← Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Episode 658 - Statues for the Sleuths: Frank Sinatra (Rocky Fortune)
01:47:32
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- [00:00]
Frank Sinatra
Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker's road and those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave. The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. The Adventures of Sam Spade Detective the Adventures of the Saint Starring Vincent Price. Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar.
- [00:55]
Podcast Host
Hello and welcome to down these Mean Streets and more old time radio detectives and crime Sol in just a few weeks, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will hand out Oscars to the best films, actors and craftspeople of the year in movies. To celebrate all this month we're shining a spotlight on radio detective stars who took home Oscars for their big screen work. And today we're kicking off with a man who's better known for his singing than his acting, but who was no slouch in the dramatic department. It's Frank Sinatra, Old Blue Eyes himself, who had a single season stint as a sleuth on radio as Rocky Fortune. The show was created for Sinatra by writer George Lefferts who wrote most of the episodes along with Ernest Kanoy. Those two men were also heavily involved with scripts for the NBC sci fi anthology Dimension X. Rocky Fortune was an amiable jack of all trades who was frequently unemployed and in search of work. Each week his new job inevitably put him in the middle of a mystery and he had to use his wits to make it out alive and to avoid being blamed for the crime by the thick headed Sergeant Hamilton J. Finger of the New York Police Department. Over the course of his single season on the air, Rocky's jobs included short order cook, tour guide, cruise ship steward, messenger and oyster shucker. And each time he landed in hot water. Interestingly, it was Sinatra's Oscar win as best supporting actor for his work in From Here to Eternity that brought Rocky Fortune to a close. When Sinatra signed on for the series, he was in a bit of a career slump in between record labels and and recently divorced from Ava Gardner after a whirlwind romance and marriage. So the prospect of a steady paycheck from a weekly radio series was appealing in a way it wouldn't have been a few years earlier and certainly wasn't after he won an Academy Award. Rocky Fortune had a very short life on radio, but it stands out as Frank Sinatra's only regular radio series role and a show that made good use of his talents as Rocky could be both charming and tough all in the same 30 minutes. Today we'll hear four episodes of the show, a sampler that shows off the range of stories and features great acting from Sinatra. We'll start off with an episode known as double identity from October 13, 1953. Then a hepcat killed the canary from November 17, 1953, murder among the statues from December 1, 1953 and the final episode of the show, an episode that aired less than a week after Sinatra's Oscar win. It's Boarding House double cross from March 30, 1954. The chairman of the board takes the stage as Rocky Fortune and the curtain goes up right after these messages.
- [04:27]
Frank Sinatra
Here's sensational news for shavers, a terrific money saving offer on Colgate Shave Cream and Ever Sharp Chick Injector Razor.
- [04:33]
Various Female Characters
Listen.
- [04:34]
Frank Sinatra
For only $0.89, Colgate offers you one, a genuine ever Sharp Chick Injector razor whose retail value alone is $1, 2, an injector with 10 blades and 3, a large size tube of Colgate Shave Cream, either Colgate Brushless or Colgate Lather. And and you get all this for only $0.89. Right, men, here's your chance to get the ideal shaving combination at tremendous savings. Imagine, only $0.89 buys you a genuine Ever Sharp Shick Injector Razor, the world's only razor that changes blades automatically. As Bill said, its retail value alone is $1. You also get an injector with 10 super keen, super smooth Ever Sharp Shick blades. Retail value $0.49. And to top it all, there's a large size tube of Colgate Shave Cream. Take your choice, Colgate Brushless or Colgate Lather. In one combination package, you get everything you need for swift, smooth, comfortable shaves. And it cost you only 89 cents. Yes, sir. Colgate offers this outstanding bargain to prove that no cream tops Colgate Brushless or Colgate Lather. For shaves that are slick, sweet and free of razor scrape. Whether you prefer a brush and you try Colgate Rapid Shave Cream or you choose the convenience of Colgate Brushless, you'll find this because they're light and finer textured. Colgate Shave creams completely surround, soften and support each bristle better than greasy heavy creams. Your razor doesn't skid or slip, but when you use Colgate Brushless, it cuts through clean and smooth. Try it tonight and here's a word from RCA Victor. Last week, the curtain went up on the 75th anniversary of the National Baseball League and the 50th anniversary of the American League. There's no better way to celebrate than by enjoying at firsthand the thrills and the clean sportsmanship of baseball today. Baseball today. It's the American way. Of course, the next best thing to a seat in the stands is a seat in front of a 19 inch RCA Victor television. RCA Victor's new Extra powerful picture pickup gives you the best possible reception everywhere. You know RCA Victor television is most in demand. But here's really important news. RCA Victor 19 inch television is available. It's on display now at dealer stores. So insist on the best. Insist on seeing 19 inch million proof television by RCA Victor. When you do, you'll agree, inch for inch, your best buy in television is RCA Victor 19 inch. Good evening, this is your Rexall family druggist with a welcome from the 10,000 independent druggists who have made the word Rexall part of our own store names. We've done that because we recommend and sell the 2,000 or more drug products made by the Rexall Drug Company. Like Rexall Milk of Magnesia, for example. Here's the milk of Magnesia that's so pure and creamy smooth, so free from that unpleasant earthy taste. Even children spot the difference. Ask for the Rexall Milk of Magnesia at Rexall drugstores everywhere. And remember, you can depend on any drug product that bears the name Rexall. I dedicate this program to the fight against crime. Not merely crimes of violence and crimes of dishonesty, but crimes of intolerance, discrimination and bad citizenship. Crimes against America. Frank Sinatra transcribed as Rocky Fortune. NBC presents Frank Sinatra starring as that footloose and frequently unemployed young gentleman, Rocky Fortune. Hi. I don't know about you, but I'm the kind of guy who can't stay put. I get restless. Give me a nice soft job, a buck in my pocket and a meal ticket and one will get you 10. I'll quit the job, lose the buck on the GGs and exchange the meal ticket for a train ticket. You take last week for instance. The employment agency sends me down to Houston street for a job as a chauffeur. Hey, Mac, this one 59 Houston. What do you want? Somebody wants to hire a chauffeur. A chauffeur? I made a joke. Here. Take a look around this neighborhood, mister. Who you think got money for a chauffeur? Not even for food. He got money. Look, all I know is the agency got a call for a chauffeur. Five foot nine, thin chauffeur's license, must be able to wear a pre cut uniform and you get the wrong bleed. 1:59 Houston, sixth floor. This is 159 Houston. My name is Zaconic. I'm the janitor. You take a look how many floors we got? Eh, maybe they meant fifth floor. I better go up. Go ahead. Let me know if you get the job. Eh, This don't look like chauffeur land to me, but I figure I already blew a subway token to get here, so I legged up four flights of stairs, left over from a Charles Adams cartoon. As I am rounding the turn of flight number five, a funny looking little guy steps out of the shadows. Hey, buddy. Yeah? You got change for a buck? Sure. Here. Thanks. Hey. Huh? Where's the clam? Here. Oh. Now, I've been rolled before, but this guy works on my skull like he's a Sherman tank in the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. When I come to, I'm in a white room with iron grill work in the windows. It's morning, which means I made an evening of it. Alongside my bed stands a gorilla in a white coat. I figure this place for a pad at Bellevue. I am mistaken. Okay, take it easy, Steve. How do you feel this morning? You've had a couple of bad nights, Steve. A couple? What day is this? Tuesday. Holy smokes. I've been out since Saturday. Last week you were pretty good. Only a couple of lapses. Did you say last week? That's right, Steve. The name is Rocky. Rocky Fortune. You're not gonna start that again, are you, Steve? Start what? That Rocky Fortune bit. Dr. Harris wouldn't like it. Listen. Oh, what a hangover. Take it easy. Look, where am I, buster? Mount Kenzie Rest Home. Mount Kenzie? Is that in the Bronx? It's near Denver. Denver. Denver, New York. Denver, Colorado. Okay, buddy, if the joke's over, I'll take my clothes and get out of here. Joke, Steve, joke. Jake, give me the clothes. I'm afraid I can't do that, not without Dr. Harris's order. Will you tell a good doctor that Rocky Fortune wants to have a word with him? Now, if you're going to insist on that, Steve, I'm afraid we'll have to try the treatment again. What treatment? Come along. Take the hands off, buster. You're etching the epidermis. You coming along? Not if I can help it. Okay. Johan's a big guy in the judo department. Besides which, they got me drugged like a hypochondriac with a third degree hangnail. He drags me into a white tile room and starts to massage my head with a fist like a sledgehammer. Only this bum's got a new wrinkle. First he puts a pail on my head and then he hits the pail. After 20 minutes of this, I begin to feel like the main bell on St. Mary's Christmas morning. Just when I think I can't take it anymore, a gray haired guy with a scarred face ambles in. All right, Johann, all right, that's enough. Take the pail off his head. Oh. How do you feel, Stephen? Oh, just dandy. Johan is so impulsive. Repulsive. Would you like a cigarette? Yeah. How about get me out of this polo coat? Yes, in a moment. First I want to see if you've come to your senses. Look, would you mind telling me what this is all about? One minute I'm being rolled in a hallway in New York City, and the next minute I wake up in Denver, Colorado. Stephen, you've been here at Mount Kenzie for eight years. My name is Rocky, born Rocco Fortunato. Your name is Steven Crandall iii. Eight years ago you were thrown from a polo pony and sustained a head injury. You suffered from delusions. You've been under treatment here. Come on, Doc. What's the ransom? Ransom? How much do I have to raise to get out of here? You see, Johan, he's still very sick, poor fella. Yes, I'm afraid we'll just have to continue the treatment. All right, Johan, put the pail on his head. Now, once again. What's your name? Rocky. And if you don't like it, you can. All right, Johan. Now we'll try it once more. Your name? Go Jumpin. Johan. Name. That's enough, Johan. Very well, young man. Your name? Stephen. Stephen what, please? Stephen Crandall III. Your age? 32. How long have you been here? Eight years. Why did you come here? Polo accident. Good, good. And now once again. Your name? Crandall. Stephen Crandall. By the time Johan and the phony doctor decided to call it a night, they almost had me convinced I was Stephen Crandall. Pardon me? The third. They doped me up again for the night. And next morning we cover the course again. Good morning, Stephen. You slept well? I had a funny dream. So I dreamed I was a guy named Rocky Fortune. I dreamed I went to apply for a job as a chauffeur in New York City and somebody stopped me. Pretty funny, huh? But you understand, it was only a dream. Oh, sure. I'm happy to hear that. You see, today we have a surprise for you. Can you guess? I get a new pail. No jokes. No jokes. Check. What's the surprise? You're going home. I thought you said no jokes. This isn't a joke, Stephen. I feel you're ready to leave at last. We're going to let you go home. On trial, of course. Now, at the first sign of your delusion that you are someone other than Stephen Crandall, I'm afraid you'll have to return. When do I fly? Tomorrow morning. Johan will accompany you. I get another shot of essence a vampire and wake up next morning feeling as strong as a mouse. Before I know what happens, they hustle me into a black Duesenberg and drive toward Denver. About two miles out of town we cut up a winding private road and stop in front of a 28 room bungalow. The doc and Johan walked me to the door, close enough so I can feel the muzzle of Johan's.45 caressing my spine. The door is opened by a medium sized butler right out of Dickens with side whiskers and all. Yes, gentlemen. Hello, deems. Why, it's Dr. Harris and Mr. Stephen. We weren't expecting you so early. Mr. Stephen, how are you? Speak up, Steve. Oh, fine. Demes the old man. Just peachy. Come in, sir. Come in. Welcome home. Thanks. Have a seat, Mr. Stephen. I'll inform Ms. Laurie you're home. I lower myself into a chunk of Chippendale and wait. My head aches and everything looks like a 3D movie without glasses. After a couple of minutes through the blur, I see a dame come floating down a staircase. Even in my weak condition, I can appreciate that she's got more curves than the Jersey Turnpike. She takes one look and comes on like gangbusters.
- [17:57]
Various Female Characters
Steve, darling. Oh, darling, Darling.
- [18:03]
Frank Sinatra
Sis, this is your wife. Steve. He's still a bit confused, Laura.
- [18:08]
Various Female Characters
I understand, Doctor. Oh, it's good to have you home, Steve. Kiss me again, darling.
- [18:14]
Frank Sinatra
You know something, baby? It's good to be home. We go into a clinch again and I am just beginning to enjoy my new identity when Demesey clears his adenoids and announces. Excuse me, Ms. Laura, Judge Harley is calling.
- [18:40]
Various Female Characters
The judge? Here, Dr. Harris. Is it all right?
- [18:44]
Frank Sinatra
Judge Harley is an old friend of the family, isn't he?
- [18:47]
Various Female Characters
Yes, he's known Stephen since he was a boy.
- [18:49]
Frank Sinatra
I think it'll be all right. Just behave yourself, Stephen. Oh, sure.
- [18:55]
Various Female Characters
Very well. Deems, show him in.
