The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Death Bed Caper 06/20/1948

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Adventures of Sam Spade – “The Death Bed Caper” (06/20/1948)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Death Bed Caper
Original Air Date: June 20, 1948
Summary Date: October 4, 2025
Length: ~31 minutes

---

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of The Adventures of Sam Spade presents a tightly spun whodunit centered around deathbed confessions, shifting alibis, and family betrayal aboard a fog-choked yacht anchored in Sausalito Bay. Private detective Sam Spade is enlisted by a desperate man accused of murder. The episode explores the legal and emotional weight of dying declarations, and how even a confession spoken on the edge of death may not always be what it seems.

---

Key Plot Points and Discussion Highlights

1. Case Introduction and Setup

Sam Spade receives a call from Dan Starbuck, asking for his presence at a yacht where Dan’s brother, Gordon, lies on his deathbed after a violent injury. Dan is suspected of the crime, and seeks Sam as a witness to a possible dying declaration that might clear him.

• Notable Quote:
  • [01:43] Sam Spade: “Would you believe, Effie, that a man could say something that wasn’t true at a time like that?”

2. On the Yacht Marguerite

• Sam, Dan, and Del Cassino (the bosun) head through dense fog to the yacht where Gordon is dying, police and doctors in attendance, and Maggie (Gordon’s wife) stands in social and emotional limbo.
• Maggie is apprehensive about Dan’s arrival, fearing what her dying husband might say.
  • [07:51] Maggie (Effie): “Oh, there’s every reason in the world why he shouldn’t. The police are in there with my husband right now... If he’s face to face with Dan, there’s no telling what he’ll say.”

3. Deathbed Declaration – Or Is It?

• With everyone gathered, the police try to get Gordon to name his attacker. In his weakened state, Gordon affirms his name and address but is unclear and evasive about the cause and perpetrator.
  • [10:12] Doctor: “Have you been injured? … What was the cause of your injury?”
  • [10:16] Gordon: “Head. Head on head... I know no hope.”
  • Maggie, seeing Gordon fading, tries to prompt him:
    • [11:00] Maggie: “All right, all right. Tell them, Gordon. It was Dan that struck you, wasn’t it? He was jealous. He always hated you for marrying me. It was Dan!”
• Gordon identifies Dan but is ambiguous before dying, and Dan flees.

4. A New Victim & Complicating Evidence

• Police recover a new body – Del Cassino, the bosun, also killed by blunt force, and find a wallet and a tattoo (“Maggie”) on the body. The real mystery deepens.
  • [14:09] Sam Spade: “But it wasn’t Dan Starbuck’s body. It was the bosun, Del Cassino. He was found in Richardson Bay, adrift in the dinghy from the Marguerite.”

5. Enter the Femme Fatale – Maggie’s Confession

• Maggie, newly widowed, privately consults Sam. She confides her tangled romantic and marital alliances and her fear she has helped frame Dan through misplaced or panicked prompting of Gordon’s last words.
  • [17:08] Maggie: “Because I want you to work for me.”
  • [18:12] Maggie: “It’s just that I’m afraid a great injustice may have been done to Danny.”

6. The Missing Witness: Nils Halverson

• Maggie points to Nils Halverson, a local boatman and probable witness, as someone who might clear Dan but is now missing. Sam, disguised as Halverson’s cousin, investigates the Viking Saloon and uncovers a drunken, wounded, now dying Halverson hidden beneath a pier.
  • [21:48] Sam: “Marguerite. Marguerite. Merry Christmas. Drink, my beautiful Helga... $20. Good and drunk. Fog rolling in... Did you give him 20 bucks to row you out?”
  • The incoherent notes and Halverson’s final testimony strongly suggest the killer paid him off before inflicting a fatal wound.

7. A Denouement of Deceit

• Sam uses Halverson’s dying moment to elicit a damning deathbed confession—but reveals to Maggie after she signs her own confession that Halverson had already died hours earlier, catching her in a murder trap orchestrated by Sam.
  • [27:14] Sam: “You see, we didn’t actually have any deathbed statement to match yours. Nils Halverson was a good deal too dead to have made a deathbed statement just now. He’s been stiff for 12 hours, uh, period. And a report.”

