And now stay tuned for the mystery program that is unique among all mystery programs Because even when you know who is guilty you always receive a startling surprise at the final curtain in the signal oil program the Whistler Transcribed by the signal oil company to enable the entire production staff of the Whistler to spend the Christmas weekend at home with their families Signal the famous go-farther gasoline invite you to sit back and enjoy another strange story by the Whistler I am the Whistler and I know many things for I walk by night I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak And now for the signal oil company the Whistler's strange story Christmas gift Christmas was only a few hours away and Mary Winston couldn't help but marvel that its spirit could reach down and touch a cheap nightclub like Pete's Cantina on the outskirts of Panama City Sitting alone at a table she gazed at her tawdry surroundings and then from the bar at the far end of the club came the strains of a Christmas melody A melody which brought back memories of happier Christmas Eve Yes, the Christmas spirit is undying isn't it Mary You watch the strolling soloist, Sailor Reynolds, nod as he comes closer and passes your table It's been three months now since you were hired as a singing hostess at Pete's Cantina Three months that you've been billed as Candy Porter with no one, not even the proprietor knowing your real identity, Mary Winston At long last as Candy Porter you seem to be safely away from your past As the music ends you look up, aware suddenly that Pete Gardinus, the rolling heavy set proprietor is approaching your table Candy, Candy, look there is an American gentleman just came in, he wants to buy you some champagne, champagne you hear Please, I'm not in the mood tonight Look kid, this looks like a big spender if he wants to buy champagne Alright, alright You turn and see the tall heavy set American approach and suddenly you become tense After a year of running away you've learned to spot his kind in a moment haven't you Mary You're certain he's a detective and now you have to fight to remain calm as he approaches Sit down Mr. Fontaine, sit down Sure you don't mind but Miss Porter Of course not Thanks, in that case I will I'll go get the champagne, I keep it more nice, eleven years old too Cigarette Mr. Fontaine No thanks You don't mind if I do No, no, no, of course not, over here Light Thanks Hell this is very unusual for me spending the Christmas season so far away from home How come? Business, important business Couldn't it wait? No, this business means a lot to the people I work for Here she is, the, what do you say, the bubble water, from Marseille, thirteen years old You said eleven That was from the house, this is even better, now I put him back in the ice, if you want some more just call Pete I've got more, just like him Well I guess it's a few hours early to say Merry Christmas Miss Porter, so I guess I'd better just say good luck Thanks Here's hoping you find whatever you came here for Oh, I've already found what I came for, you see I came for you, Mary Winston Mary Winston Friends to all of you who have opened your homes to the Whistler, not only throughout the year but even tonight on this last busy weekend before Christmas Signal Oil Company has asked me to express their sincere appreciation for this privilege and pleasure And we of the cast want to add our thank you too During the nine consecutive years that the Whistler has been broadcast by Signal Oil Company, many of us have celebrated Christmas with many of you a number of times Believe me we're mighty proud that you consider us a part of your entertainment family Tonight on behalf of Signal Oil Company and the independent signal dealers who serve you in the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and Utah I want to convey warmest season's greetings May the many blessings of living in these United States of America enrich your holiday season and the new year Merry Christmas It's ironic isn't it Mary, a sorry Christmas gift after all the months of hiding, running from one town and then another, using a different name in each place but never your own, Mary Winston These past three months you've been known as Candy Porter, singing hostess in Pete's Cantina here in Panama City And now this detective sitting across from you has called you by your real name, Mary Winston, and you can't run can you Mary? Facing Fontaine you decide there's only one move you can make, that you've only one card left, but if you play it wisely, carefully, it might prove to be an ace You say you came here after me Mr. Fontaine? I don't know what you mean I think you do, and if I were you I'd be ready to leave for Los Angeles in the morning Miss Winston Like the billing says my name is Candy Porter I know what the billing says, I know what it said in Brooklyn when you were billed as Doris Trent, and Denver when you were billed as Gladys James, but when you took a powder out of Los Angeles a year ago you were Mary Winston You know it's strange you're mentioning Mary Winston, I was even thinking about her when you came in, a lot of other people have mistaken me for Mary Winston We could have passed for twin sisters, she was my best friend, I could tell you a lot about her if you feel like listening Sure, sure, I'll listen, go ahead and talk or it'll make you feel any better We can't get away until tomorrow morning anyway, the more you tell now the less you'll have to tell later Thanks, you see Mr. Fontaine, Mary Winston was