Sam Spade - The Champion Caper

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1:07Peace sweetheart. Oh Sam, I'm so glad you called. Why? I don't know how old I am. Was it a good case, Sam? I didn't like it. Where are you? Mark, Sam Matale. Oh, somebody killed? Yes. But you know who did it? Yep. That's good. Oh, that's bad. Bad? Believe it or not, if I wish I didn't know who killed who. I don't understand. Oh, Sam, you sound so downhearted. Well, I'm sorry. I'll try to loosen up. Stay where you're at, sweetheart. I'll be right down to dictate my report on a champion, Caper. Dachal Hammett, America's leading detective fiction writer and creator of Sam's Bay, the Heart Boyle Private Eye and William Spear, Radio Sound Standing Producer, Director of Mystery and Prime Drama, join their talents to make your hair stand on hand with the adventures of Sam's Bay. Presented by the makers of Wild Root Cream Oil for the hair. Before bringing you tonight's mystery, I'm going to take 28 seconds to tell you something

2:08that isn't a mystery. It's no mystery why so many millions of men, women and children have well-groomed hair these days when America's favorite hair tonic, Wild Root Cream Oil costs so little. Just 25 cents will buy you a get-equated bottle and show you how neatly and naturally, Wild Root Cream Oil grooms your hair. How it relieves annoying dryness and removes loose ugly dandruff. Yet, Wild Root Cream Oil hair tonic. Again and again, the choice of men and women and children too. And now, with Howard Dove starring his spade, Wild Root brings to the air the greatest private detective of them all, in the adventures of Sam's Bay. Oh, oh Sam, I read the afternoon paper. I didn't understand any of it. Stop that. I mean, after all this time, you think I'd be a climatized to all kinds of human storms.

3:09I'm not my pencil already. I'm myself again. I'm ready Sam. Sam, date? Date August 7, 1949. To whom Sam? Jack Manelli. Two detectives of Janet Manelli. On the left, he tells Sam the tale police. From Sam's Bay license to the 1905-1906 subject. Are you listening, Sam? Subjected champion, Caper. Jim Manelli. You were there for the end of it, and I was there for the start of it, which is in the reception office of Elliot Champion's brokerage house in Sam the Tale, and where I first met Melville Champion. Remember that old Sam? How the woman in love is always beautiful? I went in, I had no idea she was in love, and no idea she was beautiful. Not because she'd lately been crying, but her subtle face without makeup framed in a whisper blonde hair wasn't flattered by the shapeless black dress, cotton stockings, and low heel shoes she was wearing.

4:11Certainly not the going idea of beauty. In order to her conversation with me on anything you indicate love. Oh, yes. May I help you? I'm Mr. Elliot Champion. My name's Spade. Spade. SPABE. You don't have to write it, he's expecting me. Your business is to stay? Private. I have to have a little more than that on the field. Always as hot here? Mr. Champion, can't stand for a year. I'm just. That's what makes it so warm in here. I'm sorry. Yeah, it is hot, just let the sweat shunt tell him I'm here. Well, what is it, Melville? I was just going out. Mr. Spade is here, it says you're expecting him. But I don't find him listed in your appointment book. I'll be an idiot, send him in. Send him in. You may go in now, Mr. Spade. You always like that? He's nice today. Sorry, Melville. That's your name, isn't it? His office is the first down the right.

5:11Don't bother, I'll find it. Thank you, I'll just go to lunch. Mr. Champion? Well, don't just stand there, I'll come in and shut the door. Well, I have to discuss with you as private. I don't want that snoopy niece of mine listening to our conversation. She's not the lunch now, but does she listen that often? All the time, why? She didn't know who I was. I am smarter to there. I'll give him the drugstore on the corner. I don't want anyone to know who you are while you're here. Oh, now where did I put that light? Behind the egg well. Oh, yeah. I'm a dangerous man to play games with. Goses found that out once, and if he keeps this business up, he's going to find it out again. No games? You're dangerous. Say, are you mocking me, Spade? Just wondering what you're talking about. I just told you, you got ears, haven't you? Goses is back in town, and I'm not going to fool around with him. Melville told me you were nice today. Oh, she did, did she? Well, Melville talks too much. That's what's the matter with her. She talks too much. And you'd fire her only she's your niece, you'd have to pay somebody else three times which you pay her to take everything she has to take.

