Big Guy - Unheard Voice

Summary

---

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Big Guy - Unheard Voice
Date: March 14, 2026

---

Overview

This episode features a classic detective drama, "The Big Guy: Unheard Voice," immersing listeners in the golden age of radio. The story follows Joshua Sharp, a giant-hearted private detective known to his children as "The Big Guy," as he attempts to clear the name of a beloved carousel operator, Mr. Dooley, who is accused of a high-profile robbery. The episode weaves themes of loyalty, betrayal, and family through an intricate plot full of deception and revelations, offering a showcase of character-driven mystery typical of the era.

---

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

---

1. Meet The Characters (00:19 – 01:29)

• Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy): A large, kind private investigator, both father and mother to his kids, Josh Jr. and Debbie, who idolize him.
• Debbie & Josh Jr.: His children, enamored with Mr. Dooley, the local carousel ticket taker.
• Mr. Dooley: Beloved by neighborhood children, becomes the central figure in the episode's mystery.
• Detective Reynolds: The city detective, introduced as a friend of Sharp's, later revealed to be involved in a plot twist.
• Irma Dooley: Mr. Dooley's wife, a pivotal character in the betrayal.

Memorable Quote:
"I'm 25 in my stocking feet." – Joshua Sharp (00:23)

---

2. Setting the Stage: The Crime (04:08 – 06:13)

• The Jansen mansion is robbed; $50,000 in bonds are stolen.
• Mr. Dooley, once an employee at the house, is arrested based on circumstantial evidence, including his presence near the crime scene.
• Butler Schindler is a key witness, pending identification of the masked burglar.

Key Dialogue:
"Do you really think Mr. Dooley did it, Reynolds?"
"No, I don't think he didn't." – Sharp & Detective Reynolds (05:19-05:22)

---

3. A Sinister Revelation (07:13 – 10:19)

• Irma Dooley and Detective Reynolds are revealed to be lovers, having plotted to frame Mr. Dooley so they could escape together.
• Crucial witness Schindler is bribed by Reynolds to identify Dooley by voice during the trial, nailing the case against him.

Notable Quote:
"How well could I sleep? No fun framing Dooley this way. The only wrong he's done is to be too much in love with me." – Irma Dooley (08:07)

---

4. Trial and Aftermath (11:37 – 13:09)

• Schindler’s false testimony secures a guilty verdict; Mr. Dooley is sentenced to three years.
• Sharp struggles to explain the harsh reality to his children, who mourn their absent friend.

Memorable Scene:
Debbie’s heartbreak at losing her Saturday ritual: "Make the police let him come back, Papa. You can do that, can't you?" – Debbie (12:52)

---

5. Escalation: Dooley Escapes (13:33 – 15:01)

• Six months later, Mr. Dooley escapes from prison, leading to citywide tension.
• Irma and Reynolds’ relationship unravels; Reynolds tries to pay Irma off and wash his hands of her.

Striking Quote:
"Am I just one thing? Tell me what happened to that big love of ours, that romantic flight to faraway places?" – Irma Dooley (14:54)

---

6. The Confrontation (16:07 – 18:07)

• Irma calls Sharp with information to clear Dooley, but before Sharp arrives, Irma is murdered.
• Sharp discovers Irma’s body and $500, confronted by a distraught Dooley.
• Sharp learns from Dooley that Schindler, the butler, lied on the stand, catalyzing the search for true justice.

Key Quote:
"She was killed trying to tell me that you'd been framed." – Joshua Sharp (18:47)

---

7. Truth Uncovered (19:11 – 27:00)

• Sharp and Dooley confront Schindler at the Jansen mansion, intimidating him into revealing that Detective Reynolds bribed him.
• Finding Reynolds dead with a knife in his chest, Sharp uncovers checks totaling $50,000—the stolen bonds.

Revealing Dialogue:
"It was Detective Reynolds. Detective Walsh Reynolds." – Schindler (21:01)

• In a final twist, Dooley takes Sharp’s gun and the cigar box with the “bonds,” only to find it empty—a ruse by Sharp.

---

8. The Final Reveal (24:00 – 27:47)

• The episode’s double cross comes full circle:
  • Dooley, desperate and embittered, admits to the burglary, driven by a desire to escape a life he hates.
  • He confesses to killing both his wife and Reynolds in his quest to recover the money.
  • Sharp’s trick neutralizes Dooley, who is taken into custody.