- [18:57]
Frank Sinatra
Yes, ma'. Am. Remember Stephen? How can I forget? This way, your honor. Laura. Well, well, well. And Stephen. I heard you were coming home, but I didn't expect I'd actually find you here. How are you, my boy? Great, great. Let me look at you. He's changed, Laura. Thin ought to eat more. Well, I expect eight years and a half away, it can change a man. Even eight hours can do it. Very thin indeed. I hate to see a thin man or a woman.
- [19:33]
Various Female Characters
This is Dr. Harris from the rest home and his assistant, Mr. Fiddler. Judge Harley, gentlemen.
- [19:38]
Frank Sinatra
How do you do, Judge? Hi. I won't intrude. I just dropped by to see how you were progressing with your personal bankruptcy.
- [19:45]
Various Female Characters
My attorney will file in a week or so, Judge.
- [19:47]
Frank Sinatra
Yes, well, it mustn't delay too long. You know, as a friend, I'll hold back the flood as long as I can. But creditors will be creditors. Yes, well, I. I'll be running along. Stephen, it's been wonderful to see you back in the bosom of your family. You fatten them up now, Laura. Hate to see a thin man or woman. Good day. I give the Judge a couple a leg down to his black limousine, which I can see through the French window. I toss a haymaker at Johann and pull an Esther Williams through the casement. I land in a bramble patch snatch just as the Judge gets to his car. Judge.
- [20:35]
Various Female Characters
Judge.
- [20:35]
Frank Sinatra
Holly, hold it. Hold it. Steven, what is it? Get in the car. I can't talk now. Come on, let's get going. But Steve and I. Look, I'm not Steven. My name is Rocky Fortune. This whole thing's a big hoax. Now, step on it before they get here. Of course, Stephen. Rocky. Strange. It won't start. The ignition's not on. Okay, hold it. Don't try to get away, Steve. Fat chance. You okay, Judge? What happened? Steve here tried to do away with himself right out of the window. Lucky it was the first floor. What was he telling me about being Rocky something or other? Oh, he's Rocky all right. Judge. Listen, call the Gridley Employment Agency in New York. Steve, you know what I got in my pocket. Now, be a good boy and I'll give you some candy. Okay, ape man, you win this time. Sorry to have troubled you, Judge. Come on, Steve. Glad I was of service. Take good care of Steve. Now, don't worry about that, Judge. It's thin, very thin. Johan lugs me back into the house like a piece of stale mackerel. And the good doctor immediately slips me a needle full of wink and blinking and nod. Yeah, there we are. The poor darling.
- [22:03]
Various Female Characters
He's all scratched up. Let me take him up to our room.
- [22:07]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah. My dear, you see how unstable he is? I'm afraid he'd better be in a separate room. Johan will stay with him.
- [22:13]
Various Female Characters
But we haven't seen each other for eight years.
- [22:16]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah. I'm sorry, Laura. As his physician. I'm no more physician than I am Steve Crandall. Baby, they're trying to put one over on you. I don't know why. Johan. Yes, doctor. Johan puts the muscle on me. And I'm locked into the guest room on the second floor. Floor. By the time we reach the door, my head feels like the steam room at an all night Turkish bath. I get my ear on a pillow and pass out.
- [22:50]
Various Female Characters
Rocky, it's me, Laura. I've been waiting for you.
- [23:00]
Frank Sinatra
I've arrived.
- [23:03]
Various Female Characters
Kiss me, Rocky.
- [23:05]
Frank Sinatra
Why not? Say, that's nice perfume.
- [23:12]
Various Female Characters
I'm glad you like him.
- [23:14]
Frank Sinatra
Makes me sleepy.
- [23:16]
Various Female Characters
Sleep.
- [23:18]
Frank Sinatra
Smells like. Like. Smells like marsh gas. Gas. Gotta. Gotta wake up. Gotta open. Open the window. Come on, Rocky. Come on, boy. That's the boy. Crawl. Crawl, boy. That's it. Now the chair. Window. Come on, boy.
- [23:55]
Various Female Characters
Steve.
- [23:56]
Frank Sinatra
Steve.
- [23:56]
Various Female Characters
Steve. What is it? I was in my room and I heard a crash.
- [23:58]
Frank Sinatra
Nothing much, baby. Let me get some air.
- [24:02]
Various Female Characters
You're sick.
- [24:03]
Frank Sinatra
I ain't healthy. Turn off that gas heater, will you? Where's Johan?
- [24:12]
Various Female Characters
He's downstairs with Dr. Harris. Steve, what happened?
- [24:16]
Frank Sinatra
Your friend Johan tried to fit me for a casket. That's all.
- [24:19]
Various Female Characters
Steve.
- [24:20]
Frank Sinatra
I am not Steve. Let's get it straight, honey, before Muscles gets back. My name is Rocky Fortune. I'm a ringer. The doc and Johan are trying to pass me off as your husband. You ought to know better.
- [24:33]
Various Female Characters
I. I do.
- [24:35]
Frank Sinatra
It's a nice time to say so.
- [24:37]
Various Female Characters
I didn't dare. They threatened to murder me.
- [24:40]
Frank Sinatra
Okay, let's have it.
- [24:43]
Various Female Characters
My husband committed suicide in their sanatorium some months ago. He carried very heavy life insurance. Naturally, we couldn't collect on a suicide. Johan and the doctor decided that they wouldn't report the death. They got you to take Steve's place.
- [24:58]
Frank Sinatra
I begin to get it. I have an accident. You collect double indemnity and they pry you loose from the money.
- [25:04]
Various Female Characters
They forced me into it.
- [25:05]
Frank Sinatra
Okay. We gotta get out of here, baby.
- [25:06]
Various Female Characters
But they'll kill us.
- [25:07]
Frank Sinatra
Not if they want me to look like an accident, they won't. I'm worth a lot of loot, kid.
- [25:11]
Various Female Characters
How can we do it?
- [25:13]
Frank Sinatra
Is there anybody in the house you can trust?
- [25:15]
Various Female Characters
Deems Fine.
- [25:16]
Frank Sinatra
Get to him. Tell him to have a car ready in front of the house in exactly five minutes. Where's Johan?
- [25:21]
Various Female Characters
In the dock downstairs.
- [25:23]
Frank Sinatra
Probably giving me plenty of time to soak up the ether. Okay. Look. Go down. Tell them I'm lying here dead. When they come up, you get out to the car. Got it?
- [25:30]
Various Female Characters
Yes.
- [25:31]
Frank Sinatra
Wish me luck.
- [25:32]
Various Female Characters
Good luck, Steve.
- [25:33]
Frank Sinatra
Rocky.
- [25:34]
Various Female Characters
Good luck, Rocky.
- [25:43]
Frank Sinatra
Soon as Laura leaves, I fix up a dummy out of pillows and stuff it in the bed. And I slip out of the room and hide in an alcove about 10ft away. I wait. A minute later, the doc in your hand comes stumbling up the stairs like a thundering herd. I let him rush into the room, take two giant steps and lock the door behind. Open that door. Open that door. Can't hear you, Uncle.
- [26:07]
Various Female Characters
Open the door.
- [26:08]
Frank Sinatra
Temper, temper.
- [26:09]
Various Female Characters
Open the door.
- [26:10]
Frank Sinatra
So long, gentlemen. Don't think it hasn't been a pleasure, because it hasn't. I am down the steps like a grasshopper in a granary and on my way out when I see the telephone and get a sudden inspiration.
- [26:29]
Various Female Characters
Operator.
- [26:30]
Frank Sinatra
Operator, I want the municipal courthouse. Judge Harley. It's an emergency.
- [26:33]
Various Female Characters
I'll connect you with information.
- [26:34]
Frank Sinatra
I said emergency, baby.
- [26:36]
Various Female Characters
If it's an emergency, baby, I'll give you the hospital.
- [26:39]
Frank Sinatra
I'll settle for information. Make it fast. Upstairs. I can hear Johan and the doctor making headway with the door, and I don't have much time to waste on explanations. I need something that'll knock the judge right off his bench and bring him out here in a hurry. Hello? Judge Harley? Yes. This is Deems, the Crandall butler. Oh. What is it, Dean? Master Stevens has just murdered the entire family, sir. He's kidnapping me. What? What is this? What's that banging noise? It dynamite, sir. He's blowing up the house room by room. I think you'd better get out here, sir. Here they come, teams. Bye. I figured this ought to bring him out on the double, so I write a message on the mirror with Laura's lipstick and leap out to the car one jump ahead of the hounds.
- [27:31]
Various Female Characters
Are you all right, Rocky?
- [27:33]
Frank Sinatra
Fine.
- [27:33]
Various Female Characters
What took so long?
- [27:34]
Frank Sinatra
Had to call my bookmaker to insure a bet.
- [27:36]
Various Female Characters
What about the dark and Johann on
- [27:38]
Frank Sinatra
the inside looking out? Head for the local constabulary. Deems, the old sock.
- [27:42]
Various Female Characters
Yes, sir.
- [27:47]
Frank Sinatra
I spend the next few minutes gazing fondly into Laura Crandall's lavender eyes. As she gazes back, I can see the fine blue blood surge through her cheeks and on her blue surge. Looks pretty good. I'm ready to surrender to the beast of me when Deemsy makes a screaming turn off the main and pulls to a stop 10ft from the edge of a cliff. Hey, what gives? There's been a car following us, sir. I didn't see any car. If I may say so, sir, you
- [28:12]
Various Female Characters
weren't paying much attention.
- [28:13]
Frank Sinatra
All right, all right. Let's get going. I'm afraid not, sir. Listen, egghead. I said, let's get. You were saying? Put down the gun, Dingsey. I'll Give the orders, Mr. Fortune. Get out. Wait a minute. What is this? Just step over to the edge of the cliff, if you please. What if I don't please? You take on weight all of a sudden.
- [28:32]
Various Female Characters
He means it, Rocky.
- [28:33]
Frank Sinatra
Okay. Mind if I ask what happens next, or am I being naive? Next, Mr. Fortune? You accidentally fall off the cliff, the car follows you. Accident, double indemnity. Exactly. Now, turn around. What makes you think they're gonna believe it? You're suicidal. Even Judge Harley saw you go through a window. Very neat. Turn around. We have much time. Okay. Okay, Laura, push him over.
- [28:58]
Various Female Characters
I.
- [28:59]
Frank Sinatra
Come on, this is no time to lose your nerve.
- [29:00]
Various Female Characters
Steve, I.
- [29:01]
Frank Sinatra
Push him.
- [29:02]
Various Female Characters
I can't do it.
- [29:03]
Frank Sinatra
All right, take the gun. I'll do it myself.
- [29:05]
Various Female Characters
I hear a car.
- [29:06]
Frank Sinatra
Stop worrying. All right, Mr. Fortune. That first step looks like a lulu. Get going.
- [29:12]
Various Female Characters
Wait, wait. Listen.
- [29:13]
Frank Sinatra
The police car. Come on. Okay. Hold it. Hold it or I shoot.
- [29:21]
Various Female Characters
Steve.
- [29:21]
Frank Sinatra
Steve.
- [29:22]
Various Female Characters
Watch out for the clip. Oh, no.
- [29:26]
Frank Sinatra
Grandpa. I've got her.
- [29:28]
Various Female Characters
Let me go. Let me go.
- [29:29]
Frank Sinatra
Take it easy, baby. You all right, Mr. Fortune? I'll let you know later. Right now I'm a little numb. He picked up the car and then lost it again. What convinced you I was telling the truth when I called? I knew you weren't Steven Crandall the first time I laid eyes on you. I also know I couldn't do anything about it at the time. When you phoned me before you left the house a few minutes ago, I had already checked the employment agency in New York City. You're lucky we picked up the car. What about the guy who fell off the cliff, Judge? Is he dead? Sergeant, I didn't have a chance. Who is he? As far as I know, he's the Crandall butler. You got it wrong, Judge. You know him. I think if you take off those phony side whiskers, you'll find out. He's the guy I was supposed to impersonate. Steve Crandall. What? Blossom here called him Steve just before he took the Brody. Laura, Is it Stephen?
- [30:11]
Various Female Characters
Yes.
- [30:12]
Frank Sinatra
Why did you do this?
- [30:15]
Various Female Characters
We had no money when Steve left the institution. He cooked up this scheme with the Doc and Johan to cash in on his own insurance.
- [30:25]
Frank Sinatra
Next time I answer an ad for a chauffeur, remind me to make sure they want a live chauffeur, not a corpse. Tonight, NBC radio has Presented transcribed Frank Sinatra as that footloose and fancy free young man known as Rocky Fortune. Others in the cast included Frances Urie, Maurice Hart, Jack Mather, Herb Ellis, Stanley Fraser, Lynn Allen and Stephen Chase. Andrew C. Love directed Eddie King speaking. Now, to tell you about next week's adventure, here's Frank Sinatra as Rocky Fortune. So that's how come I'm back on unemployment insurance again. Not for long, though. Next week I'll tell you about the next job I had stewing on a big luxury liner to Bermuda. I figured I'd like to see the ocean, you know, A couple of guys were trying to help me too. Only they wanted me to see it the hard way. From the bottom. Next week, then tune in again when Frank Sinatra returns as Rocky Fortune. We join American business and industry in saluting the National Safety Council and the thousands of safety minded men and women who are this week attending the 41st Annual Safety Council Congress and Exposition in Chicago. With the cooperation of business and industry, the National Safety Council is making life in America safer for everyone. Enjoy fibber McGee and Molly. Tonight on the NBC Radio Network, Frank Sinatra transcribed as Rocky Fortune. NBC presents Frank Sinatra as that footloose and fancy free young gentleman, Rocky Fortune. Hi. When I was a kid, a couple of maiden ants made me practice a bull fiddle to strengthen my character. It didn't do much for my character because I hocked the fiddle and ran away from home. Every once in a while though, I got a chance to play. Pick up a couple of bucks playing with a small combo at a Polish wedding or a bar mitzvah. The last job I had was neither. It was more of a funeral my own. Yeah. Hey, Dad. I want to speak to Rocky Fortune. You got him.
