The Shadow - The The Laughing Corpse

0:00The Oh noaaaa In the hearts of men The shadows Once again, your neighborhood Blue Cole, Vailer, brings you the thrilling adventures of the shadow, a hard and relentless fight of one man against the forces of equal. These dramatizations are designed to demonstrate forcefully to old and young alike, that crime does not fade. There is an apparent recite for all the lucky householders whose homes are heated with hard coal. These homes are enjoying healthful warmth in every room.

1:01Even though winter winds blow, there is no need to cut down heat or close off rooms in homes heated with dependable hard coal. Yes, sir, when you have a supply of hard coal in your basement, you are the boss of heating your house. You are absolutely independent of any outside service. We glad you heat with anthracite, the home heating fuel that never fails. Remember, Blue Cole is the finest anthracite money can buy. The shadow, mysterious character who aids the forces of law and order, is in Riyama Tuna Montcranston, wealthy young man about town. The shadow uses his hypnotic power to cloud men's minds so that they cannot see him. Trans-Strend and Protagon, the lovely Marguolean, is the only person who knows to whom the voice of the shadow belongs. Today's story, the Laughing Corks. So, when I see you come into the bar, I say to myself, there's a nice guy, I say,

2:12I'm a very keen judge of character. Yes, sir. So, when you offer to buy me a drink, I accept. Say, by the way, Mr. you ain't told me your name. What kind of a place is this? It's definitely two. Looks like a lab or something. You know what I enjoy when we got into the taxi cab? Sure, I enjoy that. Driver, take us to 31 Blackwell Place. 31 Blackwell Place. It's been a long time since I had a taxi ride. Tell you one Blackwell Place, just like that. So, it's nice of you to bring me here. I've been sleeping in the park for a gosh. Say, what did you mean when you said he was going to conduct a little experiment? What did you mean, huh? Why aren't you talking to me, you ain't sure, are you? Well, don't talk if you don't want it, I don't care. Why do you make it in those test tubes? I can't stop you making it.

3:15Say, why are you looking at me like that? Why have I done? All of them are like that? Hey, I'm coming closer. I'm getting ready here. I can't help it here. What? Where are you out here? I'm coming out. What are you going to do with me? Go away, go away, wait. I know, my love. Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Marguerusta, I do enjoy this lovely cab drive with you, but, uh, will you tell me why I'm going at this hour or the night? Well, Lamont, if you knew you'd get angry. And not knowing makes me angry. Shrievy, yes, chef? Do you know where you're driving us to? I'll let me see now, uh, what was the number in our place?

4:16You can't miss like, what was it? 31, Brackle Place, Shrievy. Oh, yeah, yeah, 31, Brackle Place. Oh, I'm such a stupid. We've been there twice today, and all the time I keep forgetting the number. I gotta get a new memory system, I gotta get. But the old memory system, Shrievy. Oh, the old one, Shrievy, you see, like take-per-ins. Hey, where, where, where are you going, Shrievy? Oh, excuse me. You take for instance, uh, digits three and one, which is the place we're calling to now. I hooked a three-up with my kid, which is three-years-old. And the one I remember is my kid, how on one year, he's going to be four. Simple, ain't it? Elementary. How could you possibly have forgotten the address for that system, Shrievy? You know how? I got myself all mixed up with my other kid, which is six. Oh, I'm such a stupid. Shrievy, I've even just as stupid as you do. I still don't know where we're going. Why we're going to this place at 11.30 at night? Well, if you weren't till tomorrow, the apartment may be right. Shrievy, now you're giving it all away. Margot, are you taking me apartment hunting at this hour?

5:17You know I hate that, oh, but, Le Mans, don't you see? I wouldn't take it unless you thought it was alright. I know, but. You know how I value your opinion. Well, why didn't you tell me sooner? I wanted to surprise you. Oh, okay, I'm booked. What are you laughing about, Shrievy? Why would you say, Mr. Cranston, I was thinking how things could twist, guys, right around that little finger stick a twist. That'll be about all from you, Shrievy. Don't talk so much. Yes, sir. Alright, for you, Mr. Cranston. You're pretty jumpy tonight, Le Mans, but the matter. Oh, nothing, Margot. I'm just bored, I don't know. I know. You haven't had any to keep your busy. No criminals tracked on. That's right. Shrievy, why don't you stop? Shrievy. Shrievy, why don't you answer? Mr. Cranston said I shouldn't talk. I shouldn't. So are you. No, they would have done the march, you heard, Shrievy. I'm sorry, Shrievy. I'm in a bad humor tonight. No, you ain't Mr. Cranston. I'll wait to tell you. Well, here we are. This is the building. Stay one breath, we'll play.

