 Personal notice, dangers my stock and trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details. If you remember your history of early America, the name Ponce de Leon should strike an old chord. He was the rascal who went looking for the fountain of youth somewhere in Florida. But all he could find was orange juice, which may have helped, but not enough. All of which adds up to really nothing, except that the heavy in our Let George Do It adventure is a character named Ponce de Leon. And from my vantage point, he seems to be quite a character. But suppose I let Buster here tell you all about old Ponce. Dear Mr. Valentine, I believe that Honolulu has been called the melting pot of the Pacific, while our little town of Baja Junction could very likely be the boiling pot. But the weather can prevent our maintaining a pleasant, peaceful, forward-looking town. That is, for the past two years. Tomorrow it will all change. Tomorrow our town will boil in quite a different way, unless someone like yourself can stop it. I was given your name by Fail Minahan, who lives here. But please report direct to me just as soon as you can. You see, Baja Junction is about to receive back its most disturbing citizen, a man named Ponce de Leon. Sincerely, J.H. Frankel, director of the Baja Junction Trade Relations Club. From jail? Jail. Exactly, Miss Brooks. Jail. You know, that's where criminals are occasionally sent. Do you mind if we sit down, Mr. Frankel? Oh, excuse me, of course. You had a tiring trip. Oh, it wasn't too bad, but the heat was pretty... Yes, yes. Well, I'm just on my way out. I've asked Lawrence Pinkney to step in. Pinkney? The secretary of our organization has been with us for years. He's more familiar with the facts than I am. What facts? Facts about Ponce de Leon, of course. You wanted to see me, Mr. Frankel? Oh, yes, yes, Lawrence. Come in, come in. Miss Brooks, Mr. Valentine, Mr. Pinkney. How do you do? Pleasure. I've explained things. Now you'll take over. Of course. Oh, wait a minute. So far you've explained nothing. Maybe we can have dinner together. Goodbye, Miss Brooks. If you need me, you know where to find me, Lawrence. I don't know how he does it. Does what? All that energy, drive, always organizing. Listen. That's more the style of the town, I'm afraid. Street singer. That's why most people live here. Sounds nice and sleepy. Like I am in this heat. But we must earn a living, mustn't we? The trade relations club is giving a great boost to the business of the town. All right, Mr. Pinkney, let's get back to my business. Yes, yes, of course. Please understand about Mr. Frankl's running off. He didn't think it would look well if he seemed too active in this, his position and all, this business of pounce, I mean. Pounce the lion, somebody just out of jail, right? Yes, pounce is a strange fellow. Big, stupid, mean, conniving. Never did a lick of honest work in his life. Okay, he's unpopular. Where'd he get the fancy name? Pounce, it's his given name. I mean the lion. He was a bouncer for years at Choli's Dance Hall. Been raised in the Oriental section, I guess. But he tacked that on when he tried to turn professional boxer. Town might have got rid of him then, we all hoped we did. What happened? Well, it was too much. He quit. Couldn't stand getting knocked out every night. All right, he's begging, he falls down, but I don't see what... Mr. Valentine, I realize all this may seem unimportant to an outsider. But pounce has been in jail for manslaughter. And now, from all we hear, his sole interest is in committing murder. This pounce is just full of the old net, isn't he? We'll see if he carried out his threat. But first, let's take a minute off of this. Now let's get back and see if Buster can throw any more light on pounce. Well, there isn't much more you need to... Oh, what, when, where? Why? Come on, come on. Well, his men's slaughter sentence was based on a knifing. Three years ago. Now, it seems that pounce has decided he should murder everyone who testified against him, who helped to put him in jail. You mean witnesses? How many were there? Well, now, see here, Mr. Frankel isn't crazy. Why don't you ask me the important thing? How could we possibly know that big ape's intentions? Know what pounce is going to do? I didn't ask that because I assume they're just guesses and rumors, easy gossip. Tough guy wants revenge, pounce the lion. Even the name is hardly credible. Oh, many things are hardly credible here in barred junction, Mr. Valentine. But you're quite right, guesses and rumor. That's why you're here. You mean to tag pounce around and find out what he's up to? To go at this thing sensibly. What Mr. Frankel suggested was that before you get all wound up in details of who might need protection, you should find out the truth. This pounce is a menace, I suppose. So an ounce of prevention, that seems to be a good idea. That's all your job is. It's hot, isn't it? Would you like a glass of lemonade? Oh, I don't blame you for looking me up my lad. There's no better man on any park bench than Phil Minahan to tell you this. I looked you up, Mr. Minahan, because I'm curious. You recommended me for this job. Why? You don't know me from Adam. And vice versa, you're thinking. Of course, lad, of course. The qualifications are a copious curiosity, a world full of people to waste it on. And a lot of words. I was going to say, and a life