BOLD VENTURE Adventure, intrigue, mystery, romance starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall Together in the sultry setting of tropical Havana and the mysterious islands of the Caribbean, BOLD VENTURE Once again the magic names of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall bring you BOLD VENTURE and a tale of mystery and intrigue It's a dirty night to be out on the ocean, slave It's a dirty day too, those dirty fish ate the bait and swished their tails for more The fish were biting for me, how do you explain that? What's to explain? You stuck your head in the water and told the fish how good they'd look in a pan Among fishermen who know fish best, those tactics stink Fish hate you, Slate, resign yourself to it Fish hate other fish, sailor, they don't hate people They hate you, the word in the briny deep among our finny friends is that... Ahoy! Turn the search light over there, sailor. Ahoy! Ahoy! That's got it. Two guys in the ship's boat, sailor. Cut the motors. Ahoy! Can you give us a hand? We're in trouble. Sure, come alongside. Right. Boy, we're glad to see you. Hand me a line. Okay, secure. I'll give you a hand up. Thanks. Come on, Chuck. Hey, you know what they've been talking about, mister? The friend in need. Glad to help. My name's Slate Shannon and... Hey, sailor, come here. This is sailor DeVal. Joe Donnelly. My friend is Chuck Bishop. Hi. Howdy. Joe and me were fishing and that storm started to rise. The sea almost swamped us. Fishing? Where's all your gear? Lost it, I guess. About the only thing we saved is this bait box here. Pretty small box for deep sea bait. It'd hold enough for about two casts. Well, Joe and me aren't very experienced. Deep sea fishing in a ship's boat. That's a twist. I said we weren't experienced. Cut it out, Chuck. You say your name's Slate Shannon? Look, Buster, it's the law of the high seas to help someone in distress, but I like the story that goes with the distress. You'll get it, but first I want you to meet this gun. Surprised, huh? I don't blame you. Take the wheel, Chuck. Let's get going. What is speaking? Si, señor. Si. The SS Marino Victory? Un momento, señor. The Marino Victory sailed from the port of Havana yesterday at high tide, 712 a.m. Si. I will get the men to plot their position. What is? Si. Si, I have been informed of the matter of the Marino Victory. Immediately. It will be taken care of. I have told you, señor. Immediately. Oh, venga! Come in! What do you wish? Be quick. There is a great turbulence here. Señor Juarez, I have come to ask a favor. On a day that has more come, you may ask me, King Moses. At present, I have no moment for the granting of favors. Please listen, señor. Listen to me. Mr. Slate and Miss Taylor have not yet returned from their fishing. It has been many hours. Many hours since they should have been back. The stormy sea, the winds... You have few for Shannon and the señorita de Oal? Why? They are children of the sea. They steer a boat as well as they steer each other. But it is long after midnight, señor, and the storms that hover over the waters is greedy for lonely sea voyages. It is... I have heard of your talent for the food lights, King. How you make A productions out of B matters. Please send a party to search for them, señor Juarez. Where would I get such a party, King? But you have many ships, many craft at your fingertips. In the moment when you leave, I will not have them. They will be searching the Caribbean waters for the men who have mutinied on the SS Marino. Desperate men. Men of bloody violence. Murderers. Get me the Coast Guard. All available craft are to begin the search immediately for the murderers, the mutineers of the SS Marino. Get in position. This is a real tricky sea, Donnelly. And this isn't the best charted area in the world. There's shoals and reefs all over these keys. Your boy better know what he's doing. The trucks are slob, boninos. You two want to breathe easier, I'll tell you something. Not a lot further to go. You know where Dorado Key is? Sure. It's a cone-shaped couple acres somewhere around. If it went for the fog, I could point a finger at it. Ship's pulled three points off the starboard bow. Yeah. I see it, Chuck. There are boys head for them. This is going to be quite a party. That's right. A rendezvous with the rest of the jolly ones from the Marino victory. They'll be glad to make your acquaintance, I'm sure. Likewise. Don't get so eager, sailor. This party might not materialize. Hey, Donnelly. Yeah, I see. So they're headed for a fog bank, so? So this. If I'm right, that shadow in the ocean over there is Dorado Key. And just about where that fog bank is rolling is a coral breakwater that belongs to Dorado Key. And just about where that ship's boat disappeared into the fog bank is just about where I'm talking about. And something