6:17Yeah, yeah, it's 31 breath. Well, play, stretch, why? I stopped 31 breath. Well, play. Wait for a Shrievy. Okay. Come on up to five steps, alright? Alright. Well, certainly there's a weird looking place. Well, that's just because it's dark. Looks alright in the daylight. Bring the superintendent's bell, where it will be. Yes, fine. Alright. Uh, Margot, uh, will he be angry at our disturbing with the star? No, he told me I could come back tonight to the department. Well, what's so exceptional about this apartment, Margot? Oh, the month. It has these high old-fashioned ceilings and the most glorious view of the river. Well, well, what do you want? Oh, you remember me? I'm Margot Lane. I put a deposit down on one of the apartments here. So what? No, you won't be angry. Well, you said I could come back tonight to look at it. I said you could come back this evening. It's 11.30 now, young lady. You got me out of bed. Well, what about you, Margot? Oh, please, Mr.... My name is Laskam. Please, Mr. Laskam. I know it's very inconsiderate to bother you with this,

7:19but couldn't we please see the apartment? Oh, well, coming. Coming. Stanley, under this hall, aren't there any lights? The bulb just burned out this evening. Oh, I see. Here we are. Just a minute now till I find the light switch. Nice bright place. See, how you like it, Le Monde? You like it? I think it looks terrible. Oh, of course the place needs to be decorating. Yes, and badly. Well, look at the holes in the wall. What caused that? Well, the previous tent was Dr. Deathtruck. He's a chemist. He used this apartment as a kind of a laboratory. The holes are from some of his apparatus. Oh, I see. Well, what do you think, Margot? Well, if you wanted quiet, you certainly got it here. Yes, and it's always like this. Always nice and quiet. What's that?

8:20I don't know. Someone thinks something is funny, all right? Listen to him. I don't sound like that. Come on, Margot. I'm going to see what this is all about. Say it, Le Monde. Of course I do. That's a lorry. Here, give me a hand. My spot is so tense. We had a conclusion or something. Let's turn it over. There we are. Oh, it's safe. It's safe, Le Monde. You're going to get pulled of yourself. It's safe to run. It's all twisted up as though we were laughing. Don't look at it, Mother. What are we going to do? There's nothing we can do now. This man is dead. What makes you think Dr. O'Ren was murdered, Translent? I don't know, Commissioner Western, just a hunch. Well, there's another mark of violence on the body. If you'd heard that terrible last Commissioner, you'd think something was wrong, too.

9:20Miss Lane, I'm sorry. I didn't hear the last. But even if I had, there's still not a bit of evidence here. Not a single clue to indicate murder. Welcome, Miss Lane. All right, all right. Now you, you're welcome. Last, Miss Lane. Oh, last, come on. I want to hear you know about this. I told you nothing. I was showing Mr. Translent this lane that apartment when it happened. Did the dead men, Dr. Lawrence, have any enemies rescue? No, nothing. I know. Who was the man who occupied that apartment? Miss Lane was thinking of renting. Dr. Deschreff, but I told you that Commissioner was... Ah, Deschreff and Lawrence. Now, I remember those names of their partners. They only had mechanical inventory. Didn't you know that? We didn't ask, Quicks. I didn't ask. Why did Deschreff move out of his apartment? He had a big argument with his partner, Dr. Lawrence, about two weeks ago, and he moved out the next day. Then he is the one who must have done it. Done what, Miss Lane? Murder, Dr. Lawrence. Miss Lane, as yet I'm not convinced that Lawrence has been murdered. In the second place from what your cab driver, Shrieby, says, no one has come in or out of this house. Well, maybe you two hear them.

