Most Saturdays at this time, we spend an exciting half hour of adventure and action with America's public hero number one, Hopalong Cassidy. Well, even two-fisted cowboys take summer vacations when they can, and Hoppy is no exception. Hopalong and Topper will be back with us riding the CBS air trails again nine weeks from tonight, September 22nd. Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker's road, and those who travel it wind up in the gutter of the prison of the grave. There's no other end. But they never learn. From the pen of Raymond Chandler, outstanding author of crime fiction, comes his most famous character in The Adventures of Philip Marlowe. Now, with Gerald Moore, starred as Philip Marlowe, we bring you tonight's exciting story, Wife Can Be Murdered. The sign in the half-light above the entrance reads, Bell's Trifle Inn. If you say it fast enough, you may be right. It's authentic English script, and it hangs over the door of an authentic English restaurant just south of the authentic Sunset Strip, owned and bartended by Bell Smithers. Inside, from the paneling to the prime ribs and the Welsh Rabbit to the dot board at one end of the bar. It's the Union Jack all the way. And it figures. Bell's authentic, too. 100% pure. Nebraska. I always sit at the bar. Milo, you old dog. You've been neglecting me. Yeah, well, I've tried to stay away from you, honey, but I can't. You're bigger than both of us. Oh, you and your palaver. Yeah, me and what you said. You want a drink, honey? Yeah, but make it with your own light hand for a change, will you? I'm tired of walking out of here on my knees. Just an ounce? The water will float it. Okay, honey, it's your poison. And my stomach lining. Hey, looks like most of the regulars are here, huh? Don't you ever get tired of looking at the same old faces? I can stand it as long as they can. Oh, Marlowe, I kind of like it. Clubby this way. You get a few people who just come in to see what a lady bar keeps like, but most of them are just regular folks, you know, real people who like the food. And drink, huh, Belle? Oh, yeah, sure. Sometimes I forget. I get all carried away working my job. Cheers, baby. Yeah, thanks, honey. Oh. You know, sometimes you forget a lot of things, I think, like teaching school in, where was it, Nebraska? Ogallala. That name don't stick with you worth a darn, does it? Ogallala. Yeah. Does that mean anything? Oh, it does to the folks back there. County, see, the Keith County sits right there on the South Flat River. That's just south of the North Flat River. Yeah, well, that's a nice arrangement there. No, Marlowe, that's one thing I'll never forget. Keep in school back there in Ogallala. I'd have clear if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't be doing this now. You see, these rich cattle folks, they come through from Cheyenne, and what do they got but a 13-year-old shaver? And where are they going with the shaver but England, and what do they need but a tutor? And who do they draw but me? Right out of 10th grade, social studies at Ogallala High School. You know, I got a feeling you've heard this song before Yeah, just a few thousand times, Belle But don't worry, I like it Matter of fact Excuse me, Mr. Smith Oh, call me Belle, honey What can I do for you? Well, the young lady said you've kept the darts at the bar Oh, for the darts? Oh, yeah, sure, I do Well, it is all right throwing darts, isn't it? I'm waiting for someone and I thought I'd... Oh, it's perfectly all right, honey Just make yourself at home There. There you are. Thank you. Oh, I hope I didn't bother you. Oh, I'm so glad you did. In fact, if you want to build a house, I'd like that, too. Well, thank you for the dive. Hey, Bill, that red hair, the green eyes. Oh, Marlowe, you and your... Don't say it. Just pour me another palaver in water. If you don't beat a heart, I declare. Look out, Marlowe. Bullseye. She made it, Marlowe. Your head was right in front of the target, and she still made it. Yeah, well, I'm very happy for it. I hope I didn't frighten you. I had no idea your head was in the way. Neither did my head, as long as it's you. Oh, look, I'm really sorry. Sorry? Why, we haven't had a bullseye or a week. That rates a drink and dinner on the house. A bell. For two, of course. A bell girl. Right now, tonight. Come again. Where's Marlowe here, naturally? That's my girl. The red hair and green eyes smiled A nice smile Went along with the gag We toasted her throwing arm, my head And Belle's solid sense of judgment And putting the dartboard at head level at one end of the bar By the time we moved to a table for two I knew