Tums Hollywood Theater 52-02-05 Ep021 Boiler Room

Summary

Boiler Room

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Release Date: February 20, 2025
Episode: Tums Hollywood Theater 52-02-05 Ep021 Boiler Room

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Introduction

"Boiler Room" is a thrilling episode from Harold's Old Time Radio series, capturing the suspense and intrigue characteristic of the Golden Age of Radio. Starring Frank Lovejoy as Matt Harriman, the story delves into the murky world of boiler room scams, blackmail, and familial deception. Set against the backdrop of mid-20th century corporate machinations, the narrative weaves a tale of espionage, moral dilemmas, and the quest for truth.

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Main Plot

1. Matt Harriman's Recruitment

The story begins with Matt Harriman, portrayed by Frank Lovejoy, being approached by Jason Corbett, a wealthy tycoon seeking assistance. Corbett reveals his concern over his daughter, Diane, who has become involved with Carl Beck, the operator of a boiler room—an illicit operation exploiting unsuspecting victims through fraudulent solicitations.

Notable Quote:

Frank Lovejoy (Matt Harriman): "There are two kinds of boiler rooms and this was the other kind. The kind you find out about from a Kefauver committee."
[00:17]

Jason Corbett emphasizes the severity of the situation, offering Matt $5,000 to expose Beck's blackmailing activities to safeguard his daughter's reputation and future.

Notable Quote:

Jason Corbett: "It's the only way I can protect her. I'm afraid. If I even try to talk to her about Beck."
[05:04]

2. Infiltration into Carl Beck's Operation

Accepting the proposition, Matt delves into Beck's solicitation service, a facade for the boiler room scheme. He describes the deceptive setup—an elegant front office concealing a barren room filled with telephones, emblematic of the classic scam's structure.

Notable Quote:

Frank Lovejoy: "The Beck solicitation service consisted of a swanky office out front and a long, barren room with a dozen desks and telephones."
[06:18]

Matt begins making calls under the guise of representing charitable organizations, manipulating individuals into donating funds that are siphoned off by Beck and his solicitors.

3. Interaction with Diane Corbett

During his undercover operations, Matt encounters Diane Corbett, Jason's daughter, who initially appears resistant to his involvement. However, conversations between them hint at deeper familial tensions and hidden motives.

Notable Quote:

Diane Corbett: "There are plenty of places besides boiler rooms for a fellow with your personality."
[08:28]

Their interactions gradually unveil Diane's complicity and the lengths she will go to protect her father's interests, including her association with Beck.

4. Discovering the Blackmail Scheme

As Matt gathers evidence, he uncovers the existence of incriminating letters that Beck possesses—documents capable of debilitating the reputations of those involved. A pivotal moment occurs when Matt manages to infiltrate Jason Corbett's office, revealing the extent of the blackmail network.

Notable Quote:

Frank Lovejoy: "I just came from Beck's place. I had a hunch about where he was keeping something hidden."
[13:28]

5. Climactic Confrontation

The tension escalates when Carl Beck is discovered dead, with clues pointing towards foul play orchestrated by those seeking to maintain the secrecy of the blackmail scheme. Matt finds himself entangled in the aftermath, with both the police and Diane Corbett pressuring him to reveal the truth.

Notable Quote:

Frank Lovejoy: "Don't let acid indigestion get you down."
[26:47]
(Note: This quote is part of an advertisement segment and is not directly related to the plot. However, it's included here for contextual completeness.)