10:20Miss Lane, my man have searched this house from top to bottom. Well, I still can't. Lawrence, then please. I understand, Commissioner. Come on, Muggle. You're going home. Oh, my God. Oh, yes, Doc. What is it? How long ago was this man's first of that? We heard the Latin in the sound of a buddy pulling about an hour ago. For my examination, you couldn't have come. What? Are you trying to tell us that we're hearing things? Well, all I can say is it's all pretty strange. What do you mean, Doc? Well, the buddy with a sip is the board when I examined him. We go mortises so far, at least. You couldn't possibly have heard him laugh tonight. What? According to my examination, Dr. Lawrence has been dead for 24 hours. The way the medical examiner talked to me, but didn't know what we were doing, LeMonde. How could the man be dead and laugh? The laughing corpse. Is pretty strange, Muggle. I think Commissioner worked in order to get a new medical examiner's, but I think. Well, Muggle, you remember when I went to turn Dr. Lawrence over,

11:22I remarked that the body was stiff. And it does look as if he had been dead for some time. But that terrible laugh, LeMonde. What of that? I don't know, Muggle. And Loren's face was contorted as though we'd been laughing. Muggle, I believe it was Lawrence that we heard. Why do you say that, Muggle? Look at this. It's a little box. It's like a jewel box. Yes. It was written inside the cover. You will laugh, but not some joy. You will laugh and the laugh will be the laugh of death. Am I? I found this little box lying in the floor near Loren's body before Western came. What? You suppose it isn't, Muggle. I don't know, Muggle. But I'm going to find out. The shadow is going to pay a visit to Dr. Destro's laboratory tonight. Perhaps there I shall find the solution to the mystery of the laughing corpse.

12:38I wish you would be fond of that as a character by Robert Keppley. I was there. I got a bad idea at all. It must be my imagination. It is more than your imagination, Dr. Destro. What? Where is it? It's a little bit of a mystery. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Where is it? I can't see you. No man has ever seen the shadow, Dr. Destro. The shadow? Oh, yes. I have heard of you. What do you want of me? Have you ever heard this phrase before? You will laugh, but not from joy. You will laugh, and the laugh will be the laugh of death. Where did you hear that? The shadow has ways of finding things out, Dr. Destro. You'd better tell me what you know of the laughing death. The laughing death? You tell me, Shadow. Because of all the things that happened, is women's death. They don't do you any good to pretend innocence.

13:39The women's was murdered earlier this evening. How did he die? Tell me I must know. You know how he died. Yes, yes, I know. I know how he died. Just as the notes won, thus, the notes. Then you too have received a note. Not since last year. So he has made good use of that. The note has dropped. I better tell you everything, Shadow. Seven years ago, there was another partner in Miss La Platauri besides myself in Deaths Draff. A man named D. Tor. He was incompetent. They joked. When Lorenzo and I perfected the new formula, we refused to give Michelle a ploughet. Now, after he did words, we dissolved the partnership with D. Tor. Then Lorenzo and I opened the new La Platauri by ourselves through him. And I'll call it that a few really, only hinted us. He was ruined. Now money and not credit. He was really a brilliant, chemist, but undependable. It was impossible for him to get work. What happened to it? That we do not know. He came to us and begged to be taken back, but we refused.

14:40Lorenzo laughed at him and I suppose I did too. He was so ridiculous. Did he not threaten to go? Yes. We be laughing, dead. Each year a note has come with the same words. He will laugh, but not from joy. He will laugh, and the laugh will be the laugh of death. I see. Why did you and Lorenzo quarrel? Why did you move from your apartment? Oh, you know that too. Yes, there's trouble. I know. Well, you see, Lorenzo took the effect seriously, and I did it first. But after nothing happened for so many years, I thought it was just well, a means of annoyance. And this year, no note came. And Lorenzo was very much upset and worried. He believed that Lorenzo would strike. And you? Well, I laughed at the whole idea. I told Lorenzo that he wanted to go the rest of his life fearing a foolish threat. He could, but I refused to bother about it anymore. This led to words and died left in anger, I see.

