Let George Do It: Chance and Probability (EP0881) - podcast episode cover

Let George Do It: Chance and Probability (EP0881)

Mar 19, 202534 minSeason 4Ep. 104
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Episode description

Release Date: February 27, 2013

George travels to a casino resort where a man was killed for his perfect “system” for winning at the casino.

Original Air Date: September 29, 1952

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Transcript

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectors dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com, slash Radio Detectives. Well. Our listeners support campaign continues thanks to everyone who has already supported the campaign, also those who have supported the show in

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radio and the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio. As is the case throughout the year, all donations of seven dollars or more we'll gain access to our premium sign and donations of twenty dollars or more we'll receive a free digital copy of my ebook All I Needed to Know I Learn from Colombo, and at least one additional thank you gift of your choice and at the fifty dollars level, I will send you, if you're in the US or Canada, in

autographed copy of my book Tales of It Am not at the one hundred dollars level, we have an audiobook version available, or we also have the history of Harry Nile, following that great Seattle based radio revival production that does such a great job of recreating the feel of those nineteen forties and fifties radio programs. And I think Harry Nile is the type of show that our listeners out there will enjoy. Tend you a whole set at that one hundred dollar level.

I have a complete list of all available. Thank you. Yes, it's support not great detectors dot net. Just let us know which one and only one you wont in addition to the premium site and your digital copy of all I need to know I learned from Colombo. All right, Well, now it's time for today's episode to let George do it. This one is called chance and probability, personal not as dangers my stock and trade. If

the job's too tough, are you to hand it? You've got a job for me, George Valentine right full detail Standard Oil Company of California invites you to let George do it in just a moment, will begin to Night's Adventure of George Valentine. But first, here's more proof that heavy duty RPM motor oil gives extra protection against war and repair. A fleet of taxicabs used to average only thirty five thousand miles between overhauls. Now using heavy duty RPM,

these same cabs travel over one hundred thousand miles before overhauling. And that's your proof that heavy duty RPM motor oil cuts engineware and greatly increases the time between overhauls, gives top protection and top economy of operation the kind you want in your car. So next time, be sure you get heavy duty RPM at any independent Chevron gas station or standard station where they say and mean we take

better care of your car. And now the night story Chance and Probability, a transcribed adventure of George Valentine. Dear mister Valentine, Chance and Probability a harmless sounding phrase, isn't it, But it's had a horrible influence on my life ever since I first heard it in a beautiful South American town that has pink houses, incredible sunsets of liquid gold, and Caesars, the fanciest gambling can see no outside of Mate Carlo. Oh, yes, it also has

a murder that everyone but me is willing to forget. Mister Valentine, I need help from a fellow American, someone I at least know by reputation. So please please use these airplane tickets and come to me sleep, Mary Marston Caricathestor LaRue twenty five avientidos soul pullicon ps. The words chance and probability referred to a gambling system which can't fail to make anyone a million dollars, except that its possession is an invitation to death. Well that was quite an answer,

thought Abrooks. Yes, George, And those tickets aren't all that. Mary sent here five golden yellow chips with the name Caesars and a royal crest. No, no, less, the fancier is gambling casino outside of Monte Carlo. Five one hundred dollar chips is a retaining The tickets are on a fight. Leaving tomorrow. I'm going right home in pack but Brooks to go all the way to South America. Just like that. All things we have to do here. Yes, after all, Mary did say the place has

incredible sunsets, the golden yellow color of these incredible chips. South America. Here we come, you, dancing teacher, one of the very best, Professor Marcel level at yoursel. That's fine, Miss Mars. You, mademoiselle, Oh, you have the born grace of the natural dancer. Five get along on the dance floor. You get along? Or no, just get along. No, I can't teach you to Marslin. Miss Mars, certainly lovely girl lives here like the others. Like the others, I not only

teach the dance. I also own this exceptionally fine establishment. No no, no, no, not a rooming house. Really no, like an old fashioned little family group. So I hear all that. Well, of course, impos I would naturally not teach the sumber that can't go. No, no, no, here, I teach the jitter. I hear your students are waiting for you. So if you just tell us, well with moms, send miss Mars and you have come to talk to Earth about about the

system. No, I mean that would be the only reason you would come all of you away from the United States. No, mademoiselle, no secrecy or such a better missie. I will pay you anything you want for that system. I'll keep that in mind. No, I will not let anyone else ever get its first. Please for remember that Tanny wine. I'll repeat it to myself every night, just before I drop off the Shoh boy, they're welcome to policy, or welcome missie. His name was Bill Shields.