Most Chilling Line:
"For eight months I was stuck in that job with brats in my hair and brats underfoot… Well, I hate them. Every single soul of them. Breath and body. That’s why I stole this—to get far away." – Dooley (25:20)

• Sharp closes the story on a somber but compassionate note, vowing never to tell his children Mr. Dooley didn’t love them.

Touching Ending:
"I’d never tell them that he didn’t, like, love them. No, not that. Not ever." – Joshua Sharp (27:44)

---

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• Meet the Family: 00:19 – 01:29
• Crime Spree Explained: 04:08 – 05:31
• Reynolds & Irma’s Conspiracy: 07:48 – 08:50
• Schindler’s False Testimony: 09:36 – 10:19
• Dooley’s Conviction: 11:37 – 12:52
• Dooley on the Run: 13:33 – 14:40
• Irma’s Murder and Second Twist: 16:07 – 18:47
• Showdown with Schindler: 19:46 – 21:01
• Truth Comes Out: 21:01 – 25:45
• The Emotional Aftermath: 25:45 – 27:47

---

Memorable Quotes

• "People who think that children don't fall in love just don't know children." – Joshua Sharp (01:29)
• "No fun framing Dooley this way. The only wrong he's done is to be too much in love with me." – Irma Dooley (08:07)
• "The butler did it." – Joshua Sharp (23:25)
• "You can hand it over now, Dooley. I wouldn't give an escaping convict a loaded gun… Come on now, the game's over. Let's go." – Joshua Sharp (26:36)
• "I’d never tell them that he didn’t, like, love them. No, not that. Not ever." – Joshua Sharp (27:44)

---

Conclusion

In “Unheard Voice,” "The Big Guy" delivers a densely woven story of innocence betrayed, corruption, and the cost of desperate dreams. Anchored by strong performances and a wistful, period-appropriate tone, the episode not only spins an engaging mystery but also explores the pain of lost innocence and adult failings—balancing its hardboiled elements with moments of true tenderness. A perfect showcase of Golden Age radio drama, rich with twists, memorable lines, and emotional resonance.

Transcript

[Announcer]

From New York Times best selling author, James Rollins comes a gripping standalone thriller framed for murder and on the run. A group of students must decode an ancient diary that promises immortality. Trust no one. Available now.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Oh, no.

[Debbie]

And how tall are you, Papa? Tell us how tall.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I'm 25 in my stocking feet.

[Debbie]

How big are your shoes? What size do you wear?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Size 902 and a triple Z.

[Debbie]

That's our papa. The Big Guy.

[Narrator]

NBC presents the Big Guy. The first in a new series of adventures of a very unusual detective. Joshua Sharp. Joshua Sharp works for his clients on a strictly cash basis to provide for the needs of his nearest and dearest. His nearest and dearest are two in number, Josh Jr and his daughter Debbie. To these two, Sharp is both father and mother. To his clients, he is a good detective. To Josh and Debbie, he's the friendly magician, the fabulous hero, the giant among giants. The Big Guy. Tonight's adventure with the Big Guy, the unheard voice.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

People who think that children don't fall in love just don't know children. I know mine and I've seen it. They fall and they fall hard with all their hearts and souls. And if by any chance the romance goes wrong, the bottom falls out of their world, a dream collapses and the mark is left that may last forever. My kids, Debbie and Josh fell in love with little Mr. Dooley on site. Of course, he had his charms. He took tickets at the carousel in the park. And naturally he was the logical object of love for everyone in the neighborhood under the age of 10. Saturday was Dooley Day, and for weeks and weeks, nothing had been able to distract my two from paying a call or on the wrinkled faced gnome of a man in his red checkered shirt and his baggy corduroy pants. I take them to the park and across the lawns, but no sooner were they in sight of their idol than they break loose from me and make a run for Mr. Dooley.

[Debbie]

Mr. Dooley. Over here, Mr. Dooley. How are you, Mr. Dooley? I'm fine as a fiddle string and

[Irma Dooley]

fiddled a fiddle stick and ready to play you too.

[Debbie]

Isn't it a pretty day, Mr. Dooley? Nearly as pretty as you are and as pine as silk and sweet as a nut. And enough to make a man dance into the jig. Oh, look at Mr. Dooley. He's dancing. He's dancing. You dance very nicely, Mr. Dooley. I dance a lot nicer.