15:42Where does this other partner live? Oh, why I think that he? Oh, what is this? I did not notice it before. A small package addressed to me. My assistant must have put it on my desk earlier and I had not noticed it. Don't touch that box by it. It looks like a little jewel box. A tiny box similar to that one was found next to Lorenzo. Oh, yes. What was he in it, Shadow? Nothing guessed of it. Except that threat written on the inside cover. Oh, now surely the words cannot hurt me. There may have been something in the box when Lorenzo opened it on our shadow. My scientific curiosity will not permit me to allow this box to go unopened. I have rubber gloves on it. If it contains some strange type of poison, it cannot possibly hurt me. The rest of the morning you all know, Shadow, I must open it. There, there seems to be a little push button here. There. It's empty. Wait. Here's a message written on the inside.

16:42You will love, but not from joy. You will love and alive and alive and alive and alive and dead. The same Lord has received. Yes, Doctor. Your life is in danger. You must tell me where we are. Yes, before he can complete his revenge, I think he leaves. I think he is leaving. Where should I put these bundles, Miss Lane? Oh, just set them down anywhere, sweetie. I'll put them away when the rest of the furniture comes. Okay, Miss Lane. Oh, don't drop them right in the middle of the room, sweetie. Well, you said just to put them down anywhere you said. Well, I went out of the way over there in the corner, something. Okay. Hey, what are you doing in these packages, animals? Just odds and ends, sweetie. Yeah, how's that?

17:42That's fine. Now, is there anything else in your cab? Yeah, Miss Lane. A few more odds, honey. But it's Mr. Clancy's bringing them up. Hey. Open the door a little wider, someone. I can't get through. All right. How's that? He's gotten these bundles, Margaret. Hey, hey, an adbo, stay here. What? Put them down the mob before he drops them. Not in the center of the room, Mr. Clancy. I don't know why you're in the corner there. Trady, will you stop getting orders and do some work around here? Certainly. What could I do? Well, there isn't anything else to do until the rest of the stuff gets here. I should have been here an hour ago. Hey, you want to go back to the old apartment and get them away? I'm going to get the money. Do you want to go back to the old apartment and get them moving fast, do you want? That might be a very good idea, sweetie. Okay, I'll do it. I'll tell Emma Tanger to I'll teach them a lesson, I'll show them. Well, don't get too rough on this movie, Man's Revee. Remember the iron hand in the velvet glove? Well, I look... What? I don't mind, sweetie. I read them up. The iron hand in a velvet glove. I just had to pause it. I'm going to go. You'll find out everything except one thing. What? What are you going to sit on while you wait for the movies to get here? Oh, I'll be too busy to sit down, Juan. Do you know...

18:42Now that I'm here in this apartment, I'm not very keen on it. You're not? No. Well, isn't that just like a woman? What about the high ceilings and the glorious view of the river? Oh, I thought I'd be long, but... Well, this place gives me the creep. I can still hear the sound of that horrible laugh. First you tell me you don't like the apartment and then you persuade me to move here. Well, Margot, the reason I wanted you to rent this apartment is I believe that the solution to the laughing corpse may still be here. Well, that isn't going to make me feel any better about living here. Has the police found anything new in the month? No. A report from the medical examiner on death drops death. It's the same as for Lawrence. Death from causes unknown. And there was nothing in the little box when Death took over it? Not a thing. Except that note. Here, look for yourself. Oh, yes. It's exactly like the little box you found in the room, there's a apartment. How do you open it, Lamont? Here, give it to me. See you press this little button here in the center. Oh, it's not in the month. I'm breaking my finger into something sharp when I press the button.

19:44That's it, Margot. What? That must be the way the poison was administered. After Death took press the button to open the box, he started to laugh. Oh, Lamont, then you... Yes, a drug. Now I've got it too. Oh, no, Lamont. Well, nothing's happened to me yet. Yeah. Why did you break the box open the month? Yeah, see him, I'll go. A tiny hyperdermic needle. You can see it in the cover. When the button is pressed, the person pushing the button is given a dose of poison and the finger. Oh, Lamont, come on, I'm not getting you to a job. Hey, wait a minute, Margot. That won't be necessary. I'm going to be all right. But you... The needle must have been empty, Margot. Death took out it all. Oh, thank heavens. You're all right. Margot, wait for your phone. I've got to call Commissioner Western immediately. Your phone? What hasn't been installed yet? Oh, well, I'll go to the corner before. Come in. I just came up to tell you, Miss Lane, that the decorator's coming in tomorrow. I'll see you later, Margot. All right, Lamont. The bed grade is 1 to 0 if 8 o'clock will be all right for fuel. Oh, yes, that'll be fine, Miss Alaska.