8. Coda: Effie and Sam’s Repartee

• Interspersed throughout, the playful and affectionate verbal byplay between Sam and his secretary Effie frames the case, providing moments of levity even as the case ends with legal consequences for Maggie and unresolved feelings for Sam.
  • [28:49] Effie: “Well, here it is, Sam. Goodbye.”
  • [29:33] Sam: “Come here, sweetheart. You look lovely in it. Come here. Have a wonderful time.”

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “A deathbed accusation is the strongest evidence a lawyer can shove at a jury. You can’t cross examine a dead man.” — Sam Spade [18:25]
• “What are you afraid of, Maggie? What are you afraid he’ll say?” — Sam Spade [10:56]
• “You just made a full confession in front of a witness. You heard it, didn’t you, Dan? Every word.” — Sam Spade, after springing his trap [27:03]
• "He only had one friend. Was the best friend in the world for a man on the lam." — Sam, on Dan fleeing [13:42]
• “I was present at two dying declarations. Would you believe, Effie, that a man could say something that wasn’t true at a time like that?” — Sam Spade [01:35]

---

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:41 – Episode Introduction, credits
• 01:21 – Case begins: Sam’s call from Dan
• 03:49 – The letter/report format and setup
• 06:01 – Rowing out to the Marguerite
• 07:17 – Meeting Maggie on the yacht
• 09:15 to 11:17 – Deathbed statement sequence
• 12:23 – Gordon's accusation, Sam's skepticism
• 14:09 – Bosun’s body found, evidence found
• 16:49 – Maggie consults Sam, shifting alliances
• 20:26 – Sam searches Viking Saloon, uncovers Halverson
• 21:48 – Halverson’s dying “statement”
• 25:44 to 27:14 – Sam detains Maggie, reveals the ruse, confession
• 28:49 to 30:11 – Epilogue and banter with Effie

---

Style & Tone

• Classic hardboiled detective delivery; Sam’s narration is wry, succinct, and slightly sardonic.
• Dialogue is quick, witty, with an undercurrent of dramatic tension.
• Sam’s dynamic with Effie provides comic relief and a touch of warmth, contrasting with the darker narrative.

---

Conclusion

The Death Bed Caper showcases the signature mix of mystery, sharp character work, and dark wit that defines Sam Spade adventures. The episode dives deep into legal ambiguity—the fallibility of a dying man's words—while spinning a suspenseful yarn around familial betrayal and the limits of trust. The final twist, with Sam ensnaring Maggie in her own confession, reflects the show’s clever plotting and Spade’s cunning.

Listeners are treated to a masterful blend of atmospheric storytelling and brisk repartee—a classic of Golden Age radio detective fiction.

---

Transcript

[Sam Spade]

Ever wonder what life is like with a phantom screen? It's magic. It is. Oh, wow. Wow, wow. Wow. Wow, wow, wow. Why is that? This is amazing. Retractable screens for your home make life better. Visit phantom screens.com podbean your message amplified. Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with Podbean.

[Effie]

Podbean.

[Sam Spade]

Pod Bean.

[Narrator]

Pod Bean.

[Effie]

Pod Bean.

[Sam Spade]

The AI powered all in one podcast platform.

[Narrator]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Effie]

Launch your podcast on Podbean today.

[Narrator]

My school uses Podbean.

[Sam Spade]

My church too.

[Effie]

I love it.

[Sam Spade]

I really do.

[Narrator]

Welcome to Choice Classic Radio where we bring to you the greatest old time radio shows like us on Facebook. Subscribe to us on YouTube and thank you for [e-mail] the Adventures of Sam Spade Detective Brought to you by Wild Root Cream Oil Hair Tonic, the non alcoholic hair tonic that contains lanolin. Wild Root Cream Oil again and again. The choice of men who put good grooming first.

[Effie]

Sam's Bay Detective Agency.

[Sam Spade]

It's me, sweetheart, risen from not one but two deathbeds.

[Effie]

Oh, Sam, I bet not. You wouldn't take that lying down.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, Effie, you made a joke.

[Effie]

Well, you did first, Sam.

[Sam Spade]

I did not.

[Effie]

Oh, you mean you actually.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, don't pin me down. Anyway, I was present at two dying declarations. Would you believe, Effie, that a man could say something that wasn't true at a time like that?

[Effie]

Oh, no. You mean a man will be lying on his deathbed?

[Sam Spade]

Oh, Effie, you made a joke.

[Effie]

Oh, Sam, now stop it. I don't know what.

[Sam Spade]

It's all right, Effie. I forgive you. You can atone by telling me how wonderful you think I am. I think you that you may do when I arrive in a trice to dictate my report on the deathbed caper.

