Philip Marlowe: Daring Young Dame on the Flying Trapeze - podcast episode cover

Philip Marlowe: Daring Young Dame on the Flying Trapeze

Jun 29, 202436 min
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Episode description

Original Release Date: August 17, 2021

A trapeze performer hires Marlowe to protect a circus from dangerous gamblers his partners owe money to. 

Original Air Date: July 1, 1947

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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 Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com slash Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram Instagram dot com slah that's

Great Defectives. I don't want to let you know about our other podcast, in particular The Amazing World of Radio at Amazing dot Great Detectives dot net. Our Patreon supporters voted for a summer of summer replacement programs, so we've been bringing you a whole variety of programs from true crime to comedies and drama anthology programs, and we still have four more episodes to go, so you can

check it out Amazing dot Great Detectives dot and net. And I want to encourage you to check out all of our podcast over at Great Detectives dot net.

You can access them right from the top of the site. Well, now we're going to return to the Adventures of Philip Marlow, and we aren't going to start back with the Gerald Moore series, which is the better known and more popular, a series that continued on for two years and then came back as a summer replacement series from nineteen forty eight to fifty and then summer

of fifty one. We're going to start out with the first Philip Marlowe series, which was a summer series that starred Van Heflin and aired over NBC and was sponsored by Pepcident. At this point, Van Heflin was very much a big up and coming star in Hollywood, having won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, although these days he's probably best remembered for his work on Shane, where

he was not the main character that honor fell to Alan Land. But at any rate, this episode that we're going to play today was the third episode in the series. Original air date July the first, nineteen forty seven, and this one's The Daring Young Day on the Flying trampas or the Safety of Your Smile used Pessident twice a day, See your Dentist twice a year. Leaver Brothers Company presents the Pepsident program The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, starring Van

Heflin. Pepsident Presents Philip Marlowe Raymond Chandler's famous private detective. You've seen him on the screen and laid him The Lake Murder, My Suite, The Rasher Dablon, and The Big Sleep. No Pepsident brings you the Adventures of Philip Marlowe on the air and starring MGM's brilliant and dynamic young actor Van Heflin. Now, families all over America have named their favorite toothpaste New Petsident with arium new fresh tasting Pepsident with the new cool Mithy flavor. It's the three to

one favorite over all other toothpastes. Yes. In a recent test, families from coast to coast compared New Petsident with other toothpastes at home, and by an overwhelming vote, by an average of three to one, these families preferred New Petsident over all other toothpastes. On all these counts. They said, New Pepsident taste better, makes breath cleaner, makes teeth brighter. Yes. On all these points, families three to one declared New Pepsident better than the

average of all other toothpaste. They tried, get it for your family right away. There comes a certain time in the year when I don't want to see midget auto races. I want to see Mitchet's when I prefer sawdust to start list and popcorn to all other kinds of corn available in Hollywood. The circus was moving in on the grounds at Washington Boulevard and Hill Street, and I was turning in my usual fine job as sidewalk supervisor. It was exciting.

It brought back all of the sounds and sensations and convictions of childhood. And then someone had me firmly by the wrist, and I turned to look into a pair of steady, smoky, dark eyes that could be dangerous. Excuse me, sir, but you are a private detective. I'm a detective, but I don't get much privacy. My name is Ralph Cassanari, who told you I was a detective. My feet aren't that flat. Do you know a gentleman named Alfikonolf? Well, I know and Alsikonolf he pointed you

out. He asked me, what was the big idea? What was my angle hiring a private detective? Give me an idea? And al Sigonolf he had any ideas to spare Miss Camardo. Besides, only one third of the very fine little circus. I am Tosari Cassanari, the Swede and Glorian traffista. The most brilliantary election of business. I own this circus with Gorian and the Sweet where there's our second out he fit in. Now this we get drunk and gambles contactic sums of money. The circus is worth a fourt of

a million dollars already. The Swede at gambled away much more than he third of the circus. And a partner may sell out his other partner without even consulting them. You're afraid the Swede will sell you out to pay for his debts. Yeah, and if he did that, I should not hit a day or watches. Yeah, uh, checking off. We has made it plain that the gamblers expect payment immediately. Now, would you consider giving us your protection during the days we're going to be here? What if five dollars

a day and expenses? That's then cheap enough. I know, but you see, I'm a sucker for a circus. Yeah? Is it the office of Philip Marlow? Better still, this is Philip Marlow? Go ahead. The partner Glorianne. I'm in a downtown bar with a Swede and he's terribly drunk. I know this didn't go a job, won't you'll come down and help me get him? All right, mother, Marlow will be right down. I found the main street bar where Glorianne said i'd find her in the