20:44Thank you. Oh, there was something else I wanted to ask you about. The plumbing in the kitchen doesn't work very well. And do you think it... ...or Miss Alaska? What's the matter? Why did you get this little box? Well, I don't see the steps any business of yours. Perhaps it is. Margot, you know. Tell me. Let's go, my mom. What do you know? I'll clean my house. Oh, heck, scream. No one will hear you. We're quite alone here. You... You're the killer. You killed Lorenzo and Dexter. Well, suppose I did. You know now, but it won't do you any good to know you're going to die. No, no. Oh, go ahead. You're frightened, Margot. In a moment, you'll think it's very funny, yes. Very cute. When is your last? Yes. Your last. And you will die. Laughing. Oh, please, it's awesome.

21:45I've never done anything to you. Oh, you and your friend Mr. Canson know too much as Lorenzo. You wanted to catch me. Make me pay for my crime. I would never have suspected you if you hadn't given yourself away. That's most unfortunate for you, Miss Lane. What do you mean? You see, I brought you down here to my laboratory in the basement to kill you. Oh, no. Don't be unhappy. Your last is you'll never last. You will. I'm preparing my secret formula, the last in there. Oh, no. Please. One for you and one high academic for your friend Mr. Canson. Please, I promise I'll never see you this way. You're bad. I can't believe that. They won't do you any good to try to get loose like Dr. Prikarshan of finding you very high. No. Now everything is ready. No, don't come any closer. Prepare yourself, Miss Lane. It won't hurt. Very much. And you'll be so happy. So happy. You will last.

22:45And last. And last. And then you will die. What? Something not hyper-demic needle from my hand. This is the end of your evil work, Miss Canson. Good boys. This is your health. Thank you. So you were the third partner last com? Yes. I was in partnership with Lorenz and Deftos. Now I'm the only one alive. They were all in me. They took everything from me. You're out of your mind last com. You blame them. We are all in false. No. No. They caused my downfall so I killed them. You're about to revenge yourself. You came here, got yourself a job of superintendent. I'm the same building in which they lived. Yes. I can skype myself. They never recognized me. You're a very good mind last com. It's a great loss to civilization that you couldn't have used it for good instead of evil. The police will come and leave. We'll never get this. Shuttle Sultan. He has another need already with the poison. I'll press a gun. I say it too late, Shadow. I've already administered the drug to myself. At least I have the last last.

23:57So you see, Margaret, a plan was devilsily well executed. Well, how did you know where I worked, Lamont? When I came back to the apartment after calling Western, you were gone. I figured you were with a superintendent. You remember it came in just before I went on. Yes. Last com. Whatever his name was. His real name was Vittor. Vittor disguised himself and took the job here. It's superintendent of the building so he could watch his enemies. Death draw from the land. That's right, Margot. And he sent them a little box. It was a hidden hyperdermic needle filled with a laughing death. All the Mont just the memory of that terrible laughter makes my blood run cold. And the luck around this place will be found in it. Yeah. Margot, we didn't really hear him alive. Why? But that wasn't alive. What was it? Well, you see, the poison in the hyperdermic needle was very potent and worked very rapidly. It caused a sort of convulsion that sounded like after. And if you're trying to tell me that the victims didn't enjoy themselves, you needn't go any farther. Is that why the medical examiner thought that were ended in dead for some time when he examined him?

24:57Yes, the poison caused a sudden contraction of the muscles, a sort of pseudo-ridamotus. What? Sudo-ridamotus. Oh, she would think I understand what you're talking about, your crazy. Oh, that's right, Margot. Hello, Mr. Crasson. Hello. Hello, is she reading? Oh, she's evening, is everything all set? In the back. Yeah, I mean, yes, Miss Lane, all set. Oh, come on, I'm on, let's go. Where? We're going to look at a new apartment for me. New apartment? Well, you don't support them going to live in this place after what's happened here. Yeah, we're moving. What, again? That's the same thing I said, Mr. Crasson. Ain't where, Marie V? I'm Miss Lane, I was only about to comment, uh, ain't where, man, wonderful. I got out of that, we're doing all right.