- [33:41]
Various Female Characters
Rock, this is Bugsy.
- [33:43]
Frank Sinatra
Bugsy Barton. Well, hi, Jazzbo. Where you been? Me and a cat's a Basil flea back called the Hotel Zanzibar. You dig that place? I've been there. How's America's greatest bebop horn? Gaining altitude, man. Gaining altitude. Getting tall, huh? Yeah, real high. You all looking for a little gainful employment? You mean music, Dad? I don't mean bricklaying, Bugs. I ain't played the bass for five years. Also, my instrument is with uncle. I hopped it for train fare. Man, that don't signify. We'll scuffle up a bass for you. How much and Where? The Zanzibar. 15 bucks in the pan for the night. See you in a half hour. Solid. Solid. Plant you now and dig you later. Whatever happened to that line. I invest the subway token. And 20 minutes later I am in the Jungle Room of the Hotel Zanzibar. Which is a cheap three story fleabag on Bleakman Street. On the band stand is Bugsy Barton. There's five barrels of bop. Bugsy is a musician's musician. And the boys are playing Strictly from Memphis. After the set, Bugs, he comes over and sits down with me. This boy is five feet wide across the chest and he doesn't know from his own strength. Rock boy. Give me some skin, man. Easy, Bugs, you're breaking up the metacarpals. What's up? My bass player's on the sauce. I need somebody to take his place tonight. Well, I ain't much of a bass player, Bugs. That don't matter, man. All you gotta do is stand up there and wallop the Willitzer. I just want to cover the boy to keep the hotel manager from blowing his top. Yeah, I see what you mean. Where's the fiddle? You go up to Johnny's room, 212, get his fiddle and come on down. Johnny. Johnny Lament, man. The best double bass you ever laid near. Drum on. Yeah, of course, he used to play with Goodman, didn't he? Oh, this Johnny's been all over town, Rock, man. When he's sober he can play all over. That instrument hits every register with the cash register. What's wrong? Girl trouble? Used to have a little thrush called Evie Johnson. She and Johnny had a falling out and he'd taken it pretty hard. Come on, man, you better hustle. We're on in 10 minutes. I hopped the self service elevator up to two and look for room 212. It ain't very hard because it's the only room with a built in trombone plant. Yes, this Johnny Lament's room, baby.
- [35:57]
Various Female Characters
What do you want?
- [35:58]
Frank Sinatra
I'm Rocky Fortune. I'm sitting in for Johnny till he comes in for a landing. Which won't be soon by the looks of him.
- [36:05]
Various Female Characters
You still haven't said what you want.
- [36:07]
Frank Sinatra
Pardon me, I need the fiddle.
- [36:09]
Various Female Characters
Don't you have your own instrument?
- [36:10]
Frank Sinatra
Honey, don't give me a bad time. I need the fiddle.
- [36:13]
Various Female Characters
Come in.
- [36:14]
Frank Sinatra
Thanks. Hello, Sonny. Who's that?
- [36:19]
Various Female Characters
Take it easy, Johnny.
- [36:21]
Frank Sinatra
Evie. Evie, you come back.
- [36:23]
Various Female Characters
Is that you, Evie?
- [36:24]
Frank Sinatra
Oh, this kid's for Bellevue. Evie.
- [36:27]
Various Female Characters
Johnny, go back to sleep.
- [36:29]
Frank Sinatra
Put some more music on, baby. Play me something sad. If you see my baby, you send
- [36:39]
Various Female Characters
her home to me. If you see my baby, you send
- [36:45]
Frank Sinatra
her home to me Tell my baby I'm saying it I can be. Who's that cat name's Rocky Fortune. Johnny, I'm sitting in with Bugsy and the boys tonight and I need your fiddle. Sure, man. Anything you say, man. You want a drink, man? Dolores, honey, give this righteous cat a little drink. Thanks, I. Don't touch it, John. Say, man, you see my Eevee? Any place around. See the little chick about so high with the softest blonde hair? You seen her, man? Afraid not, Johnny.
- [37:20]
Various Female Characters
The fiddle's in the closet. Rocky.
- [37:22]
Frank Sinatra
Thanks, baby. I didn't catch the name.
- [37:24]
Various Female Characters
I didn't throw it. It's Dolores Kane. I'm Bugsy's new singer.
- [37:28]
Frank Sinatra
Pleased to meet you. Hey.
- [37:32]
Various Female Characters
Yes?
- [37:33]
Frank Sinatra
What's the gun on the shelf for?
- [37:35]
Various Female Characters
Oh, it's Johnny's. Don't worry. I already threw the bullets out the window.
- [37:38]
Frank Sinatra
Clever girl.
- [37:39]
Various Female Characters
Thank you.
- [37:40]
Frank Sinatra
And pretty, too.
- [37:41]
Various Female Characters
Thank you. And don't forget the bass fiddle.
- [37:44]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah. Oh, sure.
- [37:49]
Various Female Characters
Come in.
- [37:50]
Frank Sinatra
It's 11:10, Ms. Kane.
- [37:52]
Various Female Characters
Write down Mr. Quinn in case no
- [37:54]
Frank Sinatra
one has informed you. Miss Kane, I pay you and Mr. Barton to put on a show in my club at 10:30. There's now 11.
- [38:00]
Various Female Characters
I'm sorry, Mr. Quaid, we were just.
- [38:02]
Frank Sinatra
I can see what you were just. Is this drunken Paganini going to perform tonight?
- [38:06]
Various Female Characters
Well, Johnny isn't feeling so good, Mr. Quaid, but Mr. Fortune here is going to take his place.
- [38:11]
Frank Sinatra
Fortune? I don't believe I've ever heard of him.
- [38:14]
Various Female Characters
Rocky Fortune? Why, he's one of the greatest bass players in the business.
- [38:17]
Frank Sinatra
I'm paying for the greatest.
- [38:19]
Various Female Characters
Rocky, tell Mr. Quaid how you and Dixie had him screaming for mercy at Le Jazz Hut in Paris last year.
- [38:24]
Frank Sinatra
Well, you know I don't want to brag, baby.
- [38:26]
Various Female Characters
Oh, go on.
- [38:27]
Frank Sinatra
Well, you see, we was playing a dog watch from 12 to 4 and sudden, like Dixie gets off on Japanese Sandman. Everybody said Dix was losing his lip, but that night he was blowing up a storm. I'm just playing along when up he comes boogity boogerty, open horn and every note, it looked like it was greased and stuffed. Pretty soon the cats were jumping and pandemonium breaks loose. French bankers were tearing their clothes off. You know, it took 150 gendarmes to calm the joint down. That's very interesting, Mr. Fortune, but the next show is due to start now. Three minutes, if you don't mind. Me, I don't mind. See you later, Johnny. Anything you say, man. You see my Evie down there? You tell her Johnny says, come back here. You tell her Johnny's been to Weep City for her and he wants him back. I shoulder the Fiddle down to the jungle room Just as Bugsy in the Water boys get off on Sweet Lorraine. We start off playing what the French call in time, we call it in a closet. After a while, the joint starts jumping and for the next five hours I slap that bass until the gut turns black and blue. Also my hand. Half the time I'm in two different keys, but nobody cares. And the fans figure I'm another Eddie Safranski because I'm playing notes that don't even exist. About 4 in the a.m. the whole deal builds to a crescendo till I think the top of my head's gonna fly off. Off. And then Suddenly we're playing 16 bars of good Night, Sweetheart and it's all over. I think. Okay, cut. That does it. Thanks, Rock. Well, how did it go, pal? I tell you, sweet and groovy, like a 90 Cent movie, man. Yeah. What happens now? You won't play again tomorrow. We got a room for you on the third floor if you need a pad for the night. 15 bucks. 15? You got it solid. Here's a key. Say, how's Johnny Lament? Still on his hip. He's taking this thing kind of hard, isn't he? What happened to him? Him and Evie had a big thing tonight. She walked out, bag and baggage. Oh, that's rough. Yeah, it's Danish for him. Invest heavy and come out light. See you in the a.m. you'll pardon the expression, but what time the boy stopped seeing double? About 11. We rehearse at 12. I lug the bull fiddle up to the third floor and head for my room. I don't get very far, however, because halfway down the hall I hear something which ain't music. Hey, what's going on in there?
- [40:58]
Various Female Characters
Open up. Open up.
- [41:02]
Frank Sinatra
Take it easy, baby. Wait a minute. Just a minute. What's wrong here?
- [41:06]
Various Female Characters
In the bedroom.
- [41:08]
Frank Sinatra
Before I have a look, would you mind putting down the knife?
- [41:11]
Various Female Characters
Knife? I didn't even know.
- [41:12]
Frank Sinatra
Unless that's ketchup on it. Baby, maybe you better tell me what's in that room.
- [41:16]
Various Female Characters
It just is impossible.
- [41:17]
Frank Sinatra
It never is. Pardon me while I take a look. Don't go away. I sprint for the bedroom, get the door halfway open and I stop there on the bed is the body of a beautiful little blonde. One look tells it all. Some cats killed a canary. All right, Dolores, let's have it.
- [41:40]
Various Female Characters
It can't be.
- [41:41]
Frank Sinatra
Come on, baby. What happened here?
- [41:43]
Various Female Characters
I. I finished singing my last number and I had a drink at the bar. Made me sleepy and I came up to the room. And passed out. I woke up a minute ago. Eve was lying on the bed and this knife was in my hand. Rocky, I didn't kill her. Honestly, I didn't.
- [42:01]
Frank Sinatra
Just take it easy. If you didn't, who did?
- [42:03]
Various Female Characters
I don't know. I swear to you. It happened just the way I said. When I saw her, I screamed and then.
- [42:08]
Frank Sinatra
Take it easy. Look, open your eyes.
- [42:12]
Various Female Characters
What?
- [42:12]
Frank Sinatra
I said, open your eyes. Look at me. Okay.
- [42:18]
Various Female Characters
What was that for?
- [42:19]
Frank Sinatra
Just checking. Honey, somebody slipped your Mickey. Your pupils are contracted.
- [42:25]
Various Female Characters
It was the drink. I know it.
- [42:28]
Frank Sinatra
You know why anybody would want to frame you for Eve Johnson's murder?
- [42:31]
Various Female Characters
Why should I know?
- [42:32]
Frank Sinatra
Somebody did, baby. Now, come on, we gotta work fast. Whoever did this has probably phoned the gendarmes already.
- [42:38]
Various Female Characters
What can we do?
- [42:38]
Frank Sinatra
I don't know. At 4am Wait a minute. Listen. You go out and press the elevator button.
- [42:44]
Various Female Characters
What are you gonna do?
- [42:45]
Frank Sinatra
Get rid of the body. Now get moving. Dolores holds the elevator while I carry Eve's body in. And I tell her to hold the button until I can hustle down to the first floor. I hit the lobby just as my good friend, Detective Sergeant Hamilton J. Finger of Homicide comes on like Buster's Gang. Pardon me, Sam. Yes, Homicide. We got a tip on a body in room 310. Oh, there must be some mistake, sergeant. Well, well. My old cellmate, Hamilton Finger. I might have known. Is this one of your practical jokes? Fortune? I don't know from what you're talking, sarge. Step over the elevator with me. Me? We'll go upstairs, Rocky. Anything you say. Look, what brings you here? I ain't sure, but I think it's a corpse. I jab the elevator button and we wait for the car. My pumper is playing footsie with my Adam's apple as the car comes down and the door is open and I nearly dropped dead. The car is as empty as Everts feel in December. We ride up to room 310, which belongs to Dolores Kane. Hey, sarge, what's it all about? You'll find out.
- [44:01]
Various Female Characters
Yes?
- [44:02]
Frank Sinatra
Open up, baby. Homicide, Sergeant Finger, Ms. Kane. You've met Delores. Sings for Bugsy. I've been sitting in. That's musicians talk. You mind if I look around?
- [44:13]
Various Female Characters
Help yourself. You mind if I ask you what you're looking for?
- [44:16]
Frank Sinatra
We got a phone call. Said there was a dead woman in this room.
- [44:19]
Various Female Characters
That isn't very flattering.
- [44:22]
Frank Sinatra
What's in that?
- [44:23]
Various Female Characters
Take a look.
- [44:26]
Frank Sinatra
Empty.
- [44:28]
Various Female Characters
I think somebody's been pulling your legs, sergeant.