full of time, all wasted. And this is the best place in the world for wasting. And once upon a time I saw your lad in the newsstand. Okay, okay. Is this the street that Choli's dance hall is on? Avoid the chickens and follow your nose. It's around the next corner, and I wouldn't walk this far for everyone. I'm flattered. When they say that punch is no good, it's true, he's not. Yes, sure. I watch people, I know. And you do well to watch them, too, all of them. Oh, like the guys who hired me, that trade relations outfit. Now you're warming up. They'll trade anybody's relations, I'm thinking. Oh, it's business, mind you, business. But why in a town like this? Why should a lot of happy ignorant shopkeepers of every nationality let themselves be all organized and progressive when they ought to spend their time on the beach like I do? They ought to be faddened themselves. Hold on, hold on. In the hand. Here he is, my lad. This is the horror. Always kidding, ain't you, many hands? Well, say something. Aren't you glad to see me back? You're a pince, aren't you? Be the tourist, be the... Oh, sure, sure, anything you say. I understand you're real tough. What's he doing, kidding? You're a joker, too, I might have known. Any friend of mine... We're not friends. You're the guy I want to see. Oh, look, I'm busy. I understand you just got out of jail, pince. I understand you got some kind of a big plan. Everybody talks about pince, don't they? I don't know what this town must have been like when I wasn't around. Well, it changed. I'm different. Oh, God, get out of my way. Never mind shoving, Buster. I'm gonna stay here and tell you something. I made a discovery, see? Yeah, what? Me, big dummy. Yeah, me. Right here in the same part of town, I was raised in that. Can you imagine? It's not till I cool off in jail that I wake up and get it. All right, I'll bite, get what? You discover the Pacific Ocean or something? Pince de Léon found the fountain of youth, George. Huh? You're a kid, too, ain't you, baby? Pince, there's men in this town afraid of you. And there's gossip that's been saying that you've threatened to run. Don't try to mix me up. Would you? Yeah. Sure, I'll tell anybody. Why not? I told everybody in town the guys who put me in jail, I hate them, see? I like to kill them. They're different. So, what's all this sweat about? Okay, what's the big discovery? Why are you different? I can tell you, my lad, you're on your way across the street, I suppose, bud. Sure, yeah, what, what, what, what, what? I go there every day, don't I? What's across the street? A jazz house. I was raised with the Oriental tourists to not leave me alone, huh? A jazz house? Well, it's a place of worship to the ancient gods. So I got used to being alone and thinking in prison. It's a criminal to do it now. You think? Pray, though, pray to the old-fashioned heathens that know ten times as much as us. Yeah, sure. That's the discovery of old ponds. Hey, big, dumb ponds, smarter than all of you. Oh, brother, what kind of a thing is this? Get out of my way. George! And stay! He's certainly hard to find. At his house they didn't know he decided to go swimming for the afternoon. This must be the cabana over here. Yeah, Mr. Frankel. Around this side, I guess. I wonder why he didn't tell us in his letter, Angel, that he was a witness to that manslaughter of ponces. I don't know. Taxi driver who brought him here knew it, I suppose everyone noticed. Frankel. Frankel! George, he's been stabbed. Just as ponds threatened. Oh, just a moment, please. Please, no, come in, please. I'm sorry, Grandpa. I'm looking for ponds. Yes, every day ponds come through the just house, but it is not custom to disturb anyone. I'm sorry, Fran. Something's happened. He's the first man I got to see about it before the rest of the town comes here. Hey, look for him a lad. Did you find Frankel? Did you see him? Yeah. We found Frankel, all right. Well, thank him for that. You see, I have caught on to what that big crazy ponds is up to. Here, this man is the bonds. He can explain. The what, the bonds, ladies? He's the high mogul keeper of the place. He tends to the idols in there and the shadows. He maintains the incense, just sticks to whatever it's called. I would be only too glad to explain. And there's an idol that ponds plays to. This man here told me so. It's Yofe, the Lord of Sudden Death. What? Oh, look, man, I got work to do, and I want to find out what... And every day ponds comes here to pray to Yofe. To the bringer of death. Don't you understand me, lad? Ponds has been here all the time. Right here. Pray in Mr. Frankl to death. We'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment. Now, back to George Valentine. Baja Junction, the boiling pot of the Pacific, as Mr. Frankl called it. A place where almost anything can happen, as Mr. Frankl himself found out. Because now he's been murdered. But the murderer used a knife and the man who hated Mr. Frankl, a man named Ponds, has only been praying for his death in a Joss House. Well, if your name is George Valentine, you barely know what a Joss House is. This tower, the Jost, over there in the shadow, you hide, moneyguard. Many justics are burned to you hide. It's more for the likes of birthday Valentine. Hold on, Mr. Moneyhand. This Yofe, you mentioned. It can be seen from here. There. The end of that womb. It's a big thing, isn't it? A life-size as