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Key Quotes and Timestamps

• Opening Lines:

  Frank Lovejoy (Matt Harriman): "There are two kinds of boiler rooms and this was the other kind."
  [00:17]

• Jason Corbett's Proposition:

  Jason Corbett: "It's the only way I can protect her. I'm afraid. If I even try to talk to her about Beck."
  [05:04]

• Infiltrating the Solicitation Service:

  Frank Lovejoy: "The Beck solicitation service consisted of a swanky office out front and a long, barren room with a dozen desks and telephones."
  [06:18]

• Diane's Resistance:

  Diane Corbett: "There are plenty of places besides boiler rooms for a fellow with your personality."
  [08:28]

• Discovering the Hidden Letters:

  Frank Lovejoy: "I just came from Beck's place. I had a hunch about where he was keeping something hidden."
  [13:28]

• Confrontation with Carl Beck:

  Frank Lovejoy: "I can't help wondering, Beck, what's in those letters?"
  [17:58]

• Diane's Ultimatum:

  Diane Corbett: "I'm giving you 24 hours to get out of town or I'll tell Carl Beck, in which case, you'll be dead."
  [14:54]

• Final Showdown:

  Frank Lovejoy: "Well, they will after I show them the letters."
  [24:24]

• Resolution:

  Frank Lovejoy: "We'll find them if we have to reduce this place to rubble."
  [25:00]

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Conclusion

"Boiler Room" masterfully encapsulates the tension and drama of old-time radio thrillers. Through Matt Harriman's perilous journey into the heart of a fraudulent enterprise, the episode explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the pursuit of integrity amidst corruption. The intricate plot, combined with Frank Lovejoy's compelling performance, offers listeners a gripping narrative that remains engaging and relevant. As Matt navigates the labyrinth of deceit, the story serves as a timeless reminder of the complexities inherent in uncovering the truth.

The episode not only entertains but also subtly critiques unethical business practices, reflecting societal concerns of its era. "Boiler Room" stands as a testament to the enduring allure of radio dramas, where storytelling prowess and character depth converge to create unforgettable experiences.

Transcript

[Don Wilson]

Tum's Hollywood Theater presents Mr. Frank Lovejoy in Boiler Room.

[Frank Lovejoy]

There are two kinds of boiler rooms and this was the other kind. The kind you find out about from a Kefauver committee. By the time I got wise to what was going on, they turned the heat on me. And by that time, I'd been marked for killing.

[Don Wilson]

Welcome to the TUMS Hollywood Theater. Tales of suspense, thrills adventure brought to you by Tums.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Take Tums.

[Don Wilson]

Tums for the Tummy.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Don't let acid indigestion get you down. Get Tums.

[Don Wilson]

Tums for the Tummy. Always keep that handy little roll.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Eat what you like.

[Don Wilson]

Don't let heartburn strike ya. T U M S Tums like well seasoned foods. Sure, we all do. Well, you may eat them without fear of acid indigestion because Tums quickly soothe and settle acid. Upset stomach. Ease heartburn away. You feel better fast. Get Tums tonight. Now here's the Tums Hollywood Theater presentation of Boiler Room, starring Mr. Frank Lovejoy.

[Frank Lovejoy]

There's a sucker born every minute. Maybe you don't believe that, but there are still plenty of guys that do. Yep, and when you try to prove they're wrong, like I did, anything can happen. Like having your head blown off. All right, so I should have known better. I should have known that something was fishy. Fishy as a killer whale. When they let me in right away to see this Jason Corbett, tycoon. Corbett just wasn't that accessible to guys like me. No, not even with the letter of introduction that I'd been able to wangle. And yet there he sat as though he was listening to the chairman of his board of directors. And hadn't I heard him tell his secretary that we weren't to be interrupted under any circumstances? But like a fool, all I did about it was sit there and wonder what goes here. What goes.

[Jason Corbett]

Harriman.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yes, sir.

[Jason Corbett]

Letter here says you once served with the OSS in Germany as a major.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yes, but that's ancient.

[Jason Corbett]

Resourcefulness could have come through that.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Thank you.

[Jason Corbett]

And courage. You'd need plenty of that too.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Look, Mr. Corbett, I came here to apply for a job in your personnel department.

[Jason Corbett]

Oh, sorry, no openings.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Oh, well, much as I'd love to stay and chat.

[Jason Corbett]

Sit down.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I beg your pardon?

[Jason Corbett]

Sit down. About to make you a proposition.