[Irma Dooley]

Zepp. I got a bone in my foot.

[Debbie]

What? Papa. Papa. Mr. Dooley's got a bone in his foot.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Oh, that's nothing to worry about. Everybody has a bone in his foot. It's a joke, Josh.

[Debbie]

A joke. Oh, sure, a bone in your foot. It's only a joke, Debbie. Everybody ready for the next ride? Have your dimes ready.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Let's go, Debbie. I'll help you out. Ah, there we are.

[Debbie]

I got up by myself. And here's a dime for you, Mr. Dooley. Oh, that dime ain't for me.

[Irma Dooley]

It's for the horses.

[Debbie]

They gotta eat, you know. Eat? Why, they don't have to eat their wood. Mr. Dooley's only kidding. Ain't you, Mr. Dooley? Kidding, indeed.

[Irma Dooley]

Why, if you were wood, you'd find a nice handful of Frey sawdust.

[Debbie]

Tasted pretty good after a fast day

[Irma Dooley]

of running around in circles.

[Debbie]

Now, here we go. Everybody hold tight. They're all. Yes, sir. They're all.

[Josh Jr.]

Bye, Mr. Dooley.

[Debbie]

Bye, Mr. Dooley.

[Josh Jr.]

Bye.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

And then one Saturday morning, tragedy struck. It was on page two, and the lead told the story. Bond Avenue mansion robbed. Home of broker Jacob Jansen looted in his absence by a masked burglar. Butler held at gunpoint. City detective Walt Reynolds arrests former Jansen employee Willie Dooley. Willie Dooley? Josh and Debbie's friend at the carousel. Once, I'd had to tell Josh that his puppy was dead and he'd asked a lot of questions through his tears that neither I nor any other man could answer. Before broaching the subject of Mr. Dooley's dilemma, I thought I'd better have full details. So I took a cab down to Detective Reynolds office at precinct headquarters. I'd known him casually for years, and he told me what he knew.

[Detective Reynolds]

Well, the call came in last night at a little after 11, Mr. Sharp.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

From whom?

[Detective Reynolds]

The Jansen butler. He gave his name as Anton Schindler. The burglar had held him up while he opened a safe in the library. And helped himself to what? Unlisted, negotiable bonds in the amount of $50,000.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

$50,000?

[Detective Reynolds]

We contacted Jansen. He's in Bermuda.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Do you really think Mr. Dooley did it? Reynolds?

[Detective Reynolds]

No, I don't think he didn't.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

And why did you pick him up?

[Detective Reynolds]

Well, I didn't pick him up. A couple of my boys brought him in and they've built a case against him that I can't ignore.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

What kind of case?

[Detective Reynolds]

Oh, he used to work in Jansen's house. A kind of janitor, I think. Yes, he knew the layout of the house and the habits of the family.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

That hardly means he did the robbery.

[Detective Reynolds]

Well, of Course it doesn't. But whoever did knew that the side door was always left open.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

That was the means of entry.

[Detective Reynolds]

Yes. You add all this together and include the fact that Dooley was seen in the neighborhood 15 minutes before the mass burglar went to work. And you've got a fair police case.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Yes, I can see that. Has the butler identified Dooley as his assailant?

[Detective Reynolds]

Schindler hasn't been in yet.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Then it largely depends on Schindler's testimony. Whether the little man is indicted or not.

[Detective Reynolds]

I'd say it depends on it entirely.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I think it would be a little difficult to identify a masked burglar.

[Detective Reynolds]

Frankly, so would I.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

About Dooley? Yes? Is he alone in the world?

[Irma Dooley]

No, no.

[Detective Reynolds]

There's a wife, Mrs. Irma Dooley. She's practically frantic about this business. Sharp. She's coming in in a few minutes to talk to me.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I see. Look, Reynolds.

[Detective Reynolds]

Yes?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Don't jump to any conclusions. You don't have to.

[Detective Reynolds]

Am I right in thinking you've got an interest in Mr. Dooley?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Why, yes. Yes, you're right.

[Detective Reynolds]

I don't see how you tie in with him. Shot.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Well, you see, I've got two kids and they like him. Oh, I guess you'll think I am not.

[Detective Reynolds]

No, you don't have to explain. No, no. I've got kids myself. Oh, excuse me. Randall speaking.