6:12Get out of my office. Oh no, no, no. Wait a minute, Spade. First just hot, I guess, I... Who has turned on the heat? It's Joe Dulles. He was released from San Quentin this week. I've been receiving telephone calls from him telling me to beware and to watch out and a lot of other non-s. What was he doing at San Quentin? Two to five on an embezzling count. He's done great for scoundrel, that's what he is. My eye took him into my office as a junior executive and six months later. He got tired of the $20 a week, you were probably paying him, but decided to dip into the bin. Only he did a bad job, got caught, you testified against him. Now he's out and he's sore and he's threatening. And every time you yell clop around this town there's always some snoopy reporter hanging around the sergeant's desk. That's the truth. Listen Spade, I've got a half a million dollars tied up in this business. And I don't want anybody thinking I might get knocked over by some loony with a grudge. And that's why it didn't sell the police. Don't you believe me? That'll do for now, you'll think of something better. Now see if your imputance is worth it. 25 a day and... No. That'll be 45 a day in expenses. I want you to find Joe Josephson bringing him to me. No sense warrant? More than that.

7:12I've got enough stuff in that desk drawer to send him back to Quentin if I have to. Oh, what kind of stuff? Left over for his trial. It'll be grand lost in me this time and they don't stop at five years for that kind of thing. You withheld evidence? I withheld us! What can I get out? My back is only eight feet from the window and it came through from the other building across the court. The colonel is going to ruin the marksman's hammer. You're supposed to have a bad shot because out of six tries he didn't connect with a thing that the desk lamp and a waste basket. Now that blank champion and I were both in the floor champion on top of me. I kicked out to get loose and he kicked me back. I gave that up and pushed it around for my gun. Across the court a window was open about six inches. One corner of which was full of a dark sleeve hand and a gun on. I fired at it from what is known as number six position. It's him! It's him getting the save! What do you think I hired to fall? I didn't buy the answer, I went through the window, out of the fire escape and all over the next building. I did more. I went in that building which is apparently back and down the stairs and started out the back entrance.

8:12Hey, hey, hey, hey! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What's it, will you? What's the big hurry? Hey, he came out of this building, which way did he go? Who came out of this building? This building right here, just a second ago. Here! Yes! Him! The guy who just ran down here, he's there! What did I do? Well, what did I do? I say what did I do? Huh? What? Where? Thanks. No, I'm not sure, I'm not sure anytime. I couldn't tell her what he looked like because I hadn't seen him. After a careful search of the building, which was built, nothing I decided my suspect had eluded me for good and I returned to the office of Elliott Champion. He was sitting on his green leather chair wearing an expression to match. Oh, Mr. Him, huh, Spade? What does Joseph look like? Oh, I've got a couple of snapshots here somewhere. Oh, yes, here. Let's have a look. I was later to regret having those snapshots in my first, they showed a tall, thin-faced, haunted-looking guy, an old-looking 28, good-faced, shock of black hair and dark eyes. I've seen 20 Akron's and Bezlitz, right?

9:13And he wouldn't have been cast in a pot in my movie. There was nothing abondoned to indicate that even Bezl $2,000, he was a silencer on a gun. I dug two 38 slugs out of champions walled and went down to the street. Spade! Oh, Spade! He was a heavy-set man and a dirty white Panama hat and seersucker suit that didn't fit him around the middle. He just a minute, Spade, just a minute, just... He crawled out of a black sedan, jammed a cigar on his mouth and began sweating. He needed a shave. He'd always need a shave. Hot afternoon, ain't it? Yes, you sure is hot. Sure is a hot afternoon. Here, here, my card. Lemme will trigger confidential investigations. Yes, I should order to have some new ones printed up, huh? I guess you should order them and change the name while you're at it. Didn't the Commissioner bunch in nine years ago for rolling a pack before you did the booking? Well, let bygones be bygones, Spade. I'm in business for myself. Now, as business, Lem. Punk. Try another racket, Lem. Spade, you've been in the CO-man champion, maybe? Maybe. I was just going to go in and see him myself when I spark you pull up.

10:16You recognize you from the pictures, isn't it? Take her last week. I figure maybe you and me oughta talk. What did you figure you and me maybe oughta talk about, Lem? Oh, you make it tough for a guy, Spade. We're in the same business, you know? I'd like to go see him about. So long, Lem. Hey, wait a minute. I'm an old gumboot, huh? A fat old gumboot who couldn't get it quick as a housekeeper or tailing the punk, is that him? Okay, Spade. Okay, you're full of vinegar now, but just you keep my card. You don't want to see Lem do it before it's all tied up? You don't want to see me? Grow, Lem. But he was right. I did want to see him because when I got down to the Chronicle Office and looked up a morgue on the Joe Joseph's trial, the first thing that jumped out at me was the name Lemmy Old Drigger. Lemmy Old Drigger, private detective who had been employed when Mr. Champion had become suspicious of Joseph's account of regularity. And who together with Mr. Champion caught Joseph's red handed? And who willingly offered his testimony the same at the trial