tells me I was right. Yeah. Hey, Chuck, give her the gas! Right. Fog bank, Donnelly. Better tell your flunky to ease her. Cut her, Chuck! Look what I just scooped out of the ocean slate. A fresh piece of driftwood. Am I not lucky? Take your hands out of the water. Somebody's liable to shake it. So the boat crashed, Shannon. It doesn't change a thing. Except that whoever was in the boat can't be alive. Not in these waters. Like I said, it doesn't change a thing. There's still the four of us. There's still Dorado Key. I think we'll all be happy. Chuck! Chuck, I'm talking to you. Me! What do you want? You tired, baby? The rigors of that old Devil Sea exhaustion? Maybe they did. It hurts me how tired you are. Get up, slob! Keep the fire going. My guests are cold. That's a good slob. Now we can all keep warm. You like it when you're warm, don't you, Mr. O'Vall? Something you'll never know, Buster. The things I like. But the things I hate. Maybe I can prompt you. You hate me, huh? Well, let's start eating the hate away. That way we'll all live to our rightness. Let's start with a little black box, Joe. What's in it? Souvenirs of the loved ones at home and in ports of call? It nibbles at you, huh, Shannon? As long as we're all cosy like this, at a beach party, comes the time when we all peel off our secrets. Sure, it nibbles. Well, as long as the time has come. Tell them, Chuck. Tell them what's in the box. You're crazy, Joe. You're going crazy. Tell them, slob. Well, it's dope. Enough dope to... I'll take it now, Chuck. You did elegant. Enough dope that it was a jolly task to kill our captain, his first mate. To watch our sea chums leave stains of their blood on the hungry rocks of Dorado Key. That's what's in the box. Any further questions? Yeah, question. How does a happy boy like you live to open the box? The rope around your neck could numb your fingers. I live as long as you. No, longer. A lot longer. I say that to make you bitter about the full rich life I'm gonna... Wait. The way you're going, Chuck. I'm asking you. You'll never make Shannon's boat, you slob! Oh! Oh! You killed him. Goodie for our side, Slate. Just in the leg. So he won't try to run out on us anymore. So he'll live to hold a gun on you when I get drowsy. Because you two might get coy. Pack up your kits, kiddies. We're moving. Oh, and I'm beginning to love it here. The fire, the shootings in the leg. Lots of legs left, honey. You and me, Shannon. We hide your boat in this cove. The nosy coast patrol will never see it. Then we make for the top of the hill. The cone, you called it. Who knows? Maybe we can top it off with some dead bodies, huh? Well, what do you know? We made the top of the hill. You can lay the boy down now, Shannon. I want you to enjoy the view. Thanks. I'll never forget you, Joe, for the things you do for me. Oh! Oh! Let me go, darling. Let me go. You can have it all. Just let me go. Shut up, you slob. You're interrupting the view. Enjoy it, Shannon. You, baby. There's a good tall precipice here, Joe. Why don't you jump off? The belly whopper on the rocks would be tasty and enjoyable. Top of the world. The top of an empty, rain-swept world. You fellas know I had poetry in me. I didn't. Did you know this about Joe, sailor? Uh-uh. The thing a fella doesn't know about a fella that makes the other fella stale. The top of the world where I can sit in those pirate ruins over there and watch all the little bloodhounds of the sea smelling for mutant air, Joe Donnelly. Take my hand, Shannon. I'm young again. I want to go exploring. Joe. Joe, I promise you, I won't breathe a word. I don't want any part of what you want. You can cry your heart out to me later, Chuck. Coming, Shannon? Sailor told you. I'm allergic to gunprods ever since I was knee-high to a knee. Sickens you, huh? Glad to hear it. Come on. Those ruins don't make a good shell-y. For me, honey-boy, you sleep where it's cold and wet. You and baby in the slop. Not yet, Mother Earth. That's a sinkhole. You got your foot caught in a sinkhole. Why don't you go waiting, kid? Ah, Shannon, just the tippy-toe, my toes easy. I got it out. Make you sorry and forlorn, huh? Worse than that. I hate myself on that stuffing your mouth in it up to here. Joe. Joe, listen to me. All I ask is just let me go. That's not much for a slob. I got something for you, cripple. Ah, Joe! Joe! What kind of a man are you? You knocked him into the sinkhole. It'll drag him down. It'll... Leave him alone, Shannon. Leave him alone. I want him dead anyway. This is better than anything I dream. You can't let him die like that. Watch me. Leave him alone or you share it with him. This way we don't have to dig him a grave. Now back to Bold Venture. Our stars Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and the second act of our story. Find anything, Slate? Not a thing. We've been over