just a good kid who got a bad break, she was in love with a swell guy but scared to death of a hoodlum It's an unusual story Mr. Fontaine It was an unusual story wasn't it Mary, it began a year ago at a Christmas party given by your employers the Southwestern Manufacturing Company in the pink room of the Swank Wilchester Hotel And you were the hit of the evening, you sang three songs and went over big, your friends from the office hadn't known of your talent But they all agreed you were fine and when the party was over you were feeling good, so good you decided to drop into the hotel cocktail lounge Make a phone call or two and have a nightcap by yourself before going home When you finished your phoning you walked to a vacant stool at the bar Got you soda Make mine the same Bill Got you I heard you sing tonight, you were terrific Thanks What's the matter, did he stand you up? Who? The guy you were just talking to on the phone No, I guess he didn't stand you up Didn't he? He's on his way here right now, lucky guy Here you are folks Take it out of here Bill A dollar eighty out of ten Well now look here Mr. Take it easy, it's practically Christmas, what's the harm in my buying you one drink? Like I said I liked your voice Miss Weston Thank you Bill You a detective or a mind leader? Oh you mean your name? It wasn't any trick to find that out I just asked one of the boys I saw dancing with you My name is Joe Collins I see you've never heard of me Should I have? Oh now I get it, you're a professional talent scout and want to get me into the movies Nope I'm a gambler Add, disapproved Why? Live and let live is my motto and that's exactly what I'm going to do right now What? Live my life and let you live yours, good night Mr. Collins Just think I can tell the girls at the office tomorrow I met a real live gambler Wait a minute, you could tell them a lot more than that If you believed in your voice as much as I do Really? You've heard of Domingo's out on Sunday haven't you? It's an undercover gambling club isn't it? It's more than a gambling club, it's a slow floor show A lot of big people go out there, people that count And all intimate friends of yours I'm sure No, but I know quite a few Some who could push you right to the top with that voice of yours Mr. Collins this is the oldest line I ever heard It's not a line but skip it Go on home, listen to the radio, eat candy, you can have a terrific time If you go to Domingo's with me you can't tell what might happen You might have to meet a couple of show producers, maybe even sing So play it safe, go on home May be dull but you'll always get to work on time Is that all you have to say? Yeah that's all, except nighty night Wait a minute Yeah? Could we be back early? We'll leave any time you say Well, what are we waiting for? Well now you're making sense, I'll call a cab Well never mind, I have a car, it's parked right around the corner Joe Collins used just the right approach, didn't he Mary? You realised you were being a fool But as the hours passed you told yourself your fears were groundless Joe treated you with perfect courtesy Introduced you to several people including the producer of the floor show You even sang a number which was well received Later you watched the gambling for a while and then proceeded to the silver room to enjoy the second floor show Afterwards you had supper in the main dining room and watched the guests dancing Then suddenly you've had enough Joe, do you mind if we leave now? I said we'd leave any time you said What hit you, the music? I guess that's it Another guy? Another guy, my fiancé Dr Frank Wilson What happened to Dr Wilson? He's in Korea Marines? No army doctor It was his car we drove out here in That's too bad We could have had a lot of fun Well, shall we go? Please Hop in unless you want me to drive No, I'll drive Good, we'll probably be safer that way If you don't mind, I'll drive No, I'll drive Good, we'll probably be safer that way As you drove toward your little apartment on Clinton Avenue You were glad your reckless little adventure was nearing its end Everything had been fine so far But you couldn't throw off a feeling of uneasiness For a few miles, Joe said little and then he seemed preoccupied You were relieved when he finally broke his strange silence Say, Mary, would you mind stopping for a minute at that drive-in? All of a sudden I got an awful headache Maybe I can get some aspirin there I doubt it, but we'll give it a try You can keep the motor running while I'm gone I'll only be gone a few seconds Okay Joe! Get going Joe, you shot him! I said get going fast! There's a gun in your ribs, baby You just saw what happened to one guy that crossed me Did you kill him? I don't know You... Oh, why was I? Is that your fool? Turn right at the next corner A car's been tailing us for the last five minutes I'm glad, I hope it's a prowl car It'll save me the trouble of phoning the police I said turn! You... Yeah, he didn't turn, baby I'm glad, I hope it's a prowl car It'll save me the trouble of phoning the police I said turn! You... Yeah, he didn't turn, baby You know, you shouldn't have said what you did about phoning the cops Nobody but me and you knows about that drive-in job You just better pull over and park We got a couple of things to talk over I said pull over! Okay Me, Joe... Joe, don't kill me I know you can do it easy, but I'll never tell about tonight That's the way you feel now An hour from now you'll feel different Oh, no, I won't On my word of honor I'll make a deal with you, Joe