He lived at the Professors too. He was the only friend that I had here. But what you told us, he must have been a pretty wonderful man. Wanted me to go back home. I didn't know. He left me all his money until the police found his will and somebody killed him at Caesars. Yes, because Bill had the system. Do you really believe there is such a thing? May Well, he won ten thousand dollars in one week, and he could have won more. He said that would be enough

for him, enough for me to get well and strong again. How long have you been down here? Almost a year? I was singing with a show that went broke here and then I got sick. But weren't for Bill. I I was Bill doing him polic song. Well, he'd been an engineer on some kind of construction job, but then he got interested in this

system, this business of chance and probability. What was that? Well, Bill said, the answer to any system had to be in mathematics, so I always had me getting books on mathematics, chance and probability, and then he succeeded mister Vallington. I can't use any of Bill's money until I find out who killed him. You can understand that, can't you. I'll do what I can. Why did the police say about all this? Well, not that Bill was killed. There was a robbery at Caesar's. They say

the robbers killed Bill just sort of accidentally. But it didn't So somebody killed him deliberately to stop him from using his system. Caesar Coppa would be interested in doing that. Oh, somebody might have tried to get the system from Bill and failed. Has Bill ever written this system down? Very No, no, not that I know of. Has he ever explained it to you? I'm afraid I wouldn't be smart enough to understand it anyway, Now you

feel and nobody will do anything to find out who killed Bill? Is that? And mister Valentine, you can get all the facts from the police and from Caesar Cappa. They'll be delighted to give you the fact. That's not enough. I must know who killed Bill. Allie Murray, I already saw all the fabulous pink houses of Polies. On this evening, we'll see the sunset and maybe tomorrow we can complete the points of interest and look for the murderer. Say you're Valentine. I assure you we are doing all we can.

Yes, so I've heard Lieutenant the customer at anything you can do to help, Senor, we would be honored. Thanks about the Caesar couple, A fine man, fine everyone in Polazon seems to be an exemplary character. That is the way it would appear, Miss Brooks exactly. Still a man is dead and the system nah, that is something I would not venture an opinion on, Senor. You ever, seems to Shield's play at the casino, oh see, and saw him win again and again. Wow, could

have been just a run of luck that could happen. But before each player. I even saw mister Shields figure out things on a piece of paper and always burned the paper with this cigarette lighter. That could have been just window dressing him. I beg your pardon over mind now, thought that robbery a very unusual thing to happen in mister Copple's establishment. I'm sure it is our theory that poor mister Shields was merely in the way of the thief, and

so we should ever catch the thief a rather death or possibility. Rankly, Yes, you see, our police force is not large, and there are so many different ways to get in and out of police on But naturally, if there is anything we can do to cooperate, thanks, thanks very much.

I think I've had all the cooperation I can stand. And just one more thing, Yes, should you come across the late mister Shield's system, the one you're not even sure exists, Lieutenant the Castle, It would be more pleasant and more profitable for you, mister Valentine if you were to get in touch with me. First good day. But you have me wrong, mister Valentine. Mister Sild's death was a very unpleasant shock to me. Yeah,

you must have cried all that. I am serious. You must admit your grief does seem hard to believeable to Capital Season, they lay a much nobler name. Well, the frank remains Season. But Shields want a great deal of money here at the casino, and presumably he could win as much more as he wanted. However, that it's just the point, mister Shields was a gentleman. The night he was killed, he came hire to say goodbye. He apologized for winning the ten thousand dollars at my expense. See,

it was all in needed. Adventured the guests that I would survive, And as I see, you have quite well. Yes, this is a beautiful place, isn't it. You ought to see it in the evening when the play is in full swing. It is truly worthy of season. I know, but I still don't care what you're driving out about Shields. This isn't on this casino, mister Valentine. I do not have to, but obviously I cannot survive it through the genuine system. Mister Shields is dead.

