Podcast Summary:

Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Broadway Is My Beat – "Buddy Malpaugh and the Jeweled Scimitar"
Aired: December 22, 1951 (Podcast Release: Feb 11, 2026)
Main Cast:

• Detective Danny Clover (Larry Thor)
• Sergeant Gino Tartaglia (Charles Calvert)
• Mike Shrek
• Rima 9
• Mr. Zoic
• Buddy Malpaugh

Overview:

This episode offers a festive but twist-laden detective story set on Broadway in the days leading up to Christmas. Detective Danny Clover and Sergeant Gino Tartaglia delve into the theft of a priceless artifact—the Jeweled Scimitar of Genghis Khan—after ne'er-do-well millionaire Buddy Malpaugh is assaulted. The investigation soon swirls with colorful suspects, disguises, double-crosses, and a master criminal. As always, the city’s gaudiest mile, Broadway, is as much a character as any person, highlighting the lonely and hopeful moments of the holidays.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Unfolding:

1. Pre-Christmas Mood and Gino’s Wish

• The story opens with Detective Clover describing the festive, bustling holiday environment on Broadway (00:54).
• Sergeant Gino Tartaglia, feeling unfulfilled by conventional gifts, wishes for the excitement of solving a crime with Danny (02:01).
  • Memorable Quote:
    "What I want most is to go out and solve a crime...to go out on a case with you. My fondest wish for Christmas."
    — Tartaglia (02:24)

2. The Case Emerges: Buddy Malpaugh Attacked

• News breaks: Buddy Malpaugh, nicknamed the "ne'er-do-well millionaire," has been attacked and robbed in his ransacked apartment (03:33).
• Gino excitedly joins Danny on the case, fulfilling his Christmas wish.

3. Meeting Mike Shrek – An Unlikely Ally or Rival?

• At Malpaugh’s, the duo discovers Mike Shrek, a legendary detective from Philadelphia, “hiding behind the drapes” (05:11).
  • Notable Exchange:
    "This man. This hider behind grapes...May I present Mike Shrek, the bald headed miracle detector from Philadelphia."
    — Tartaglia (05:34)
• Shrek claims to be tracking master criminal Lance Lash and initiated the call to police.

4. The Victim’s Story – and the Missing Scimitar

• Malpaugh, regaining consciousness, explains he was attacked before a scheduled date with Rima 9 and that "the Jeweled Scimitar of Genghis Khan"—his most prized possession—was stolen (07:10).
  • Memorable Quote:
    "I prized it more than the jeweled scimitar of Genghis Khan." — Malpaugh (08:03)

5. Rima 9 – The Sultry Siren and the Museum Lead

• Clover and Tartaglia question Rima 9, who admits her date with Malpaugh was motivated by his famed scimitar, believed to be worth "half a million dollars" (10:02–12:13).
  • Rima notes her interest in the museum's replica, establishing a new investigative angle.

6. The Museum and the History of the Scimitar

• The detectives visit Mr. Zoic at the Museum of Far Eastern Lore. He recounts the scimitar's legendary origin and note that the display piece is only a replica, as Malpaugh never donated the real one (11:03–12:14).

7. Twists and Turns – Disguises and Double Identities

• Rima 9 is later arrested for disorderly conduct, frantically clutching a smashed, fake scimitar (18:24–20:00).

  • She reveals a dramatic encounter: “the cabbie” who attacked her was Lance Lash in disguise (20:38–21:02).
    • Notable Quote:
      "He grabs me by the throat, wrestles me for the scimitar...And you know who he really was? Not none other. Lance Lash, the master criminal of them all!" — Rima 9 (21:01)

• Detectives deduce the real scimitar was hidden in plain sight at the museum, replacing the replica—an audacious move by Malpaugh (21:52–22:08).

8. Race to the Museum and Final Showdown

• At the museum, a man dressed as Genghis Khan—actually Lance Lash—escapes with the real scimitar, disguised as a cab driver (22:32–23:13).

  • A bystander observes:
    "I just figured he was from California." (23:13)

• The detectives hurry to confront Mike Shrek, piecing together that he is actually Lance Lash in disguise (24:10–25:16).

  • Key Reveal:
    Gino catches Shrek’s slip:
    "The length of the Philadelphia Camden Bridge is 1.81 miles." (Shrek said 1.83, revealing his real identity) — (24:59–25:09)

• After a tense struggle, they unmask “Mike Shrek” as Lance Lash (25:24–26:02).

9. Denouement – Was It All Just a Dream?

• Gino awakens, realizing the whole escapade was a dream.

  • Notable Quote:
    "Danny, I had a dream, Danny. I was a big hero. I went out on a case with you." — Tartaglia (26:57)
  • Clover reassures him:
    "When something happens to you, something real, and then it's over, you know what you have left? Memory...That's all anything is, Gino. A memory." (27:03–27:25)

• Gino gets his “Christmas wish,” and the story closes on a bittersweet, hopeful note, echoing the spirit of Christmas on Broadway.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sergeant Gino Tartaglia’s Christmas Wish:
  "What I want most for Christmas, Danny, I'm not going to get...my fondest wish for Christmas." (02:24)

• On the Value of Memory:
  "A dream’s over, you can remember it. You have the same thing. A memory. That's all anything is, Gino. A memory." — Clover (27:16–27:25)

• Detective Shrek's Slip:
  "The length of the Philadelphia Camden Bridge is 1.83 miles." (Shrek) — 24:53
  "The length...is 1.81 miles...Mike Shrek would never make an error like that." (Tartaglia) — 24:56–25:09

• On Christmas and Broadway:
  "The bells ring out on Broadway...the Translux spells out peace on earth, goodwill to men. You read it and believe it. Because it's Christmas time. The time for believing in miracles." — Clover (27:37)

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------|-------------| | Opening—Broadway at Christmas | 00:54 | | Gino’s Christmas wish | 02:24 | | News of Malpaugh’s attack | 03:33 | | Meet Mike Shrek | 05:11 | | Buddy Malpaugh’s account | 07:10 | | Interview with Rima 9 | 09:29 | | Museum visit—origin of Scimitar | 11:03 | | Rima 9 and the fake scimitar | 18:24–20:00 | | Revelation about the real scimitar | 21:52–22:08 | | The cab driver disguise & escape | 22:32–23:13 | | Unmasking Mike Shrek as Lance Lash | 25:07–26:02 | | Gino’s dream & final conversation | 26:57–27:37 |

Concluding Thoughts

With classic radio charm and a blend of holiday heart and detective twists, this Broadway Is My Beat episode offers wit, suspense, and warmth. Through Gino’s dream, the show delivers both a sharp caper and a reminder about the power of wishes and memory at Christmas.

Merry Christmas, detective fans!