I'll trade you my silence for my life I swear I won't talk about it ever You sound like you really mean that I don't mean it, Joe, I swear it, I swear it You're swearing, huh? Yes, Joe, I swear it Well, I'm not being very smart, but I'm gonna take a chance You drove the getaway car, so I guess that makes us partners anyway Yeah You know, partner, we ought to have a lot of fun together Now, how about dropping me off at my place, huh? Tell me where to go We'll have about six blocks from here Just turn to the right at the next stop After you dropped Joe and reached your apartment You were so weak you could hardly stand You literally fell in the bed You tried to sleep, but sleep was impossible Early the following morning You heard the newsboys shoving the morning paper under your apartment door You hurried across the room and looked at the front page The headlines and stories sickened you Drive-in manager shot in attempted hold-up dies Unidentified man and woman seen fleeing from scene of crime In dark green 49 model sedan Pedestrian leaves he can identify car There it was, Mary Your situation looked hopeless, didn't it? You felt you must keep your word to Joe Collins But you knew you must never see him again Only one avenue seemed open to you You had to leave town, disappear You dressed hurriedly, packed a few belongings Whipped through your savings from the bank And by noon were on an eastbound plane for New York You decided to take advantage of your voice and become a professional entertainer The first few weeks you auditioned almost daily with negative results But finally, after three months You were singing at the Golden Lion A prosperous little nightclub in Brooklyn, New York After a shaky start You became a featured performer under the name of Doris Trent As the weeks went by, your work improved You became sure of yourself And one night you noticed Vern Shields Famous musical comedy producer in the audience His presence seemed to inspire you and you went over better than ever Afterwards in your dressing room you wondered what he thought of your voice You were certain that your visitor was Vern Shields Weren't you, ma'am? Come in Oh, long time no see, Miss Trent Doris Trent, it says on the program Joe I'm surprised you recognized me. I thought you'd forgotten me All right, Joe, you found me. Now what's on your mind? You double-crossed me, baby Are you crazy? That's why I left town so I wouldn't even have to talk to anybody You wrote to police, though, didn't you? Oh, you're wrong, Joe. I didn't write to anybody It had to be you. It couldn't have been anybody else Two days after you left, they picked me up for questioning I'd get my word with you, Joe Yeah? Well, there's one way you can convince me How? Marry me. Tonight Marry you? Mm-hmm. That way I'll be sure of you Wives can't testify against their husbands Besides, I'll know what you're doing all the time Look, Joe, I... I've got to do my show Let's talk this over in the morning Tonight. We're going up to Connecticut Go ahead and do your show Only if you've got any ideas about calling the cops Don't forget you drove the getaway car And in case anything happens to me, there's a written confession in my pocket Telling exactly how you helped me pull the job How we used your boyfriend's car How you kept the motor running, waiting for me You've thought of everything, haven't you? Everything, so don't try anything Now go ahead and do your show. I'll wait for you here You started down the hallway, turned toward the powder room, off stage Suddenly you re- You realized what a fool you'd been But you made up your mind not to keep on being a fool, didn't you, Mary? Not with that wall telephone just five steps ahead of you Operator, get me police headquarters and hurry Better hang up quick, baby. I mean quick I had a hunch you'd try to double-cross me Now I know for sure who wrote that note to the cops Didn't you, Annis? I didn't You just tried to call him, didn't you? All of a sudden I've lost interest in getting married We're just going to take a little ride, not come on, baby No, no, Joe, I'm not moving a foot, not an inch You're letting go of my arm Hey, what's going on here? Such a long door, this guy bothering you? Yes, he-he-he-he He wants to date me Tell him to leave, will you, Eddie? Well, maybe I'd better take him into the office and call the cops No, thanks, Eddie, there is no need for that He's just another wolf Tell him to leave, that's good enough You heard what the lady said, Bob Start traveling Okay, Pop, anything you say I'll see the lady later I'll be parked right across the street, Miss Trent You should have let me call the cops I would have if he hadn't had you covered with a gun Well... Oh, I see Gee, thanks, kid I guess you saved my life Skip it Look, Eddie, I... I better get out of town and fast After what you just did for me, getting you out of town is a cinch Grab some clothes while I phone my wife, I'm bringing you home We'll go at the rear entrance, my car's on the lot next door Tomorrow I'll call a friend of mine in Denver He'll put you to work right away You better change your name, though That'll be easy I'm getting used to it So, Mr. Fontaine, that's where I met Mary Winston In Denver, the hi-hat club, built as bad as James She was there for quite a while, room with me Then she left, just like that, one night When a waiter told her some guy wanted to interview her for a magazine She figured it was Joe Collins again It's the last I have saw of it That's the end of the story? That's the end And Mary