Swede. The Swede was potted like Grandma's Begonia, and with the help of the bartender and pour professional loafers, we got him into my car. I told Gloriane to drive. Let me just take it easy. George the street receiving hospital. I'll stay back here and wrestle a suite for the champions. Just let him along for now to do some shopping. Yeah, I'm telling you something, honey girl. At Tessonari makes any more passes at you, I'll beat him Randling, Oh please, don't pay any attention to him.

The tomorrow he thinks everyone is okay. Back in your seat, yeah yeah, and then that doctor so still. I'm telling you something, honey girl. One of these days I'm gonna get up some money on that trapeze and I'm not gonna cut your friend Totsnario. How's that tomorrow? Then tell Muscles to let go of my ear. Perfect crime. Who know was an accident on the night and the night on have a circus instead of just a bird. He's drunk, but drunk or sob he's got one dusy have an idea.

They're drunk or so. I knew some interns of Georgia Street Receiving Hospital who obliged with some oxygen and a math. A half hour of breathing that oxygen deeply in the Sweden was stone cold, sober, and back in my car again. He was making certain cage explanations. Er marlow, or you don't want to take that stuff. I was mumbling about. Seriously, you know I I was drunk, after all. Glory and my wife, oh

naturally, I don't like other guys giving her the eye. But let's screwy talk about me dropping Tessnari accidentally on purposeful but yet it the perfect crime. I was only talking molo. I wouldn't do that, the Tessnari. Of course, now you'd be all broken up about it, wouldn't he. I sat in a field box that evening with the small neat circus unwound to the big act, and the big moment arrived, with butterflies warming up in my

stomach and posts something madly my neck. You that's scenaria. The swede came bounding into the room and over to the two spidery ladders that zoomed up into the very peak of the big tent, up there where it was hot, high and dangerous too magnificently made men climbing that slim ladder. The brilliant keeps flowing behind and growing up higher, smaller higher, And then they were on their tiny platforms, removing their case manuels. They turned faced each other across

the board like divers. Not a voice, not a breath, not a sound that I began to perspire. The net was being gathered back. Then suddenly Passinari raised his right arm and smiled, dropped his arm, and the swede shot out into space like a comet, and the gay waltzing. Somehow insane music began. It was all the announcer said, at least to me,

daring and terrifying. Whirl and spin and contact, swings, swings, swing and spin, spinning and whirling, contact and break, hands locked to ross and hands contact and break, spin, whirled, cartwheeling, contact, swings, swings, swing and leap, split second tiny and the split second split again with Happy's bars flying into place square, and when they were needed. I looked away, my head drumming and swimming, and I looked up again. I looked up in the thing that had been tying my stomach in

cool, hard nuts. The thing I was afraid of happened. The music played a gate when the clowns poured into the arena, grinning happily. I saw the youngish, handsome doctor race across the sawdust, followed by Gloriana across the arena. I saw al seconalf. They get up and disappear into the crowd. I went out too outside I managed to get a shaking match to

a quaking cigarette. In my mind, I heard it again and again, drunken voice of the flying Swede come back to me on the days I'm gonna get up somebody on that happis, and I'm not gonna catch your friend. Only it was all wrong. It didn't add because the body that had plummeted to the ground hadn't been the body of Ralph Cassanari, but of the man who had plotted the perfect clime, Gloriana's husband, a flying Swede. What oh, oh, you were in there, Yes, I saw it,

brilliant. I think I could kill rout with it. You think Cassonari dropped your husband purpose? What do you think? Look, Land, I took this job, you know why? And well, all this reminded me of myself when I was a kid reading Tom Sawyer and Huck Fan and believing, Well, I still believe in me. I felt the same way about the circus, the last childish illusions. A man holds Auntie so he doesn't get too hard. You're not tough at all. If I was gonna like this

