a.m. Julius! Hello, Mom. You know what day this is? Huh? This is visitor's day. Oh. You got just five minutes, mister. Mo, why did you do it? Do what, Julius? You don't have to pretend now, Mo. You can tell me I'm your friend. I don't get it, Julius. What? Mo, crime does not pay. Why did you do it? Do what? We know you've done it, Mo. Confess and things will go easier with you. Confess? Calm, calm. My patience is getting exhausting, my friend. You know you're moited, Larkin. Moited, Larkin. Julius. Don't make me put you through the toy degree, my friend. Julius, are you crazy? You was with me when it happened. What are you trying to do with me? You know what happened. That's all right. All right, Mo. Settle down. Settle down. I was just practicing. Practicing? For what? You know the way Daniel dare more once he gets a crook in a corner how he starts to make with a toy degree and busts him down? Oh, that way. You didn't have to do that to me, Julius. I didn't do it. At least scared for a minute. Did I? Julius, you've got to get me out of here. Don't worry, my friend. That little matter has just been taken care of. I turn any evidence to Chief O'Brien. You mean the bottle of whiskey with the fingerprints? The empty bottle with the fingerprints. Yeah, the empty bottle. Oh, I give O'Brien Boynton's address. Then you were in the clean. The cops will pick up Boynton and I will be in a tab lodge as the guy which cracked this case open. Here comes Chief O'Brien to let you out now. Hi, Obey. You say a man named Boynton gave you this address, 798th Street? Yeah, officer, that's right. That's where he lives. Did you make the pinch, Chief? You got him, huh? We checked that number. It's the middle of the East River. Huh? It may be moved. Oh, Mo, the rat has given you the double cross. Julius, ain't they going to let me out of here? Just a minute, Mo. I'll do my best for you. Look, Chief, this man is not guilty. What about the fingerprints on the empty bottle I turned into you? Oh, yes. That's another thing. We've checked that too. It's Bytons. No. It ain't Mo's. No. It belongs to the man who's going to burn for Larkin's murder. Whose prince is it? Yours. Mine? What do you know? I took me on Prince. Come in, you two. Sit down. Yes, yes. I suppose you are bringing me in here to your office because the entire police force is baffled, huh, Chief? I knew you would have to come to me. Get your big feet off of my desk. Sure, sure. Don't get excited. Say, what's all this here stuff on a table, Chief? Oh, that's some odds and ends. We picked up in the Larkin apartment. Keep your hands off that stuff. All right, all right. Clues, huh? They might be. Stay away from it. You've done enough damage already. Yeah, enough damage already. You know, you two boys are lucky. Very lucky. Yeah, lucky. How do you mean, Chief? Boynton has just given himself up. He saw in the evening papers that we were looking for him, so you're in the clear. Boynton, give himself up. Julius, we are free. Yeah, very interesting, extremely. By the way, Obi, is Boynton confession? No, but he will. I am sorry I cannot see I die, would you Obi? No. No? No. Now, I have a theory about who is knocking off who. Oh, look, you. One more theory out of you, and I'll send you up for 10 years. Now, get out of here and get out fast before I change my mind and hold you as accessories after the... We're going, we're going. Are we, Julius? Yeah. He certainly is lucky for us that Boynton gave himself up. Moe. Boynton didn't do it. Didn't do it. But we've seen him. You said he done it your own self. It's a dame which done it, a red-head dame. She's the dame which got in my cab yesterday and makes me drive it at Grand Central Station. Why, huh, Julius? See this picture? Yeah. That's her. I took it off the table in O'Brien's office. It was found in Larkin's apartment. Julius, you should have done it. I remember she was very suspicious, nervous. Yeah, but what about Boynton? Moe. All good dicks are getting off on a red hair and now an end. Man, remember what happens to Daniel D'Amore in the case of the Black Nighty? Oh, but that wasn't a red-hairy. He got off on that was... Shut up. Now, look, this red-head dame, which is in such a stu to get away, is the real killer. Yeah. Yeah, Julius, a red-head-hairy. Moe, we know who done it. We got a picture. Now all we got to do is get her. Yeah, all we got to do. Wait a minute, Julius. Remember what O'Brien said about being accessories? Accessories, shmasseries. We got the real clue now. Let's go find her. Julius, turn off the radio. You'll run down the battery. Look, Julius, we've been waiting part-time in front of Larkin's building for eight days and I'm waiting for that dame to show up. Would you matter getting discouraged a look? Julius, maybe she won't never come back here. She's got it. She says so in the book. A criminal always returns to the scene of the crime. I know. Yeah, and that song which Boyton wrote, it's driving me nuts. All the radio programs are playing a thine at all. I like it, but okay. Look, let's quit this detective business. Julius, I get back into the hat business. That dame won't never show up. Moe, look. That dame, the one we're looking for. The red-head-hairy? Yeah. Hey, she's going into the building. Come on, we're going after her. She's Larkin's apartment. There she is. Okay, lady. You are under