her name was Marnie Carr Before dinner was over I had a pretty good idea that everything about her Was all right with me Hey Marnie You got that look again Oh, really? Which one? The, uh, dark one. Happens every time you look toward the door. Oh, yes, I expect it does. You see, I'm not exactly a free agent. Oh? Someone brought me here. Said he'd be back. Ah. Think he'll object to our little party, is that it? No. Not really. I, I guess I hope he doesn't come back. I hope so, too. Tell me, can I play 20 questions? I'd rather you didn't. Okay. You know, I really feel pretty silly. It's, well, it's so easy being with you. Oh. Like I've known you a long time, and I practically picked you up. You know, I've never done a thing like that in my life. Yeah, well, Belle picked us both up. I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think you even heard me. it's very important to me that you know I've never picked anyone up. Sure. I believe you. You know what I mean, then? Mm-hmm. It's like I'm doing something wrong and I should feel guilty about it. But I don't. Oh, dear. I'm not making any sense at all, am I? Look, why don't you just forget about it, huh? You said you felt easy with me. That's enough, isn't it? Yes, that's enough. Well, I guess... I really think I should go now. Oh, Bill will never forgive you for not finishing the trifle. There's house specialty, you know. Well, maybe I'll come back sometime. I'll eat a double order. Ah. Will you uh let me take you home Oh I don know It be all right Marnie Very all right Well Can I take you home Yes. Yes, you can. Good girl. We'll stop by the bar and slip Belle the grip, and then we'll be on our way. Yes, I do want to thank you. And who did they draw but me right out of 10th grade social studies at Ogallala High School? Yeah, yeah, you told me, Belle. Great story. You ought to change it a little, Belle, just for listener interest. Hiya, Matthew. Oh, hello, Phil. What brings you up? Uh, Miss Carr, Lieutenant Matthews. How do you do? Miss Carr. Great dinner, Belle. Dinner, Belle? Oh, I lost my head. Honestly, Marlowe, I declare you say the turn just that. Yeah, I'm a regular, yeah, yeah. It was a very nice dinner, Belle. Thank you. My pleasure, honey. You come again. She will. Night off, Matthews? Yeah, so far. Hey, you two have a drink with me? I think the young lady's anxious to go home. Oh, I'm afraid I'm taking Phil out of his way, Lieutenant, but Bedford Drive isn't too far. Maybe he could... Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. I'll make my own arrangements. I know some lovely folks on Bedford. The Dickinson, 600 block. Do you know them? No, no, I don't. I'm north of there at 2470. Oh. Yeah, well, we'll see you, huh? Night, Belle, Matthew. Good night. It was nice to meet you both. Yeah, good night. Turn right at this corner. It's the last house I know. Oh. Say, uh, Marnie, can we do this again? Oh, I don't know, Phil. I... Are you usually at Bell's in case I get the urge to throw darts again? Yeah, well, I also have a home, and I'll get a dart board. Let's keep it at Bell's. Maybe later sometime, I'll... Oh, wait a minute. What? This is the house. Oh. Hey, looks like you got company. Car in the driveway. Yes, I see it. I wonder who... The guy who was supposed to come back and didn't? I'll say goodnight here, Phil. Don't bother coming to the door. Oh, now, look, I think I... I mean it. I... Well, maybe I'll see you at Bell's again. Don't call us. We'll call you. Is that it? That's it, Phil. Thanks. I liked it. Great work, Marlowe. She's so crazy about you. She's running the other way. Paul, what on earth are you doing? I'm going to be back. Who's watching? Never mind, Paul. Let's go inside. Good night, Bill. Thanks again. It wasn't ideal the way the evening ended. Not the way I'd planned it, but then how could you plan an evening like that? Girl meets dot, girl throws dot, girl meets boy. Didn't make much sense, but it didn't have to. It was a nice evening. Short, but nice. Monica was a nice girl. And I decided to leave it at that. Nice girl. It was straight up 11 o'clock when I got home. I thought about the red hair and the green eyes for several pleasant minutes, and then I went to bed to sleep. Hmm. For chance to dream. Oh, well. Oh. Oh. Hello. Matthews, Phil. