Listen, while the makers of Rexall drug products and 10,000 independent Rexall family drugists bring you Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, private detective. Good evening. This is your Rexall family drugist speaking to you for the 10,000 independent drugists who have made the word Rexall part of our own store names and who recommend and sell the 2,000 or more drug products made by the Rexall drug company, like Rexall MI-31 for example, Rexall's popular and versatile mouthwash, gargle, and breath deodorant. Full strength MI-31 kills contacted germs almost instantly, yet will not harm the delicate membranes of the mouth and throat. Ask for Rexall MI-31 at Rexall drug stores everywhere, and remember, you can depend on any drug product that bears the name Rexall. Good health to all from Rexall. Now your Rexall family drugist brings you another exciting half hour with Richard Diamond, private detective, starring Dick Powell. Diamond Detective Agency, when it's murder or less and you're caught in a mess if you can't pay my fee, my advice is confess. Rick, you old son of a gun. This is Frank. Frank? Oh, Frank Bowers? Yeah, yeah. Oh, it's good to talk to you again, Rick. How you been? Well, no complaints, Frank. What's with you? Doing great, Rick. Just great. Brought me a half interest in a gym here in town. Yeah? Sell all your fighters? Oh, but one. Boy by the name of Max Farmer. Say he's going to the main event tonight. You want to catch him? Well, it all depends. Who's throwing him? No, Rick, no. This boy's really good. Say, why don't you drop by the arena tonight? Oh, I'd love to. I'd love to drop by the arena tonight. Oh, sorry, Frank. I got a date and she hates the sight of blood. Ah, talk her into it, boy. I'll leave a couple of passes for you at the gate. Passes? Yeah, sure, sure. Well, I'm a sucker for a good argument. See you tonight, Frank. That night I led Helen to our seats at ringside. She was dressed to kill and from the look on her face, I thought I might be the first on her list. Rick. Yes, baby? Would you mind telling the man behind me to stop dripping mustard on my mink? Oh, sure, sure, honey. Hey, buster, please do not feed the animals. That's the good boy. Rick, why, of all places, the fights? But, honey, these are $10 seats. Hey, Ricky, Ricky, glad you could use the passes. Move your feet, Rockefeller, and let the man in. Oh, gee, it's good to see you again, Rick. Say, say, I want you to meet Lorna Thorne. I, uh, wow. Hanging on to Frank's arm, I saw why boys like girls. She was wearing slightly more than the fighter. Had so many curves, I got seasick just looking at her. As I stared, I suddenly felt a strange sensation in my legs. Helen was digging her heel into my shin. Come up for air, Ricky dear. Hmm? Oh, uh, honey, honey, I want you to meet Frank Bowers. Sally, I know you anywhere. Rick's told me a lot about you. Frank. That was five years ago. This is Helen. Oops. I'm sorry, I'm mistaken. Lorna, I want you to meet Helen. Hiya. Well, when in Rome. Hiya. What a spot for a thesaurus. Hey, sit over there, will you, honey? I want to sit next to Rick. Oh, Rick, it's a shame I didn't tip you to this fight earlier. You could have put some dough on my boy and really cleaned up. Uh, you think he'll win, huh? Yeah, I know he'll win. He's fighting Lou Scott, strictly a bum from upstate. The syndicate made the match just to build up Farmer's name and pick up some easy dough on the side. And now he tells me. Yeah, here's my boy getting in the ring now. I watched Max Farmer climb through the ropes, stop, smile at the television cameras, then at the crowd, then at the cameras again. If the people at home thought they were seeing a reissue of the hairy ape, then television had improved. Because that's exactly how Max looked. Ladies and gentlemen, this is your main event. And now, the 10 rounds of boxing. In the white corner, wearing black trunks, weighing 175, and hailing from Buffalo, Lou Scott. And in the black corner, wearing purple trunks, weighing 179, and right from our own New York City, Max Farmer. The boys met in the center of the ring, received some bodily advice from the referee, shook gloves, and went back to their corners. Okay, Max, okay, now boy, give it to him. Come on, get him, come on, get him. Well, Frank was right. It certainly was a push over. Two minutes later, the fight was seven counts from being over. Only it wasn't Lou Scott who was fast asleep on the canvas. The sleeping goodie was Frank's boy, Max Farmer. Max, Max, get up. Max, please, come on. Max, Max, get up. Get up, you bastard. Don't you teach your fighters to duck, Frank? Oh, I don't understand any, it's all wrong, Rick. Rick, how can that man sleep up there with all this noise? Oh, Helen. Just call me Sal. Now can we go home? Sure, baby. Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, stick around, will you? I may have a job for you. Oh? Yeah, yeah, look, I'm going down to the dressing room. Meet me there in ten minutes. Come on, Lawn. From the look on Frank's face, I could tell he was worried. So I took Helen outside and put her in a cab. She was a good sport about going home alone, though. Didn't say a word, not even goodbye. Then I went back inside and made my way to Farmer's dressing room. Inside I could hear Frank's angry voice. Come on, come on. All right. All right, so you won't tell me who. But she ain't gonna get away with the smacks. I'll find out, and when I do, you'll be back there. Frank! I'll be right out, Rick. And remember this, you bum. We're through, see? Through! Hello, Rick. Aren't you a little tougher than a guy just for losing a fight? Farmer lost that fight before he ever got into the ring. It was fixed. That's strong talk, Frank. Got anything to back it up? Look, I know this boy. I trained him myself. He could have won tonight's fight with his eyes shut. Somebody paid him to take a dive. Maybe it was his own idea. Oh, Max don't get ideas. He's too dumb. Whew. Rick. Rick, I want you to find out who was behind this fix. Well, you make it sound simple. Got any leads? Maybe. Drop by the gym the first thing in the morning, and we'll start from there. First thing next morning, I went on to Frank's gym. They say the early bird gets the worm, and I guess it's true. For standing right inside the door was none other than Sarge Adonis. Quiet and joy at the fifth precinct. Pardon me, but aren't you Jack Dempsey? No, my name is... Oh, Diamond, you here? Very observant, Otis. You're improving. Learned to blow a whistle yet? Oh, why do I always have to run into you? Aren't you afraid to be out without your keeper? Where's Walt? Frank, what are you doing here? Oh, hi, Walt. Well, I've got a client here. What's your excuse? Routine check on a suicide. Guy by the name of Frank Bowers, leave from the Brooklyn Bridge. What? Frank Bowers? Yeah, know him? Yeah. Oh, are you sure about this? It's open and shut. Three witnesses saw him do it. He pulled his body out of the river this morning. Oh, I can't believe it. Frank had no reason to kill himself. I was with him all last evening. That's a good reason. Shut up, Otis. Sorry, Rick, but these things happen. No, not to guys like Frank. He was no quitter. Are you sure about those witnesses? They're ordinary citizens, Rick. We took their statements this morning. That still sounds funny, Walt. Rick, I know it's hard to believe a friend would take the easy way out, but in this case, it's a fact. Walt, Frank was a good friend. Before I believe he killed himself, someone's got to convince me. All right, all right. Otis, drive Diamond out to those witnesses' homes. I'll walk back to the office. Oh, Lieutenant, why do you always pick on me? Fate, Otis. Don't fight it. It's bigger than us. Come on. Otis drove like a madman, which was strictly in character. The first witness, a butcher named Henry Burton, was at work. But the butcher's wife, a typical homemaker, gave us her version of Frank's death. And just like I told the police, off went the overcoat and over he went. Oh, it was awful. The woman trembled, Otis gloated, and I grabbed my hat. Her husband worked at a nearby market and their stories checked. That took care of the first two witnesses. Then we drove to the home of Bill Voss, the third and final witness. Well, I was coming home from a late movie and I started across the Manhattan approach to the bridge. This guy, Bowers, was about 10 yards in front of me. I was foggy and I couldn't see him very well. But I could make him up when he stopped. He threw off his topcoat, climbed the guardrail, and dived in. I yelled, but it was too late. I'm the one who called the police. The stories all checked, but I still wasn't convinced. So I had Otis drop me off at Frank's gym. If Frank did kill himself, then there had to be a reason. I decided to check on Frank's partner, one Ben Lamb. I found him in his office. It's too bad about Frank. Lamb, what about the business here? Any trouble that might explain why Frank did it? No, everything's running smoothly here. Of course, it was last night's fight, but that's out of the question. Then maybe it's an answer. Keep talking. Yeah, the syndicate is looking for whoever fixed last night's fight. They play kind of rough when they're mad. Maybe Frank was afraid of what they might do to him. You mean he'd kill himself just to save them a bullet? Nah, that's false economy. It's just a thought. Forget it. I have. But I take it you think Frank was behind the fix. I didn't say that. The farmer couldn't plant it himself. He's too dumb. Frank was too smart. I said it. It's just a thought. That