[Narrator]

Dashiell Hammett, America's leading detective fiction writer and creator of Sam Spade, the Hard Boiled Private Eye, and William Speer, radio's outstanding producer, director of mystery and crime drama, join their talents to make your hair stand with the Adventures of Sam Spade presented by the makers of Wild Root Cream Oil for the hair. Tell me, mister, how many times a day do you have to comb your hair? Not many, I'll bet, if you groom it right. First thing every morning with Wild Root Cream Oil for this famous hair tonic grooms your hair neatly and naturally and helps it to stay that way throughout the day. Wild Root Cream Oil also relieves dryness and removes loose dandruff With Wildroot Cream Oil, you don't have to keep combing your hair every two minutes. That is, unless your gal can't resist running her hands through it. Get Wildroot Cream Oil, Hair tonic. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. And now, with Howard Duff starring as Spade, Wildroot brings to the air the greatest private detective of them all. In the Adventures of Sam Spade.

[Sam Spade]

Many brave hearts are asleep in the deep.

[Effie]

Sam, you're a sailor.

[Sam Spade]

Captain Sam, where's the brig for you? You got your logbook handy, gal?

[Effie]

Oh, yes, Captain.

[Sam Spade]

So beware.

[Effie]

That's awful deep.

[Sam Spade]

Be date June 20, 1948.

[Narrator]

Where.

[Sam Spade]

I have no shame. To Marin County Sheriff's office, San Rafael, California. Attention, Deputy Woodington. From Samuel Spade, license number 137596. Subject, the deathbed caper. Dear Bill, the dawn came up like thunder out of Chinatown across the bay in San Francisco. All we could see was fog. But on your side it must have lifted briefly because somebody named Dan Starbucks managed to find his way to a phone booth, called me and asked me to meet him at the 3rd Street Pier in Sausalito. I didn't see him when I first got there. I didn't even see the pier. It was too foggy. But in the glow of the neon lights in front of the Viking Saloon, I saw a man who seemed to be waiting for somebody. Mr. Starbuck. Dan Starbuck. Come on down the end of the pier. I'll explain as we go along. We gotta hurry. You act hot. You want it for something? Why not yet. What's the caper? Well, my brother's out there on his yacht, the Marguerite. He's dying. When he's dead, they may call it murder. I want to be there with a witness. That's you. In case he has anything to say about who did it. Who did they think I did? Did you? Honestly, I don't know. It happened night before last. I went out there to see him. We've hated each other for years. Both been drinking, and we drank some more. Then there was a fight. I drew a blank somewhere. Next thing I knew was around midnight. I pulled myself together, went into his cabin. Gordon was lying there with his head all caped. I realized I was covered with blood and I was holding something in my hand. Big glass paperweight. I dropped it. I got out of there fast and swam ashore. I planned to tell you a different story, but that's it. You want the job or tonight you think you'll make a deathbed statement. That'll clear you. And you want me for a witness? Yeah, that's it. You got a lot of guts. I'm hired. Good. Halverson. You down there? Halverson? Who's Halverson? He's a boatman. He'll row us out. Halverson. Hey, Nils.

[Dan Starbuck]

Donnie.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah. Is that your casino?

[Dan Starbuck]

Sure. Can I do you some favor?

[Sam Spade]

I want to go out to the Marguerite. I can't find Halverson anywhere.

[Dan Starbuck]

Well, I guess I can take you.

[Sam Spade]

Are you sure? That I'm sure. Sam Spade, Del Casino. He's the bosun of the Margarita.

[Dan Starbuck]

Glad to meet you.

[Sam Spade]

Same.

[Dan Starbuck]

Any friend of Danny's. Hey, listen, Danny, you sure you want to go out there?

[Sam Spade]

Any reason why he shouldn't?

[Dan Starbuck]

Well, it's up to him and his place. I would be on a freighter for China. Way out there where the fog is more thicker.

[Sam Spade]

No, it's all right, Casino. I know what I'm doing.

[Dan Starbuck]

Well, your friend. Excuse me. Your name Spade? Pardon me. I'm better ass. The police don't want you for nothing.

[Sam Spade]

Not yet. But don't make book on it.

[Dan Starbuck]

Push us clear, Danny. This fog is closing in, but I can still see the lights from the Marguerite. I wish we don't find her.