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That girl you were with last night, where was it she lived? Where did she live? Yeah. Look, it's not even 8 o'clock in the morning. You're asking... Oh, make it easy, Phil. Was it 24-70 Bedford Drive? Yes, it was 24-70 Bedford Drive. and if you're in a hurry, maybe you can get there in time for breakfast. I'm already here, Phil. And you better come on out. A dame has been murdered. In just a moment, we will return to the second act of Philip Marlowe. But first, so you think this old world of ours is fresh out of miracles? Maybe you sort of long for the days of the Arabian Nights or folks of fable who possessed those magic wands, lamps, rings, talismans that all produced wonders. Well, if you do, you'll find CBS's Mr. Aladdin, a refreshing gent to meet. He gets the name Mr. Aladdin from the fact that his exciting adventures have the atmosphere of miracles about them. Listen for him later this evening on most of these same CBS stations. And now with our star, Gerald Moore The second act of Philip Marlowe And tonight's story, Life Can Be Murdered All the way to Beverly Hills I tried hard to see the face of the guy in the doorway the night before Paul, Monty had called him But it was no use You can't remember a face you never saw and the car in the driveway when I took her home, a Chevy Coupe, gray, two-door, 49 or 50. Ah, there are millions of them. It had been blue and bright with stars the night before. The morning was hazy, overcast, and so was I. Matthews met me at the door. Come on in, Phil. Sure. Tell me, uh, how long you known her? Last night. You sure? I'm sure. Any idea what happened? Oh, yeah, yeah. Someone was looting the place. The back door was jimmied and some stuff missing. This dame must have interrupted it and got herself killed. Where is she? About the cops? Yes, the cops. In here. I... Hey. That's not Marnie. Did I say it was? Oh. No, but I thought that... Never mind. Do you know who this is? Yeah. Yeah, Ann Harkness, according to identification of her purse. Oh? She's from New York. Taxi driver brought her here about 11 last night from the airport, and the coroner says she must have been shot shortly after that. Uh-huh. You bring your girlfriend straight here from Bell's? Yeah. Well, that's new for you. All right, huh? That would put her here by 10.30 easy. So? So the taxi driver says a red-headed gal answered the door and let the Harkness woman in. That doesn't prove a thing. No, no, no, it doesn't. I'd like to talk to her, though, Phil. You know where she lives? She lives here, doesn't she? Uh-uh. The house belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Orville Edwards. They're out of town. They got called to Chicago yesterday with the death in the family. And the neighbors don't know anything about this, Miss Carr, was it? Yeah, Marnie Carr. Yeah. Well I got a call into Chicago for the Edwardses They ought to clear it up Got something here Lieutenant Oh hello Mr Marlowe Hiya Mooney Yeah what do you got Sergeant Well this address book Phone number from the phone desk in the hall Nobody named Carl is at home. Okay. This note might be something from the big bedroom upstairs. Under the house. All right, let's see. It's signed Marnie, Phil. It is? Let me have a look. Yeah. Dear Mrs. Edwards, thanks for the lovely remembrance. You're very thoughtful. I'll tell Miss Harkness to make herself a note. Yeah, whatever that means. I'll keep looking around, Lieutenant. Do that, Mooney, huh? Well, as soon as the Chicago call comes through, we'll get our hooks into something. Look, Matthews, you mind if I look around? Oh, help yourself. You got any ideas? Yeah. I don't think Monty had anything to do with it, and I don't know where she lives. Okay. Okay, Phil. Only leave the note with me, huh? I looked around and tried to figure things that didn't figure. Marnie didn't live here, but she knew the Edwards. That is, she knew Mrs. Edwards, and she addressed her as Mrs. Edwards and signed herself Marnie. Maid, maybe, huh? Paul could have been anybody. And I wanted to find Marnie before I took up the matter of Paul with Matthews. Upstairs, by the phone in the master bedroom, I found something Sergeant Mooney had overlooked. Another address looked smaller with phone numbers. I flipped through it. There was nothing under C for car, but under M for Marnie, there was a Crestview number, but no address. I decided to take the book with me. Are you still here, Phil? Yeah, yeah, just leaving. Oh, look, uh... Hey. What? About that car, girl. Yeah? She may be the sweetest kid in town, and she may be a killer. You never know. Thanks for the tip. And, uh, I didn't call you to get in my way, Phil. If I find her, I'll tell you. Fair enough? Yeah, yeah, fair enough. Just don't get lost. finding you. It was kind of a break. Head start, at least. I had a phone number for Marnie that Matthews didn't have, and I wasn't for her against him. He knew that. I just couldn't think murder