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 with especially important news for you. This week's issues of the Saturday Evening Post, Life, Look, Colliers, and the Farm Journal carry a two-page advertisement on Rexall's famous one-cent sale that starts October 19th. You'll find 150 guaranteed Rexall products, every one of them offered at two for the price of one plus a penny. And that's not all. There are 53 other specials too good to miss. So be sure to check this ad on Rexall's big one-cent sale. And when you see it, 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 half hour with Richard Diamond private detective starring Dick Powell. Mr. Diamond. That's right. How do you do? I'm Roger Renard, real estate. Well, have a seat. Thank you. Let's get right to the point. So it's me, $100 a day plus expenses. Oh, yes. Your fee. It's not much, but it's all mine and I love it. What's that racket? Nothing. Excuse me. Mr. Diamond, I'm being blackmailed. Happens in the best of families, especially in the best of families. Mr. Diamond, I'm engaged to marry a very wealthy widower. What's that clicking? You've got a wild life saver in your mouth. I have false teeth. Mr. Diamond, is that so amusing? When they started making bird calls? Yes. They're new. Just got them yesterday. Awful news. Oh, well, you were engaged to some wealthy widdle last I heard. I don't appreciate your humor, Mr. Diamond. I happen to be very much in love with my fiancé. Sorry. So happens that I dabbled in a rather, shall we say, off-color business in my younger days. Shall we say what you mean? Perhaps it would be better. Yes. 25 years ago, Mr. Diamond, I became rather discouraged working for a living, especially when I saw less gifted men enjoying the real fruits of life, having some education and a bit of charm. Excuse me again. You know, if you learned the Morse code on those things, you'd be the life of the party. Briefly, I courted wealthy women, predominantly widows, who sought romance, flattery, et cetera. I married several times without bothering to obtain divorces in between. Oh, well, wait until the Reno Chamber of Commerce hears about you. In due time, the police caught up with me. My accumulated crimes cost me eight years in jail. But when I was released, I decided to turn my talents toward more legal pursuits. Glory be, you're saved. Saved, indeed. Can you imagine what my fiancée would think if she learned of my past? She'd surely suspect my motives. And the irony is that I do love her deeply. Oh, I see. Well, who's the killjoy that shares your little secret? Now, that's the puzzle. Nobody in New York knows of my past. I haven't told a soul. But I received this letter in the morning mail. Here. See how smart you are. He gave me a square white envelope, the dozen for a quarter variety, and I slipped the letter out of it. It was typewritten and point by point looked like a pocket biography of a one-time Casanova. It ended up by ordering Renard to have a $100 bill ready that night when someone called Andy would be at his home to pick it up. I relaxed a little. The case began to look like the standard kind of blackmail is found in the detective's manual. I know you think $100 isn't much. Well, that all depends how often you have to pay it. I don't suppose you know who Andy is. I do not. Oh, well, that makes the next step pretty obvious, Renard. What's your address? Here's my card. I'll expect you at nine. Leave a candle in the window. Uh-oh. Nailed down everything, Lieutenant Fitz-des-Charmus. Why, Sergeant Otis, don't tell me it's you. You've brightened my whole day. I don't know why, but that's too bad. Well, the boys in the pool room told me you were drafted. I cashed in all my war bonds. Now I can buy them back. Uh, Otis, stop trying to figure that one out. What's doing, Rick? Oh, nothing much, Walt. Why don't you like to come along with me tonight, help me wrap up a screwy blackmail deal? Might learn something. It's a new angle. What's new about blackmail? Well, the whodunit part in this case. My client doesn't know who's blackmailing him, but some character named Andy is supposed to pick up the cabbage tonight. Want to come along or not? I'd like to, Mr. Diamond, if the invitation is still open. Well, that's very nice, Lieutenant Levinson. It's open to you for a nominal fee. Well, I'm prepared to pay... Oh, hey, cut it out, Rick. Can I go too, Lieutenant? Sorry, Otis, this is strictly stag. Oh, I didn't know. Excuse me. Ah! One moment. Oh, come in, Mr. Diamond. Who is this other gentleman? Roger Renard, meet Lieutenant Walt Levinson. The police. Mr. Diamond, I expressly... Take it easy, take it easy, Mr. Renard. I'm here unofficially. What time is it, Walt? Nearly nine. Quiet! I just heard something. Oh, relax, Walt, relax. Mr. Renard is suffering from set of mechanized