[Sam Spade]

But we did. She was wearing clam diggers, an off the shoulder T shirt and was leaning against the rail as the dinghy pulled past a police launch and nestled in under the ladder of the yacht.

[Dan Starbuck]

Del?

[Effie]

Del, is that you?

[Dan Starbuck]

Yes, Mrs. Starbuck.

[Effie]

Who is that with you?

[Sam Spade]

Keep quiet.

[Effie]

Del. Del, what are they saying ashore about? Oh, I thought you.

[Sam Spade]

You're Mrs. Starbuck.

[Effie]

Yes.

[Sam Spade]

I'm Sam Spade. I'm from San Francisco. I'm a detective. Your brother in law's in the boat.

[Effie]

You captured him.

[Sam Spade]

He wants to come aboard.

[Effie]

He wants to?

[Sam Spade]

Why? He's hoping your husband will say something to clear him before he dies. Is there any reason why he shouldn't come aboard?

[Effie]

Oh, there's every reason in the world why he shouldn't. The police are in there with my husband right now.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah.

[Effie]

The doctor says there's a possibility that he may regain consciousness long enough to make a dying declaration. If he's face to face with Dan, there's no telling what he'll say. I wish Dan wouldn't. My husband is dying.

[Sam Spade]

Dan? Yeah. What'd she say? I don't know, but I think you better come aboard. He seemed almost delighted as he swung his weight up out of the dinghy and climbed the ladder. Del Cassino. The bo' sun followed, wearing a puzzled expression that Turned to fear. As we entered the cabin, the yellow glare from the lamp swinging overhead was almost blinding to walk into out of the foggy night. The first thing I focused on was the bunk that held the dying man. His head was heavily bandaged, his skin was chalk white, and his lips were beginning to turn blue. The room was tense with waiting. Ranged around him in a semicircle were the supporting players. Two doctors, one family type with a nurse, one police med, one sheriff with cigar, one police stenographer, female with pencil and notebook, poise 9:10 of a widow, and us at 18 minutes past 7. Somebody moved. It was a dying man. The two doctors rushed forward, took his pulse and blood pressure.

[Dan Starbuck]

The scarf adrenaline, 3cc carmine, one saline solution.

[Sam Spade]

All right, Sheriff.

[Dan Starbuck]

He's conscious now, but you'd better hurry.

[Sam Spade]

My goodness.

[Dan Starbuck]

Ah, Mr. Starbuck. You can hear me all right?

[Sam Spade]

Mm.

[Dan Starbuck]

Take that down.

[Effie]

Can you hear me? Affirmative.

[Dan Starbuck]

Answer now, Mr. Starbuck. We have to ask these questions. 1. What is your name? Please try to answer. What is your name? Gordon Mstar. You got that?

[Effie]

What is your name? Gordon M. Star.

[Dan Starbuck]

That's close enough. Fill it in later. Now, Mr. Starbuck, where do you live? Where do you live? I'm dead. You got that? 1277 Marymount, Pasadena. Hey, now, Mr. Starbuck, let's try a little harder. This is a long one. Have you been injured? And what was the cause of your injury?

[Sam Spade]

Yes. Hurts my.

[Dan Starbuck]

You got that?

[Effie]

Affirmative.

[Dan Starbuck]

Now the second part. What was the cause of your injury? Head.

[Sam Spade]

Head on head.

[Dan Starbuck]

Do you believe that you're about to die as a result of your injuries? And have you no hope of recovery? I know no hope. Well, now, let's get to the point. Who inflicted said injuries? My. Mr. Starbuck, please. You haven't much time, you know. Go away, Doc. Is there anything you can do?

[Sam Spade]

I'm afraid not.

[Effie]

This is ghastly. Can't you leave him alone? Can't you let him die in peace?

[Sam Spade]

What are you afraid of, Maggie? What are you afraid he'll say?

[Effie]

All right, all right. Tell them, Gordon. It was Dan that struck you, wasn't it? He was jealous. He always hated you for marrying me. It was Dan.

[Dan Starbuck]

Now, now, now, Mr. Starbuck, I know how you feel, but we can't allow this sort of thing. Please step aside so we can Finish up here. Mr. Starbuck.

[Sam Spade]

Doctor, very low pulse. I'm not sure.

[Dan Starbuck]

Dan. Is Dan here?

[Sam Spade]

Here I am. Gordon, Tell him. Tell him the truth.

[Dan Starbuck]

Do you identify this man, Mr. Staubach? Yes.