Remember, I repeat, I had nothing to fear from him anymore. But whoever has this system now? Has someone else been very lucky around here lately? No, but I think that somebody will someday. Why. Needless to say, I watched Shields every move during the play. One evening, in the excitement of winning, he dropped one of the pieces of paper on which he was making his calculations. The paper was an unusual shade of yellow. Shield's system was the talk of the town. How many people were trampled in

the Russia. As a matter of fact, only one other person noticed it, shift the individual around town called the Nickel. I wasn't fast enough to stop him before he reached the door, the penalty of overweight. I'm sure you had a talk with the impetuous Nickel a later. It didn't private, but he said he couldn't make any sense of the figures on the paper, so he destroyed it. A likely story, precisely, especially since Niko has lately been seen spending more money than he ever had in his life, and

more especially since Nko is now nowhere to be found. So you figure Nko sold a precious piece of yellow paper and was told to make himself scarce. Mister Valentine, I will pay you handsomely. I must know if these systems did exists, and who has it. I already have a client sees here, but you're welcome to tag along if you'll help me, of course, and I want to know all the details at the robbery. How do I

get him? I will arrange for you to speak to Carl Sebring, my manager, and Freddy Griggs, the cashier's loyal Valentine, I merely think my employe is dramatizing himself again meeting Rod Sebring. There's no such thing as a winning systems. The tune we've heard before. It's usually followed by another tune when you find it. Remember me first. I've been again, But for many years was Brooks Gamblings my whole life, and I never found a system.

As you notice, I'm an employee off Caesars the Magnificent who gambles not at all. The models an obvious one, so it is, and amen. But the moment I'd like to know about the robbery. It took place just about here at this roulette wheel. The lights suddenly went out. Aren't the extra ones an emergency lighting system most gambling places have on. The switch to the auxiliary lighting system is near the cashier's cage. When Freddie turned it

on, he found it had been tampered with. Oh that was convenient. By the time some other lights went on, the croupier was neatly knocked out, the money was scooped up from the racks, and in the excitement, mister Shields was shot with a gun which must have had a silency. The lights were tampered with, I and inside job wouldn't you say, seving, I would say so, but Caesar shies away from the ideas if it were a reflection on his own honor. The men Caesar has chosen can do no

wrong. That sort of thing. Again, I get the idea you're not very fond of mister Kappo. Fond of him better than that. I admire him his colossal ego. He actually has that phony royal crest on every handkerchef he owns, and every cigarette smokes. So obviously they stolen money incident had to be put on a grandiose basis, including the Niko incident. Now, if you'd like to see the cashier, yeah, lead on spring. Yeah,

I give ten years of my life for a system like that. Miss always knew somebody would be lucky and work one out, and the man who did wasn't very lucky, it seems, sir. Oh, yes, sir, I see what you mean. Funny, Yes, sir, you can turn the emergency lights on right here near the cage, right right. In fact, I'd tested them myself just before the casino opened, mister kap I was right with me. The old thing is a running mystery. Yeah, But later when the lights went out, didn't you do anything? Governor?

I have a game leg see got it in an accident. That's why I took this cashier job, so I wasn't going to run anywhere. Besides, it might have been a trick, Sir. I do just then? Did it leave the cage? You got it? Miss? So I just take the ear in the dark set you with a gun, A gun with a silencing holes. Sir? Why not? Just an idle question? Yes? Did you notice Nico here at the casino on the night mister Shields was murdered? Nico? You know I'm don't you? Just enough not to give him

credit. He hasn't been around in days and days. No idea where I can find him, George, I think Lieutenant the Caurst was looking for you. Oh good, maybe he can help us find Nico, the only leader we seem to have all the talent. I was very anxious to find you. Yeah, what's up? It seems we have had another murder committed by the same man who killed mister Shields. The bullets match who was killed,

and that is the mystery. A very unimportant man, a man who cannot have any connection with this case at all, A man called Nico in just a moment will return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. I'm sure that you've heard me say before that any gas can be made to stress one performance feature at the expense of others. But Chevern Supreme gasoline gives you not one,