molars. Oh. Store teeth, eh? Yes, it has become unbearably embarrassing. Oh, would you gentlemen care for a drink while we're waiting? I'll take a double of anything. Oh, I don't think I'll ever... Oh, go ahead, Walt. Get an unofficial snoot-full. Wait, oh. Sit tight, Renard, I'll get it. I'll cover you, Rick, just in case. A package for Mr. Renard. Come right in, Andy. What do you mean, Andy? My name's Sheldon. Are you Renard? I'm Renard. Oh, sign here. I'll sign it, Renard. It looks like straight goods. We're getting anxious. All right, then. Here. Here's your package. Keep the side up. Okay, Sheldon. Sorry for the trouble. Here, catch. Hey, thanks. Thanks a million. Ah, false alarm. Hey, that's a screwy-looking package. Look at those holes all over the top. Can't imagine who would be sending me anything. Why don't you open it as long as we're killing time? Yeah, good. Where... Heavy cardboard. Uh... There. Rick, look. It's alive. It's a pigeon. Oh. All right, you. Talk. What are you yelling at that bird for? Oh, I thought he might be a stool pigeon. Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. Gentlemen, look at this nameplate on the bird's leg, here, underneath the capsule. Says Andy. That must be the bird's name. Let me see that box it came in. Ah, yeah, there's a note. Listen to this. Mr. Renard, by now you have met Andy, my pigeon. You will please roll the $100 bill very tightly and place it in the capsule attached to Andy's leg. Then simply release him outdoors. Please check your watch, Mr. Renard. If Andy isn't safely home by 9.30, your secret will be turned over to the papers in the morning. You will hear from me again next week. Hmm, no signature. Oh, you'll like that. You get it, Rick? Andy's a homing pigeon. Oh, don't explain it, Walt. Just pick out a nice hard wall for me to knock my conceited head against. Mr. Diamond, it's almost 9.15. What shall I do? Well, here's my overpaid opinion, Renard. If you don't pay off, you know what'll happen. If you do pay off, we'll just keep working on the case and hope for the best. Rick, do you think we could probably... Oh, Walt, Walt, Walt, don't say it. The chances of following a pigeon between New York skyscrapers, especially at night, is strictly for radar. Something we don't happen to have handy. Well, what's it going to be, Renard? I'll pay the money, of course. There's no other way. But this will bleed me dry week in, week out. Well, it looks that way. Well, that will be the end then. I can't raise that much cash each week. Well, here's the money, Mr. Diamond. Will you gentlemen take care of the details? There wasn't any use hanging around. Walt drove me home and I spent the rest of the night dreaming about flying blackmailers. Sure, we could check the delivery outfit that brought the package, but I'd give odds that the turned address was phony. Come morning, I washed the sour taste out of my mouth with some coffee and went to my office. While I was draping some black crepe around my license, business picked up. A nervous young man walked in, introduced himself as John Miller, hemmed and hawed for a minute, and then blurted out with, Mr. Diamond, I need your help right away. I'm being blackmailed. Just because I sat there with my mouth open, he thought I was interested and told me more. He was married and several years ago, another girl had come along, nothing serious. The romance had died in a few weeks, but his wife might not understand, so on, so on. Mr. Diamond, why are you staring at me that way? Who is blackmailing you? What's the strangest part? I don't know. Oh, don't sit there and lie to me. You've got to know. Blackmail means that somebody has got... Oh, oh, never mind. Oh, there's one thing, though. Tonight at nine o'clock, someone named Andy will be... Andy? Oh, no. No, no, no! Before we continue with the adventures of Richard Diamond, here's a lady with a question for our Rexall family druggist. I want to know more about the ad on Rexall's one-cent sale. Well, ma'am, the ad appears in this week's Life, Look, Colliers, the Saturday Evening Post, and the Farm Journal. Two big pages crammed with 150 guaranteed Rexall products. Every one of them offered to you during Rexall's famous one-cent sale at two for the price of one plus a penny. Golly, what an opportunity to save. And that's not all. The ad also lists 53 other specials that can help you cut your cost of living to a minimum. Now, in front of every item, there's a little square so you can check what you need in advance. Why can you use the ad as a shopping list? That's exactly what we intend it to be. It's your big chance to stock up for months in advance. Because on October 19th, the starting date of Rexall's one-cent sale, you double your buying power simply by adding a penny. Where did you say the ad appears? In this week's