[Sam Spade]

Ever wonder what life is like with a phantom screen? It's magic. It is. Oh, wow. Wow. Wow.

[Dan Starbuck]

Wow.

[Sam Spade]

Wow, wow, wow. What is that? This is amazing. Retractable screens for your home make life.

[Effie]

Visit phantomscreens.com podbean your message amplified.

[Sam Spade]

Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with Podbean.

[Effie]

Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.

[Narrator]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Sam Spade]

Use Podbean to record your podcast. Use PodBean AI to optimize your podcast.

[Effie]

Use PodBean AI to turn your blog into a podcast.

[Sam Spade]

Use Podbean to distribute your podcast everywhere. Launch your podcast on Podbean today.

[Dan Starbuck]

This is my brother, Dan. Yeah, you got that? Brother Dan? He's.

[Effie]

He's the one.

[Sam Spade]

He's lying, Gordon. You know who did it. Why don't you tell the truth? What do you got to lose now? Nothing.

[Effie]

Nothing.

[Dan Starbuck]

I'm finished. Got that? You finished me.

[Sam Spade]

Gordon. Gordon. Not yet. Come back. Dr. Cantrip clip.

[Dan Starbuck]

He's dead. Well, okay, Doc. Dennis Starbuck, it is my duty as sheriff of this county to take you into custody on suspicion of murder. And I must tell you that anything you say may be held against you. You better come along too, Spade. Routine questioning, you know.

[Sam Spade]

Okay, Sheriff.

[Dan Starbuck]

And I don't think we'll need the handcuffs, will we, son?

[Sam Spade]

No, I'll go with you.

[Dan Starbuck]

Yes, indeed, son. It's always smart to come along quietly.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, well, this is as far as I'm going. Hey, Dan, come back here.

[Dan Starbuck]

Use your head.

[Sam Spade]

He only had one friend. Was the best friend in the world for a man on the land. The searchlights on the police launch spun frantically as the craft heeled around in a half circle to head him off. Instead of cutting the fog, the beams from the powerful lights bounced back from it and blinded the men behind them. After 10 minutes of that, they gave up. The sheriff had a theory.

[Dan Starbuck]

Don't worry. Between the fog and the currents, I doubt if it'll make it. We'll probably recover the body in the morning.

[Sam Spade]

And they did. But it wasn't Dan Starbuck's body. It was the bosun, Del Cassino. And he was found in Richardson Bay, adrift in the dinghy from the Marguerite. Somebody had creased his skull with the same type blunt instrument that had been used on Gordon's Starbuck. But Dell hadn't lived long enough to make a dying declaration.

[Narrator]

The makers of Wild Root Cream Oil are presenting the weekly Sunday adventure of Dashiell Hammett's famous private detective, Sam Spade. Now, here's important News on good grooming. If you want the well groomed look that helps you get ahead socially and on the job, listen. Recently, thousands of people from coast to coast who bought wild root cream oil for the first time were asked, how does wild root cream oil compare with the hair tonic you previously used? The results were amazing. Better than four out of five who replied said they preferred wild root cream oil. And no wonder. It gives you the advantages that men consider most important. Wild root cream oil grooms your hair neatly and naturally, relieves annoying dryness and removes loose dandruff. What's more, non alcoholic wild root cream oil is the only leading hair tonic that contains soothing lanolin. That's like the oil of your skin. So ask for Wild root cream oil hair tonic again and again. The choice of men who put good grooming first. By the way, smart girls use wild root cream oil too. And mothers say it's grand for training children's hair. And now back to caper with two deathbeds. Tonight's adventure with Sam Spade.

[Sam Spade]

The police theory of the Del Casino killing went something like this. Casino had shoved off in the dinghy to join in the search for Dan. Starbuck had rescued him and been maced for his pains. Also found in the dinghy, but not as yet worked into the police theory, were two items. One, a waterproof wallet containing the seaman's papers of one Nils Halverson. Two, a tattoo mark on the right bicep of the deceased, a small heart with a name in it. Maggie, the brand new widow of the same name was waiting in my office when I got there the following afternoon.

[Effie]

Hello.

[Sam Spade]

Hello to you, Mrs. Starbuck. What can I do for you, Mr.

[Effie]

Spade, I. I know very little about the ethics of your profession and. Well, are. Are you still working for Danny?

[Sam Spade]

If you mean do I know where he is, the answer's no.

[Effie]

I hoped you'd say that.