- [44:30]
Frank Sinatra
Both of them. Where's the bedspread?
- [44:33]
Various Female Characters
In the hamper.
- [44:34]
Frank Sinatra
Excuse me. Uh huh. I suppose this is nail polish.
- [44:42]
Various Female Characters
How did you know, Yogi?
- [44:45]
Frank Sinatra
Mind if I take it down the lab for analysis?
- [44:48]
Various Female Characters
If you'll have it laundered.
- [44:49]
Frank Sinatra
Okay. What's in the closet?
- [44:50]
Various Female Characters
Oh, that's a small dragon named Launcelot. Careful he doesn't bite you. Funny
- [44:57]
Frank Sinatra
boo. Okay, I'll have the bedspread analyzed for blood stains. Now don't go away, either one of you. We wouldn't think of it. Nighty night Size. And no more practical jokes, you understand? What did you do with it?
- [45:10]
Various Female Characters
What?
- [45:10]
Frank Sinatra
The body.
- [45:11]
Various Female Characters
It's in the elevator.
- [45:12]
Frank Sinatra
Not anymore it ain't.
- [45:13]
Various Female Characters
What do you mean?
- [45:14]
Frank Sinatra
It never made the first floor. The car was empty.
- [45:17]
Various Female Characters
That's impossible.
- [45:18]
Frank Sinatra
Eve Johnson's body didn't walk out of that car, baby. Somebody lifted it.
- [45:22]
Various Female Characters
But that means somebody must have stopped the car on the second floor.
- [45:26]
Frank Sinatra
Correct. The next question is who would want to steal a corpse?
- [45:29]
Various Female Characters
What do we do?
- [45:30]
Frank Sinatra
Well, Finger's gonna find blood stains on that spread. And when he does, he'll be back with some ticklish questions. And I got a hunch we better have the answers. Let's move. We start a room to room canvas of the second floor. Dolores takes one car and I take the other. Result? A big fat goose egg. I finish my car and go look for Dolores. She's gone. But from the sound of voices I figure she stopped off the to see how Johnny Lament is making out. I started to go in, but I changed my mind.
- [46:01]
Various Female Characters
Johnny, cut it out.
- [46:02]
Frank Sinatra
She's dead, ain't she? My little Evie's dead.
- [46:05]
Various Female Characters
Don't be crazy.
- [46:06]
Frank Sinatra
Ain't crazy baby. Not anymore.
- [46:08]
Various Female Characters
What makes you think she's dead?
- [46:10]
Frank Sinatra
I could see it in your eyes when I asked you about it.
- [46:13]
Various Female Characters
Would it matter so much? She walked out on you, didn't she?
- [46:16]
Frank Sinatra
She'd come back if she was okay. I know, Evie. Come on. Dolores. What happened to her?
- [46:21]
Various Female Characters
How should I know?
- [46:22]
Frank Sinatra
You know, baby. You said you was gonna kill her.
- [46:24]
Various Female Characters
Get her out of here.
- [46:26]
Frank Sinatra
She told me. She says, Johnny boy, Dolores is jealous of you. And she says if. If I don't stop seeing you, she'll kill me.
- [46:32]
Various Female Characters
It's not true.
- [46:33]
Frank Sinatra
Come on, baby. I know you. We were married once, you and me, remember? Now let's have it. What you do to Eve?
- [46:40]
Various Female Characters
Nothing.
- [46:41]
Frank Sinatra
I don't wash, baby. They just don't wash. Johnny.
- [46:44]
Various Female Characters
Stay away.
- [46:44]
Frank Sinatra
You're gonna tell me, honey. Where's Evie? What'd you do to her?
- [46:47]
Various Female Characters
Johnny, you're crazy drunk. Now get away. Gonna talk, Johnny? No. Johnny talk.
- [46:52]
Frank Sinatra
No. All right, hold it.
- [46:55]
Various Female Characters
John.
- [46:55]
Frank Sinatra
Get out of here. Knock it off. You all right, baby? Not that I really care.
- [47:00]
Various Female Characters
I'm all right.
- [47:01]
Frank Sinatra
Sit down, Jazz Bo. This your new boyfriend, baby? There's anything like his face. And I think I changed. Sit down, Johnny. He's all right. I had to belt him. And I ought to clip you, too.
- [47:14]
Various Female Characters
I don't understand.
- [47:16]
Frank Sinatra
I heard it, baby. I got big ears. You didn't bother to tell me you were married to Johnny Lament. And you didn't bother to tell me you and Eve had a slight falling out.
- [47:23]
Various Female Characters
I wanted you to help me. I was afraid.
- [47:25]
Frank Sinatra
You wanted a patsy, baby, and you got one. Only you're about to lose him. Because Rocky boy's gonna walk away from all this. Right down the nearest police station.
- [47:32]
Various Female Characters
Rocky, no.
- [47:33]
Frank Sinatra
All that bilge about how you were framed and me with my open mind. I got a hole in my head, Rocky.
- [47:39]
Various Female Characters
It's not true.
- [47:39]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah? Well, tell Dick, the fun loving rover boy, when he comes to. I'll leave his fiddle in the band room. So long, baby. And the next time you want a corpse moved, call the seven Santini brothers. I don't belong to the right union. I put it up to my room as mad as a centipede with a hot foot. And lug the big bass fiddle down to the band room. Which is right across the hall from Johnny Lament's room. The empty fiddle case is standing in the corner. I start to lay it down flat and it weighs about a ton of. And even before it slips out of my hands, I know why. Holy smokes. Okay, flyboy, get him up high. So you're the guy who was all busted up about losing his best girl. Back against the wall, a real nice guy. Kills his doll and tries to hang it on his ex wife. You're a doll, buster. She found out I was pushing dope and threatened to go to the cops. They had a killer. Why, you crummy dope peddler. It's misfits like you to give honest musicians a bad name. Now run your mouth at me fortune. If you'd have kept out of it, you'd be all right. You're going to have a tough time trying to get rid of two corpses, John Boy. A fiddle case only holds one. I'll worry about that. Turn around. Sure, pal. Anything you say. Only, before I do, there's one thing I think you ought to know. Yeah? Dolores took the bullets out of your gun. Hello? Hello. Yes, please. Who is this? The manager. What is it? Please listen. Quaid. This is Rocky Fortune. I'm up in the band room 215. Now, listen, Eve Johnson's body's up here in a base fiddle case, and I got the cat that killed it and. Get the cops and make it fast. You say you've got the man who stabbed it stretched out like a hairy. That's just fine, Fortune. Stay right there. I'll call the police. Make it fast. I hear somebody coming. Now, don't worry. You'll be taken care of. Takes about two seconds before lightning strikes. How did Quaid know she was stabbed? And how did he know it was a man? Suddenly, little wheels start to spin around on my noodle. Quaid is in on it. Sure he is. He's probably supplying Johnny Lament with the stuff. And what's more, he's undoubtedly on his way up here right now. I start to pick up Johnny laments 45 and remind myself that Dolores Kane has removed the bullets. A hand turns the doorknob, but it can't be Quaid so soon. I just pray that one of the cats has come to get his instrument. The door opens. I freeze.
- [50:18]
Various Female Characters
Hey.
- [50:18]
Frank Sinatra
Hey, dad, put the thing down.
- [50:20]
Various Female Characters
You gone goony?
- [50:21]
Frank Sinatra
Bugsy? Brother, am I glad to see you. Put down a heater, man. What's going on in here? Take a look at that fiddle case. Holy smokes, Eve. Yeah. Here's the little boy who did it. Johnny admitted it. I had to flatten him. Well, you did real good. Not good enough. Listen, Bugs, the manager's on his way up here right now. And unless I miss my guess, he's got heavy artillery. Okay. Is he in on this? He is now. I gotta get out of here. What you gonna do? I got a sudden brainstorm. Look, help me get Eve Johnson's body out of this case. Come on, pal, get with it. Come on. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Where to? In the closet?
- [50:59]
Various Female Characters
Yeah.
- [51:00]
Frank Sinatra
Atta boy. Now dump laughing boy into the bass drum. Right now. Open the door. Look, you think he can lift that case with me in it? Are you kidding? Atta boy, Muscle Man. Here goes. All right, what you want me to do now? Look, you just walk out like you're on your way to a jam session. Once I get past Quaid and there's artillery, I'm all right. Okay, watch.
- [51:25]
Various Female Characters
Watch your hand.
- [51:26]
Frank Sinatra
Here goes.
- [51:29]
Various Female Characters
How you doing?
- [51:30]
Frank Sinatra
Cut the lip dribble and get going before I get blue. The fiddle case fits me like a fatal disease. But I squint down to hold my breath and I figure maybe we'll make it. Bugsy Boy picks Me up like I weigh in at three pounds just as the door opens. All right, Fortune, get your. Hi, Mr. Quaid. Oh, it's you. You was expecting somebody else? I was expecting a Fortune. Did he get away? Fortune? Oh, you mean the bass player. You know who I mean, muscle brain. Did he get out? Ah, you know me better than that, boss. I got Rocky Fortune right here inside the fiddle case. So there I am, smart. They don't come any smarter than old Rocco Fortunato. Jack, it never occurred to me that this hotel might be operating a narcotics dodge. And that my pal Bugsy, mighty. But I'm real tricky, I am. Yes, siree. I outwit the crook by crawling into a base fiddle case and letting him snap the catch on me. And there I hang like a cured ham waiting to be boiled in hot fat. What do we do with him, boss? Let me out of here, you punk. Get him out of here. Why don't we just drop him down the air shaft? It'll look like an accident. Don't be a jerk. Take him down to the river. Anything you say, boss. Hey, hey, hey, Fortune. Shut up. My, my, what a temper this cat has got. Come on, Bugsy, don't waste any. Who's that? Search me. Open up. Who is it? Police. Just a moment. Drop him out the window. Right. Open up. Second. Okay, open the door. What's going on here? I'd like to know, Officer. We came in and found this musician knocked out on the floor. Where's Fortune? Fortune? I haven't seen him. Have you, Bugsy? A fortune? Oh, not a hide nor a hair, either.
- [53:39]
Various Female Characters
Well, I know he came in here to return the fiddle.
- [53:41]
Frank Sinatra
He must have left then. Maybe he's in his room. Yeah, yeah, he might have been here, but he left. Come on, miss, we'll go up to his room. Something wrong, officer? Yeah, Fortune's wanted as an accessory to murder. Hold it. Oh, no. Rocky, what are you doing out there? You won't believe this, Sergeant, but I just climbed out of a fiddle case. These hoodlums dropped me out of the window onto a fire escape one flight down.
- [54:03]
Various Female Characters
What?
- [54:04]
Frank Sinatra
He's obviously crazy. Probably drunk. If I'm crazy, brother, then how about opening that closet door? Because I've had a hallucination that Eve Johnson's body's inside. I'd like to oblige Fortune, but you see, I've got other plans.
- [54:15]
Various Female Characters
Grab him.
- [54:16]
Frank Sinatra
Hold it, buddy. All right, don't move, either one of you. I'm standing still. Open the closet, Rocky. Had enough for you, Sergeant? Yeah, it'll do for the time being. All right, let's go. You two keep an eye on Dreamboat there. Sure. Well, if he comes through, I'll belt him with a fiddle. Let's go.
- [54:40]
Various Female Characters
Are you all right, Rocky?
- [54:42]
Frank Sinatra
If I can ever straighten up, I'll be fine. What happened up here?
- [54:45]
Various Female Characters
Well, the sergeant came back when he found out those were blood stains. And I told him the whole story. We came down to look for you and. Well, I guess you know the rest, huh? You sure you're all right, Rocky?
- [54:57]
Frank Sinatra
I'm fine, baby. But I was just thinking.
- [55:00]
Various Female Characters
What.
- [55:01]
Frank Sinatra
What they would have said if that fire escape hadn't have been there.
- [55:05]
Various Female Characters
What would they have said?