Winston told you all of it? Well, we were close friends I'll say you were You don't believe me, do you? If you were in my position, would you believe a story like that? No, I don't suppose I would With Santa's arrival only two days away Who can help being in a whimsical frame of mind tonight? Whimsical about such things as How Santa can travel so far in one night? Well, maybe here's the answer A child asked his father one day How St. Nick went so far on a sleigh The wise father replied, he can take that long ride Because his reindeer drink signal, they say Well, I decided to check this story with Santa himself And now I can report to you Said Santa when boarding his sled This year I'm using my head It's signal for me, I'll go farther, you'll see And over the rooftops he sped Now, as you've no doubt guessed In addition to letting you in on Santa's mileage secret There's also a moral to this story, which is The gas used by Santa, my lassie or lad Is also the gas that is best for dear dad With signal, dad's car will not only go far But give top performance the best to be had Well, Mary, it looks as though you've lost, doesn't it? That your show wasn't good enough The man across the table, the detective you're certain Has come to take you back to Los Angeles To stand trial for a murder you had nothing to do with Doesn't believe you You're certain too that Santa is a good man And that he's a good man And that he's a good man And that he's a good man And that he's a good man And that he's a good man You're certain too that the jury in Los Angeles won't believe you Not after you're running away Your phony names, your present surroundings You're sure Joe Collins has been captured That the authorities have read his confession That he's trumped your last card Ruined forever your hopes of eventual reunion with the man you still love Dr. Frank Wilson Yes, Mary, it looks as though you've lost But you're going to play the game through to the end anyhow White Christmas If Sailor Reynolds knew what that song did to you The memories it brings back, he'd play something else, wouldn't he, Mary? As Fontaine gazes into space and drums his fingers silently on the table You watch him closely await his next words How long did you say you've been here? I didn't say, but I got here about three months ago You like it here? No That's what I figured Look, Miss... Cigarette, Mr. Fontaine? Yeah, thanks Light? Mm-hmm Thanks again, Miss Porter Did you say... Porter? Well, I think you said your name was, didn't you? That's what the billing says too, isn't it? You mean you believe me? You sounded straight to me Well, it looks as though I came a long way for nothing, doesn't it? Still, I'm kind of glad I came I always figured that confession they found on Joe Collins' body was a phony Joe Collins? Joe Collins dead? Yeah The Brooklyn police got him one night about five months ago A woman called the police from a little next to the Golden Lion Club She hung up before they answered the phone, but the Brooklyn boys decided to investigate anyway One of them spotted Collins in the car park across the street He got bigger happy and that was that Oh, God Finch Right Well, Miss Porter, if you ever run into Mary Winston... I'll tell her all about the Christmas gift I got from a swell detective named Fontaine No, I'm just a private detective, Miss Porter But the police gave me the tip that you... I mean, Mary Winston might be working here Oh, then they knew... A man named Wilson hired me for the case A Dr. Frankwitz Frankwitz? Mm-hmm He's out of the Army now Still very much in love with Mary Winston Doesn't care where she's been Just wants her to come back and marry him He must be quite a guy Yeah, he's okay Now, incidentally, do you think you'll ever see Miss Winston again? Yes, I do Well, do you think she might come back to Los Angeles sometime and clear things up with the police? Make the doctor happy? I'm sure she will Someday You see, a girl like Mary gets to feel a little soiled after working around in joints like this She'll probably want to spend a year or so in cleaner surroundings Maybe out in the desert Sort of freshening up before going home Seeing anyone she cared about Yeah, from what you said, I expect she would Well, I might as well be getting along Merry Christmas, Miss Porter Happy New Year Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program, The Whistler, each Sunday night at the same time Signal Oil Company has asked me to remind you There's an easy way we can all help to make this holiday season happier for ourselves and others Drive at sensible speeds, be courteous, and obey traffic regulations It may save a life, possibly your own Featured in tonight's story were Bill Foreman as The Whistler, Betty Lou Gerson, Bill Conrad, Bill Boucher, Marvin Miller, and Brett Wood on the harmonica The Whistler was produced and directed by George W. Allen with story by Ed Bloodworth, music by Wilbur Hatch, and was transcribed and transmitted overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service The Whistler was entirely fictional and all characters portrayed on The Whistler are also fictional Any similarity of names or resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental Remember to tune in at the same time next Sunday when the Signal Oil Company will bring you another strange story by The Whistler Marvin Miller speaking for the Signal Oil Company Stay tuned now for our Miss Brooke starring Eve Arden, which follows immediately over most of these stations This is the CBS Radio Network