[Sam Spade]

Why?

[Effie]

Because I want you to work for me.

[Sam Spade]

Need a new bosun?

[Effie]

You needn't have put it quite so crudely.

[Sam Spade]

No, I needn't.

[Effie]

Since your work is confidential. I'll admit I've. I've done a few things that. Well, it's all too true. My first mistake was marrying Gordon Starbuck when I didn't love him. And I should never have let myself fall in love with Dan. I certainly should have known better than to let Del fall in love with me.

[Sam Spade]

What about Nils Halverson and me?

[Effie]

Well, hardly. No, Nils Halvorson was employed by my husband for various odd jobs whenever we put in at Sausalito mostly. He'd row the guests out to the ship. He rowed Danny out the night my husband was killed. At least I think he did. I didn't actually see him.

[Sam Spade]

Where's Halverson now?

[Effie]

I don't know. He goes off on drunks for days at a time. But I have a feeling that someone has paid him to disappear. He might have overheard something.

[Sam Spade]

Hold on a minute. You're going too fast. Are you working up to a confession?

[Effie]

Oh, no, it's. It's just that I'm afraid a great injustice may have been done to Danny. After all, Mr. Smayd, a man who's dying, I don't see how he could be altogether in his right mind, do you?

[Sam Spade]

The law says he is if he knows his name and address. A deathbed accusation is the strongest evidence a lawyer can shove at a jury. You can't cross examine a dead man. And most people have the quaint idea that a man on his deathbed is a lot more truthful than he was when he was hale and hearty.

[Effie]

Then you think Gordon may have been lying?

[Sam Spade]

Could be. Or wool gathering or picking up some of the lions you were feeding him.

[Effie]

Oh, I was just afraid he might die before he. You see, I thought I might shock him into saying yes or no. He could have said no, couldn't he?

[Sam Spade]

Well, make up your mind.

[Effie]

Oh, all I know is it's on my conscience. Now, if we could find old Halvorson and force him to tell what he knows. He's a very strange man. He's devoted to me. If the police find him before I do, he might refuse to talk out of a mistaken loyalty.

[Sam Spade]

Do you?

[Effie]

Well, I meant if he thought I had anything to do with. Well, he's very strange. I told you that.

[Sam Spade]

What makes you so sure he's alive?

[Effie]

Why wouldn't he be?

[Sam Spade]

If I'd been the killer and he'd rode me to and from the scene of my crime, I'd see him secured in Davy Jones locker. Fish feed, lobster baiter. Sleep in the deep.

[Effie]

Will you work for me?

[Sam Spade]

I'll let you know. I didn't have time to get tattooed, but the rest of me was marinated enough on my head. I was wearing a dirtied up yachting cap. And the rest of me, I was wearing a pea jacket, dungarees and sea boots. I was also wearing clamshell number five as I rolled up to the. The Viking saloon.

[Dan Starbuck]

Well, what did we, mate?

[Sam Spade]

AR have you seen my cousin?

[Dan Starbuck]

Your cousin?

[Sam Spade]

Who's your cousin?

[Dan Starbuck]

Prince Valiant?

[Sam Spade]

No, My cousin, Niels Halverson. Niels Halverson? Oh no.

[Dan Starbuck]

You're Neil's cousin.

[Sam Spade]

I.

[Dan Starbuck]

Well look. Come in from the old country.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, Minnesota by you, Minnie.

[Dan Starbuck]

Well now, he'll be right glad to see you there.

[Sam Spade]

Where fair is he?

[Dan Starbuck]

I don't want to say this too loud. Bend over there. He's in trouble, you know. Oh yes. I got him holed up down below. Come on, come on.

[Sam Spade]

Well, by golly, I sure been glad to be going to see my cousin Niels. Niels Holverson.

[Dan Starbuck]

Drop the act and get down there.

[Sam Spade]

Hey. Okay, Joel, take over from here. Easy, easy.

[Dan Starbuck]

Okay, Danny, me boy. I got his gun. But watch him now. Watch him. He's full of smorgasbord.

[Sam Spade]

Well, Spade, you're the one person I didn't expect to see. But I'm very glad to. Yeah. I wish I hadn't found you. I wanted to find somebody else first. Halverson. Yeah, he's here. Wanna see him? That's what I came for. And under here. Watch your head. Low bridge. Here we are. Where? A boathouse under the pier. Harverson used to hole in here to sleep off his schnapps. Where is he now? Over here. Uh huh. Yeah. He's gonna be a long time sleeping this one off. He'd been missing since that night. Nobody knew he was here till last night. I headed for the saloon. When I swam ashore, Joe hid me out here. He could still talk then. What'd he say? I wrote it down here, but it's no hell. Let's see it. That's just a jumble.