- [55:06]
Frank Sinatra
Man, dig that crazy bass fiddle. NBC has presented Frank Sinatra as that footloose, fancy free and frequently unemployed young gentleman, Rocky Fortune. Tonight's cast included Jack Crucian, Gene Tatum, Tom Holland, Frank Gerstel and Barney Phillips. Tonight's script was written by George Lefferts and Andrew C. Love directed. This is Eddie King speaking. Now, to tell you about next week's adventure, here's Frank Sinatra as Rocky Fortune. Did I ever tell you about the Broadway actress who was involved in the murder of a drama critic? And when I asked her for her autograph, she gave it to me with a.45. Tell you about it next week. See you around. Visit with fibber mcgee and molly tonight on the NBC radio network. Now, frank sinatra transcribed as rocky fortune. NBC presents. That's Frank Sinatra starring as that footloose and fancy free young gentleman, Rocky Fortune. I guess I've had some strange jobs in my time. Once I was a shill for a guess your weight guy in a carnival. I'd come up there looking like a rube, and he'd guess my way to 200. E4. Everybody in the crowd gives them the old ha ha. However, they don't know I got the lead in my pants, about 50 pounds in my two hip pockets. You never really know when you start in just how a job's gonna turn out. Sometimes the one that look like the tames turn out to be the loaded. Like the time I'm sent by the agency to play parlor maid to a gang of plaster Paris statues. The sign on the front of the window said Oliver Bates, OBJ Darth. It looks like I've intruded on ladies night in an uninhibited Turkish bath. Most of the plaster statues are dames, and most of the dames would be arrested on the spot if they ever set foot on Jones beach at daylight. Pretty soon an oily Little guy slides out under the door from the back room and oozes up to me. Yes, yes. What can I do for you? Reproduction for your library. A nymph? A satyr? Some pawn. Sure, anytime. What do you got in mind? I beg your pardon? Oh, it's all right. You Oliver Bates? Yes. Well, the agency sent me over. They said you needed a handyman. Oh. Oh, of course. Do you know anything about dusting statuary? What is there to know about dusting it? Well, the statues aren't intrinsically valuable, of course, but still, we must be careful. Aren't they beautiful? What happened to this one? She bite her nails? That is the Venus Danilo. Oh. Well, when do I start? Right away. I'll expect you to keep all the statues dusted, the floor swept and the windows cleaned. Tell me, Mr. Bates, what is all this stuff? Looks like dream night in a DT Ward. My dear fellow, these are some of the finest statuary reproductions available. For example, this is a gargoyle from Notre Dame. Oh, I remember this cat. He used to play fullback. Sam Gargoyle. And this is the Aztec God, Polygo Chilea chilia. Gesundheit. Of course, you know you'll spend the nights here. They told me. But I didn't bargain for this collection of gremlins. Is this stuff the genuine McCoy? Of course not. They're plaster reproductions. Take this one, the Haggard Bay. The original stands in the Plazio del Marco in Florence. Isn't she lovely? Yeah. She reminds me of the old broad that sells the pretzels on 48th Street. She's got cobwebs on her nose. Look out. Be careful. Testing her off. A little bit ticklish, honey.
- [59:41]
Various Female Characters
Look out, you fool.
- [59:43]
Frank Sinatra
It's falling. I got it. I got it. You fool, you idiot. Look what you've done. Her arm comes off, that's all. Get away from there. Don't touch it. Maybe I could glue it back on. No, no. Go away. Get out of here. How much does it cost? You can take it out of my salary. Don't touch it. Look, Mr. Bates, what's it worth? What's it what? Oh. Oh, well, I suppose it really can be mended. I'll just carry it back to the shelf after this. Be careful. Okay. Hey, gargoyle. How do you think he'll do against Southern California? It turns out the Bates is running strictly a schlock house. He imports these plaster dummies from Italy. For a couple of hundred lira piece, which in American money ain't worth counting. He sells them over Here to art lovers for 25 clams, which is a markup would have. Macy's talking to gimbals. I put in a couple of hours talking football with a gargoyle when a car squeals to a stop in front of the store. One of those foreign jobs about three and a half blocks long with a chauffeur out in the cold. An old geezer in a scotch plaid shawl crawls out of the back and totters in. He's leaning on a silver headed cane and a blonde headed dish with a pair of legs that weren't off a piano.
- [61:07]
Various Female Characters
Bates. Bates. Where is he? Bates. Don't excite yourself, Mr. Sproule. Remember the doctor?
- [61:14]
Frank Sinatra
Oh, that doctor's an idiot.
- [61:16]
Various Female Characters
Bates, You.
- [61:18]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah. Oh, you're not based. I'm Rocky Fortune.
- [61:25]
Various Female Characters
Rocky, I don't want you.
- [61:27]
Frank Sinatra
Bates.
- [61:28]
Various Female Characters
Yes, yes, yes, Spruel.
- [61:31]
Frank Sinatra
I was in the back. I didn't hear you. Waltram, get Mr. Spool's chair. I don't want a chair.
- [61:35]
Various Female Characters
I want to talk about Mrs. Spruill.
- [61:37]
Frank Sinatra
Perhaps we'd better go inside now. Here. Here. I drove all the way from Westchester
- [61:42]
Various Female Characters
to this miserable little shop and I won't be put on.
- [61:45]
Frank Sinatra
Of course, Mr. Spru. We can talk in my private office. This way. Oh. Oh, yes. Yes, of course.
- [61:52]
Various Female Characters
Sharon, wait here for you? Yes, Mr. Spru.
- [61:57]
Frank Sinatra
He's a peppery old buzzard, ain't he?
- [61:59]
Various Female Characters
That old buzzard is Jonathan J. Spruel.
- [62:03]
Frank Sinatra
Oh, you mean he's the old nut with the copper money, huh?
- [62:06]
Various Female Characters
He has $8 million invested in copper. Yeah.
- [62:09]
Frank Sinatra
That's a lot of copper. You work for him?
- [62:11]
Various Female Characters
I'm his secretary.
- [62:13]
Frank Sinatra
Must be nice to have $8 million in copper.
- [62:16]
Various Female Characters
You work for Mr. Bates?
- [62:18]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah.
- [62:19]
Various Female Characters
Must be very interesting work.
- [62:20]
Frank Sinatra
It's a living.
- [62:21]
Various Female Characters
Can you tell me about the statues?
- [62:23]
Frank Sinatra
Sure. What do you want to know?
- [62:25]
Various Female Characters
Are they all plastered?
- [62:27]
Frank Sinatra
All except Gargoyle. He's in training.
- [62:30]
Various Female Characters
Very funny. You really know about them?
- [62:33]
Frank Sinatra
Sure. Bates couldn't get along without me. Look, when you've tucked the old man in for his afternoon nap, why don't you come on back and I'll tell you all about it?
- [62:41]
Various Female Characters
I'm sorry. I'll be busy with Mr. Spruill's collection all day.
- [62:44]
Frank Sinatra
What's he collect? Bottle caps.
- [62:46]
Various Female Characters
Mr. Spruill is probably the world's foremost private collector of antique artifacts.
- [62:51]
Frank Sinatra
Is that a fact?
- [62:53]
Various Female Characters
He has the only complete set of early Greek amphorae with lids.
- [62:58]
Frank Sinatra
What's amphorae?
- [62:59]
Various Female Characters
Vases. Delicate ceramic vases.
- [63:02]
Frank Sinatra
And he's got the Lids.
- [63:04]
Various Female Characters
That's right,
- [63:06]
Frank Sinatra
sweetie. You can call them amphorae, Liz. I call them bottle caps. About this time, Bates pours himself out of his office and sends me out for supper. I'm not particularly anxious to go because the counterman at the one arm joint around the corner has his shirt button two buttons lower than Sharon. But the effect is not the same. I inhale a bowl of chili and a piece of rubber meringue pie and head back to the store. There's nobody in front of the store, so I walk through to the back tipping my hat to the haggard bay as I pass. And I open the office door. Good, you're still here. I was afraid you'd. Hey, what's Bates doing on the floor? Mr. Bates. Mr. Bates.
- [63:54]
Various Female Characters
He's dead.
- [63:56]
Frank Sinatra
You ain't kidding, lady. Somebody blew out the back of his head and it took a big gun to do that.
- [64:01]
Various Female Characters
A gun?
- [64:02]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah, maybe a.45 automatic, something like the one you're holding in your hand. Maybe you better give it to me right now. But you better tell Rocky all about it.
- [64:12]
Various Female Characters
Well, I didn't do it.
- [64:13]
Frank Sinatra
Look, Sharon, I find you standing over a stiff with a real hot rod.
- [64:17]
Various Female Characters
You gotta believe me. I found him this way, Mr. Spruel, at this shawl. He sent me back for it, and I walked in and. And I. I.
- [64:26]
Frank Sinatra
Don't tell me that you picked the gun up off the floor.
- [64:28]
Various Female Characters
I don't know why. I, I.
- [64:30]
Frank Sinatra
Hey, you're real scared, aren't you?
- [64:31]
Various Female Characters
It was awful. I touched him. My hand.
- [64:34]
Frank Sinatra
All right, all right, all right. Slow down. Did you see anybody when you came in?
- [64:38]
Various Female Characters
No. Yes. Yes.
- [64:40]
Frank Sinatra
Wait a minute.
- [64:40]
Various Female Characters
There was a. There's a black car halfway down the block. And it drove off just as I came in.
- [64:44]
Frank Sinatra
Maybe it was a heist. Let's see. Bates kept his roll in his pocket. Ah, it's gone, all right. He must have had a couple of hundred in that.
- [64:54]
Various Female Characters
Hey, what is it?
- [64:56]
Frank Sinatra
An insurance policy on his last shipment. Well, the shipment is safe. Fate should have made the policy straight live, I guess.
- [65:04]
Various Female Characters
What's that?
- [65:05]
Frank Sinatra
Snow White and the two dopes.
- [65:06]
Various Female Characters
What?
- [65:07]
Frank Sinatra
A patrol car. Somebody must have heard the shot.
- [65:09]
Various Female Characters
What'll I do? They won't believe me.
- [65:11]
Frank Sinatra
Look, we're both in a spot, camping out over a corpse that's not popular with the lads in blue. Sharon, this whole deal is fishy in the Fulton Street Market on Friday morning. Come on.
- [65:19]
Various Female Characters
Where are you going?
- [65:19]
Frank Sinatra
Out the back.
- [65:20]
Various Female Characters
But the police will think that I.
- [65:21]
Frank Sinatra
If we stay here, they won't have to think. They'll Pin it on you like a gardenia. Come on. We do a Comanche sneak out the back door while the cops waste the taxpayers rubber squealing to a stop in front. We beat it down an alley and around the corner. By the time we slow down to a walk, Sharon's out of air, breathing heavy, which on her looks good.
- [65:46]
Various Female Characters
What do we do now?
- [65:47]
Frank Sinatra
That's a good question. There are a couple of leads I got in mind.
- [65:50]
Various Female Characters
Leads?
- [65:52]
Frank Sinatra
That Bates was as phony as a showgirl's eyelash.
- [65:54]
Various Female Characters
Why do you say that?
- [65:55]
Frank Sinatra
Couple of reasons. For one thing, what would a two bit operation like that need a night watchman for? He never had one up until the time he hired me. For another thing, that insurance policy. It was for 50 grand.
- [66:06]
Various Female Characters
Oh, now what does that mean?
- [66:08]
Frank Sinatra
He had something in that store beside dying swans.
- [66:10]
Various Female Characters
But what?
- [66:11]
Frank Sinatra
That's what I'd like to know. Look. Let's move. You ain't going nowhere. What if that's your finger, pal you got stuck in my back? Your nails need cutting. That's ain't no finger, buster. That's a six inch knife. You can cut a hair with it lengthwise. Okay, Mr. Fencing.
- [66:27]
Various Female Characters
I got him.
- [66:29]
Frank Sinatra
Good work, Butler. What's the idea then? Shut up. Look out for the knife, you'll damage the herringbone. One more bite of you, I'll damage the backbone. All right, Butler. I'm sure they'll cooperate. In a pig's eye. What do you want? Well, you see, I have my car and I thought I might drop you somewhere. No, thanks. It's a nice night. I'll walk. Enter the car. Wise guy. All right, all right. Would you prefer the back or the jump seat, miss?
- [66:56]
Various Female Characters
Doesn't make any difference.
- [66:57]
Frank Sinatra
Well, I'd like to. All right, don't push everybody. Comfy, Groot? Your gorilla sitting on my head. Really, Putler. You should be polite to our passengers. Mr. Fensinger, you don't want him to know where we're going, do you? Certainly not. Let him up. Okay, but if you don't want him to see. Don't be crude about it. The civilized way is like this. Mr. Benzinger reaches back from the front seat and lays the butt of a.38 just back of my ear. I lose interest in most everything at that point and start on a personal inspection tour of several deep shaft coal mines without benefit of safety light. The next thing I see is a pair of bushy eyebrows and I figure it's John L. Checking up on my union cart. By the time I get my eyes propped wider, I Discovered. It's the ape Puddler looking at me for a while. I think I'm still out because his face is turning from green to red to orange to yellow to blue and back to green. It takes me a minute to figure. Suddenly I get it. I am in some kind of a loft with a skylight. And the Technicolor effect comes from an advertising sign somewhere outside. His bat in his eyes. Mr. Banzinger, give him some water. You're a wet project. Not that way in a glass. What are you guys trying to pull? Should I start with a telephone book? Not yet, Butler. The telephone book won't hurt him much. It just kind of pikes him up. Wait. You Rocky Fortune. Yeah. Hey, where's the girl? In the next room. Fortune. Before I let Butler earn his keep, perhaps you'd like to tell me where it is. Where what is you say, Mr. Panzinger? If you let me start with a telephone book, this wouldn't happen. Quiet. Your employer saw fit to resist out simple questions. You knocked him off. Unfortunately, Puddler's reflexes are quicker than his intellect. Yeah. Therefore, it's up to you to tell us where it is. I don't know what you guys are talking about. I can start with a Staten island book, Mr. Pensinger. That's real. Ten, please. White. Damn, boy. At the proper moment, Butler, you may use the Manhattan red book. Fortune, your time is running out. And I am running out of patience. Why don't you just give up? Bates would have an assistant who didn't know. Bates didn't tell me anything. He didn't even trust me with his two bit statues. You should have heard him holler when I broke the arm of an old plaster bag. You'd have thought it was made out of gold. You guys are making a big mistake if you think he told me anything. It's not yours, Mr. Panzinger. Is Cromwell talk. Why? Don't you love it? On the contrary, Butler, I think he has talked. I have. He has. Butler, you will escort Mr. Fortune somewhere into the country. And lose him permanently? A plague. Unfortunately, I will not be able to accompany you in the car. I'm sure Mr. Fortune would give his word of honor not to make any trouble. Oh, yeah, sure. Crush my heart and hope to die. Yes, I wouldn't be at all surprised. But just to make sure. Puddler. Yes, Mr. Banzinger. The Brooklyn book. Right. I am back in the coal mine again and I'm beginning to figure I should have portal to portal pay this time. The first thing I notice is A delicate aroma. It is vaguely familiar. And then I place it. The last time I got down to the track at Monmouth Park. When the train comes out of the tunnel on the Jersey side, a sudden essence arrives simultaneously with the sunlight. I discover that this is the place where all good pigs go to die. Sycocus, New Jersey. Well, this is where I am again. I bat one eye and find I'm driving along with Puddler. He's got one hand on a portable howitzer and the other on the wheel. Driveway possum. When the car stops, Puddler gets out on his side and comes around the back to get me. Only when he gets there, I'm gone.