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say and mean, we take better care of your car. Chance and probability the heart of a winning gambling system that brought luck to nobody, not to Bill Shields, the man who invented it, not to the shifty little South American Niko who tried to cash in on it. Both were murdered. Yes, you're up to your neck in this very strange case that brought you thousands

of miles to the little town of Polisar. And even if your name is George Valentine, you've been to think that the chances for success are small, and the probability off you're getting a bullet next is great. Still, you stick to your job, which at the moment is again talking to the huge and egotistical owner of the casino. Sees a couple the murder a kid, and he goes so that he would be the only one at the system. Now he'm at his mercy. Cut that out, Caesar. His place isn't

worth a center. A man can come in and win as much as he wants anytime, d man I did. That's a little more important than the money you might lose. I built up this casino from nothing. I built it beautiful and strong because I am Caesar Cappo and I am not going to see it destroyed. I am Yeah, you know what, I don't know what I can do? Okay, then listen to me and trying to help. Yes, who was here the nice shields were shot? Was Mary Marston

here? The American girl? No professor la room let me think. Yes he was here, but not that he had any money to play with you. But he was here. And the lieutenants, Yeah he was here. But the one more thing, the emergency lights. You were with a cashier when he tested them? That is right, they worked. Have you any idea how they could have been tampered with? I would swear it wouldn't be impossible for anyone to do that without Freddie seeing him. Impossible, impossible,

But it was done. Yeah, Murder doesn't have to come here by himself ever, he has can have dozens of people come to you use this system ruined me? He she is a cop boy. The Mercedi's address? What Freddie Griggs the canshier? Where does he live? Carl Seabrigg must know? But why I don't see? I want Freddie's address and an oversized portion of good luck. It's overdue, George. What if Freddie decides to come back here, after all, this is sits home and climbing in through a window,

isn't he stop worrying looking for I'm sure good that always helps. I'm hoping it might be money, lots of money. The money stolen from the casino would be Maybe you ought to believe Caesar that it was impossible for anyone among you the lights, and it would have to be Freddie himself. Surely he wouldn't keep the money he earth couldn't very well take it to the bank. Still, it's sort of in the dream department. Igness shirts sucks hand

Kerchen. What is it, George? A piece of yellow paper, a very unusual shade of yellow, the system, the piece of paper that Nico sneaked out of the casino on which Bill Shields figured his play. Let me see the square root of C three D over A plus b equals the square root of C three d parenthesis A plus b over parenthesis A plus b times too. A real fascinating. Well, it must be the key to the

system. But George, what's it doing. You're at Freddy's If Freddie bought the piece of paper from Nico, then he must have killed him and shields. That's what follows me books. See how come this paper was left where I could be found. Freddie's too smart for that. Yes, well, what are we doing next? Come on, I'll get the lights. At least we can leave through the door. Well, the police can make pretty talk if he knows anything about this piece. No, don't, did you

see what? Not? Too dark? I just hearn him move off finally never getting George. Please murder. It's getting more and more desperate, Dolly. Let's leave this case in the castro, and in your life you still have this piece of paper and a client who has a conscience at a heartache. Come on, Brooky, we gotta see people. I just got here to the casino Valentine first one, huh Caesar around seabring. Oh no, he didn't come down necessarily. He's probably home getting his daily manicure and shade.

Preddy here should be here any minute, all right. Took a little walk after dinner or dude always likely constitutions it's might to be walking alone. You don't have a lot of people watching what you do. Yes, miss I do like my solitude, just to do a little thinking, meditate under the stars and let the bomb of the evening. Yeah you're a poet, Reddie. Nice to talk to you. So you were here in your apartment all evenings since I am a lazy man, mister Valentine, have you nails

manicured with the barber here? No? No, no night. I was here all alone. Even Caesar has his moments of loneliness. But it was terrible, as you will, until your calmed down the room, boy, I was just to call the police or Mary, poor Mary, it makes sense. Were you. I was in the other room, teaching a group or to do the Charleston, and I heard Mary's screen. I went to their room as she was gone, romis this way, isn't who? Yes? Miss you used and in one of his students ran over to the window.

There is that big garden you crossed before you get to the street. Yes, yes, yes, we know. Students are men dragging marry A throws the garden and she was struggling with him, and he could not you with them, and whiles the kidney to go. Yes, yes, yes, could desire hold on already put up a fight alrighty and I think I know who she fought with. You get Lieutenant the Castro Angel and meet me at Freddy's place as soon as you can. Honey, no lights. I

guess it's the window again. Nah, I was shay down and wrists. Yeah, something is different. I swear what the mary? Wait? Wait on how old mister Valentine? Well, I have to gag her again? Wow? I was right about you. See Bring, please do as a girl. I'll have to kill you now instead of later. Move okay, and makes you a much bigger man than me, so you'll get no argument. Bust. He said. It was going to make me tell him about the system, even if he had to torture me. That's what I'm gonna

do. And then you'll have to go. But Valentine joining you Later, the police will say Freddie killed not only Shields and Nico, but the two of you as well. After all, I already planted the paper. You're wasting your time. See Bring, he doesn't know the system. I don't, really, I don't. I must contradict you. Shields was your friend, miss Marston, good enough friend to leave you all his money? You got him all those books. Oh he can fide it in you all right,