you may be partly right. Maybe Frank's death does have something to do with last night's fight. Is Max Farmer around? I saw him outside earlier. Thanks. Now, Mr. Diamond, might I ask what makes you so interested in Frank's suicide? Was it suicide, Mr. Lamb? Well, wasn't it suicide? I ask you first. See you around, Lamb. Before we continue with the adventures of Richard Diamond, private detective, here's your Rexall family druggist. Last week a customer told me that... Something I really like about Rexall Milk of Magnesia is that one bottle won't be so thick I can't even pour it, and the next one thin and watery. Somehow, Rexall Milk of Magnesia always seems to be just right. Well, ma'am, that's because every bottle of Rexall Milk of Magnesia has to meet an exacting standard of viscosity or it won't wear the Rexall label. What do you mean by viscosity? Well, an easy definition would be the degree of thickness in the liquid. Now, Rexall scientists conduct scientifically precise tests on every batch of Rexall Milk of Magnesia to make sure it meets this constant standard of viscosity, because that's one big reason why you'll always get a uniform dosage from every bottle. Oh, and I thought it was all just an accident. Oh, no, ma'am. There are no accidents behind the fact you can always depend on any drug product that bears the name Rexall. And now back to tonight's adventure with Richard Diamond, Private Detective, starring Dick Powell. I stood in the center of Frank's gymnasium, certain that Frank's supposed suicide had something to do with last night's fight. But how? That was the jackpot question. In one corner of the gym, I saw Max Farmer hitting a punching bag with a methodical, monotonous rhythm. I walked over to him. Max? Yeah? My name is Diamond. Yeah? I was a friend of Frank Bowers. Huh? Well, if you can spare any more words, I'd like to ask you a question. Look, if it's about last night, forget it, see? I don't know nothing about nothing. No argument there, but I came to see you about boxing. Huh? I don't get you. Well, Frank always said you were one of the best, and I thought you could give me a few pointers. Oh. You, uh, you a fighter? No, no, no. I just like to show off at the Y. You know how it is. Oh, sure, sure. Well, you get some trunks from the shower boy, and we'll go with you. You can have plenty for me. Good, Max. That's just what I'm hoping to learn. Plenty. The shower boys gave me a pair of gloves and purple trunks. I felt like a self-conscious tulip as I entered the ring, but Max seemed quite impressed. Hey, you got a pretty good bill. I also go steady. You all set? Yeah, I'm ready. Put them up. No, not above your head. Max, we come from different environments. Okay, let's go. Hey, you're not bad. Just lucky. Hey, when will I tell my friends that I box with the Max Farmer? Yeah, they like that, huh? Like it. I'll be a hero. After all, Max, you've never lost a fight. Oh, I forgot last night. Sorry. Oh, don't think nothing about that fight. I'll be up there again. You'll see. Oh, no doubt. Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute, wait. Let's take a break. I'm winded. Okay. You know, you fighters have a lot of perseverance. Huh? Yeah, yeah, that's what we got, all right, from what you said. I guess good athletes are just born, huh? Not made. But it gets to truth. You know, I've been in sports since grade school. Still at it? What, sports? Uh, skip it. I bet you were good even then, Max. Oh, boy, was I. I played football in high school. Made all state. Weren't always a boxer, huh? No, no, I've done everything. Hey, tell me, tell me, what's the greatest exhibition of sports in the world? Go on, now, go on, think. Uh, Shriners' Convention? Shriners'... Ah, no. The Olympics. And I was in them, too. Would have won, but Marshall Wang beat me on points. My, my, boy, I have a lot to tell my friends. You know, there's just one other fighter I'd like to brag about sparring with. That's Lou Scott. Lou Scott? What? That Scott's a bum. I could whip him with my eyes shut. Oh? I heard that's how you lost. Look, forget about last night. That fight was fi... Go on, Max. Oh, yeah, I had a headache last night. That's all. Now, I gotta take a shower. See you around. It was the first time I'd ever gone fishing in a boxing ring. I was hoping to find out who was behind the fix. That might throw some light on Frank's death. But to coin an old phrase, the big one got away. Next on my list was the girl Frank was with at the fight, Lorna Thorne. She danced at the Silver Circle, a small nightclub not far from the gym. I went backstage, climbed the iron stairs, and found her room. Just a sec. Well, Mr. Diamond. Hello, Miss Thorne. Sit down. Care for a drink? It all depends. Are we drowning our sorrow or celebrating? I don't get you. Well, you