- [71:15]
Various Female Characters
Hey, hey, hey. Yo.
- [71:17]
Frank Sinatra
So long, sucker. He pumps a couple of quick shots after me. But outside of one lucky hit on the rear window, I'm home free. I head into town to stop on this side of the George Washington Bridge to put in the call of my old friend Sergeant Finger of Homicide. Fortune, where are you? Never mind. Listen, you want the guy who rubbed out the odd dealer, Bates? You're darn right I do, Fortune, if you. They put the snatch on me. Two thugs. A guy named Benzinger and a Neanderthal man named Puddler. What are you raving about? You gotta find him. They got a girl. How nice for them. Look, Fortune, why don't you make it easy for all of us? Turn yourself into the nearest precinct. Finger, you gotta believe me. Don't you want the guy that knocked off Bates? You bet I do. Turn yourself in, Fortune. I'll let you take a manslaughter plea. I haven't got time to talk to you, knucklehead. Wait a minute, Fortune. Don't go away, man. Let's talk this thing over. How have you been? What else is new? There's Sergeant Finger for you. Thinking all the time. Going to trace the call. Bye now. I drive into town and get stuck in a traffic jam on 10th Avenue. When I'm sitting between two 20 ton trucks, both of them him, dumping carbon monoxide down my throat. I keep thinking of that blonde. Kind of fragile, like she was made of spun glass, but real spun. And then I remember Puddler with his face changing colors like a chameleon. A bell rings and a little electric light bulb lights up in front of my head. I head down 10th Avenue to the offices and workshop of the Mammoth Spectacular Company. Down in the shop, working with a blowtorch, I find old Charlie's forboda. Rocky, I ain't seen you since you was fired for misspelling a word. In that beer sign on 42nd Street. How's the old glass blower? They still call you on every sign north of Trenton. Sure, sure. Who could make a spectacular without old Charlie? And Mama still makes all the big signs, huh? We got a little competition, but they don't make nothing more than signs on powder room doors. That's what I figured. Charlie, I gotta find a special sign. What sign? All I know is the colors. Green, red, orange, yellow, blue, green. Huh? Which is longer? The yellow. The green was the shortest. Yeah, yeah. I'll check it in the records for you, but I think I know the one. Yeah? What one? It's a beautiful sign. Six Cycle Animation. I. I worked on it only last year. Where is it? Bensonhurst in Brooklyn. R5 dog food. Let R5 suit your. Charlie looks it up and gives me the address. I put 10 gallons of gas in Mr. Benzinger's car, which I think is very nice of me, under the circumstances, and head out to Bensonhurst. There's a sign with two dogs chasing each other around in circles. I take a line of sight from the sign to find two possible skylight windows. I climb up the stairs of the first loft and boil in. Turns out to be an artist who was painting replacement for September Morn. His model takes a dim view of my intrusion, so I get out in a hurry. The second loft, I figure, has got to be it. I go up the stairs real quiet. The door at the top is a jar, and I ease my way into the room without squeaking. The hinge room is empty. I go across to the other door, grab hold of the doorknob and yank. Sharon, are you all right?
- [74:48]
Various Female Characters
Oh, Rocky.
- [74:50]
Frank Sinatra
The door was open. Why don't you get away?
- [74:52]
Various Female Characters
I was tired. I just got loose. When I heard you, I thought it was those men coming back.
- [74:57]
Frank Sinatra
No, I left Puddler with the pigs. But he could have gotten back by now. We better get out of here.
- [75:01]
Various Female Characters
I'm so glad to see you.
- [75:02]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah. Come on. We were. Wait a minute. Listen. Here they come.
- [75:08]
Various Female Characters
What do we do?
- [75:09]
Frank Sinatra
Look. They don't know I'm up here. Come on over here behind the door.
- [75:12]
Various Female Characters
What are you gonna do?
- [75:13]
Frank Sinatra
I brought a tire jack up from the car. We'll knock them off like ducks. A shooting Gary when he comes through the door. Careful, Butler, don't drop it. Looks like Puddler hitched himself a ride back from Jersey. Here they come now. Ready, One.
- [75:29]
Various Female Characters
Drop the wrench, Rocky.
- [75:30]
Frank Sinatra
What the. Grab him, Putler.
- [75:32]
Various Female Characters
Don't bother. I have him covered. One move fortune. I'll blow a Disc out of your spine.
- [75:37]
Frank Sinatra
Lady, please do me a favor and shoot. I came back to rescue you.
- [75:41]
Various Female Characters
Well, that was very sweet of you. D. Did you get it, Benzinger?
- [75:43]
Frank Sinatra
Yes, Ms. Butler. Bring in the statue. The arm is off, but I didn't do it. Well, what do you know? The old bat from the art store. What do you want with that statue?
- [75:55]
Various Female Characters
Never mind.
- [75:56]
Frank Sinatra
I told you we'd get it for you, Miss.
- [75:58]
Various Female Characters
You've done brilliantly, haven't you? First you shoot base and this imbecile lets Fortune get away from him. Come on, pick up the statue and we'll all go in the car.
- [76:05]
Frank Sinatra
How about Fortune? Couldn't I just.
- [76:06]
Various Female Characters
He comes with us till it's over.
- [76:10]
Frank Sinatra
Lady, if we're going in the car again, may I make one request?
- [76:13]
Various Female Characters
What is it?
- [76:13]
Frank Sinatra
Let's not go Pullman. This time I'd like to sit up all the way. We are a happy crew in the car. Benzinger, Puddler, Sharon, the plaster statue and little old Curly headed me. We head north on the east side, drive over the bridge of the parkway into Westchester. When we roll through an iron grilled gate with a big sign on it saying Spruel, I begin to get the idea.
- [76:35]
Various Female Characters
Benzinger, you come in with me and bring a statue. Remember, you tell the blind old fool you were base assistant.
- [76:42]
Frank Sinatra
Puddler. Yeah.
- [76:43]
Various Female Characters
Keep the motor running. And when we get the payoff, we've got to get out fast. Come on.
- [76:48]
Frank Sinatra
After you, miss.
- [76:49]
Various Female Characters
And keep Fortune sitting tight.
- [76:57]
Frank Sinatra
The light, as they say, begins to dawn. Whatever. Whatever it was that Bates was trying to sell, the Spruel Sharon hijacked and cut herself in, said Stella minute. They should have let me use the phone book. You notice some people use the phone book to look up numbers. They go. Never thought of that. He never thought of a lot of things. Like, for instance, this car's got an automatic shift. Yeah? So what? Well, you ought to have it neutral, not in drive like you got it. Listen, wise guy, you trying to tell me how to drive a getaway car? You gotta be ready to start on an instant's notice. Like this. Hey, get your foot off. Give me that. Look out the car.
- [77:37]
Various Female Characters
You got my foot jammed on.
- [77:38]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah, it's a great pickup that smile's got, huh? Going right into that house. Look out. We go through the French doors like a knife through cheese and end up on the opposite wall of the living room with bendsing a pin between the bumper and the brick fireplace. Puddler's slightly out of commission having stuck his head through the windshield. I pile out of the car with Puddler's guns. Shannon's knocked head over tea cuddle out like a light. But still breathing. Very pretty. What is this?
- [78:16]
Various Female Characters
What happened?
- [78:17]
Frank Sinatra
Pardon me, Mr. Frull. Is this the Sawmill river parkway?
- [78:19]
Various Female Characters
What is the meaning of this? I'll call the police.
- [78:21]
Frank Sinatra
I think it's a great idea. And when they get here, we'll hand them that statue you cut. Oh, no, no, no. It's mine.
- [78:27]
Various Female Characters
I paid for it.
- [78:28]
Frank Sinatra
Lots of people paid for it. Bates, for one.
- [78:30]
Various Female Characters
Why, what are you talking about? I just paid this man $50,000. He's Bates assistant.
- [78:36]
Frank Sinatra
He's bates murderer. Murderer? Why did you pay 50 grand for this plaster statue?
- [78:42]
Various Female Characters
Why, it's not a plaster statue.
- [78:44]
Frank Sinatra
It's what's underneath. Look, look, I'll show you.
- [78:50]
Various Female Characters
There, There. There, you see? There it is. Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Carved by Praxiteles himself. Oh, it's beautiful. Beautiful.
- [79:02]
Frank Sinatra
You had Bates steal it for you. Covered over with that cheap plaster statue to hide. Ah, you think I care now it's mine. All mine. I hope the two of you are very happy. Maybe she'll write your letters. Letters? What are you talking about? You're going to the can, old Tommy. You're an accessory before, after and during a murder.
- [79:19]
Various Female Characters
She's beautiful. Beautiful.
- [79:21]
Frank Sinatra
And that reminds me. Sharon? Sharon, baby, can you hear me? Honey?
- [79:28]
Various Female Characters
What? What is it?
- [79:29]
Frank Sinatra
I got something important to ask you.
- [79:32]
Various Female Characters
What?
- [79:34]
Frank Sinatra
Where does Puddler keep his Westchester book? I want to call the co. NBC has presented Frank Sinatra as that footloose and fancy free young gentleman, Rocky Fortune. Others in tonight's cast were Jan Miner, Ted Osborne, Leon Janney, Joseph Julian, Ed Begley and Mandel Kramer. Tonight's script was written by Ernest Kanoy. Fred Wade directed. Now, to tell you about next week's adventure, here's Frank Sinatra as Rocky Fortune. Ever see a magician pulled a disappearing act on somebody? I always wonder how they did it. And then finally I found out a carnival guy pulled a disappearing act on me. The only trouble was he was trying to make me disappear for keeps. I'll tell you about it next week. See you around. This program was transcribed. This is the NBC radio network. Frank Sinatra transcribed as Rocky Fortune. Here's Frank Sinatra starring as that footloose and fancy free young gentleman, Rocky Fortune. Hi. Did I ever tell you about the time I decided to give up my place on Bleakman street and find a new room? Well, not that the place was bad, but when I started using my mailbox as a numbers drop, I decided it was time to find A new pad, which I did. The only trouble was the landlady. She wanted to collect the first month's rent in blood. And when I objected, her superintendent tried to terminate my lease on life. Hello? Anybody home? Hey, where's the management? Right behind you. Put up your hands. What is this? You tell me, bright boy. I'm looking for a room. What brought you here? The sign in the window that says Room for Rent. Now, would you mind pointing that horse pistol the other way? What's Your name? Julius LaRosa. What's yours? Oh, you're a wise guy. Listen, Sammy, put down the artillery and let's get back.
- [82:30]
Various Female Characters
What is it, Lenny?
- [82:31]
Frank Sinatra
This joke was won around inside, Ma. The door was open. The sign said Room for Rent, so I came in.
- [82:37]
Various Female Characters
You want to rent a room?
- [82:39]
Frank Sinatra
That's the general idea, Ma.
- [82:41]
Various Female Characters
Put away the gun, Lenny.
- [82:42]
Frank Sinatra
Ma, how do you know who this character is?
- [82:44]
Various Female Characters
Put it away.
- [82:46]
Frank Sinatra
Thanks, Ma.
- [82:47]
Various Female Characters
We been having trouble with thieves lately. Lenny thought maybe you was one.
- [82:52]
Frank Sinatra
Well, I'm glad you protect your guests. Do you have a room?
- [82:56]
Various Female Characters
We got one vacancy on this floor, third door down.
- [83:00]
Frank Sinatra
Can I see it?
- [83:01]
Various Female Characters
This way. $5 a week in advance.
- [83:11]
Frank Sinatra
This is a peachy view of the garbage bin.
- [83:14]
Various Female Characters
Take it or leave it.
- [83:15]
Frank Sinatra
Well, I'd like to leave it, but I need a flop until I can locate an apartment. I'll take it.
- [83:19]
Various Female Characters
5.