[Josh Jr.]

Sorry to bun in, but Mrs. Dooley

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

is waiting to see you.

[Detective Reynolds]

Okay, thanks. The wife is here.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Then I'll be going.

[Irma Dooley]

Sharp.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Yes?

[Detective Reynolds]

Don't worry too much about Dooley. I'll do all I can for him.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I crossed Irma Dooley's path in the waiting room. And Reynolds gave us a quick introduction, explaining that I was interested in her husband's case. She threw me a bright smile of gratitude. And I remember thinking that she was surprisingly pretty and young to be the wife of Mr. Dooley. Then I started on my homeward way. Trying to puzzle out the best method of breaking the news to Debbie and Josh. At least it was nice to know that the little ticket taker had somebody to look after him. The appearance of Irma Dooley made me feel better. But it wouldn't have if I'd known what happened in Reynolds private office after I left precinct headquarters.

[Irma Dooley]

Everything is working out on schedule, isn't it, darling?

[Detective Reynolds]

Careful with the darling.

[Irma Dooley]

He's gone. You're not getting nervous, are you?

[Detective Reynolds]

A man isn't nervous because he's careful. He may get nervous if he forgets to be. You're not getting nervous?

[Irma Dooley]

No.

[Detective Reynolds]

How well did you Sleep fine. Don't lie to me.

[Irma Dooley]

How well could I sleep? No fun framing Dooley this way. The only wrong he's done is to be too much in love with me.

[Detective Reynolds]

Well, the only wrong we've done is to fall too much in love with each other.

[Irma Dooley]

Still, if only it could be simple and easy.

[Detective Reynolds]

He's the one who's made that impossible. He's the one who threatened to kill

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

you if you leave him.

[Irma Dooley]

I know. I know.

[Detective Reynolds]

So if for no other reason, we've got to go through with this.

[Irma Dooley]

But when he gets out.

[Detective Reynolds]

By that time, we'll be in far away places. Where he'll never even think to look for us.

[Irma Dooley]

When you say that, I don't care what we have to do or who we have to hurt.

[Detective Reynolds]

Then smile a little.

[Irma Dooley]

I'll smile all the time. As soon as I'm sure we won't fail, then.

[Detective Reynolds]

You can begin now. We won't.

[Irma Dooley]

You can't be sure.

[Detective Reynolds]

Oh, yes, I can.

[Irma Dooley]

They may not convict him.

[Detective Reynolds]

Don't let that worry you.

[Irma Dooley]

Walsh.

[Detective Reynolds]

Yes?

[Irma Dooley]

What have you done?

[Detective Reynolds]

I've talked to Schindler.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

The butler? Mm.

[Detective Reynolds]

He's not an incorruptible man, Mr. Schindler.

[Irma Dooley]

What do you mean?

[Detective Reynolds]

I offered him a deal and he accepted.

[Irma Dooley]

What can he do?

[Detective Reynolds]

Can't you imagine?

[Irma Dooley]

No.

[Detective Reynolds]

Then wait till the trial. Wait till the DA Questions him, and you'll see. Your name is Anton Schindler?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Yes, sir.

[Detective Reynolds]

And you are employed by Mr. Jacob Jansen in his home at 211 Bond Avenue?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I am, sir.

[Detective Reynolds]

Very good. Now, Mr. Schindler, on the night of April 27th, an armed man entered the Janssen premises. And made away with some $50,000 in negotiable bonds. That is quite correct, sir. Also, according to your testimony, the man was masked, which would make it very difficult for you to identify him. Well, sir, it seemed it would be very difficult at the time. Will you explain that remark?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Gladly, sir.

[Irma Dooley]

Up to that point, I'd never heard him speak.

[Narrator]

Who?

[Detective Reynolds]

The defendant, sir. And now that you have? It's the sort of voice one does not easily forget, sir. Are you. Are you identifying your assailant, Mr. Schindler? There is no further question in my mind, sir.

[Irma Dooley]

He's mine.

[Detective Reynolds]

The defendant, Mr. Willie Dolley.

[Debbie]

Somebody. Somebody help me.

[Josh Jr.]

Help.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

But nobody could help little Mr. Dooley.

[Announcer]

Calling all fun lovers and memory makers, Texas invites you to cheer from our stadiums and dance like no one is watching Culture seekers can find the art that truly inspires. And from our shopping hubs to our chic boutiques fashionistas will never leave empty handed. Texas is an unforgettable experience that's waiting just for you. Visit traveltexas.com and plan your trip today. Let's Texas.