11:16which convicted Joseph's the same quentin for five years. The file also gave the name of Joseph's lawyer, a man named Anthony Speiser, the phone bookshelter in the Department of Dresland Geary. That's you, Aggie. Hold on a minute. I was just trying to get dinner over before you showed up. But I guess I'm late tonight. Or you? Mr. Speiser? That's right. My name's Spade. I'm a private investigator. I'm trying to locate a former client of yours. A man named Joseph's. Come in, come in. I was expecting Aggie, but come in. Thanks. I always fixed my own dinner, post egg, and half and half. All sorts of claims, Spade. Yeah. And what about the egg? No facts. I'm unduty. Mind if I finish? It's up to you. Who's your client, Spade? Elliot Champion. Joe Joseph's back in town, and he's been making telephone threats and throwing 38s around. 38, huh? Mm-hmm. You know where he is? Joe was a nice kid, but a calendar job. Born with one war going on, a depression on deck, and another war on the whole.

12:17Makes a difference. The calendar got him. Everything was against him at the trial, too. I couldn't do anything. He thought I let him down and told me so. He got real sore when they read the book at him. Threaten champion and that private dick, uh... Oh, I'm triggered. Trigger, and everybody else. Said he was railroaded. You're his attorney? I know, I know. But he didn't have a chance in a million of beating that rap. He thought I ratted when I took the guilty plea and courts mercy, all for a lousy two grand. Well, he's done his time and he's out now. He hasn't gotten in touch, ready? Nope. No threats. Nope. Have a right to you from prison? Nope. Any idea where he'd be in time? No. Is it possible he has a mother? Nope. Then I guess I'll leave you to Aggie. We play records. Aggie used to be a violinist. Well, it's up to her. Uh, speed, uh, speed. Yeah. If you find your old, tell him why I live. I'd like to see him. Why? Well, no. Maybe I just want to see what five years in the pen does to a kid like that. Yeah. I'll bet you do. Yeah. Is this you, Mr. Spade?

13:18Who's that? This is no good champion. Uh, remember me in my uncle's office? I remember. Mr. Spade, you're looking for Joe, aren't you? I know you are. You don't have to answer me. I think I can help you find him. I must talk to you right away before something terrible happens. Please come out to the house before something terrible happens. It's right in the corner. I got out to the house as fast as I could, but not before something terrible had happened. Oh, Spade! The front door was open all the lights were on, and now we have champion was lying in the foot of the stairs in the front hall, holding his lapel, as if it would get away from him. I don't touch me. Don't touch me. Don't touch me. I'll never touch you again. I'm sure you'll find me. I'll never touch you again. I don't touch you again. I don't touch you again. I was afraid of getting away from him. Don't touch me. Don't touch me. It's in my lungs somewhere. I never thought... It didn't look like that. I beat it up the stairs to the hall. Emergency ambulance.

14:18This is Joe. You're hired a private item. He'll never find me. I'll find you. I must have been out to see you. Real soon. I didn't get it then, but I got it a second later. I grabbed the vanister, missed, and hit the top railing. A pair of hands held me up, and I went through my pockets. That's the last thing I remember. A maker of wildroot crem oil, presenting the weekly Sunday adventure of the famous private detective, Sam Spade. Now, here's important news on good grooming. The wildroofed look helps you get ahead. On the job, listen.

15:18Recently, thousands of people from coast to coast bought wildroot crem oil for the first time. We're asked. How does wildroot crem oil compare with the hair tonic you previously used? The results were amazing. Better than four out of five who replied, said they preferred, wildroot crem oil. Remember, non-alcoholic wildroot crem oil contains lannolin. It grooms the hair naturally, relieves dryness, and removes loose, ugly dandruff. So, if you want your hair to be more attractive than ever before, get the generous new 25 cent size of wildroot crem oil. America's leading hair tonic, on sale at all drug and toilet goods covers. It's also available in larger economy bottles and the handy YouTube. By the way, smart girls use wildroot crem oil too, and mothers say it's grand for training children's hair. Get wildroot crem oil, again and again, the choice of men and women and children too. And now back to the champion, cafer. Tonight's adventure with Sam Spade. The neighbors had complained of gunshots, which was fortunate to me. I still might have been lying at the bottom of those stairs and champions house lieutenant,

16:21if you hadn't walked in, applied first aid, ask me my name and listen to my story. You consider the threatening form of the war? The neighbors had complained of gunshots, which was fortunate to me. I still might have been lying at the bottom of those stairs and champions house lieutenant, you consider the threatening form call after my clients death as a cover, up and promptly sent out a general alarm on Joe Joseph's. I took an aspirin and a taxi cab for home. Halfway up town, I discovered the pictures of Joe Joseph's were missing from my wallet. And that is why I was absent at the medical examiner's inquest this morning. Instead of going home, I went out to San Mateo, Jimmy the lock of champions office, and violated city ordinance number 352B. My dead clients desk revealed one important item. An income tax voucher dated August 17, 1944, noting him the lengthening. And I found another important item, same for 1943. His secretary's desk was even more interesting. But I found there, led me to one, call her home, result no answer, and two, to revisit attorney's spazer.