arrest for the murder of Larkin. I don't know who you are, what you're talking about. Look how Moe, she's reaching for a gun. Yeah, you hear me? I got it, Julius. Nice work, my friend. Now, Mrs, what you got to save yourself? Well, I, uh, okay. Okay, you got me. Now aren't you proud of yourself? Hey, Julius, the dame's born. I can't help it. Crime does not pay. Yeah, you're right. I killed him. I killed him because he mistreated me. He beat me. Me and my four children. Four kids? A dirty rat? Well, I'm sure. It was bad enough when we were poor, but when he started making money, he just threw us out. Out into the cold, cold night. We were starving. Starving, oh, that dirty bum. Yeah, I had to sell my new mink coat to get food for my little children. A guy like that didn't deserve to live. That's what I kept telling myself, so I bumped him. I killed him in self-defense. Everything went black before my eyes. I didn't know what I was doing. Naturally. Hey, Mo. Yeah, Julius. Got any money on you? About a buck seventy-five. Give it to me. For her? Yeah. Here. I couldn't accept it. I insist. Gee, you are a generous character, Julius. No, don't mention it. Here, lady, take it. Oh, gee, thanks. Thanks a lot. You're going to let me go now? What else? Oh, you're so kind. You're so sweet. Oh, you're just saying that. Could I have my gun back now? You want it back? What for? Well, I, uh, so that I can pawn it and get a few bucks, uh, dollars to buy food for my poor little children. Yeah, yeah, sure. The poor little dove. Give it to her, Mo. Here. Here, lady. Open up, lady. Open up. The car. Goodness. Oh, look. I'll hide behind the door. You open it. Don't worry, little dove. I'll handle him. Oh, so it's you two again. O'Brien. I thought I told you the next time I caught you monkeying it. You hit O'Brien over the head. He's out cold. Oh, lady. You shouldn't have done that. OK, OK. Let's cut the comedy. What comedy? Come on. We're getting out of here. You care about time? Oh, yeah, but... Shut up. I'm giving the orders. Let's go. I've killed one man with his gun. Yes. She ain't no little dove. This is Jeffrey Barnes again. In just a moment, we'll bring you Act 3 of Follow That Cab. If you've been having trouble trying to combat dandruff, bear in mind that most ordinary hair preparations merely remove loose dandruff. Now, plain water does that. So if you want to fight a common type of dandruff effectively, the thing to do is use double dandereen. Double dandereen is a scientific product that goes to work on your scalp and actually combats the dandruff by killing the germs that many outstanding authorities contend are a cause, and it kills them on contact. Now, the reason why double dandereen is so amazingly effective is that it contains an active antiseptic called alzan. This is a special ingredient used by many hospitals because of its remarkable efficiency, and no other hair preparation contains alzan. You get it only in double dandereen. So try double dandereen and see why most ordinary hair preparations can't compare with its dandruff-combatting effectiveness. If you're not completely satisfied, return the empty bottle and get your money back. Buy double dandereen at your drugists. Step on it. Step on it. The cops are gaining on it. I can't go no faster, lady. I've got it down to the floorboards now. Just take it easy with my cattle. You shut up. I'll tell them what to do. Yes, ma'am. Julius, they're shooting at us. Oh, Lord, don't let them hit the tires, please. Two can play at that game. Lady, you could have rolled that window down. Don't bother me. Did you get them? No, but I'm afraid what's going to happen to us... No! Hey, what's the matter? You hit Julius? No, worse. They hit the meter. It's 75 cents already. Well, turn it off. Turn it off. I can't. It's jammed. I wouldn't should have stopped it. It didn't. It's going twice as fast. $3.94, 25... 5.40 or less. What, lady? Turn left, mother. Turn left or blow your head. No street? Capturing the culprit, like Julius says. You see, she is the dead guy's ex-missus, and she don't like him. The reason she is coming back to the apartment is that she knows there's some cash hid there. Well, Barton is let go by the cops, and he gets his song back. And that is why the papers are calling it murder in A-flat. You see, A-flat is an apartment. But the best thing about the whole deal is Julius and me is becoming real famous. No kidding. You get the magazine, absolutely authentic, true crime fiction. Our true-to-life stories are appearing in this week's issue. And now this is Jeffrey Barnes again, inviting you to be with us next week when we present Richard Connell's The Doctor and the Lunatic. Here is a story that is as tense and suspenseful as follow that cab was comic. A mysterious madman is on the loose. A man who is driven to destroy all things of beauty. Plenty of excitement, action and chills and a real bang-up climax. So don't miss Richard Connell's The Doctor and the Lunatic. The original music for the Molle Mystery Theater is composed and conducted by Alexander Semmler. Follow That Cab was written by Larry and Sidney Sloan. Johnny Gibson and Larry Haynes were featured in tonight's program. This is Dan Seymour saying goodnight until next Friday at the same time when the Mystery Theater presents The Doctor and the Lunatic with the National Broadcasting Company.