[Detective Reynolds]

I'm here on a job site with Tim, who owns his own electrical contracting business.

[Announcer]

Three employees and two work trucks.

[Detective Reynolds]

Tim traded up to Geico Commercial Auto Insurance. We're positively here where he needs us most.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

They sure are.

[Detective Reynolds]

With step by step help on all his insurance needs. All for shockingly low rates.

[Announcer]

Shockingly low, huh?

[Detective Reynolds]

Just a little bit of electrician humor. Do you get it?

[Announcer]

I got it.

[Detective Reynolds]

You know, it feels like we have a real connection.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

All right, I'll stop.

[Announcer]

Get a commercial auto insurance quote [e-mail] and see how much you could save. It feels good. To Geico.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

The butler's testimony had swung the balance and the jury was out for less than an hour. When they returned, it was with a verdict of guilty and a three year sentence at the state penitentiary. And I was left to try to explain to two baffled and broken hearted children.

[Debbie]

But Papa, Papa, it's Saturday again. And we didn't go for two weeks. And Mr. Dooley won't know what happened to us. If we could just go by and say, how do you do? And tell him we're sorry we disappointed him.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

But you. You didn't disappoint him, Debbie.

[Debbie]

We must have. He knows we always come.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Listen, Josh. Debbie.

[Debbie]

What's the matter?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Papa, I. I don't know exactly how to tell you this, but. Well, Mr. Dooley isn't there anymore.

[Irma Dooley]

Isn't there?

[Debbie]

Where is he?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

He went away for a while.

[Debbie]

You mean he doesn't like us anymore?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

No, that's not what I mean at all.

[Debbie]

Then how could he go away and leave us? We wouldn't leave him.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

He didn't want to go away. You see, somebody made him.

[Debbie]

Who?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

The police.

[Debbie]

Police?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Yes.

[Debbie]

What have they got to do with Mr. Dooley?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

They have something to do with all of us. Josh.

[Debbie]

When's he coming back?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

When the police let him.

[Debbie]

Then make the police let him come back, Papa. Oh, yes, Papa. Make him let him come back. You can do that, can't you? You can do it, can't you? Pa,

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I tried to do something for Mr. Dooley. I talked to Mrs. Dooley and the lawyer who defended him. But there are things that even the biggest of big guys just can't do. And six months went by and in our flat there were six months of mourning for Mr. Dooley. Then one night in mid winter, I was in a taxi homeward bound when suddenly from the radio.

[Josh Jr.]

The state and city police ask your cooperation in a manhunt that has been in progress since 6:15 this evening at which time a convict effected his escape from the state penitentiary and is now somewhere at large in this vicinity. He is 5 foot 2, weighs 110 pounds, has blue eyes, thinning dark hair and answers to the name of Willie Dooley.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

It was a relief when I got home to find the radio silent and the two admirers of Willy Dooley quietly absorbed in a game of Parcheesi. All was quiet under our roof. The announcement had not been heard, but it had been heard under another roof. And there all was not so quiet. A woman was pacing the floor of a tower apartment in the Greystone Arms. Her name was Irma Dooley, and she stopped in her tracks when.

[Irma Dooley]

Emma Reynolds. Yes. Well, well. I haven't seen you in quite a while, lover. It takes an emergency to bring you here.

[Detective Reynolds]

Let's not waste precious time.

[Irma Dooley]

Am I just one thing? Tell me, will you, mister? Tell me what happened to that big love of ours, that romantic flight to faraway places?

[Detective Reynolds]

Could we skip the argument, please?

[Irma Dooley]

You lose interest in a girl awful fast, don't you, Detective Reynolds?

[Detective Reynolds]

I've come to help you if you'll give me the chance. Yeah? Yes. Here's cash. I thought you'd need it. 500 bucks.

[Irma Dooley]

Oh, all for me?

[Detective Reynolds]

All for you. And it closes our accounts.

[Irma Dooley]

What's that supposed to mean?

[Detective Reynolds]

Don't nag me, Irma. This is a big, bad night. Buy yourself a ticket on an airplane and go as far as the money will carry you.

[Irma Dooley]

And what about you?

[Detective Reynolds]

You can count me out.