Colliers, Look, Life, Saturday Evening Post, and Farm Journal. Look for it. And remember, you can 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. So it had come to me as it must to all private detectives. A strange little voice inside my head began nagging. Get out of this business while you still have all your marbles. Get into something sensible like taming python. It wasn't enough to have one client being blackmailed by someone he didn't know. A second guy has to walk in with the same routine. And the payoff was that a certain miserable homing pigeon called Andy had a feather in the pie. A foul foul that Andy. After a while, my second client Miller began to fidget in his seat, probably because I began sharpening my letter opener. Mr. Diamond, do you feel all right? Oh, yes, I feel great, simply great. Just keep me away from open windows. I beg your pardon? Oh, forget it, forget it. Let's see now. You're being blackmailed, but you don't know by whom. And a certain Andy will be at your office by nine o'clock tonight to pick up the money. Yes, that's right. Well, now Miller, I'll be kind. I won't tell you who Andy is right now. First of all, you tell me, do you know Roger Renard? Roger Renard? Mm-hmm. No, I don't believe so. Now think Harden, Miller, small guy, bright blue eyes, cultured voice. No, I don't know anyone like that. Who is he? Well, he happens to be in the same hole you are. Andy paid him a visit last night. Really? Yeah. This is bargain basement day in blackmail. Oh, what do you know? Let me think. Renard, Renard. Now look, look, I got a better idea. You just sit tight and leave through my collection of unpaid bills. It'll keep your mind off your own worries. Well, there's got to be an answer to this. Hello? Uh, Renard, this is Diamond. Can you get to my office in 15 minutes? Of course. Is anything happened? Don't ask. But, uh... Just hurry. There'll be a diagram for you when you get here. When Roger Renard arrived, I introduced him and revealed my last hope. Somewhere, there had to be a familiar connection between Miller and Renard. A familiar place, a mutual friend. Well, they finally caught on and began playing the game known as Haven't I Met You Somewhere Before? Now let's see, Miller. Uh, were you in Kansas in the winter of 1942? I had a dear lady friend there at the time, name of Sophie Holloway. Never been in Kansas. I spent two years in Seattle though, 1938-39. No, never had the pleasure of being in Seattle. Um, pardon me, bad job done on my new team. Now, about New York. And so it went on and on. If these guys had been stranded on a desert island 20 feet square, they probably never would have bumped into each other. But the fact remained, somebody knew about the past of both and was using the same technique to blackmail them. An hour and three aspirins later, my head began to feel like a ping pong ball, being smacked from Miller to Renard, from Renard to Miller, from Miller to... I've done my best to stay away from physical exertion, and I must say that... I've been rather successful at it. The devil take these artificial bicuspids. I go to all the expense of having New York's best oral surgeon work on my mouth, and then some incommodative dentist can't turn out a proper fitting denture. Well, we're not getting any place. I have an appointment in two minutes. You learn anything new, Mr. Diamond. You'll be sure to call me, won't you? If something doesn't happen soon, I... Well, I just don't know. Don't worry, Roger, we'll catch the culprit, or my name isn't... Oh, well, it doesn't make any difference anyway. Well, goodbye, Mr. Diamond. Goodbye. Goodbye, Renard. Phew! That guy was driving me crazy with that clack clack of his teeth. You'd think an oral surgeon with Cutler's reputation would recommend a competent dentist to his patients. I thought he was great. Yeah, yeah, sure. Look, Miller, isn't there anything else I can do for you? Find out who stole your yo-yo in 1922 or maybe get... Look, just find out who's blackmailing me, Diamond. I haven't slept in days. I know, I know. Somehow I feel that soon you won't be alone. You could only find out where that pigeon is. Hello, pigeon. Oh, Rick, what are you doing here in the middle of the afternoon? Oh, I'm looking for a place to hide, Ellen, dear. Can I borrow your closet? Hide from what? Pigeons, false teeth. A pigeon with false teeth? No, no, no, dear, a client with false teeth. The pigeon's blackmailing him. Oh, a stool pigeon? No, I tried that. This pigeon flies. He has a plane? Honey, honey, this is a real pigeon with wings yet. You know, like this. Just lie down on the couch and take it easy. You must be working too hard. I don't want to lie down. You want to fly. No, no. Make up your mind. Well, I'm trying to tell you why I came over. Two guys who never saw each other are being blackmailed. By