and Marnie in the same thought. Until I could, I'd string with her if I could find her. The morning haze was lifting somewhat as I stopped at a gas station on the strip and used the pay phone. Mr. Felix, good morning. Uh, what'd you say this way? This is Mr. Felix's beauty salon. Oh. Oh, is Marnie there, please? I'm sorry. Miss Marnie's not in today. Can someone else help you? No, I, uh... Look, would you be kind enough to give me a home phone? I'm sorry, sir. We're not allowed to give out phone numbers. Oh, but I'm an old... It doesn't matter who you are. I can't give you her number. Okay, thanks. May I help you, sir? I just talked to you a few minutes ago on the phone about Marnie. I told you then. I tell you now. We are not permitted to give out numbers. How did you find us? Well, Mr. Felix is in the book and Marnie is not. Look, really, this is important. I'm doing this for her. I've given Mr. Felix my word, and I've never broken it. Yeah, well, I don't doubt it. Oh, Marnie's friend here. You know the special one? She keeps talking about her all the time. Isn't it strange? I can't remember her name. Peg? Yes, yes, Peg. Sure, that's the one. Can I talk to him? Well, I... Oh, all right. Oh. 36. Desk, please. 36, please. Thank you. I hope this never gets back to Mr. Felix. I can't imagine what he'd think. Oh, I can't either, but don't worry. My lips are sealed. You blasphemy, Liz? Oh, yes, 36. Peg, this gentleman. Over here, Peggy. It's about Marnie. Ah? What about Marnie? Well, I don't have a home phone or her address. She wouldn't give it to you, huh? Well, no. She, uh... She wouldn't. You look all right to me. What's wrong with you? Nothing. Here. I'm a nice, clean-cut fella. Yeah. Looks like. Yeah? Uh, what do you want with Marnie? Well, I just want to see her. Good enough, Reza? Best in the world. She don't feel too well today. She called me first thing this morning. Your fault? No, no, no, I don't think so, no. Tell me, what did she say when she called? That she didn't feel too well. Ah. Now, look, Peg, does Marnie go out to Mrs. Edwards often? Just when she's called to do her hair. Good enough reason? Oh, best in the world. Do I get that phone number? Ridgely, 0040. 0040. Yeah. And that's 1637 North Vermont, apartment B. Ridgely, 0040, 1637 North Vermont, apartment B. And walk softly by A. That's the landlady. Yeah, well, I'll remember. Thanks, Peggy. And, uh, if you don't find her, come back. I'll give you mine. Peg was something of a prophet, among other things. Well, there was no answer to my knock at 1637 North Vermont, Apartment B, and no answer to the phone call I placed in the lobby. So I quit walking softly by Apartment A, knocked there and the doorway was suddenly filled with a solid block of granite. Yes, I'm a landlady, but if she don't answer the door, it makes sense to me. She ain't in. Well, have you seen her this morning? Ain't seen her since she went to work yesterday morning. Ain't seen him either. Her husband? Husband? Young man. Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. You know, I was getting proud of my head. It could dodge anything from flying darts to door slams near the eyebrow. But that was about all I was proud of at the moment. I wasn't exactly closing in on money. The landlady's snort didn't give me much of a line on Paul, if that's who she was exhaling about. And there was the matter of Ann Harkness, who flew into Los Angeles the night before, just in time to be murdered. Well, I drove to a nearby drive-in and mulled it over a sandwich Coffee was grim, too I was starting in on the routine that begins with If I were Marnie, where would I go? And I got a flash of an idea Ten minutes later, I was banging on another door Bell! Bell! Anybody home? Bell! Oh, Marlowe, come in I'll arrange for swinging doors first thing tomorrow I sorry Belle but I got an idea I told you lately we not open for lunch I said I sorry didn I It just Oh I sorry to you Marlowe I guess I kind of off my feet today I sure you ought to see what that butcher sent me in the name of Prime Rib And Charlotte Hall said she'd floundered like a beached whale all night. Bad tooth. She was here. Well, will you run down? And when I got here, this was here for you. Oh, let's see. Someone shoved it under the door, I guess. At least that's where I found it. Mm-hmm. Well, and the Goshen, come in! Get enough people, we'll put on a floor show. You have been a busy boy, Phil. Hiya, Bell. Make yourself at home, Lieutenant. I got work to do. If you know that, you also know I'm getting nowhere. Yeah, maybe. Hey, listen. Huh? You been tailing me, Matthews? Tailing you? Oh, no. Yeah, that's