[Irma Dooley]

Of what?

[Detective Reynolds]

Everything.

[Irma Dooley]

Including my life.

[Detective Reynolds]

I said everything. Elmore.

[Irma Dooley]

Just a minute. You can leave me, Reynolds, but you're not going far, darling.

[Narrator]

No?

[Josh Jr.]

No.

[Irma Dooley]

Because the minute you walk out, I'm going to phone Sharp and tell him about that frame you worked with Schindler. He'll help me. He was pretty interested in Dooley's case.

[Detective Reynolds]

I hope you're joking.

[Irma Dooley]

Joking? You think I'd take this fall alone, go flying off by myself until I wind up stranded and Dooley comes back and kills me?

[Detective Reynolds]

You'd really call Sharp?

[Irma Dooley]

So help me, you do.

[Detective Reynolds]

And you know what?

[Debbie]

What?

[Detective Reynolds]

I'll kill you. Darling.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I'd given the kids their supper, told them a long story with a happy ending and put Josh to bed. I was sitting over the Parcheesi board for a good night game with Debbie when. Hello, Sue? Yes, Herma Dilly. Oh, yes?

[Debbie]

Who is it, Papa?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Just a lady. I know.

[Josh Jr.]

Who are you talking to?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

My kids. Go on.

[Josh Jr.]

I'd like to talk to you.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I'm listening.

[Josh Jr.]

Face to face. I'd rather.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

When?

[Josh Jr.]

As quick as possible.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Tonight?

[Josh Jr.]

Yeah, I think you'll think it's worth it. I've got news about how Willy Dooley was framed.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Framed? Yes.

[Josh Jr.]

Just a minute. Will you just open at the door.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

What was that about a frame?

[Josh Jr.]

I'm telling you on the level. Just come over and you'll.

[Debbie]

Okay, okay. Hold your horses, will you?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Where do I come to?

[Josh Jr.]

The Greystone office.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

What apartment?

[Josh Jr.]

11th. The Atlas. Hold on a second, will you show up. I've got to see who that is.

[Irma Dooley]

Who is it?

[Debbie]

What's that matter with you? Trying to break it?

[Josh Jr.]

No, no. You're kidding.

[Debbie]

This is a gag, isn't it?

[Josh Jr.]

You didn't mean it when you said you'd kill me. You didn't really mean it now, did, did you?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

All the way over in the cab and going up in the elevator, I knew what was waiting in 11d of the Greystone Arms. Still, it was a shock when I walked in and saw her lying there sprawled out on the floor, her negligee and the carpet around her dyed scarlet with her fresh life's blood. I took a look around the apartment for some clue to tie in with our phone conversation of a few minutes before, but all I could find of any interest was a wad of tens and twenties clutched tightly in the corpse's hand. I pried it loose. I had rippled through it and discovered that it amounted to exactly $500, when, from the open door behind me, I heard.

[Detective Reynolds]

It's me.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Why, Mr. Dooley.

[Irma Dooley]

Huh? Oh. Oh, I know you. You're a guy what used to bring a couple of kids to the carousel every Saturday.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

That's right. Josh and Debbie.

[Irma Dooley]

What you doing here, mister?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Well, I'm a detective.

[Irma Dooley]

The police?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

No, Private. And Irma called me and asked me to come over. It wasn't more than 15 minutes ago.

[Irma Dooley]

I see. Where is she now?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

She's. She's lying almost at your feet.

[Irma Dooley]

Erm.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Try and take it easy, Dooley.

[Debbie]

Oh.

[Irma Dooley]

Oh, my pretty.

[Detective Reynolds]

My pretty.

[Irma Dooley]

They took her away from me. They took her away.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Get hold of yourself.

[Detective Reynolds]

Ernie.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Ernie, listen, listen. She was all for you. That much I can tell you. She was killed trying to tell me that you'd been framed.

[Josh Jr.]

Yes.

[Detective Reynolds]

Yes.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Now the cops are looking for you. I know how you feel, but you can't afford it right now. If they catch you, you're going back For a longer stretch than before. And Irma wouldn't have wanted that. Now look at me and think. What did she mean you'd been framed?

[Irma Dooley]

I don't know who planned it, mister. I don't know who framed me. But I know who lied.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Who?

[Irma Dooley]

That Schindler. That butler. He said he recognized my voice and he couldn't have. How could he have? I wasn't there.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Then we're going for a taxi ride.