it should be as the bringer of death. Now, isn't that a ghastly idea, blackfish? Look at that, would you? And a clenched blackfish stretched out before him, the lord of sudden death. Please, please, not talk loud. Please, there are people in here. Is that him over there in front of the idol? They're on the floor. That Ponds? It is forbidden to intrude when a man is alone with his own thoughts and prayers. Is that him under the fancy silk robe lying on that prayer mat? Sure it's him. I've seen him carrying that robe around, born and raised in the Oriental section I told you he was. He's moving, George. I'm afraid we have disturbed him. He saw us. Here he comes. It wasn't the bond who told me he was here. It was a woman. I thought I told you to leave me alone. Like you left Frankel alone? Frankel? Yeah, let's get out of here, Ponds. I want to talk to you. I will not. You interrupt me, Steve. Oh, sure, sure, sure. I've seen people to death. He's told that to several people. So you wouldn't know whether Frankel's dead yet or not, huh? It works. But he needs it, ain't it? You mean you've been working hard to set up an alibi? What's that called? Oh, I saw you come in here a couple of hours ago. Minahan came here just a few minutes before I did just now and says you've been here all the time. Still, I don't believe it. Move away when you're mad. I'm busy. And you no more believe all this idol stuff than I do. Big discovery of Ponds. How to set up an alibi? That's all? Praying, Amanda, dead old brother. That takes the cake. But there are others that saw him valentine. They all say the same thing. You're so smart. Sure, you're so smart. Get out of here. Leave me alone. I've got work to do. Okay, Buster, you win. But you better hang on to that alibi when the town starts pointing its finger. Wait a minute, George. Ponds, what work? What do you still have to do here? Pray I'm dead. Pray every one of them dead. You don't believe it, eh? Your face shows me how. He's a great old piece of iron. Pray I'm dead. Yes, I'm trying to hurry. It was Mr. Franco who prepared the no-true relays. For them, Ponds said, them. And Mr. Pinkney, you mentioned before there was more than one witness to that knifeing that Ponds did two years ago. Well, there was Mr. Blake. He's with our organization here. Blake testified he helped put Ponds in jail. But if Ponds has an alibi, then I don't see it. Police are working on the murder. Ms. Brooks is reporting to them now, but I keep worrying about my own job here. Here's the list. Franklin, Blake, they were the main ones, but there's a couple of others. It's the newspaper clipping. Here are several other witnesses. Where does Mr. Blake live? Franklin had only told you all of this. My car's right outside. I'll show you. Only, let's see, Blake told me he was going somewhere. Oh, yes, his club. That's it. He's a member of a club here. Maybe if we round up all these guys, then we get to work on the murder. Until now, I've been wasting my time. The one guy in this town who couldn't have murdered Franklin is Ponds the Lion. Now you're wasting your time, Pinkney. Mr. Blake's dead, too. But, but he's been stabbed. That's what you said happened to Mr. Franklin. Oh, stop chattering. This just happened a few minutes ago. What? Alone here in his room reading, but he was facing the door. Wasn't he? He's a big guy. Pretty husky. Well, there's only one entrance to the door. Yeah, that's what I mean. Come on. See, the door has a latch, so whoever it was had to knock. I don't understand. I'm going to call the police. Be quiet. We need to wait a minute. Listen. Hey, what's down this hall? Well, the halls all lead to the back court. Steps. There's a man out there. The other side of the wall. We'd never catch up. Well, that's not the way to the game. Here's a trash can. That thing we heard first sounded metallic. Sorry. What? Sure. Sure, we were in Blake's room just a second after the murderer was. So I was coming and ran. Here, look. A knife. Uh-huh. No, no, don't touch it. The knife that was used both times, I'd guess. Let's, uh, let's get out of the police station as fast as we can. You mean let's telephone the police, give them those other names fast if they haven't got them all ready? But you and I, friend, are going to start correcting our mistakes. And I'll do the driving. I've never been in a jazz house. I've, I've heard about this one. Yeah. A little more deserted than it was. Oh boy, with the beards out for supper, I guess. It's so dark. With no lights, I can't sleep better. Fine. Yeah. I can wait here by the entrance. It's still exactly the way it was. Oh, it's you. Hello, Phil. Well. And I tell you, my lad, everybody else seems to have left. But not him. He's still in there? Yeah. Once. It's too dark to see. Come on. I'm telling you, my lad, that he hasn't even set foot. Yes. Why do you bother him? He couldn't have done this one either. This one. A man named Blake was murdered. What? He was big and pretty husky. And he'll have been stabbed the way he was. Whoever did it must have been a lot bigger. Of course. Like Ponce. But if he was down here... Well, correct the mistakes. Like we're not worrying about how you shouldn't disturb a man worshipping an idol. Well, be very careful here. Follow me. Straight through here. How these big, blasted-in guns. Don't you dare run into them. Okay, this is it. Yofe. I can see that outstretched fist. I've