job and then he's happening, do you know what I'm talking about? Yes, I was sales. Look, Glorianne the Sweet is dead, and you think Tessonary killed him. But it's the perfect crime. You can't prove anything. Maybe I didn't love the Sweet, but it was my husband, and I'm the square. Did you love Tessinary? If I did it all over enough, I'm going to prove to everybody in circus business at least he killed

my husband. Well, how you'll tell you a little boys. I watched her go back into the biggest tent, and then I drove home and dreamed all night about second of If he's smiling his yellow smile and disappearing into the crowd. I got up late and went down for coffee in a newspaper. The story was there on page one. Also a silky lady picture Glorianna beneath it. The caption reading, show must Go on, Dar's High Trapeze and

Passionary. After Nate falls to death. I looked at my watch. It was late, later than I thought for the daring young dame on the flying trapeze. It was almost too late. You are listening to the Adventures of Philip Marlowe starring Van Heflin. Yes, families all over America have named their favorite toothpaste New Peptident with invigorating iriem foam, New fresh Tasting Pepsident with the new Coop Mitty flavors. It's the three to one favorite over all other toothpaste

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so much cleaner, and his breast pressure and it's beneath. I've never found any toothpaste better for brightening my teeth. Yes, families from coast to coast, by an overwhelming average a free to one say new Peptident is better than any other toothpaste they tried. Better for taste, better for cleaning the breast, better for brightening teeth. Remember this is not just our opinion, it's the honest conviction of the Sinclair's and other families who compare new Pestidence with brands

they had at home. So why not have your family try a new Peptidence, the only toothpaste containing irium. Get it without delay. He continue with the Adventures of Philip Marlowe, created by Raymond Chandler and starring Van Heflin, who appears by arrangement with Metro Golden Mare producers of The Hucksters starring Clark Gables the Lion actors going on. When I arrived at the circus grounds and practically ran the Glorianne, she was in her tights and cloak ready to go on,

blood, Glorianne, you're you're kidding, this is our gag. You're not going up there, Well, you're out of your mind. I'm going up with pass and I to prove me to kill the scree You add that up? My arms are full of bundles. How can I agree to go off? Why? Why? On his nail shattered after yesterday? Because he knows he didn't make a mistake yesterday. He knows he dropped my husband perfectly,

and not because his time and all the actions were wrong. To mix it up to a point, you're thinking he may drop like that, you won't drop me. What makes you so sure? I love you? What does that make sense? Yeah, yeah, that makes a lot of sense. We'll go to it, little girl. I watched glorian so small and slim and fragile as she went up that thin ladder, and my throat swelled tight, and butterflies took off in my stomach again. She was on the

platform, removing her silk cape, folding and carefully over the rail. They were facing each other, smiling, smiling, dead soul free silence. Then the minutes I sat there, petrified, watching your cold sweat channel and down my back for ten minutes, I stopped breathing. I died once, only once. I had to close my eyes. And then that second I heard the crowd roar. Everyone was standing up, screaming and goggle eyed. I broke to my feet and there she was bound, laughing and throwing kisses into

the crowd and a Tassinarian at me. Then she pirouetted and ran up the ramp to her dressing tent. I got there with Taessinary. Her eyes warmed, Familia, and then froze again for Tessinari, come in, little boy, and you, tassan I, Cassina, Ralph Folsos and a bear. Today I talked to Tssanai. Now I want miss Molly hear what I have to say to you. Just first that I'm through you, Gloriana. Look, not because of the accidence, because it was not an accident. You

don't believe that. May I suggest that maybe Al sick and off he has a meaty part in this picture. No half, and that's not true. Ah, Yes, doctor, I did pass your tent last night after the accident. Accident, I heard you in the cafide unsuccessful doctor speaking together. Oh so intimately you're in and I think together, deciding conveniently, perhaps that I killed a Suede should never all, he's the one, Richard. If I wanted to murder a man, it would be easy to take my gun

from my trunk and show them. But that wouldn't be the perfect crime. Why should I want to kill the Swede because he might have sold you out to pay his debts, because you'd get half of the share of the circus, because you were in love with his wife. I see you think you're ever case. I hope not. Glorian knows what I mean, only perhaps talk to you. Better go now, Yeah, yeah, I'm very sorry,