[Irma Dooley]

To where?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

To the Janssen house on Bond Avenue.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Yes, we'll have a little talk with Mr. Schindler and make him tell us exactly what went on.

[Irma Dooley]

Let's go, mister. Yes, you. You've been pretty nice to me. I don't know how I'll ever pay you.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

You don't have to ever pay me. No, no. Just give Josh and Debbie a couple of r. Schindler answered the door at the Bond Avenue mansion. He was sorry, but Mr. Jansen was in Nassau this time and he couldn't admit us. Then the light from a passing car fell on Dooley standing behind me. And Schindler stepped back, the blood draining from his face. He was terrified that Dooley meant to kill him on the spot. And I did nothing to alter that impression. In fact, I aided and abated it every way I could.

[Detective Reynolds]

Don't let him. Don't let him hurt me.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I'm not here to protect you, chum. I'm on Dooley's side. And for my part, he's within his rights. If he sends you to the morgue.

[Josh Jr.]

Please.

[Irma Dooley]

I've got a wife.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

So did Mr. Dooley have a wife? That didn't stop you?

[Detective Reynolds]

I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't stop to think. I didn't realize it.

[Announcer]

They.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

They paid you money? Yes, sir. He paid me and promised there wouldn't

[Detective Reynolds]

be the slightest danger.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

And you fell for that?

[Detective Reynolds]

After all, sir, I thought he should know. He was a policeman himself.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

A policeman himself? Yes, sir. Who did it? Who was it? Who bribed you to testify against Mr. Dooley? Answer me. Answer me.

[Detective Reynolds]

It was Detective Reynolds. Detective Walsh Reynolds.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

If he had said Methuselah or A Man from Mars, I couldn't have been more surprised. Then I went into action to Dooley. I gave my gun and told him to lie low in the mansion and keep Schindler prisoner. Then I went out and found a phone booth. The desk sergeant on night duty told me I could probably find Reynolds in his rooms at 64 Dawson street and as a matter of fact, I did. The door was open And I walked in. He was sitting at a desk in the glare of a reading lamp. I want to talk a few things over with you, Reynolds. You remember the morning after Willy Dooley was arrested? Don't sit there looking at me like that. Answer my question, Reynolds. I'd pushed him, and he'd gone over, toppling like a rag doll. And for the first time, I saw the shaft of a knife protruding from between the pleats of his shirt front. He was dead, Detective Reynolds was. And dead by murder. I phoned headquarters then and took a look around. The look netted me two observations. One, the room was topsy turvy, and I had the feeling that somebody had given it a going over in the last few hours. Two, in the desk drawer, I found a stack of canceled checks in the amount of four $49,500. Then I added it to the 500 I'd found in Irma Dooley's hand. Got a quick total of 50,000, and the light broke over me. Grabbing a cigar box off the desktop, I took a cab for the Jansen place. Dooley was just as I'd left him, holding a gun on the pale and shaken butler, Anton Schindler. You. You found Reynolds, sir? What kind of a question is that, Schindler?

[Irma Dooley]

Oh, he's a shrewd one, Jack.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

You know I found him. And you know how I found him.

[Detective Reynolds]

What do you mean, sir?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Okay, I'll make a formal announcement. Detective Reynolds is dead.

[Irma Dooley]

Dead of what?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Of a knife in his chest. You can save the act, Jeeves. I know the whole truth now. It was you who murdered Irma Dooley earlier in the evening.

[Detective Reynolds]

You must be mad.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Not very. For once it turns out to be the truth. The butler did it.

[Debbie]

Why?

[Detective Reynolds]

Why on earth should I have killed Mrs. Dooley?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Why? Because she knew about the father. And you were afraid she'd reveal all to her husband here.

[Detective Reynolds]

No, no, believe me, you're wrong.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Then you made your way to Reynolds room and did him.

[Detective Reynolds]

Mr. Sharp's up here.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

If you want a reason for that, you can have it, too. You Knew where the $50,000 was that was stolen from Jansen's safe. It was in Reynolds possession, and you needed money to leave town on.

[Detective Reynolds]

But no, sir.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

But yes, sir. You searched his rooms for it like a wild man. The place is a shambles. But you failed to find the prize Schindler. You should have taken your time like I did, Mr. Sharp. Yes, Dooley.