the whole night. There's nothing edible on it, not even a seagull's egg. What's with the seagulls? They're mighty particular where they lay their eggs. That's what's with seagulls. No, the seagulls hate you. Fish and seagulls. You're making a name for yourself in the animal world, Slate. You kids are born comics. I'm full of delight you could make this trip with me. It wells away the hungry hour. We've been on this island two nights in a day, Donnelly. The food on the Bold Venture was maybe enough for a hearty meal for a snack. The food on the Bold Venture was maybe enough for a hearty meal for a skinny man. How come? I'll take it. How come I haven't killed you both? Is that what you're trying to say? If you weren't such a blabbermouth, I could have put it in my own words. But that's what I'm trying to say. Good chap, Slate. You stay right in there with him. There's merit in what the man says, baby. If I'd killed the two of you, I could have had all those canned goods for myself. But remain the question of how do I get me and the dope off this stinking island. We've been staying up nights watching the Coast Guard search for you. They've all gone home. Why don't we take you away from all this right now? Because I don't fall for their crumbum tricks. Because right now I'm hungry. You are? Gee, maybe you'll starve to death right in front of us. We made you laugh. Turnabout's fair play, Joe boy. I never starved to death in my whole life. Shannon's gone back to Havana to bring food. Just food, Shannon. If you bring anything or anyone else, I'll slaughter baby here. Give me the keys to the boat. Eight hours, Shannon. That's all you have. Eight hours. And keep it in mind, from this tall piece of the world I own, I can watch every move you make. Mr. Slate, Mr. Slate, where have you been? Food stuff we got in the kitchen, King. Food stuff? You and Lady Sailor been gone two nights and a day, and I have been holding my head in my hands and shaking from side to side. I have been plagued with many thoughts of what has befallen you, all of them evil, and you... Come on, King. Tell me what's in the kitchen. Where's Lady Sailor? On Dorado Key with a man and a sinkhole and a gun. If I'm not back there in five hours with that food, Sailor's going to be a thing of the past. Take me with you, Mr. Slate. That's impossible. Donley sees me bringing anyone back with me. I'll hide in the boat. There is no necessity for anyone to see me. Then when the night shadows fall, I will creep silently as a leopard upon... Just load the food, King. Well, don't look like that. You can come along. Joe Boy! Oh, Joe Boy! What's the matter, baby? You lonely? Uh-huh. Look, I feel silly screaming, uh-huh. Why don't you come down from your pirate's tower and talk to your captive girl? Yeah, the least I could do. I'm here, baby. Talk nice. You haven't sighted the bold venture yet? Shannon's still got another hour. That means he's been gone seven. Look, Ma, a regular mathematical wizard. Yeah. I even figured this. In seven hours, you'll miss him enough to want me at your side. It's a long time between rickshaws. The high altitude makes your head spin, huh, baby? Round and round. Say the right word and I'll gather enough momentum to fly away. That's all I have to do? Say a word? Maybe more. Maybe lots more. And maybe no words at all. Like that, huh? I could be the end of your rainbow, kid. But you've got to find the way yourself. Oh, try this one. With what I keep locked in this little black box, we could make all the neon in the world glow a little brighter. How much do you figure it's worth, Joe Boy? You've found a way, huh, baby? Fifty grand and a hundred grand depends on how good I am at bargaining. If you were real good, I'd walk in your shadow. You're a scream, baby, a long shrill scream. You're dropping your marbles, Joe Boy. You never had a better offer. No, not better, baby. Never better, but truer. More from the heart. Go yell it to the wind, baby, how you tried, how you loused it. Crawl away and die for Joe Donnelly. Me, I'll wait for Shannon with the canned goods. Easy, groody shores, Mr. Snake. Easy. Easy. Shoring off. Oh, Mr. Slate, it is always a sight to see the way you handle this bold venture. Like poetry, huh? Hey, what time is it? A few minutes before five o'clock. That'll give us a few minutes. You think he sees us from up there? How do I know? That's the chance we've got to take. That's why I brought the bold venture into this side of the island. Donnelly will probably be watching the other side, the side we tied up that last time. It's getting dark, Mr. Slate. Maybe he couldn't see us anyway. Oh, it's not dark enough. Yesterday, this place was hidden in clouds. Now look at it. Clear as glass. All right, you better get down out of the way, King. We're getting close enough. Right. When we reach the island, what