[Dan Starbuck]

Words.

[Sam Spade]

Marguerite. Marguerite. Merry Christmas. Drink, my beautiful Helga. Row, row your boat. Now throw me back, row me back. $20. Good and drunk. Fog rolling in. Good and drunk. Gonna be five days. No business. Oh my head. Paint the book. All crazy stuff. $20. Did you give him 20 bucks to roll you out? I didn't even see him. I swam out. My loving brother wouldn't have let me on board if he'd heard me arriving. Like a gentleman. 20 bucks. Did you frisk him? No. I'll have a look. No, I don't. Hey, wait. Uh huh. Real soggy. But a 20. I don't care. I'm sticking to my story. I swam her there. I didn't give him that 20. Maybe you didn't, maybe you didn't. You got to believe me. I didn't even have 20 bucks. That's why I got. Shut up. What's the matter with you? What are you going to do? Come over here, Dan. Why? I don't believe a word of your story. And even if I did, it wouldn't make any difference. What are you. Shut up. You're gonna stop talking and listen for a while. I stuffed a gag into his mouth and muscled him over to a piling and handcuffed him to it. He didn't even look surprised. He just stood there staring at me as if he'd lost his last friend in the world. But I wasn't looking at him as much as I was listening to those footsteps on the boards overhead. I waited for them to come back. They did. I walked across the soggy planks to where Nils Halverson lay in the shadows. Nils, I want you to answer these questions again. Now, this time I'm gonna take them down. You get lots of $20 and lots of drink. Now then, I know you don't feel so good. You don't have to talk if you don't feel like it. Just nod your head for yes and shake it for no. Okay, Nils. That counts in a court of law. As long as there's a witness. Okay. Now, your name is Nils Halverson. Your address is 213 Bayview, Sausalito. That's correct. Is it? Nod your head. Good. Good. That proves you're in your right mind. You know you were injured. Yeah. You know the cause of your injury? Hit on the head and thrown over the side of your boat. What? Huh? Not from. Oh, dinghy. Well, it's the same thing. All right. Now, you know you're dying. You have no hope of recovery, that's obvious. But nod your head. That's the boy. Now, Mills, on the night of the 18th, around 10 o' clock after your usual working hours, you rode somebody out to the yacht Marguerite. In return for which this person gave you a $20 bill. This person is also the person who killed. Who inflicted your fatal injuries. It is now the name of that person, if you can possibly speak, even in a whisper, so there can be no mistake. Can you hear me? Just say it close to my ear. Yeah? Yes. Yes, I got it. That's all. Now, I know you don't write Nils, but make your mark here. Come on, I'll guide your hand. There. Now we're gonna take Nils. Nils. Well, anyway. All right, Maggie, come on in and join the party. Don't try anything. The light's on you. I'm a better shot than you. And if there's a ruckus, the whole saloon will be down on us. They're all friends of Danny's too. Stop there. Toss the gun. Okay. What's the matter, angel? You look kind of scared.

[Effie]

No. Just disappointed, that's all.

[Sam Spade]

Don't give up so easy, sweetheart. I always wanted to take a trip around the world.

[Effie]

We might go on the Marguerite together.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah? Yeah. Sailing into the sunset. Sleeping with our deathbed statements under each other's pillows.

[Effie]

I see what you mean. I guess it wouldn't work. How much for yours? And what do we do about him?

[Sam Spade]

Dan? I'll take care of that. Throw it in with a deal.

[Effie]

Okay. But I want it in writing. A little statement to the effect that I can keep under my pillow.

[Sam Spade]

Fair enough. Now, all I want from you is a little statement from you to this effect. That you, Marguerite Starbuck, employed Nils Halverson to row you out to the yacht on the night of the 18th. You there overheard a quarrel between your husband and brother in law. And that taking advantage of said brother in law's inebriated condition, you sneaked up behind your husband, hit him with a paperweight and decamped, leaving the murder weapon in Dan's hand. You then started back to shore in the dinghy and realizing that the only witness who could testify you were aboard that.

[Effie]

All right, all right, all right. I'll sign it.

[Sam Spade]

Okay.