[Irma Dooley]

You.

[Detective Reynolds]

You.

[Irma Dooley]

You mean you found it?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Yes. Here it is in the cigar box. Must have been A good hiding place because everybody overlooked it.

[Irma Dooley]

Is. Is it all there?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

$50,000 in negotiable bonds.

[Irma Dooley]

Mr. Sharp, sir.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Yes, Dooley?

[Irma Dooley]

I'll take that cigar box now.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

How's that, Dooley?

[Irma Dooley]

You've got the cigar box and I've got your gun. So give me that money of mine or I'll put a bullet in you

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

with your gun money of yours.

[Irma Dooley]

I think you heard what I said.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

How's it yours? By right of theft.

[Irma Dooley]

Dooley, I don't go for big words, but I kill Easy.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Yes, so I've noticed. You killed Irma Easy.

[Detective Reynolds]

But then you don't think that I

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

know you didn't kill her. Schindler. It turns out that Mr. Dooley here was the burglar after all. He entrusted the bonds to his wife to hold for him, but she wasn't to be trusted and. And she double crossed him with the aid of a swine named Reynolds.

[Irma Dooley]

I said I'd take that cigar box, mister.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

He came out of prison tonight. And because he'd gotten wind of her affair with the cop, he killed her. Then he went to the cop's house, killed him and looked for the bond. But he found nothing. Nothing but trouble.

[Irma Dooley]

Not too much. Give me that box.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Here.

[Detective Reynolds]

Take it.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

You're welcome to it, Dooley. It's all yours.

[Irma Dooley]

And it's all I want. A lot of money and you get true life. No money, you wind up in the carousel. Listen to the jabber of a bunch of kids and going out of your mind.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

What about kids?

[Irma Dooley]

For eight months I was stuck in that job with brats in my hair and brats underfoot. How are you, Mr. Dooley? Mr. Dooley. How do you do?

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

I thought you liked kids. That I believed at least.

[Irma Dooley]

Oh, you did, did you? Well, I hate them. Every one of them. Every single soul of them. Breath and body. That's why I stole this. To get away from that job. To get far away.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Mr. Dooley. Yes? You won't get far on what's in that cigar box.

[Irma Dooley]

Why not open it. Open it.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Go ahead.

[Irma Dooley]

You liar. You dirty liar.

[Debbie]

It's empty.

[Irma Dooley]

It's empty.

[Debbie]

That was a trick.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Call it a strategy. I knew you'd come out in the open if you thought I had the 50 grand.

[Irma Dooley]

Where is it? Where's all that? My money spent, Mr. Tool.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

Spent long ago.

[Irma Dooley]

I don't like your laugh, Mr. Sharp. And you ain't safe as you think you might be. I'm a little sore now and I've got a gun to use.

[Detective Reynolds]

Look out, Mr. Sharp.

[Irma Dooley]

Stand still. Everybody's had their laugh with little Mr. Dooley. Little Mr. Dooley. And then little Mr. Dooley aims a gun and pulls the trigger. And little Mr. Dooley's bigger than all of them.

[Joshua Sharp (The Big Guy)]

You can hand it over now, Dooley. I wouldn't give an escaping convict a loaded gun. And I figured an empty one would serve to keep Mr. Schindler in his place. Come on, now. The game's over. Let's go. I took him down to headquarters and had him booked for murder. Then I went home. Across the sleeping town. I thought about Debbie and Josh and how when they were older I'd tell them why Mr. Dooley never came back and all about the little man. All except one thing. I'd never tell them that he didn't, like, love them. No, not that. Not ever.

[Narrator]

The National Broadcasting Company has presented the adventures of the Big Guy, played by Henry Calvin. Joshua Sharp, detective, works for his clients on a strictly cash basis to provide for the needs of his nearest and dearest, Josh Jr. And Debbie. To them, he is the friendly magician, the fabulous hero, the giant among giants, the Big Guy. The National Broadcasting Company has presented the first in the new series of adventures. The Big Guy, played by Henry Calvin, featuring David Anderson as Josh Jr. And Denise Alexander as Debbie. The script was written by Peter Barry and directed by Thomas Madigan. The music was by George Wright. Others in the cast were Joan Alexander, Roy Fant and Everett Sloan. Your announcer, Fred Collins. Tonight here Phil Harris, Sam Spade and Petticoat Fever. On NBC.