happens? I'm trying to convince myself he hasn't seen us. I'll go ashore. You stay with the boat. But, Mr. Slate, why don't you let me... Hold on, King. I'm going to beat you. You can stop pouting now, baby. Why don't you take a walk for yourself into that sinkhole and sniff yourself a little mud? Oh, baby, just because I don't care for the type you've got? Maybe if I give you a peck on the forehead, it'll make the world all right with you. Maybe if I... Hey. Hey, you know something? Why don't you give it up, Joe? When Slate comes with the food, let us get off the island. We won't go to the police. We'll make out this has all been a wild, wild dream. I promise you. We'll forget about it. It's five o'clock, baby. You need to hide in a hair of Shannon. You know what that means for you? Oh, Slate's never on time. He always plays hard to get. You'll see. He'll be here. You can always depend on Slate. Dependable Slate, they call him. Through thick and thin, Shannon. I never did this routine before. I didn't know it was funny. Look at him. Look at your Shannon. A prowler through the evening woodlands. Watch him die, baby. Put down that gun. Don't shoot him. Get off the arm. Get off it! You lost it. You lost it, baby. You ruined my aim. So sit there and watch. See how your fellow's gonna die. It's dark, Slate. I'll light your way with this gun. Don't be a fool, Donnelly. The food's on the boat. All you have to do is go down and get it. I see you, Slate. Don't move. Coming into that brush after you. I said, don't move! Did I hit you, Shannon? Don't be crazy. I've got my hands over my head. Keep him there! Hi, Shannon. Bring back any anchovies? I'm a fool for anchovies. Where's Sailor? Let me tell you about her, Shannon. Your baby's fickle. She wanted to deal you out and deal me in. But all I gave her was a promise I'd let her watch you die. Here we go with the prods again, Shannon. I wanted to see it up close. Sailor tried to tease you away from the gun, huh? Yeah, among other things. But like you see, she didn't make it. She didn't make it at all. You look different, kid. Yeah, pale and puny. That's only from a lack of vitamins. You'll fix that. I meant the little black box. It's not nestling under your arm the way it always is. Don't worry your ugly little head. I got it stashed away where it won't hurt nobody. Figuring on hanging around here long? Not long. Just long enough to fill in the hungry gaps. Get rid of you. Make sure the cops are tired of playing hide and seek with me. What are you going to do with Sailor? Don't worry. We'll get along. Okay, you can stop now, Shannon. You're giving me a choice. I can jump into this sinkhole or you'll shoot me into it, huh? That's about it, Shannon. I'm going to give you the choice. Thanks. Hey, Sailor! Come here! Your boy's going to die. You want to watch? Hey, Sailor! Slate, you shouldn't have come back. Yeah, your boy's been telling me how maybe you didn't want me to come back. Well, I hope you two monsters will be very happy together. Thanks, Slate. Joe, I want to give you something. This. Hey, I hid that box in the ruins. Where did you get it? In the ruins. You don't want me to have it? Okay, I'll throw it into that sinkhole. No! No! You fool! You stupid... Get him, Slate! Oh, no! Slate, that sinkhole. You can't let him... What's to worry? I've got hold of his ankles. Well, pull him out. I know what to do with a man in a sinkhole. He needs a mud pack. Sailor, you weren't really going to run out on me for this guy, were you? For all I care, you can let go of his ankles. That's all I wanted to know. There! I've got him out. There's grub on the boat, Sailor. You can go make me a hot meal. Hey, Slate, come here. Yeah, what do you want, Sailor? You remember how we went fishing and you couldn't catch fish? Well, don't rub it in. I had an off day. I caught fish. And you remember on Dorado Key you said there were no seagull eggs? Admiral Perry couldn't have found a seagull egg on that key. No. Look. What in the... What's that? It's a young seagull. Goes by the name of Melvin. He's all yours, Slate. Well, don't hold him so close. Sailor, keep him away from me. Melvin likes you, Slate. Well, don't tell me you paid money for this worm bait. Uh-uh. I found the egg Melvin came out of on Dorado Key. Well, how'd he hatch? You remember you fell asleep on the boat coming home? And I loaded you with all those warm blankets. And I told you, don't move. Sailor, you mean? Yeah, I mean. Melvin, say hello to Daddy. And so our two stars Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall have brought to a close our latest bold venture story. Special music was composed and conducted by David Rose, may we invite you to listen again next week at this time for another exciting adventure starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall together in Bold Venture.