a pigeon. Yes. The same pigeon. Yes. And it flies. Yes, and it goes coo, coo, coo, brrr, coo, coo. Are you sure you wouldn't like to lie down? No, I just want some peace and quiet so I can figure this thing out. Rick, darling, at least try and take it easy. No, no, come on. Nothing's that bad. Smile for Helen. Smile? Oh, come on. Let's see your pearly teeth. I said let's see your pearly teeth. Helen, Helen, that's it. That's wonderful. Now, how about a nice cool drink? No, no, listen. Renard said he went to New York's best oral surgeon. Later Miller said an oral surgeon with Dr. Cutler's reputation should have recommended a competent dentist. And he was probably right. Now, why don't you just try and get a little... How did Miller know Renard was talking about Dr. Cutler? Ouija board? Because Miller must have been treated by Dr. Cutler too and knows he's the best oral surgeon in New York. Helen, I've got to make a phone call. I grabbed a phone book, looked up the office of Dr. Cutler, oral surgeon, then called Walt. Twenty minutes later I met the good lieutenant on the 10th floor of an office building on Madison Avenue. Walt assigned Otis to guard duty outside of Dr. Cutler's office. His orders were to trip any guy in a white smock that seemed in a hurry to take the day off. Walt and I agreed to underplay our police affiliations just in case he was wrong. Then we went in. We slowed up when a white mountain of a woman stood up from her desk and announced she was Miss Barrow's, Dr. Cutler's nurse. Could have fooled me. From the size of her, Notre Dame could have used her last week. What seems to be the trouble, gentlemen? Well, it's somewhat important, Miss Barrow, we'd like to see Dr. Cutler as soon as possible. My name's Diamond. I see. Just a moment. Yes, Miss Barrow? Doctor, there's a Mr. Diamond and his friend here to see you. They say it's urgent. Thank you. I'll be right out. Won't you sit down? No, no, no thanks, Ruth. We're saying... Good afternoon, gentlemen. Hello, Doctor. How you do. What seems to be the trouble? May we go into your office, Doctor? Oh, yes, of course. Go right in. Miss Barrow, are those x-rays ready and that impacted molar? I'll have a look, Doctor. Thank you. Now, gentlemen. The doctor was an old red-faced gentleman with puzzled blue eyes. As tactfully as I could, I told him about Renard and Miller and the fact that they were in trouble. He remembered them. Oh, yes, Mr. Diamond. I removed Mr. Renard's teeth last month. As for Mr. Miller, he was in just last week. The rest of it is pretty blunt, Dr. Cutler. Both of these men are being blackmailed for the same party. And it just so happens, Doctor, that you are the only acquaintance they have in common. What? Now look here, young man. Don't get excited, Doc. Rick isn't accusing you. We just have to check these things. I realize that. I think my position in past record in dental surgery are proof enough. If you care to see a statement of income from my practice plus stocked evidence, you'll see how foolish... Yeah, yeah, Doc, you're right. Rick, it just isn't big enough for a lousy couple of hundred bucks. I know, Walt. It sure looks that way. But if this isn't the end of the line, we'll be on this sleigh ride forever. Dr. Cutler, is there anyone else in your office who gets to know the patient well? Just myself and Miss Barrow. She's the nurse at her side. I could call her in. No, no, no. In a minute, Doctor. Does she just answer the door and take temperatures or what? Oh, no, of course not. Miss Barrow is a registered nurse and a trained anesthetist. You mean she gives your patients an over cane? Is that it, Doc? An over cane, yes, in some cases. For specific cases, we must use a more general anesthetic like sodium pentothal or gas or sometimes... Doctor, Doctor, isn't sodium pentothal sometimes called a truth serum? Yes, anarchosynthetist. It's sometimes used in psychiatric treatment. Some patients will answer any question truthfully and the influence of sodium pentothal. See, it weakens the conscious will and... The x-rays are ready, Doctor. That's Miss Barrow now. I'll call her. No, no, no. Don't do it, Doctor. Stop it. Just ask her to wait outside. I don't understand. Anyway, one moment, Miss Barrow. What are you going to do, Rick? Doctor, I want you to pretend that I'm an emergency case. I must be treated at once. Can you? Of course, but... Now, can you have your nurse give me something harmless instead of pentothal? Yes, distilled water could be substituted. We're in business. Walt, you make like the old friend who came along for laughs. Huh? Now, Doctor, call Miss Barrow in and turn her loose on me. Just relax in the chair, Mr. Diamond. There's nothing to worry about. Oh, I hope not. My, my, my whole mouth feels like it's burning. Now, I'll have to strap your hand down for the