Richard Diamond, Private Detective: "The Stolen Purse" (Aired 05/22/1949)

Episode Overview

This classic Richard Diamond episode, "The Stolen Purse," takes listeners through a tangled web of deception, murder, and counterfeit money. Private detective Richard Diamond’s dull week takes a sudden turn when an aging ex-con, Glenda, asks for his help returning a seemingly innocuous purse. Before long, Diamond is dodging thugs, implicated in murder, and unraveling a clever counterfeit ring where a black patent leather purse holds the key. The story blends Diamond’s trademark wisecracks with hard-boiled noir, crackling with witty banter and suspenseful action.

Key Discussion Points and Plot Breakdown

1. A Quiet Day Interrupted (00:46–06:17)

• Diamond’s Melancholy: Diamond reflects on slow days and waiting for clients in his office.
  • Quote (00:46): “My name’s Diamond and like a lot of working people at five o’clock in the afternoon I get pretty anxious for six o’clock to roll around. Especially if I haven’t had a client for the last three days.”
• Setting the Crime in Motion: Scene shifts to thugs Al and Stan with a woman, Dottie, in a hotel room, discussing a mysterious transaction involving a purse. Dottie makes a tense handoff of a purse to Glenda at a newsstand.
• The Purse Exchange: Dottie surreptitiously stashes the purse with Glenda, instructing her to keep it until she can meet again.

2. Diamond Gets Involved (06:01–08:10)

• Glenda’s Plea: Glenda comes to Diamond, fearing she’ll be accused of purse snatching and asks him to find the true owner.
  • Quote (06:31): “I want you to find the owner of this purse and return it.”
• Suspicion: Diamond is wary, suspecting Glenda may have lifted money, but finds only minor items inside.

3. Thugs and Threats (07:40–08:52)

• Al’s Intimidation: Thug Al rudely bursts in, demanding the purse. Diamond refuses and cold-cocks him in a comedic scuffle.
  • Quote (08:11): “And something to go with it.” (delivering a punch)

4. Trouble Mounts—A Murder! (08:35–13:05)

• Contacting the Police: Diamond updates his old friend Lieutenant Levinson, suggesting the suspicious visitor may be wanted.
• A Twist: Diamond leaves; shortly after, Al is found dead, shot in Diamond's office, and Diamond becomes a suspect.
  • Quote (13:06): “Oh, that crazy Walt Levinson’s got me in line for a murder rap.”

5. The Purse Causes Havoc (13:05–18:11)

• Purse Chaos: The pursuit of the purse continues. Francis, Helen Asher's butler, is accused of purse snatching after being attacked by Glenda in a street scuffle and recounts the wild incident at the station.
  • Quote (16:44): “When I wouldn’t give her the purse, she started yelling and called me a masher. And some enormous gentleman arrived and clouted me in the jaw.”
• Helen in Danger: Dottie is threatened in Helen’s apartment by Stan, who’s seeking the purse.

6. Glenda’s Fate and the Puzzle Unraveled (18:42–24:08)

• Diamond Hunts Glenda: Following a clue from matchbooks in the purse, Diamond tracks Glenda to her riverside shack, only to discover she’s been strangled.
  • Quote (19:40): “She couldn’t close her eyes because a rope around her neck was squeezing them open.”
• The Purse Trail: Diamond traces the purse to the Adams Hotel using the initials D.K.—Dorothy King (Dottie).
• Confrontation: In Dottie’s hotel room (20:40–22:08), Diamond, Dottie, and then Stan have a tense standoff over the purse’s contents.

7. Counterfeit Conspiracy Revealed (23:27–24:45)

• The Locker Key: Dottie divulges—under duress—that the purse’s real value was its key to a subway locker holding $100,000 in counterfeit bills.
• Stan’s Desperate Gamble: Stan flees with the key, retrieves the fake money, and tries to escape through the subway tunnels—with a predictably fatal result.

8. Denouement and Light-hearted Wrap-Up (25:34–28:51)

• Justice Served: The police, led by Levinson, recover the counterfeit bills. The link between Dottie and Glenda is explained.
• Final Explanations: The counterfeit ring used subway lockers, with Dottie fencing for the gang—she tried to double-cross them with Glenda’s help.
  • Quote (26:36): “The key to the locker was in that purse—yeah, in the compact under the pancake makeup.”
• Signature Song and Banter: Diamond serenades Helen, their banter closing on a gentle, comic note:
  • Quote (27:20): “Okay. Lullaby and good night…”
  • Neighbor (comic interruption): “Shut up! I’m trying to sleep!”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Diamond’s Wit (Throughout):
  • (08:46) Diamond to Otis: “Give them away to idiots. You want to start a collection?”
  • (25:14) “Here’s a corny line. Stop or I’ll shoot.”
• Dottie’s Sass to Thugs (01:49):
  • “Who you gonna roll tonight, doll face?”
    Dottie: “Your grandmother? Ain’t she out of Alcatraz yet?”
• Francis’s Deadpan Delivery (16:44):
  • “She started yelling and called me a masher. And some enormous gentleman arrived and clouted me in the jaw. It was disgusting, sir.”
• Levinson’s Exasperation (15:51):
  • “I want to retire in five years and I want to do it with a healthy stomach.”

Key Segment Timestamps

• Diamond’s Opening Monologue: 00:46–01:28
• Thugs & Dottie Scene: 01:28–05:47
• Glenda Approaches Diamond: 06:01–07:12
• Diamond Punches Al: 08:11
• Murder and Police Station: 13:05–18:11
• Discovery of Glenda’s Murder: 18:42–19:39
• Confrontation in Dottie’s Room: 20:42–23:13
• Stan’s Subway Escape and Demise: 24:40–25:20
• Resolution & The Rundown: 26:07–27:31
• Diamond Sings to Helen: 27:30–28:03

Summary

“The Stolen Purse” whirls through tough guys, double-crosses, and a phony purse concealing a genuine fortune—all unraveled by Richard Diamond’s gumshoe savvy and signature wisecracks. The hardboiled plot, peppered with banter and memorable one-liners, delivers suspense, laughs, and classic noir fun—leaving justice (and a lullaby) at day’s end.