17:21I found him coaching another egg. All right, all right, I'm here. It's late, Agni. What's the idea? Unless it's late overnight, oh, Spain. Agni, have a shot? Yeah, left early, has worked tomorrow. Oh, it's too bad. Watch with you. Still looking for Joe? Yep. Any leads? I wish I could help you, Spain. Hell, your champion was shot and killed in his home tonight. No. That all you have to say? Goal, do it. Maybe. What? You don't seem scared for a mouthpiece Joe that didn't like. If you mean should I be next, no. I'm not scared, Spain. The kids should realize that this time I liked them, that all I could. You've been here all evening? Agni. Could you prove it? Yep. You may have to. Did you know Mildred Champion was married to Joe Joseph's? Yeah. How'd you know? It's a secret. I found this marriage license in a dust drawer. Moseye. I found something else. Champion didn't pay his income taxes all the time. A lot of people like that spade, me or... I am drugged, testified against Joe at the trial, so the champion. Mildred worked in the office, but she didn't testify.

18:23Why I can't testify against husband? Well, good story, spade. But what about Joe? Champion had something on Lennon's trigger and had something on Champion. Joseph and between. You tell me, huh? Huh? All right, I'll tell you. It's all about a green kid hired into a brokerage firm to be framed on a phony and bustling charge to cover up a tax delinquency. You want to finish it? I can't. I don't know. You've got ideas, though. Yeah. Yes, we do. Right, I've got ideas. And all of them make me sick inside. That kid stood there and told me he was innocent. He said it a million times, but he said it once. And he told me he thought Champion was short with the income tax people. And if Champion was short, he could phony up a book and get a one-out private detective like Drigger to testify that had been a fraud and Joe takes the rep. That's what happened. They did it pretty good. Did you mention anything like this at the trial? Surmised is not admissible. There was no way to investigate it. No way to prove it. Joe was a nice kid spade, and he told a good story. I've been fooled a lot of times. What do you think?

19:23I haven't met him yet. All right. He's done his five years. He came out. And now they want him for killing the man as an imma. His whole life's gone. And for what? Spade, I hope you don't find him. I hope nobody ever finds him. But we did find Joe Joseph's affinity. He was right under our noses all the time. When I called you, you told me to come on down to the morgue of the county hospital. We both stood and looked at Joe Joseph's. It's a funny thing, Sam. We had an alarm out for an hour on this guy. We've been living all over for him, and he turns up right here. Only he's dead. He's been dead since last night about seven. Seven? Same time, champion was killed. TB. Just got the whole story. I had it all for bad in prison for the sick quarters last two years. I wanted that off for bad. When his time was up last week, he made him a leasing. But he wound up here, died in hospital. He looks awful young to be a conner-ner. I don't know, Sam. He's just a kid, isn't he?

20:24Up until now, you had some kind of casing against Joe Joseph's. But on the medical examiner reported that my client had been shot to the 32, the rest of it began to fall into place. Lynn's brother's office was a dirty room over a shoe repair shop on Mission Street. The glass on the door hadn't been washed in five years, and neither did anything else. You know how they tell where the office left off and Lynn began? Hello, Spade. I have been waiting for you. Thought you'd get over for some talk, Doc. But maybe you think that, Lynn. And you're hearing, yeah. All right, let's make talk, Doc. Did the silence errone you gun? Come on, come on, I want it off. Your phone tonight after champion was killed. You've been following him right along saying it was Joe. No, just a minute, Spade. We're in the same room. I shot at him with a silence on your 38th, this afternoon, and make it look real good. You can't prove anything. I didn't kill him. One slug out of your gun on match set up. Every cop carries a 38-year-old cop once. Spade, you got this all wrong. Because you thought he'd called you in for protection. He called you in once on another job. Listen, I know what you're thinking, but... And because this was so bad, you had to drum it up, didn't you? Joseph was released from prison and it was unnatural. Only it didn't work. Champion called me instead, and you tried to shake me, Doc.