- [83:20]
Frank Sinatra
Wait till I get the vault open, will you? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- [83:28]
Various Female Characters
No heavy drinking in the rooms. Keep off the second floor. That's where me and Lenny live.
- [83:33]
Frank Sinatra
It's a deal. You keep off my floor and I'll keep off yours.
- [83:37]
Various Female Characters
I ain't joking, mister. You set foot on those stairs and Lenny's liable to lose his temper. When Lenny loses his temper, he's liable to do anything. Anything? Well, welcome to 55 Bishop Street. My name's Thompson. You call me Ma.
- [83:56]
Frank Sinatra
That's touching.
- [83:58]
Various Female Characters
If you go out at night, be careful. This is a tough neighborhood.
- [84:02]
Frank Sinatra
I come from a pretty tough neighborhood.
- [84:04]
Various Female Characters
This ain't pretty tough. It's real tough.
- [84:08]
Frank Sinatra
Oops. I park my duffel and flop down on the mattress, which is a cross between a sack of cement and the Aberdeen Proving Grounds for light, medium and heavy tanks. No sooner do I close my eyes and the door opens, in walks a little bald headed guy about 40, wearing rimless glasses. A Casper Milk Toast. Have I ever seen one, and I seen several.
- [84:39]
Various Female Characters
What are you doing here?
- [84:40]
Frank Sinatra
What do I look like I'm doing, playing Scrabble? Do you believe in knocking?
- [84:44]
Various Female Characters
Get out of this room.
- [84:46]
Frank Sinatra
Oh, you got to Get a little bigger before you talk like that to a full grown man, Buster.
- [84:49]
Various Female Characters
Where are my things? Where's Helen?
- [84:52]
Frank Sinatra
I ain't seen your things. And the only Helen I know is Helena Troy, and she moved to Utica about three years ago.
- [84:57]
Various Female Characters
Very funny.
- [84:58]
Frank Sinatra
I didn't think it was that good.
- [84:59]
Various Female Characters
It wasn't. Now see here. I want you out of our room and I demand to know where. Nothing wrong, Mr. Fortune?
- [85:06]
Frank Sinatra
This billiard head keeps acting like somebody's in the wrong department.
- [85:09]
Various Female Characters
Mrs. Thompson, what is this man doing in my room? Who are you?
- [85:14]
Frank Sinatra
Who.
- [85:15]
Various Female Characters
Who am I? Why, I'm Gerald Kinsey.
- [85:18]
Frank Sinatra
My.
- [85:18]
Various Female Characters
My wife Helen and I have. We've had this room for a week now. Mister, you're nuts. I ain't never seen you in my life. Never seen me?
- [85:27]
Frank Sinatra
I.
- [85:28]
Various Female Characters
Why, I paid you a week's rent this morning. My wife Helen was. I don't know anybody named Helen except Helena Troy and she.
- [85:35]
Frank Sinatra
He knows. He knows.
- [85:37]
Various Female Characters
Come on, Horace, get out of here. Oh, are you all out of your minds? What is this? You heard me, Homer. Vanish. I demand my wife. I demand.
- [85:48]
Frank Sinatra
You demand a belt and a mouth. If you don't beat it, I will.
- [85:51]
Various Female Characters
Now I'll.
- [85:52]
Frank Sinatra
Something wrong, Ma?
- [85:53]
Various Female Characters
We got a stray bedbug. He thinks he lives here. Lenny. Lenny, you remember me? Gerald Kinsey. My wife Helen and I were.
- [86:02]
Frank Sinatra
What's he talking about, Ma?
- [86:03]
Various Female Characters
Lenny. Look, Zeke, you got the wrong house maybe, huh? Wrong house? Why, this is 55 Bishop street, room one. My wife and I will. Lenny, show em the door.
- [86:16]
Frank Sinatra
Let's go. I will not go.
- [86:18]
Various Female Characters
I demand my wife. I demand my wife.
- [86:20]
Frank Sinatra
One, two, and away we go.
- [86:22]
Various Female Characters
Take your hands off of me and I'll.
- [86:23]
Frank Sinatra
You'll notice. Now get out. And if you come back here, I'll kill you. Understand? I'll break every bone in your body. I watched Lenny give Gerald a bicep like he was a sack of old feathers. And then I start to unpack. Inside the dresser drawer, I spot a cufflink with the monogrammed initials GK on it. Also, there is some spilled face powder. I put the cufflink in my pocket and lie down on my bed to think things over. I'm just starting to doze off when I hear a sound at the window. So I make like I'm asleep and I wait. A second later, Gerald slips into the room with a medium sized paving stone in his mitt. He tiptoes over to the bed and gets ready to drop the concrete on my skull as I mousetrap him. Hold it. Drop it. Come on. Drop it.
- [87:21]
Various Female Characters
Ouch, my arm. You're breaking it.
- [87:23]
Frank Sinatra
Drop the mickey. Now sit down. Oh, please. You better start talking, sonny. I'm gonna get rough too.
- [87:34]
Various Female Characters
Who are you?
- [87:35]
Frank Sinatra
My name's Rocky Fortune. I just rented this room. They forgot to tell me it was an outpatient clinic for Bellevue.
- [87:41]
Various Female Characters
You're. You're not with them?
- [87:44]
Frank Sinatra
With who? I'm not with anybody.
- [87:46]
Various Female Characters
Oh. Oh, then. Then you've got to help me.
- [87:48]
Frank Sinatra
Give me one convincing reason.
- [87:50]
Various Female Characters
Listen, you've got to believe me, mister. For the past three days, my wife and I have lived in this room. This morning I went out to look for a job. When I came back just now, they rented the room to you. They're just pretending they never saw me. They've done something to my wife. I know they have.
- [88:08]
Frank Sinatra
Why should they?
- [88:09]
Various Female Characters
I don't know. They. They. They may be in some shady business or something. Maybe she found out about it.
- [88:15]
Frank Sinatra
Oh, please.
- [88:16]
Various Female Characters
Please, you must believe me.
- [88:17]
Frank Sinatra
Hold it. Hold it. Your initials are G.K. aren't they?
- [88:20]
Various Female Characters
Why, yes. Gerald Kinsey.
- [88:23]
Frank Sinatra
You ever see this cufflink?
- [88:26]
Various Female Characters
What? Why, that's the one I lost. Helen and I looked all over for.
- [88:32]
Frank Sinatra
It was under the shelving paper and some newspaper in the dresser, but.
- [88:36]
Various Female Characters
Well, that should prove I lived here.
- [88:38]
Frank Sinatra
It's enough to go on, Gerald.
- [88:40]
Various Female Characters
You see, the whole thing is a plot to.
- [88:42]
Frank Sinatra
Shh. Fortune. Just a minute. Just a minute. Look, you better use the emergency exit out the window. If nature boy finds you in here, he'll take you apart like a jigsaw puzzle.
- [88:55]
Various Female Characters
What'll I do?
- [88:56]
Frank Sinatra
I got a friend who's a cop. 21st Precinct. Sergeant Fingers. Tell him I sent you and bring him back here. Quick.
- [89:01]
Various Female Characters
Open up.
- [89:02]
Frank Sinatra
Now beat it. Remember Fingers. Sergeant Hamilton J. Finger. I thought I heard somebody talking in there. Talking? Oh, that was me. I always talk to myself. Oh, that's a bad habit. I never listen to it. Huh. That's a good one. It'll keep you out of trouble. What kind of trouble did you have in mind? The kind where they bury you. Remember it. Lenny goes upstairs and I settle down to wait for Gerald and the gendarmes. After a couple of minutes, I hear the steps creak. I crack the door in time to see Grandma carrying a brown paper bag to the back of the hall. She takes maybe two steps and stops.
- [89:50]
Various Female Characters
You're liable to get your nose caught in the crack of that door. Mr. Fortune.
- [89:55]
Frank Sinatra
I could spare a little.
- [89:57]
Various Female Characters
We like the border. To keep the door closed.
- [90:01]
Frank Sinatra
You and Lenny are a couple of real trusting souls, ain't you?
- [90:03]
Various Female Characters
I told you We've been having sneak thieves.
- [90:06]
Frank Sinatra
Can I help you with that paper bag?
- [90:08]
Various Female Characters
Just go. Not back to put the garbage out? I can manage.
- [90:11]
Frank Sinatra
Just try to be friendly.
- [90:13]
Various Female Characters
Try it with the door closed.
- [90:15]
Frank Sinatra
Sure, Ma. I hear Ma go out the back door with a bell bag of garbage. After about 20 minutes, I hear her close the door and go up the steps again. I figured either she went all the way to the city disposal plan with that stuff or it wasn't a bag of garbage. After things quiet down, I tiptoed down the hall and opened the back door. There's a small yard with a high concrete wall. It's filled with broken bottles, old almanacs and other valuable stuff. At one end is a small wooden shed big enough for a half a dozen garbage cans with a cheap padlock on the outside. Just in a hunch, I go over to the shed and knock. Anybody home? Now, why would anybody want to put a padlock on the garbage? Anybody here beside you? Chickens? Okay, we'll just do a little lock picking and have a look. Well, don't tell me the housing authority has this place listed as an apartment. You're Helen, right?
- [91:24]
Various Female Characters
Who are you?
- [91:25]
Frank Sinatra
My name's Rocky Fortune. How does that guy raid a knockout like you?
- [91:29]
Various Female Characters
Are you. Are you working for Gerald?
- [91:32]
Frank Sinatra
More or less. He and I seem to share a room.
- [91:34]
Various Female Characters
Listen, you've got to help me.
- [91:35]
Frank Sinatra
Hey, we better close the door just in case Lenny decides to check on his guests. Why have they got you locked up here?
- [91:42]
Various Female Characters
I. I don't know, mon. The big one, Lenny. They must have drugged me or something. You gotta tell that to Gerald. They locked me out here. They told me they'd kill me if I made a sound. No kidding, mister.
- [91:53]
Frank Sinatra
What are you so scared of me for?
- [91:54]
Various Female Characters
You tell Gerald I wouldn't want him to think I left him on my own or anything. You know how he gets.
- [91:59]
Frank Sinatra
You have been drugged. Now take it easy, kid. We'll have you out of here in no time. As soon as I figure out a
- [92:04]
Various Female Characters
way, believe me, don't you? I didn't run away from Gerald. Honest I didn't.
- [92:07]
Frank Sinatra
Did you want to?
- [92:09]
Various Female Characters
We had a big fight this morning, but I didn't mean what I said. It's those people, Ma and Lenny. They put me out here.
- [92:14]
Frank Sinatra
All right, come on, let's get out of here. The fragrance from these garbage cans is a little bit too. Oh.
- [92:19]
Various Female Characters
What is it?
- [92:20]
Frank Sinatra
That was the back door to the house. Here comes Lenny and Grandma.
- [92:22]
Various Female Characters
You'd better hide.
- [92:23]
Frank Sinatra
Where?
- [92:23]
Various Female Characters
In my pocket, the garbage can.
- [92:26]
Frank Sinatra
Smart girl. Okay, put the lid on. Hey, turn on the air conditioning. Will, I'm feeling a little bit like a rotten pimento in an undersized olive when it dawns on me that Lenny's gonna notice that the lock has been opened. He does? Were you out here, Ma?
- [92:54]
Various Female Characters
I just brought her some food.
- [92:56]
Frank Sinatra
The lock is open.
- [92:57]
Various Female Characters
I locked it.
- [92:59]
Frank Sinatra
It didn't open itself. You gotta be careful.
- [93:01]
Various Female Characters
I told you I locked it.
- [93:03]
Frank Sinatra
We better go in.
- [93:06]
Various Female Characters
Food. Okay, dearie? Yes.
- [93:09]
Frank Sinatra
You better finish it. We're getting you out of here in about 15 minutes. Out? Your husband was snooping around. Things might get a little too hot.
- [93:16]
Various Female Characters
Where will you take me?
- [93:17]
Frank Sinatra
Oh, I know a nice quiet spot where nobody will look in a million years. I gotta borrow a car. As soon as I get it, we move out. Come on, Ma.
- [93:27]
Various Female Characters
You better take the full garbage cans out front for the collection. Lenny.
- [93:31]
Frank Sinatra
What's today?
- [93:32]
Various Female Characters
Tuesday. We got a load of stuff. Okay, stay here and watch Mrs. Kinsey.
- [93:37]
Frank Sinatra
Here's the gun. I'll just roll this one out first. What you got in here, old lad? For a couple of minutes, I die while Big Lenny rolls me out to the front of the house to be picked up by a gent from the Sanitation department. As I feel myself lifted into the truck, I decide I'll keep quiet. The long Lenny gets back to the house. It's then that I hear the machine that grinds the stuff. Okay, Charlie, toss up that next can. What's the matter, Charlie? You forget to eat your Crispy Crunchies? Come on, let's have it. Hey, I see what you mean. Now, let's get the COVID off this one and take a look. Hey, pot me, Sam. Is this a subway to Jackson Heights? What are you doing in that can? Can? Holy mackerel. I thought I was in a subway car. Give me a hand, will you, Sam? Yeah, sure. Are you nuts? Basic. I guess I am. Sam, would anybody in his right mind get into a garbage can by mistake? I'll see you around. I shake a few breadcrumbs out of my hair and climb off the truck. I sneak back into the house and make for my room. I get there and hear voices inside. I told you to stay away from here.