Glorian for all of us. Good day, Good day, mister Morrow, and patted out softly like a panther's resentment, and a hecred smoldering in his eyes. It was horrible, boy, I don't now. I left wondering if there'd be a show that night, tradition or no tradition. I walked for half an hour, and then a police squad car came screaming down Washington Boulevard to the circus grounds. Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun, but Marlow runs in it. I found a small colony of

cops in one of the dressing tents. The man on the cut had taken a lot of pulses in his time, but he didn't have a single one to show for it, Not even his own good looking youngish doctor Richard W. Stowe was dead. Detective Lieutenant de Bearer held out a small automatic to me, Hello, Marlon, I hear you've messed the minding things around here? Later ever see this gun before? I may have heard of it.

A man name Ralph Tessinari, connected with his show has disappeared. No, something about that he was fresh from a lover's quarrel lasts him, or maybe just out walking it off. Possible, but the dead doctor and Tessinari both went for a putty little clapis queen named Glory Anne. There was anything stolen here? No, The circus hand who heard the muffle shot came running before anything could have been taken. Were a gala Glorianne. How does you feel

about this? She's in her ten heavily committed to a case of hystories. Morrow Divvy's on any information you get out of her. You can't go on right now. Let me get something. Justice said it to settle your nerve. Oh, no, we never take that thing. Bad for going up on the track. No, that's the basic. You can't go up there right anyway. Tascenari's missing. I will see what I can find for you. I rumage to doctor Stowe's medical bag while Liberta watched him across the tent.

I found a small black book, at least threw it with my hands. Still. Hidden in the bag was a small case history book with sketchy data about these cases, the treatment given, the medication prescribe. I very quietly tore out the last page, ponded and slipped in my pocket as eye creaked you an approximate upright position. Find anything to quiet the little woman moral? No, not a thing. I'll try a drug store tablets of cyclo dome grins, one under her, one tablet with warm water for nerves or

asleep. What is it? It's a common sedative. But I can't sell you any without a prescription. What can you tell me anything about those drugs? Some? But you will find a lot more in doctor Torrel Soulman textbook on pharmacology. Pharmacology. It's only in the main library, I think, but it's complete that'll tell you all you want to know. I'm sure, and Druggist was right. The Textbook of Pharmacology told me all I wanted to

know. Also, this was a very limited edition. It was probably the only one of its kind that had on the page devoted to cyclodrome a smudge of lipstick in the shape of a woman's finger. It was all and more than I wanted to know, and all at once. I was old, very old. From now on I was going to leave allusions to high school girls and magicians. Hello boy again, I see your dress to work, Griana, I return. I wouldn't know, but I think I do know

who killed the Swede to night. I gravely doubt that, Elsey Lorian. You're a dainty little thing, and that's a particular reason why you should break yourself a little unsightly habits like touching your fingers to your mouth to turn back pages in books. Are you all right? Was the Swede all right when he went up protestinary last night, of course? Or was he just slightly under the influence of a seditie drug that calms the nerves, yes, but

slows up their reaction time. I don't understand such man. You admitted to me to day that it isn't wise to take such seditudes before your act, but you did get a prescription for such habits from doctor Stowe. You said nothing about I needed to. But according to doctor Stoe's case book, you got the tablets before the Swede was killed, and you left him at the bar for an hour yesterday while you did a little medical research at the main

library. And that night the swedes split second timing didn't quite split, did it. Of course, you weren't afraid to go up with Tassinary didating he didn't miss the Swede. The Swede missed him. I hated him. You didn't want him. You just wanted to surface all of it. So you killed the Swede with his own perfect crime. Only it was too perfect. You couldn't pin the murder on Taessonary. You had to think of something more

down to earth. Go on, my glory and crowd of you. Doctor Stow knew that you hated your husband, knew that you had those tablets. He knew that the Swede didn't make mistakes. Last night when Tessonary her view and still whispering together in Stow was telling you what he suspected, wasn't he He was a doctor, and he is furious at the thought of being used in a murder. Well, if you didn't shut up the doctor, he talked, So you shot him with Tessinary's gun. After staging a very nice

row with Tessinary in front of me. That would paint it on Tessinary. You let Stoe take you in his arms to muffle a shop that was particularly pretty. No, no, no, boy, you had a bigger day. Well, it's time that I grew up. Anyway, that's act and Glorian, I've sent for the police. Glorian, I'll be here pretty soon. Now there arena. She came back. He doesn't even know he's wanted. Probably a little boy. I have let you down. Let me make it up a little Let me go out there. Will you come down again?