got a match. Yeah. You can see Ponce too, all right? There he is, under his womb. Stretched out just like a silly frog. Yeah. He won't be for long. Careful, Mr. Valentine. Ponce is very rough when you... Oh, I know. He took a poke at me. So let's kick that fancy silk robe of his. What did he know? He's not there. No. No, just a robe. And a bunch of rags rolled up underneath. Fail, I thought you said you were watching. We drove here fast, so fast he couldn't have made it, could he? Yeah, we beat him back. But fail was... Excuse me, would you... Our Irish friend here sat by the door, not by the open window. What? Here, look. The other side of the idol. The place he spread himself out was right next to that, at the end of the room. Sure. You don't even have to stretch to get out of here, do you? But people saw him in here. In a place where it's forbidden to disturb anybody in meditation. In a place where a man might lie flat on his robe and stay that way for hours. Perfect alibi. A place where nobody'd notice when you slip a few rags under your robe on the floor and then you slide out the window. And getting back in would be just as easy. Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. I think I just turned something on. Huh. Somebody's coming. I'm going to get out of here. Come on, quick, away from the window. Come on, back up by the end. Let's hurry. Hey, Valentine. Look. See the shadow in the window there. Yeah. Get through the curtains here, quick. This is where you were. Let's wait here until... Minahan. Hey. You still out there to watch, darling? I've seen you all along from where I've been meditating. Pretty feeble fraud, isn't it? Back into the robe to finish his act. Sure. I've seen you, Minahan. Yeah. Me. Hello. It's a party. Yeah, sure. To get your fingerprints to match against those on a knife. To hold you in for two murders. Not tonight! Look out, Valentine! Now, get out of my way, will you? He's running away! Mr. Valentine? No, I'm all right. I just hate to have it happen twice. That's all if you hadn't gotten away. Well, I couldn't help it. I'm not used to it. Oh, Skipper, would you? Did he get away? He ran back through the jazz house. There's a million entrances to that alley through the window. Yeah, and Minahan? He went after him. Oh, that'll do a lot of good. Funny you're knowing about the alley in this place, but you said you've never been here before. What? Nothing. Nothing I say will do any good unless we get that big ape who committed the murders. Well, of course. Ponce was the one who... Now, listen, Buster. I know he did the dirty work he always wanted to, but he's not bright enough to plan it. Not bright enough to take over an explanation for Mr. Frankel and mix it up to me. What? Oh, yeah, sure. I've been kicking myself because Frankel wrote me and then was killed. Only it was his own fault for handing the job of explaining things over to you. And you told me only what I needed to know for your time schedule. What time schedule? The one you cooked up for Ponce. I don't know what your angle is, but both Frankel and Blake were big shots and that same big money promotion outfitted your secretary up. So I guess there is something to gain. And after all, you only had to encourage and help Ponce a little to get him dead. No, I... I don't argue with me, Buster, because each time Ponce went right out from here and killed his man and came straight back. Well, how did he know where to find him? Now, she's here. Unless somebody told him. Like you said, Blake told you he was going to be at his club. Sure, sure. You're the only one who knew where both men were. Because I still remember the last thing I heard Frankel say it was, you know where to find me, Lawrence. That doesn't mean anything. You know something? You're right. It doesn't mean a blame thing unless the police can beat the truth out of Ponce. And you'll never find him. He'll get away. Oh, I don't doubt it. Hey, where's Menehan? Hey, Menehan! I'll get back inside the Joss House, Pinkney. I've got about one second to keep this whole case from falling apart. We'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment. Menehan! Phil! Hey, Menehan! You know something? I'm all right. Oh, well, don't scare me like that. Come on, come on. Let's get out of here. Well, it was only having a little bit of a word with the tale that just that I was... Huh? What are you talking about? Valentine, you know, it's a strange and funny thing about people. Now, for instance, you take Ponce. He thought that thing was a black fist. Yofe was something. And, well, maybe he had something. Menehan, what's happened to you? What kind of a conversation? Yes, yes, let's get out of here. Out of the dark. Look out, look out, look out. No. Look out for your step, no. Ah, what do you mean? Incidentally, you better get hold of Mr. Pinky's arm while I explain this to you. The arm of Yofe is much longer. Look up there. Do you see it up there with its clenched fist? Huh. Hey, you forgot... Oh, no, you don't, Pinky. Hey, Mr. Pinky, your poor dumb punch is still with us to talk. Yeah, how about that? He never got out. Lying there out colder than a mackerel. He ran right into his own idol, right into the iron fist of Yofe. You have just heard the discovery of Ponce the Lion, 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, and the music was 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.