No, no, he didn't. Can I get through with y'all? Know for sure? It's a matter of curiosity, Valentine, how did you know that I took the girl here? Well, if I'm gonna satisfy your curio, said Eli, and at least be civilized and have a cigarette, togetty, I can offer you a good American brand later start talking. Okay, all the people in this case, only you, whose passion is gambling, had no interest in the system. Insisted that you didn't believe in one.

That was strange to say the least. Perhaps I did overplay my hand a little. Help me, Please help me, mister Valentin too, after somebody took those shots at me, I heard him run. Certainly it couldn't have been Caesar, who waddles, or Freddy, who has a bad lay shot up point three. Freddy couldn't have dragged Mary across LaRue's garden, and Caesar, who only wants the system destroyed, would have killed Mary in her room, not take any chance of being seen. So again, it had

to be you. Yes, it was me all along, it was made. But why why did you kill Bill? I took advantage of Freddie's rather obvious maneuver with the lights and is stealing the money that kills Shields and confuse the motive. But I'd never get the system from him. With him dead, I could solve a piece of paper I bought from ko Or as the last resort. Get the system from you and I will. Now the paper was a fraud. Wasn't it a problem? Annouge? But that's all.

Oh, what a last Shields must have had when he delibered. He let that piece of paper fall to the floor in the casino cigarette. No let me you can have this in the fake Cellivane Burns even put it into the bike. Second chance blush except from me dout in time. Oh okay, alright, okay, it's all right. And I think I hit a lieutenant as polite and vague as ever I bet, and almost too late. With

Chris fall Day's already making an appearance. The battery in your car will be getting more and more of a workout as winter approaches, so better take time now to be sure it's in good condition your car. Savers are equipped to offer complete battery service. I'd be glad to test your battery and if necessary,

give it a recharge. But don't wait until it's too late. Stop in soon for a battery check up at any standard station or independent Chevron gas station where they say, and meme, we take better care of your car. Number two hundred and eight passengers will please come aboard. It's nice to be going home with you. You'll get well and strong again, Mary, Bill would want that, and you'll forget all this, sure, sure, And the sun sets back home are pretty nice too, and you can paint

your house bullers on pink anytime. I wouldn't even try to thank you, mister Valentine. Well, that's the smartest thing I heard anyone say today, George. I wonder if Joe ever did find us. Don't whether he was looking at the cast or said it was just a sensational run of luck. What do you think, Mary, I don't know. We'll never know.

Now that's right, Maybe that's best. Caesar the responded, I have a person for you, a token of my gratitude, Catlings, the most beautiful, the most expensive, and made just for you, so personal, plan, so personal. See well the crest, of course, to let you

remember that once you helped. Caesar. Goodbye, Bob boy Eyes, Goodbye the Night's transcribed adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard Oil Company of California on behalf of independent Chevern Gas stations and Standard stations throughout the West. Robert Bailey is starred as George, with Virginia Gregg as brookste Let George Dooitt was written by David Victor and directed by Kenneth Webb. Virginia Eiler was heard as Mary, Ted de Corsia as Caesar, Harry Bartell as Carl,

Eric Snowdon as Freddie, and Larry Dobkin as Nicastro. Music by Gaylord Carter, Your announcer John Heaston. Listen again next week, same time, same station to Let George Do It. Let George doo It is heard overseas through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. This is the mutual Don lead broad Got Things that Welcome back. Well, this was a pretty

solid episode of Let George Do It. I liked how all of the clues could be easily deduced from things we'd heard on the radio program, particularly as it had to do with people's walks. All the clues had been there, I'd probably overlooked, well I had overlooked a couple and I'm certain you did too. But if that's you know, if that's the case on this particular episode, we only have ourselves to blame with missing out on getting to the

solution. All right, Well, that will do it for today. Please support our listener support campaign support Not Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com Slash Radio Detectives. Tomorrow is another episode of Sherlock Holmes. Wednesday. Next Wednesday we have Let George do It again and a new star on Sherlock Holmes, so be sure to be listening then. In the meanwhile, send

your comments of box thirteen Great Detectors dot net. But from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and off

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