don't seem too upset about Frank. Oh, that. I'm not the type to cry, honey. Ruins mascara. Oh, don't get me wrong. I liked Frank. I liked him a lot, but we were both in it just for the last... Mm-hmm. Tell me, did Frank come up here after he left the arena? Yeah. He came up, and we talked till it was time for my number. He left about midnight. Did he seem upset? Now that you mention it, he did. Lorna, how well do you know Ben Lamb? I've only seen him around. Why? Well, Lamb thinks Frank might have been behind a fixed fight. Hmm. Could be. He sure was nervous. Mm, I see. You and Lamb didn't compare stories by any chance? I told you, I've only seen him around. Uh-huh. Hey, this is a nice main coat. And saving unemployment checks? I'm a working gal, remember? Oh, come now, honey. You don't learn enough here to buy this kind of coat? I'm a bookie on the side. Hmm. Patterson's Furriers on the label. That's real richie kit. Thanks. Now I gotta change. Okay. Oh, don't run off. I'll only be a minute. Uh, some of the time, honey. Suit yourself. I'll be around. I'll bet you will. I went back to my office, locked the door, put my oxbloods up on my dusty desk, and tried to think. There was no logical motive for suicide, but there was plenty for murder. Lamb would inherit Frank's half of the business. Farmer might have been afraid Frank would blackball him with other managers. And Lorna was the type who would do anything for a fast buck. But then there was that constant headache, the three witnesses. My thoughts were all jumbled up. I kept trying to remember everything that had been said today. I kept hearing voices in a jumbled sequence. You need a syndicate, please, Ruff. Frank may have been afraid. Why have you been in sports since grade school? Snobel and Shutt case, Rick. You're a hard man to convince, Shummers. Then over he went. Oh, it was awful. Frank behind us? Yeah, it was only a thought damning. I'm not the type to cry honey ruins mascara. Then he climbed the rail and dived in. Out of one tool, then Marshal Wayne beat me on points. Climbed the rail and dived in. Marshal Wayne beat me. Marshal Wayne. Wayne. Then he dived in. Dived in. Dived in. Dived in. Dived. Dived. I had it. I knew how Frank was killed. Hello? Mr. Diamond, this is Francis. It was Helen's butler calling to invite me to dinner that evening. He said something about Helen expecting me, but I wasn't listening. I kept hearing that witness say Frank dived in. It was the answer to the whole thing. Mr. Diamond, sir, are you listening? Francis. Francis, if you were going to commit suicide. Excuse me. I beg your pardon, sir. Look, if you were going to kill yourself from the Brooklyn Bridge, what would you do? Oh dear, I'd reconsider. No, no, no, Francis. If you really were, would you jump or would you dive? I'd probably jump, sir. Yes, I'm sure I would. Well, of course. It's a natural thing to do. See you later, Francis. The pieces began to fall into place. I remembered something Max Farmer had said earlier. Marshall Wayne had beaten him on points. Marshall Wayne. I had associated that name with boxing, but now... I checked in the sports almanac. Listed under the 36 Olympics, I found Marshall Wayne won the high diving competition that year. And Max had competed with him. Now I was certain. First, I put in a call to Fettersen's furriers for some information. So far, so good. Then I called Walt and told him to meet me at the gym. It was closing time when I got there and most of the fighters were leaving. But I caught sight of Max Farmer as he made his way out of the showers. How's the water, Max? Diamond. What's the matter? You don't look happy to see me. What are you doing here? The boys at the Y, remember? I came for some more pointers. It's closing time. Oh, that's too bad. That's the only reason you don't want to spend some time with me, huh? Yeah, yeah. You, uh, you're not too tired. Me? I'm never tired. It's just closing up, that's all. Well, Max, old pal, I've got good news for you. I fixed it with lamb for me to lock up when we're finished. Huh? Well, I... Not scared by any chance. Me scared of you? Why... Get some trunks. Don't say who's scared. I wondered if my Blue Cross plan was still in effect as I changed clothes and followed Max out of the ring in the middle of the deserted gymnasium. Max had an ugly scowl on his face, and I knew that this time he would pull no punches. Ouch. Hey, playing rough, eh, pal? You've got a lousy guard. That's all. My, you act nervous. Tired of boxing? Maybe you'd rather be swimming, huh? Huh? Oh, sorry. Now your guard is down. Of course, a born athlete like you would be happy doing anything in the way of sports, I suppose. Maybe even diving. Your guard, pal, your guard. You... you don't make sense. No, I think so. Your mind's wandering, Max. Keep