Yes, of course, by the ladder, I mean I won't let you down again, little boy? Who brought it? We second people wanted Toup poach you again? Please? They're waiting. Well, the show must go on, Mercenary. All right, go ahead, lady, they're waiting. She ran out, laughing, throwing kisses, and I walked out after stood in the runway, watching I watched the small, delicate figure going up

the ladder. Then she was at the platform, rosin on shoes, rosin on the hands and wrists, and sultry silence, not a voice, not a breath, raising her hand in a gesture of exquisite grace and sureness, and smiling and pessinage smiling, And there it was. This was it. The ghost link packs of small fries in my school days gaped up with me

and shivered with kid delight. I was a kid again, walking up at the circus guy and the circus lady, the daring young dame on the flying trappees, passinary in glory Anne or positively the last performance anywhere on Earth. You have just heard Van Heflin starring in the new mystery series Raymond Chandler's The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, brought to you by the Leeber Brothers Company, makers of Pepsidence. Van Heflin will return in just a moment. Have you tried?

Have you tasted the new pepsin and toothpaste? Its lingering, minty flavor is so fresh and inviting. Families prefer it by an overwhelming average of three to one. Over All other toothpastes. In a recent nationwide test, they said new pepsinin taste better, makes breath cleaner, and makes teeth brighter. Remember new pepsinin gives you more invigorating irium foam. It sweeps dulling film away, no wonder. It's the three to one favorite with families all over America.

Get new Pepsinin with irium for your family right away. Now Here is Van Heflin, Star of Adventures of Philip Marlowe, King LEOPARDI had the hottest trumpet and the coldest eye in show bins, and he loved yellow silk, so they call him the King in Yellow. We consider his short, eventful life. Next week, when is Philip Marlowe. I have some business with

the King in Yellow. The Night Star was written by Milton Geiger, based on the character of Philip Marlowe, the screen's most famous private detective, created by Raymond Chandler. Heard with Van Heflin's tonight as Glory Anne was Loreene Tuckle. The original music was composed and conducted by Lynn Murray. This is Wendell Niles inviting you to listen again next week at this same time to another exciting mystery on the Adventures of Philip Marlowe starring Van Heflin with a distinguished cast.

This is NBC, the National Broadcasting Company. Welcome back. The three episodes that were actually in circulation back when we did The Adventures of Philip marlow on the podcast were all based on short stories by Raymond Chandler. By this, of course, I mainly NBC series starring half one. This one the next one are different in that they are original stories. This one was a pretty decent detective program. I did struggle with a couple of things on here.

I'm not certain I buy the idea of Marlow being someone who hasn't been disabused of his childish notions about the circus. I also found the whole little boy name that's used repeatedly to be a bit over much. Now. To be fair, Chandler stories and chandler Esque stories often had a characters give somebody a nickname and keep, you know, using it over and over again. But for a half hour story, I think that this was perhaps a bit too

much and came off as too repetitive. While Raymond Chandler characters will often have that repeated note, it's not often that they begin every sentence to Marlowe with their pet nickname. One other thing to note, while he is uncredited, I am fairly certain that I heard the voice of Jeff Chandler as the Swede.

Now, I do want to go ahead and thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to go ahead and thank Martin, Patreon supporter since September twenty seventeen, currently supporting us at the detective sergeant level seven dollars and fourteen cents or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Martin. That will do it for today. If you are listening on YouTube, be sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and mark

the notification bell. Join us back here tomorrow for the Man Called X and Thursday a previously uncirculated episode of Sherlock Holmes. We will be back next Tuesday with another previously uncirculated episode of Philip Marlow. And then next Thursday listen for a previously uncirculated episode of Mister Keene Tracer of Lost Persons, and we'll be back next Tuesday with another episode of Philip Marlow. In the meantime, do

send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net. Follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives. Check us out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com, slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham's sign and off

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