pentothal. This won't take long, will it? It won't feel a thing. Now, there's the tinnitus. Now we're ready. Well, let's get it over with. Very soon, Mr. Diamond. Very... Hmm. You're getting drowsy now. Very tired, aren't you? You can talk, Mr. Diamond. Patients often talk away their troubles while I take care of them. Oh, yes, talk, talk away troubles. It's up to you, of course. But if you want to get anything off your conscience, just go ahead. Everybody has something that's bothering them, something they're ashamed of. Ashamed of? You can tell me. Ashamed of? Oh, ashamed. Yes, go on. I used to steal money from a friend of mine. He was a wonderful guy. Big, fat, but dumb from the word go. I'd steal him blind. His watches, his cash. He never knew what was happening. That was terrible of you, wasn't it? What's his name? Levinson. Walt Levinson. Oh, but then I... Yes, I'm listening. Then he became a policeman, a lieutenant. One night he caught me stealing. I had to kill him. He was going to arrest me. And you escaped? Yes, escaped. But his ghost haunts me, haunts me. In fact, Lieutenant Walt Levinson is sitting in the next room, badge and all. Okay, Miss Barrow, we've all heard enough. Andy's going to miss you. Come on, Walt. What? Why you... All right, lady, hold it. Watch out, Walt. Walt ducked just in time to miss being scalded by the boiling pan of surgical instruments. But it gave her enough time to run out of the office. I had just freed myself when I heard it scream from the hall. Walt and I rushed out there and found Otis helping Miss Barrow to her feet. Gee, Miss, I'm sorry I tripped you, but you was wearing a white smock and I got mixed up. I'm sorry, honest I am. Shut up, Otis. What? Otis, Otis, I don't know what to say. You, you doing this, I... Otis, you... Oh, Otis, you are without a doubt. You feel better? Hmm. Mm-hmm. All calmed down. Oh, sure. No more problem? Not a single one. How's the pigeon? Oh, we found him over at a nurse's house. He was staying with a nurse? In the garage, yes. Had a friend there, too. The nurse worked for Dr. Cutler, an oral surgeon. I thought you said your client was the one with the false teeth. Oh, that's right. Then what was the matter with the pigeon? Nothing. He was just a little tired from making all those trips with that money tied to his leg. Why don't you sing something? Hmm. All right. It's wonderful, it's marvelous You should care for me It's all for nice, it's paradise It's what I love to see You've made my life so glamorous You can't blame me for feeling amorous Oh, it's wonderful, marvelous That you should care for me Well, honey, how was that? Hmm? Oh, oh, fine. Fine. I don't even think you were listening. Rick, about the pigeon and what you said about money tied to his leg and... Oh, come here. Now, wait a minute. I'm confused. Come here. You said that you had a client who... He had false teeth. Hmm. And a pigeon with money... Hmm. Oh. Still confused? Uh-huh. Excuse me some more. Again, here's your Rexall Family Drugged. You listeners will have at least one of these magazines in your home this week. Life, Look, Colliers, the Saturday Evening Post or the Farm Journal. Pick it up and turn the pages till you come to the two-page ad on Rexall's one-cent sale that starts October 19th. Take a long look at this opportunity to buy twice as much for just a penny more because this ad lists 150 guaranteed Rexall products, all offered at two for the price of one plus a penny. In addition, there are 53 other sales specials you can't afford to miss. So check this ad on Rexall's big one-cent sale and remember, starting October 19th and continuing through October 23rd, you can buy twice as much for just a penny more. Good health to all from Rexall. Music Richard Diamond, Private Detective, stars Dick Powell in the title role which is written by Joe Morheim and Hal Bloom and edited by Blake Edwards with music by Frank Wirth. Dick Powell's soon-to-be-released picture is the Metro-Golden-Mayer production, Right Cross, in which he co-stars with June Allison and Ricardo Montalban. Featured in tonight's cast were Ted Osborne, Wilms Herbert, Arthur Q. Bryan, Bob Sweeney, DJ Thompson and Virginia Gregg. Richard Diamond, Private Detective, is produced and directed in Hollywood by Jaime del Valle. Music This is Bill Foreman inviting you to join us next week at the same time when we will again bring you Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, Private Detective. Music Check the double-page ad in this week's Life, Look, Collier, Saturday Evening Post and Farm Journal on Rexall's one-cent sale that starts October 19th. Mark the date on your calendar. It's your chance to buy two top-quality guaranteed Rexall products for the price of one plus the penny. Music Hear a thrilling police drama on Dragnet tomorrow night on NBC. Music