21:24Well, hey, you only thought we could kind of work together. You know, make it a good thing, you know. I thought you were once you should try another racket. But you didn't take my advice. Now you're gonna have to. What do you mean? Because your license will be revoked pretty quick. You got into a lot of trouble about two minutes from now. I did? I was right here. What do you think? I swore out a complaint on you for assaulting batter. Hey, wait a minute, I ain't done nothing to you. Champion, instead. I'm gonna show you the devil, am you? You tried to strike me and I had to defend my life. But I can go. And I just make out a complaint, Lieutenant. I phoned your office and served your man around the way out to pick him up when I heard a footstep outside the door. I knew who was there and what she was there for. And I did the only thing I could think of at the moment. And it was lucky I did it. Her own 32 was in her hand when she came in the door. She looked at me and lamb's smoking gun in my hand. Looked at him, stretched out on the floor. And she looked back at me. The gun fell from my hand and she had a gun to cry. Hello, Melody. I wanted to do it. I came here to do it.

22:24I know. Why? Why did you? To stop you. Why? My bullets went over the ceiling. He just knocked out. No, no, he ought to be dead. Dead. No, no, no. Not anymore, Melody. You tricked me. You knew I was coming here. And you know he should die. You know it. That won't bring you back. How many real tramps have you met in your life, Mr. Spade? Lots. And Son, who just thought they were. Well, you met the genuine product yesterday. My uncle, for example, you stole money from himself and made it look like Joe did it. I know about that. And this one? Why didn't you let me kill him, too? Why? Easy, easy. And I went over to see him in the hospital the first time. I knew he was dying. Yeah, that looking his eyes helped us. And he knew what they'd done to it. And he couldn't do anything about it. But you figured that you could.

23:25So you killed your uncle when you found out Joe died. And you came here to kill him. They killed him. They killed Joe when they sent him to prison. Five years, I waited for him to get out of that awful place. I waited to hold him in my arms and tell him it was all over. Five years, I waited to help him forget his hate. My hate. Five years, I loved him so much every day. And then he came back to me the way he did. Those pictures were all I had left of him after. Five years of waiting, loving him. Now he's dead. What can you or I or anybody do about what they've done to him? Look at me, Mr. Smith. Go ahead, look at me. I'm not but you'd call beautiful. I'm not even very pretty. Nobody would ever look at me twice.

24:26No Joe looked at me. And he loved me. Now he's dead. And I'm dead inside. I'm dead inside. And I'll be glad when I'm dead outside. Jerry had entered a report. Oh, there was someone happy. Yeah, had a notation that I won't be around for the coroner's inquisitive. You can't do that. This report, when Billy Norder, I should be at Nusseville's testimony. I want to get out of town for a few days. Sour ragged. And now, listen to this. Later this evening, if you happen to stroll down to the corner for cigarettes or ice cream, why not also pick up some wildroot cream oil hair tonic? Your whole family will like the way wildroot cream oil grooms the hair neatly and naturally, relieves dryness and removes loose dandruff, and ask your barber for a professional application of wildroot cream oil hair tonic. Again and again, the choice of men and women and children too.

25:35Well, here it is, sir. Didn't make any mistakes. Of course you didn't. Are you in any series about getting out of town for a few days? I am. The world's too much with you, her family. F.A. I know it's part of family, but it seems kind of appropriate right now. I don't care if she did kill those two men. I feel siphoned. What's I've got to do with furniture? What kind of poetic justice? Why did you dress the way she did it in a black dress and low heels? A form of penance, a morning of absence of her missing lover. And now, now, now, look, you'll have to type it all over to keep that up. But, Sam, it's all so beautiful and tragic. And you watched it all happen with such understands. I'm so proud of you. Oh, Sam. Come on, come on. Dry up and go home. Good night, Sam. Good night, sweetheart.

26:39The adventurers of Sam's spade, National Hammond's famous private detective, are produced and directed by William Spear. Sam's spade is played by Howard Doff. Lareen Tuttle is effey. The lights adventure with Sam's spade was written for radio by E. Jack Newman. Music was directed by Ludgluskin, the score composed by Renee and Pierre Garagain. Join us again next Sunday, when author, Dashel Hammond, and producer William Spear joined forces for another adventure with Sam's spade. Brought to you by Wildroot Cremoyle, again and again the choice of men and women and children too. This is Dick Joy reminding you to... Get Wildroot Cremoyle, Charlie. It keeps your hair in trim. You see it's not alcoholic, Charlie. It's made for silver, ladle, and... You'll better get Wildroot Cremoyle, Charlie. Start using it today. You'll find it. You will have a tough time, Charlie. Keep it all the girls away. Hiya, Charlie. Get Wildroot right away. This is CDS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.