Podcast Summary: Private Files of Rex Saunders

Episode Title: Shallow Graves
Date: October 1, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio

Overview

This episode features a classic radio drama from the Golden Age: The Private Files of Rex Saunders starring Rex Harrison. The story, "Shallow Graves," centers on a tangled case of blackmail, mistaken identity, and murder. Detective Rex Saunders is drawn into a plot involving missing persons, extortion, and deadly double-crosses, as he unravels the fate of Eddie Goodrich, a young man whose disappearance spells trouble for everyone involved.

Main Discussion Points and Plot Breakdown

1. Case Introduction

• Rex Saunders opens with a grim observation about the dangers of blackmail:

  "Blackmail, a dangerous game which either pays off in high dividends or shallow graves." (00:25)

• Mr. Mark Goodrich is desperately seeking help to find his nephew, Eddie, who has gotten into trouble yet again.

2. Initial Confrontation at the Hotel

• Mark Goodrich confronts Linda Farrell in her hotel room, accusing her of hiding Eddie. The exchange escalates into threats, with Linda brandishing a gun.

  Linda: "Now look, Mr. Goodrich, I'm tired of having you follow me around... If you don't cut it out, I'm going to call the police." (02:37)
  Mark: "Call them, please. Sure. Go ahead. Linda, there's the phone. Call them." (02:48)

• After Linda threatens to shoot, it’s revealed that Eddie isn’t in the other room and the real search must begin.

3. A Threat to Rex Saunders

• At Saunders’ darkened apartment, a mysterious armed man warns Rex to stay away from the Goodrich case:

  "You get off this case and get off it fast if you know what's good for you... Because I got a shell in this gun with your initials on it." (06:07)

• This threat only serves to pique Rex's curiosity.

4. Mark Goodrich Seeks Help

• The elder Goodrich visits Saunders, presenting a telegram from Eddie asking for $3,000 and sharing the stakes:

  "The deadline's at 5:00, two hours from now." (08:56)
  A follow-up call states flatly that Eddie will be killed if the money isn’t delivered on time. (09:03)

5. The Apartment Tangle & The Impostor

• Saunders and Alec trace the telegram to an apartment, where Linda and Sid try to pass off an impostor as Eddie for the ransom.
• Saunders reveals the impostor with a detective’s trick:

  "I was just interested in your teeth... Goodrich has two upper front teeth on a detachable bridge. Unfortunately, yours are quite solidly your own." (12:41)

• Linda tries to bargain by offering Eddie’s location in exchange for being let go.

6. Trail to Nick Gasco

• Linda points Saunders to Nick Gasco, the supposed creditor holding Eddie. Nick claims Eddie was last with Linda and Sid.
• The story escalates when Saunders and Nick discover Eddie’s dead body hidden in a closet (16:41), fulfilling the mysterious earlier threat.

7. Double Crosses and Getaway

• Linda and Sid, with Alec tailing, try to flee, but lose their pursuer. Linda decides to try one last con against Old Man Goodrich before escaping:

  "Old man Goodrich is going to be good for some spending money before we clear out permanently." (19:09)

• They attempt a further extortion but Saunders, predicting their move, is waiting.

8. Final Confrontation and Car Crash

• Linda tries to escape again, gun drawn:

  "I'm going out of that door and I fire at the first one who makes a move before I close it." (21:08)

• A desperate car chase ends with Linda, Sid, and Nick crashing—but all survive. (23:23)

9. Resolution and Revelations

• In the hospital, Nick tries to clear his name, explaining his own actions and Eddie’s history of blackmailing his uncle.
• Saunders reveals the core of the mystery:
  • Eddie was killed by his uncle, Mark Goodrich, who wanted to end the recurring blackmail and then tried to use Rex as his alibi.

    "Eddie knew that his uncle had been mixed up in several shady business deals. And with that information he bled money from Goodrich year after year. And Goodrich decided he had to end the blackmail sometime." (26:56)

  • Linda and Sid merely tried to leverage the situation for their own gain, not realizing the deadly stakes.
• Alec asks the key question:

  "Why did he let us in on the case?" (26:54)
  Saunders answers:
  "Probably because he thought it would furnish him with a perfect alibi." (26:56)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Saunders (wryly, after a threat):

  "Nice fellow. You must have him over again." (06:41)

• Linda (on their hustle):

  "You forget about us if I tell you where Eddie is." (14:09)

• Nick Gasco’s reluctant confession:

  "I want to tell you what happened... I grabbed the wheel from Sid. Tried to stop getaway of them for you. For payoff. Honest. I'm dealing from the top of the deck." (24:12)

• Saunders’ sharp deduction:

  “Goodrich decided he had to end the blackmail sometime. And the opportunity... presented itself when he found Eddie alone in Sid's apartment.” (26:56)

• Saunders, on the result for the extortionists:

  "I lay odds the district attorney will prove to them that quick and easy dollars pay off the shallowest of graves." (27:34)

Key Timestamps

• 00:25: Rex Saunders introduces the blackmail theme.
• 02:14–04:08: Mark Goodrich and Linda’s hotel confrontation, gun revealed.
• 06:07–06:36: Saunders receives a deadly warning.
• 07:17–09:00: Mark Goodrich hires Rex, reveals the ransom note and deadline.
• 12:41: Saunders reveals the Eddie imposter via dental knowledge.
• 14:20: Linda bargains for her freedom with Eddie’s location.
• 16:46: Saunders discovers Eddie’s corpse.
• 19:09: Linda schemes one last payday.
• 21:08: Linda’s armed escape, followed by car crash (23:23).
• 24:12–26:08: Hospital confessions, case solved.
• 26:54–27:34: Case summary and justice promised.

Tone & Style

• The episode maintains a noir, fast-talking detective style, filled with wisecracks, cynicism, and sharp repartee.
• Rex Saunders is dry and sardonic; Linda and Sid work the “crooked tough” angle, while Nick Gasco is the classic small-time operator.

Conclusion

“Shallow Graves” is a tightly-plotted tale of crime and deception, pitting cunning against greed. Through clever deduction and by maintaining his skeptical cool in the face of threats, Rex Saunders unravels a web of extortion, imposture, and murder, exposing the real killer and the opportunists along the way. It's atmospheric, suspenseful, and packed with snappy, golden-era dialogue—a prime example of vintage radio detective drama.