[Effie]

We'll have plenty of time to put in all the legal decorations later.

[Sam Spade]

I'm afraid we won't, baby. You're going to be spending all your available time at the Hatchet and Points West.

[Effie]

What are you talking about?

[Sam Spade]

You just made a full confession in front of a witness. You heard it, didn't you, Dan? Every word.

[Effie]

Oh, if I honest. An honest man.

[Sam Spade]

Well, I did tell a fib. Now, this is really gonna hurt, I'm afraid, Maggie. You see, we didn't actually have any deathbed statement to match yours.

[Effie]

No?

[Sam Spade]

No. Nils Halverson was a good deal too dead to have made a deathbed statement just now. He's been stiff for 12 hours, uh, period. And a report.

[Effie]

Well, Sam, I'll type this right up, because then I'm leaving.

[Sam Spade]

Wait a minute, Effie. I had to do it that way. Don't you understand?

[Effie]

Of course, Sam, I quite understand.

[Sam Spade]

But you object, huh? A cruel, ruthless, murdering, though beautiful woman foiled by a clever ruse. A great acting performance by the greatest private detective of them all.

[Effie]

That all?

[Sam Spade]

You're still leaving?

[Effie]

Yes, Sam. My bags are packed.

[Sam Spade]

Well, pardon me for having feet.

[Narrator]

There's a reason men. In fact, there are five big reasons why more men every day are turning to wild root cream oil for well groomed hair. Wild Root Cream Oil grooms your hair neatly and naturally. Wild Root Cream Oil relieves dryness and removes loose dandruff. Wild Root Cream Oil is non alcoholic and contains soothing lanolin. Five big reasons why you too should join the millions with handsome, well groomed hair. Why you should step up to your drug or toilet goods counter and ask for Wild Root Cream Oil. Get the big economy bottle and the handy new tube that's easy to pack when you travel and just right for the office or plant. Also ask your barber for a professional application of Wild Root Cream Oil hair tonic again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first.

[Effie]

Well, here it is, Sam. Goodbye.

[Sam Spade]

Now, wait a minute, Effie. You can't leave like this, not without.

[Effie]

Oh, all right. I'll talk to you while I'm putting my hat on.

[Sam Spade]

Well, can't you at least look at me? After all, you should give me a chance to justify it.

[Effie]

Sam, apparently you're laboring under an apprehension.

[Sam Spade]

Of course I am.

[Effie]

Oh, boy, am I glad I picked the last in June and the first in July.

[Sam Spade]

What are you talking about?

[Effie]

My vacation.

[Sam Spade]

Vacation? You just had a vacation a few months back.

[Effie]

12 San. That's a year.

[Sam Spade]

Well, if you want to take advantage of a legal technicality.

[Effie]

No, Sam, don't say goodbye, man.

[Sam Spade]

Well, it's customary, I suppose it's lucky that some of us keep our nose to the grindstone, our ear to the ground, an eye to the future. Television's just around the corner, you know.

[Effie]

Oh, Sam.

[Sam Spade]

Come here, sweetheart. You look lovely in it. Come here. Have a wonderful time.

[Effie]

Oh, Sam.

[Sam Spade]

Now, go on, you miss your train. Where are you going?

[Effie]

Hello, Sierras.

[Sam Spade]

Well, just so you don't go to Kanab, Utah.

[Effie]

All right, Sam, you know best. Good night.

[Sam Spade]

Good night, Sierra Sue. Now, who can we get for that part Next week?

[Narrator]

The adventures of Sam Spade, Dashiell Hammett's famous private detective are produced and directed by William Spear. Sam Spade is played by Howard Duff. Lorraine Tuttle is Effie. The adventures of Sam Spade are written for radio by Bob Tolman and Gil Dowd with musical direction by Lud Gluskin. Join us again next Sunday when author Dashiell Hammett and producer William Speer join forces for another adventure with Sam Spade, brought to you by Wild Root Cream Oil. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. This is Dick Joy reminding you to get Wild Root Cream Oil, Charlie.

[Dan Starbuck]

It keeps your hair in trim.

[Narrator]

You see, it's non alcoholic, Charlie. It's made with soothing lanolin. You better get Wild Root cream oil, Charlie. Start using it today.

[Sam Spade]

You'll find that you will have a tough time.

[Narrator]

Charlie keeping all the gals away. Hiya, baldy. Get wild road right away. This is cbs, the Columbia Broadcasting System.