your guard up. You know, for a real sport like, say, high diving, there's really no place around here to practice. Unless, of course, you tried the Brooklyn Bridge, I bet a really good diver could make it from the Manhattan approach without a scratch. Now listen, what's the... The guard, Samson. Better watch it. Hold it a minute. Hold it a minute. What's the big idea? The big idea came when I figured out how three witnesses could see a suicide that wasn't a suicide. You're lonely. Am I? Those witnesses didn't see Frank because he was already in the river. You had pushed him in. You waited for some people to show up and then you dived in. No. Yes, Max, yes. But you weren't alone in this. Someone had to talk you into taking a dive in a fight and a different kind later on. You'd have thrown the fight for any man's money, but you'd only risk your neck for a particular species. Female. Men are funny that way. It ain't true. It ain't true. Max, Max, Lorna confessed an hour ago. I'll kill you for this. That's your third and final dive, Max. That's a nice right cross, Rick. Oh, I seen better. Well, the little boys are blue. About time. Walt, when Joe Palooka here wakes up, I think he'll confess. He believes the girl already did. Yeah, so I heard. Rick, how did you figure her in this mess? Well, like most females, she couldn't wait for a mink coat. According to Fetterson's furrier, she bought an expensive coat the day after the fight, paid cash for it. These amateur criminals. Someone had to be the brains behind Max's actions, so I put two and two together and got two. Max and Lorna. Yeah. Otis, go pick up Lorna Thorne. Well, stop fixing your tie and move. Oh, let him alone, Walt. This date he's had in years. Rick. Huh? Rick. Oh, honey, honey, what is it? Do you have to play so loud? Well, I can't help it, baby. It's the brood in me. And that's Shiner, darling. What happened? Fly out her doorknob. Young lady, I have been boxing. Just call me Kid Diamond, please. Oh, no, boxing. You? Well, why not? It's so strenuous. Well, I'm in fair shape. What do you use for muscles? You just put up your dukes and I'll show you. All righty. Now, get up and sing. I'm young and healthy and you've got charm. It'd really be a sin not to have you in my eye. I'm young and healthy and so are you. When the moon is in the sky, tell me what am I to do? If I could hate you, I'd keep away. But that ain't my nature. I'm full of vitamin A. I'm young and healthy, so let's be bold. In a year or two or three, maybe we would be too old. If I could hate you, I'd keep away. But that ain't my nature. I'm full of vitamin A. I'm young and healthy, so let's be bold. In a year or two or three, maybe we would be too old. Rick, I'm sorry I hit you so hard, but you're such a show-off. Now look, honey, you got the wrong idea about this whole... Begging your pardon, Mr. Diamond, sir, but I just wanted to tell you that I've changed my mind. I would dive off the bridge. What, Frances? You see, I've always been afraid to dive and, well, it would be fun just at once. Oh, no. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Oh, no. Again, here's your Rexall family druggist. Whenever you have a headache, remember this about Rexall aspirin. When taken with water, the five full grains of pure aspirin in every Rexall tablet are ready to go to work for you even before they reach your stomach. So whenever you have a headache, remember that about Rexall aspirin. Look for it at Rexall drugstores everywhere. And remember always, you can depend on any drug product that bears the name Rexall. Good health to all from Rexall. Richard Diamond, Private Detective, stars Dick Powell in the title role and is written by Richard Carr and Marvin Marks with music composed and conducted by Frank Wirth. Featured in tonight's cast were Virginia Gregg, Ted D'Courcier, Wilms Herbert, Dee Tatum, Wally Mayer, Howard McNear, Hi Aberback, and Jay Novello. Richard Diamond, Private Detective is produced and directed by Jaime Del Valle. This is Bill Foreman inviting you to be with us next Wednesday at this time when we will again bring you Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, Private Detective. Hi you beautiful. Get lost bristle puss. You need a shave. But I have shaved. What else do you want me to do? Silly boy, she wants you to go stag. Go stag? But why? Because stag is Rexall's exclusive line of men's good grooming aids. Like stag, brush the shave cream. No fuss, no massage, just smooth it on and presto. You get a clean, close shave. Your face stays smooth and whiskerless all day long. I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll go stag. That's it. Join the stag line now at Rexall drugstores everywhere. Yes, to make girls care. Go stag. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.
