Podcast Summary: "The Adventures Of Michael Shayne 45-04-09 026 – The Ghost Of Moccasin Hill"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Original Air Date: April 9, 1945 (re-broadcast December 3, 2025)
Starring: Wally Mayer (Michael Shayne), Kathy Lewis (Phyllis Knight)

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Adventures of Michael Shayne" plunges the hardboiled San Francisco detective, Michael Shayne, and his witty assistant Phyllis Knight into a classic haunted house mystery at a remote mansion in Moccasin Hill. Tasked with investigating the suspicious death of wealthy Mr. Kilgallen, Shayne soon uncovers family intrigue, rumors of buried treasure, and a murderer hiding behind ghostly tricks. The episode brims with Golden Age radio atmosphere, combining suspense, dry humor, and sharp detective work.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats

Setting the Scene: A Haunting in Moccasin Hill (01:09–03:02)

• Michael Shayne steps outside his San Francisco comfort zone, investigating at the supposedly haunted Kilgallen house, east of Stockton.
• The backstory: Kilgallen died under mysterious circumstances, rumored to have been "frightened to death" by a ghost. His daughter and only other heir, Ellen Kilgallen, is also being menaced.
• Inspector Faraday, trusted police contact, is kept in the loop by phone.

Notable Quote:

• "Right now I'm sitting in the chair where they found the corpse." — Mike Shayne [01:49]

Suspicions Mount: Ghostly Tricks and Family Tensions (03:02–07:06)

• Shayne inspects the old house: secret rooms, creaky stairs, animal trophies, and "atmosphere" galore, including an owl in the attic.
• Suspicion falls on Ellen’s cousin, John Himes, the only other heir, whose interest in the property is questioned.
• A flowerpot narrowly misses Ellen—an apparent attempt on her life.
• Shayne discovers the staircase was deliberately sabotaged: “They were meant to give way. Look at the underside of this next step, huh, Mike?” [06:40]

Intrigue Grows: New Arrivals, More Motives (08:48–12:08)

• Mr. Patton, the family’s attorney, arrives and tries to buy the house for a suspiciously low price.
• A new gardener, Fred Norman, is introduced—Shayne suspects him to be a plant (spy) for Patton.
• Shayne devises a ruse to lure out secrets and requests a tape measure, intending to hunt for secret rooms.

Memorable Moment:

• Phyllis and Mike painstakingly measure every room, uncovering eight feet of missing space—a hidden chamber!

Hidden Room, Hidden Clues: The Search for Treasure (12:08–16:06)

• The secret room is found. Inside: candle drippings, dust, and old papers about Black Miguel, a legendary stagecoach robber, and a map hinting at lost treasure.
• Fresh candle wax on an otherwise dusty table hints the room was recently visited by someone other than the deceased.

Notable Quote:

• "The papers, Mike, they're gone!" — Phyllis Knight [16:56]

The Cast Expands: Confrontations and Confessions (16:06–22:42)

• Fred Norman is caught snooping, clearly no average gardener. Shayne suspects everyone, including Patton and Ellen’s cousin—who is later revealed to be traveling under another man’s airline tickets and name (“Gene Powers”).
• Faraday and Shayne debate the supernatural ruse: “Somebody's putting on a spook act to frighten people away from here. Even if it means killing people.” — Shayne [16:14]
• The real motive emerges: keeping everyone away from the property long enough to search for treasure.

Murder! A Second Death Ratchets the Tension (20:36–24:00)

• Crisis erupts—Patton, the attorney, is shot dead outside.
• Alibis and whereabouts are closely examined; everyone is forced to empty their pockets in a tense search for clues.
• The murder weapon, Mr. Kilgallen’s derringer, mysteriously reappears on top of the bookcase.

Notable Quote:

• “Now, after the three of us ran out and found Patton, we did a quick circle around the outside of the house. We tried to come back in through this terrace door. It was locked and the key gone.” — Shayne [24:36]

Detective Logic: Poppy Seeds, Fingerprints, and Final Proof (26:07–27:45)

• Shayne’s key deduction: the killer left poppy seeds (from a broken packet) on the secret room’s table—a match to what was found on Dick the gardener.
• The final proof is the fingerprints on the derringer and the dust pattern on the secret table.
• Dick, the old gardener, confesses under mounting evidence—he killed Kilgallen and tried to cover it up with ghostly scares.

Notable Exchange:

• Shayne: "In whose pockets did we find a broken package of poppy seed?"
• Phyllis: "Hey, Dicks the gardener."
• Dick: "All right, maybe I was in there... That don't spell nothing."
  — [26:52]

Epilogue: Wrap-Up and Comic Relief (27:45–29:09)

• Faraday, Shayne, and Phyllis trade friendly banter; the role of fingerprints and poppy seeds is explained.
• Phyllis quips about the “big city boys” solving the case before “the local hayseeds” take credit.

Notable Quote:

• "Never put all your money on one horse. We were both afraid Dick had already wiped his fingerprints off the gun. But we didn’t tell him that time was a wasting." — Shayne [28:23]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Every well run haunted house has an owl in the attic." — Mike Shayne [04:05]
• "Evidently the ghost of Moccasin Hill wants company." — Mike Shayne, after the sabotaged stairs [06:50]
• "Somebody's putting on a spook act to frighten people away from here. Even if it means killing people." — Mike Shayne [16:14]
• "It's poppy seed." — Shayne, revealing the key clue [26:43]
• "Nobody ain't ever hanged a ghost. Take more than a smart big city detective." — Dick the gardener [25:41]
• "The big city boys had to crack it fast before the local hayseeds took over the case—and your glory." — Phyllis Knight [28:34]

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• Haunted House Setup & Introduction: [01:09–03:02]
• Sabotaged Staircase Incident: [06:27–07:06]
• Patton Tries to Buy the House / New Gardener Arrives: [08:48–12:08]
• Secret Room Discovered: [12:08–16:06]
• Patton’s Murder: [20:36–24:00]
• Poppy Seeds Reveal the Killer: [26:07–27:45]
• Final Wrap-Up & Banter: [27:45–29:09]

Tone & Style

The episode features classic noir-flavored banter, a light but suspenseful tone, and the dynamic between clever, driven Shayne and wry, comic Phyllis. The radio drama moves briskly between gothic scares, hardboiled deductions, and tongue-in-cheek comic relief.

This episode is a quintessential blend of haunted house chills, family secrets, and a satisfying detective puzzle—a vivid example of Golden Age radio storytelling and the enduring appeal of Michael Shayne.