what I said. No, no. Just the boy's been going the same place as you have. Ah. A little bit later all the way around, and along about the second stop, the description began to fit you. It did. Now, look, tell me, how did your phone call to Chicago come up? Oh, we found out where your Marnie Carr fits in. Oh? Yeah. That Harkness name was a friend from New York who came to call on the Edwardses. And they tried to intercept her when they got the call about that family death in Chicago. Only they couldn't reach her. Now, your Marnie told Mrs. Edwards she'd stick around the house and wait for the Harkness name. Is that all? Well, they described some of the stuff that might be missing. We checked, and it is. It is, huh? Yeah. Tell me, how do you figure Marnie by now? How can I figure her, Phil? She's missing. Yeah. Yeah. She is missing, isn't she, Phil? I said if I found her, I'd tell you. You remember? Oh, yes. I remember, Phil. I just want to make sure you do. I had a reason for not telling Matthews about the note Belle gave me. It would sign Marnie, all right, but it wasn't the same handwriting I'd seen in the note she left for Mrs. Edwards. It said, Phil, meet me at 8.30 tonight in the park above the bluffs of Santa Monica. That was all. Except 8.30 was like six hours away. And it's just dark here at 8.30. And a fella can get killed keeping that kind of an appointment. You ever wait six hours for something to happen? Oh, it's no fun. Neither is the thought that maybe something final has happened to a pretty nice person. I was almost sure now that Paul was my boy. But almost wasn't close enough. And I had to find Marnie if she could be found. Now I got to the park above the Santa Monica Bluffs about 15 minutes early. Left my car a block or so away. And all the way to the park, I watched for a gray Chevy Coupe, 49 or 50. When you look for them, they're hard to see. And then I saw it. Parking half a block down, a guy got out and headed into the park. I let him go, got to his car about the time he reached the bluffs. I don't know what I thought I'd find, but not in my wildest dreams did I expect what I found. Three minutes later, I was foot-the-floor boarding it up the coast highway toward Malibu. The Seaway Motel, 21245 Malibu Road. That's the way the parking ticket I lifted from under the windshield wiper on the Chevy Red. And that was good enough for me. I hit two wrong doors before I found the one I wanted, and I had a spring to lock. Marnie. Place rough, doesn't he? Here. He'll untie your wrists. He knows he can get away with it. Phil, I've been such an idiot. You love him a lot, huh? who... who doesn't love their own kid brother. Paul is your kid brother? Yeah, all mine. Write it down somewhere, Phil. Big sisters don't make good mothers. Take it easy, honey. You're okay now. Sure, I'm fine. First I catch Paul stealing from the Edwards. Then I stand there like a zombie and watch him shoot down a woman he had never seen before. Take it easy, honey. Oh, Phil, I'm sorry. I didn't want to drag you into this. He asked me who you were when you brought me to the Edwards last night. I'd never heard of you, but Paul had... Wait a minute. Wait a minute. That's probably him now. Be careful, Phil. He's crazy. Now be ready for him. Right behind the door. Your bright boyfriend stood me up. We've got to get out of here. Hey, hey, what is this? You better... Oh, Phil. He's just a kid. Yeah. Just a kid. I called Matthews and wandered up. Everything checked, everything balanced. Paul cried like the baby he was and blabbed his head off when he came to. Marnie just cried. Funny how many people dispose of anything from mayhem to murder with the phrase, he's just a kid. I bet someone said that about Capone, Dillinger, and pretty boy Floyd. Now take Marnie. Cheese. What a kid. The Adventures of Philip Marlowe bringing you Raymond Chandler's most famous character, star Gerald Moore, are produced and directed by Norman McDonald and written for radio by Kathleen Height. Featured in the cast were Virginia Gregg and Joan Banks with Paul Dubov, Jim Nusser, June Whitley, Shirley Mitchell, and Marjorie Bennett. Detective Lieutenant Matthews was played by Larry Dobkin. Gerald Moore may soon be seen in the Santana production, Sirocco. The special music is composed by Pierre Garagank and conducted by Wilbur Hatch. Be sure to listen again next week at the same time when Philip Marlowe says... This time a pair of cross telephone wires put the good neighbor policy into effect. To the murderous accompaniment of an off-key xylophone, one good neighbor almost kills another good neighbor. A fella named Marlowe. .