- [95:04]
Various Female Characters
I want my wife, Lenny. And I'll. I'll kill you if you don't tell me where she's hiding.
- [95:08]
Frank Sinatra
Go ahead, pull the trigger. You haven't got the guts to kill anybody.
- [95:12]
Various Female Characters
It won't be the first time.
- [95:13]
Frank Sinatra
It may be the. Let go.
- [95:20]
Various Female Characters
My throat. Rocky. Rocky. Hit him.
- [95:22]
Frank Sinatra
A pleasure, pal.
- [95:26]
Various Female Characters
Is he out?
- [95:27]
Frank Sinatra
Like a busted street Lamp.
- [95:30]
Various Female Characters
I guess you saved my life.
- [95:31]
Frank Sinatra
How come you didn't get the cops?
- [95:33]
Various Female Characters
I got a gun instead. I was determined I'd handle it myself.
- [95:38]
Frank Sinatra
Somehow you just don't seem the type. Anyway, I located your ever loving wife, Hamlin. Of where they got her stashed in a wooden garbage shed in the back.
- [95:46]
Various Female Characters
No, I'll get her.
- [95:47]
Frank Sinatra
You stay here and keep the gun on lover boy. In case he recovers from that belt I gave him. I'll get Helen.
- [95:52]
Various Female Characters
Okay, maybe that's best.
- [95:53]
Frank Sinatra
And keep an eye out for Ma. I don't think she's gonna like us. I leave Gerald and Lenny in my room and slip on my way out to the shed. I do another halfpen job in the lock and open it up. Helen's sitting on a stack of old newspapers waiting. Helen.
- [96:13]
Various Female Characters
Rocky, you all right?
- [96:14]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah, except for a slight tinge of city dump number five. You ready to get out of the shoebox?
- [96:19]
Various Female Characters
Yes. But what about Lenny?
- [96:20]
Frank Sinatra
Lenny's in on his face in my room and your husband's holding a heater on him.
- [96:24]
Various Female Characters
Gerald is here?
- [96:25]
Frank Sinatra
Uh huh.
- [96:26]
Various Female Characters
I see. Puts a slightly different color on things.
- [96:30]
Frank Sinatra
You don't look very happy.
- [96:32]
Various Female Characters
I'm not.
- [96:33]
Frank Sinatra
What's wrong?
- [96:33]
Various Female Characters
It's none of your business.
- [96:35]
Frank Sinatra
Now look, baby, I almost got myself bumped off getting you out of this trap. Now level with me.
- [96:39]
Various Female Characters
I'll level Rod, but at you, not with you. Get him up.
- [96:43]
Frank Sinatra
What is this? Kill Fortune day in Brooklyn? Where did you get the artillery?
- [96:47]
Various Female Characters
I had it.
- [96:48]
Frank Sinatra
I don't get it.
- [96:49]
Various Female Characters
You will. Turn around.
- [96:50]
Frank Sinatra
So you ain't exactly the damsel in distress I figured you for.
- [96:54]
Various Female Characters
Look, button brain, for reasons of my own, I'm not interested in meeting my dear husband right now. I told Ma and Lenny that he was an escaped convict holding me prisoner. I talked them into hiding me out here and pretending they'd never seen me.
- [97:06]
Frank Sinatra
How did you manage that?
- [97:07]
Various Female Characters
Little money can make people do very noble things. No more talk. Now this won't hurt a bit. I'll just hold it. Helen, drop the gun. You keep away from it, Fortune. Okay, Marla, into the shed. You can't do this. Lenny needs a doctor. I'm doing it. And he'll come to in an hour or so. I just kick him once or twice.
- [97:32]
Frank Sinatra
Oh, you're a nice kid.
- [97:33]
Various Female Characters
We're even, Fortune. You saved me. I saved you.
- [97:37]
Frank Sinatra
Shall we dance?
- [97:38]
Various Female Characters
The only ones who are gonna dance are me and my sweet little double crossing wife. Gerald, I swear I didn't double cross you. The old woman and her son, they found out about the jewels. They locked me out here and tried to make me give them up.
- [97:50]
Frank Sinatra
That's a lie.
- [97:50]
Various Female Characters
You told us your husband took dope and beat you. You asked us to help you get away from him. That sounds more like my little girl. She's lying, Gerald. They kidnapped me.
- [97:58]
Frank Sinatra
Sure, sure.
- [98:01]
Various Female Characters
Where's the stuff? I hid it. I'll bet you did. Well, find it. It's in the ash can. Here. Is this all the stuff from the Rensselaer jobs? All there, Gerald? It better be. Cause you and I are going for a little journey. And you know how it upsets me when somebody tries to pull a fast one or not.
- [98:22]
Frank Sinatra
There.
- [98:23]
Various Female Characters
Okay, Fortune, you and Ma here are lucky. I'm gonna give you a chance to stay alive for a while longer because you've been so good. Come on, baby, we're going.
- [98:36]
Frank Sinatra
You ain't going any place, mister.
- [98:38]
Various Female Characters
Well, look who woke up. Step aside, big boy.
- [98:42]
Frank Sinatra
Not till I finished that little job on you that I started a while back.
- [98:45]
Various Female Characters
Honey, don't do it. She isn't right that it was a trick. They're both thieves.
- [98:49]
Frank Sinatra
I ain't interested in what they are and what they ain't. I'm going to take your pot, baldy. And then I'm gonna work on your pal here.
- [98:56]
Various Female Characters
I warn you, Lenny. I'll shoot you.
- [98:59]
Frank Sinatra
You don't scare me.
- [99:00]
Various Female Characters
Lenny, don't, please. Mr. Is still groggy. He don't know what he's doing. Tell him to step aside. Lenny, don't do it.
- [99:06]
Frank Sinatra
Gonna give you something to remember. Lenny.
- [99:10]
Various Female Characters
Lenny. Letty. Oh, no.
- [99:14]
Frank Sinatra
No.
- [99:18]
Various Female Characters
Keep away from him. Ma.
- [99:20]
Frank Sinatra
You're a murderer too. Or isn't that news? Shut up.
- [99:23]
Various Female Characters
Helen, take Ma into the house and lock her in the cellar. What are you gonna do? Never mind that. Get going. Somebody might have heard those shots. Come on, Ma. Jerry, there's a cop standing out at the end of the alley. Is he coming? No, he's just looking around. He heard the shots. Hurry up. Get going. Let's go. Now, don't try anything. I get 50 grand worth of stuff here. I won't. Okay, Fortune, help me get this stiff into one of those empty cans.
- [99:53]
Frank Sinatra
Suppose I don't?
- [99:53]
Various Female Characters
I'll kill you.
- [99:54]
Frank Sinatra
I'll help. Ready?
- [99:55]
Various Female Characters
Now. Now put the COVID on. Hello.
- [100:04]
Frank Sinatra
Shut up. Anybody in that shed?
- [100:07]
Various Female Characters
Climb into that other can.
- [100:09]
Frank Sinatra
Now listen.
- [100:10]
Various Female Characters
I said climb in. One peep and I'll let you have it.
- [100:14]
Frank Sinatra
Anything you say.
- [100:17]
Various Female Characters
Now get down. I'm gonna put the COVID on.
- [100:20]
Frank Sinatra
Now listen.
- [100:21]
Various Female Characters
Do what I say, okay?
- [100:23]
Frank Sinatra
Okay. Anybody in here?
- [100:31]
Various Female Characters
Oh, hello. Officer.
- [100:34]
Frank Sinatra
Oh, I thought I heard somebody in here.
- [100:36]
Various Female Characters
Oh, I. I live here. I. I just came out to take the garbage cans out front.
- [100:41]
Frank Sinatra
Oh, you didn't happen to hear a sound like a couple of shots a minute ago, did you?
- [100:46]
Various Female Characters
Shots? I was rattling these garbage cans so that I couldn't even hear you come down the alley.
- [100:53]
Frank Sinatra
Funny, I felt sure they came from behind the house. See, you're a small man to be handling those heavy cans. Let me help you roll them out in front.
- [101:02]
Various Female Characters
Oh, that's all right, Officer. I can manage them.
- [101:05]
Frank Sinatra
Nonsense. I hate to see a man hurt himself. I was out of work for three months myself once lifting a car off a dead body.
- [101:10]
Various Female Characters
What? You don't say.
- [101:12]
Frank Sinatra
Here, here, I'll wrestle this one for you. Oh, my. Thompson must do some heavy bacon. Well, here goes. So there I am again, headed for the city dump. I'm afraid to open my app because I don't know whether Gerald has his cannon pointed at me or not. So I figure I'll let him roll me out to the sidewalk before I make my move. By the time I reach the street, I'm so dizzy, I feel like I'm in somebody's mixer with the dial set at Heavy Whip.
- [101:48]
Various Female Characters
Oh, thanks, Officer. You. Well, you. You can just leave them right here. Oh, looks like we missed the morning pickup anyway.
- [101:55]
Frank Sinatra
Yeah, there's an empty one here. Well, I'll just be moving along.
- [101:59]
Various Female Characters
Oh, thanks a lot. You're a real lifesaver.
- [102:02]
Frank Sinatra
I hate to see a man strain himself. I was. Well, you're in luck. Here comes the garbage truck back from his run. I'll just stop him.
- [102:08]
Various Female Characters
Oh, no, no, no, no, no. There's no need for that since he's
- [102:11]
Frank Sinatra
an old pal of mine. Hey, Hennessy.
- [102:14]
Various Female Characters
Hey,
- [102:21]
Frank Sinatra
What's the. Well, well, if it ain't New York's finest laughter, Sir Clarence, Kill. Hey, Hank, do us a favor, will you? Ma Thompson missed the morning pickup and she's got a couple of cans loaded to the brim. Would you dump them out, Thompson? Huh? Say, you know, I was emptying one of her cans this morning, and a live character steps out and asked me if this is the subway. Ah, sure, and you're pulling my leg. May I never take another breath if it ain't true. Another drop would be more fitting. Here now. Hey, Charlie, give the officer a hand with those. I wouldn't want him to strain himself. Up we go and off with the lid. Oh, no. Top of the can to you. What the. Hey, mister.
- [103:02]
Various Female Characters
Hey, come back.
- [103:03]
Frank Sinatra
Officer, grab him. There's A corpse in that other can.
- [103:06]
Various Female Characters
Hey, come back.
- [103:07]
Frank Sinatra
Come back or I'll shoot. My arm. Ah. Stand still. It's just a scratch. Now what's this about? He shot Mrs. Thompson's son. The body's in the other can, Officer.
- [103:21]
Various Female Characters
It's a lie.
- [103:22]
Frank Sinatra
We'll just go back and have a look. Hey, wait a minute.
- [103:27]
Various Female Characters
What is it?
- [103:27]
Frank Sinatra
I know you're from someplace. The lineup, maybe. Lineup by Godfrey. There's an APB out for this character. Gerald Kent, alias Kinsey, alias Kenoit. Wonderful. Lorenzo. Jewels theft with a woman named Norma Lynn. That's the boy. His wife's inside the house. Well, just go in and see about that. Hey, Kev Cannon. What do you want me to do about the garbage? Stick around, Hennessy. We'll be out in a minute with two cans full and he can dump them off at the city jail. NBC has presented Frank Sinatra as that footloose and fancy free young gentleman, Rocky Fortune. Others in tonight's cast include Frank Richards, Gloria Ann Simpson, Jim Eagles, Virginia Gregg, Eddie Fields and Maurice Hart. Tonight's script was written by George Lepperts. Andrew C. Love directed. Here is a question. What is the top speed you can safely drive after dark if you have to rely on your own headlights to show up danger? The answer, according to the national safety council, is 45 miles per hour. If you exceed 45, you're driving beyond the visibility limit of your headlights. Keep plenty of distance between yourself and the car ahead. The secret of safe driving is simply to use common sense. Take your time, not your life. Tonight, enjoy fibber mcgee and molly. On the NBC radio network, We just
- [105:30]
Podcast Host
heard Frank Sinatra as Rocky Fortune. That will do it for this week's episode. Thanks so much for joining me. I'll be back next week as we continue our month long series of Oscar winning radio detective stars. Headlining the show next week will be Mercedes McCambridge. In the meantime, you can check out Stars on Suspense, my other old Time Radio podcast. New episodes of that show are out on Thursdays. If you like what you're hearing, don't be a stranger. You can rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. And if you'd like to lend support to the show, you can visit buymeacoffee.com meansts OTR. I'll be back next week with more Old Time Radio detectives. But until then, good night and happy listening.
- [106:28]
Frank Sinatra
Sam. Now here is our star, Vincent Price. Ladies and gentlemen. In a prejudice filled America, no one would be secure in his job, his business, his church or his home. Yet racial and religious antagonisms are exploited daily by quacks and adventurers whose followers make up the irresponsible lunatic fringe of American life. Refuse to listen to or spread rumors against any race or religion. Help to stamp out prejudice in our country. Let's judge our neighbors by the character of their lives alone and not on the basis of their religion or origin.