[Frank Lovejoy]

What kind of proposition?

[Jason Corbett]

One involving $5,000.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Hmm. You were saying, Mr. Corbett?

[Jason Corbett]

In confidence. Strictest confidence, you understand?

[Frank Lovejoy]

If it's murder, you better take somebody else into your confidence.

[Jason Corbett]

Naturally, it's nothing of the sort.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Go on.

[Jason Corbett]

Well, I I have a daughter, Diane.

[Frank Lovejoy]

That photograph at your elbow.

[Jason Corbett]

No, no, that's my wife. My second wife. Of course, I was a widower for 15 years, and then six months ago, this other photograph is my daughter, Diane. So I know what you're thinking. That only an old fool, and yet I've been supremely happy in my marriage. No one has ever been able to breathe a word against my young wife.

[Frank Lovejoy]

We're digressing.

[Jason Corbett]

Not entirely. By which I mean having a wife almost as young as one's daughter does make things awkward.

[Frank Lovejoy]

With the daughter?

[Jason Corbett]

No, not that she's ever said or done anything openly. Matter of fact, she tried to make things appear quite the reverse. But I can sense how she really feels. And what makes it worse is that my daughter and I had always been so close.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Mr. Corbin, I still can't figure where I come in.

[Jason Corbett]

It's this way, Herriman. Lately, my daughter has been going out with a man named Carl Beck. Runs a boiler room.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Oh.

[Jason Corbett]

Know what kind of a boiler room?

[Frank Lovejoy]

I mean, the kind that has no boilers. Just telephones, lots of them. With solicitors phoning sucker lists of people to raise money for all kinds of promotions.

[Jason Corbett]

You know the boiler room operation, all right?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yes, I do.

[Jason Corbett]

Well, imagine my daughter being interested in a man who runs one.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Maybe he's more legitimate than most.

[Jason Corbett]

Carl Beck is a blackmailer of the worst sort.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Can you prove that?

[Jason Corbett]

If I could, would I be offering you $5,000?

[Frank Lovejoy]

I see. You want me to expose this man as a blackmailer in order to break up your daughter's romance with him.

[Jason Corbett]

It's the only way I can protect her. I'm afraid. If I even try to talk to her about Beck. Well, you see, I didn't exactly consult her when I married Grace.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, why pick on me? Why don't you just hire a private eye?

[Jason Corbett]

I did. Beck spotted him right away.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Probably spot me too, then.

[Jason Corbett]

No, no, you're a stranger in town for one thing. For another, we'll take a look at your record. I think you're a match for Beck. How about it?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, first, what makes you think he's a blackmailer?

[Jason Corbett]

That boiler room could never earn him the kind of money he spends.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Is that all, Mr. Corbett? I'm walking out with the same $5 I brought him.

[Jason Corbett]

I'll make it 10,000.

[Frank Lovejoy]

It isn't only the money.

[Jason Corbett]

And if you succeed, I'll make an opening for you in Personnel. If you still want it.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, there's still something else. You see, I just broke up one romance my own. Maybe this Fellow make your daughter a better husband than my wife considered me.

[Jason Corbett]

Herman.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yeah?

[Jason Corbett]

You can at least be honest.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Honest?

[Jason Corbett]

You're turning me down because it's too hazardous, aren't you? If you mean I'm yellow, let's say I misjudged you.

[Frank Lovejoy]

You're needling me, Mr. Corbett. But just in case Carl Beck isn't a blackmailer, I'll take a thousand in advance. The Beck solicitation service consisted of a swanky office out front and a long, barren room with a dozen desks and telephones. In Beck, the public, to be sure, only saw the front and Carl Beck. It was easy enough to get past his blond receptionist in if you looked like a client.

[Carl Beck]

Now then, Mr. Harriman, if you'll explain your particular problem.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, my problem, Mr. Peck, is that I need a job.

[Carl Beck]

This is not an employment agency.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, I know what it is, all right. I worked for Fielder out on the coast.

[Carl Beck]

Yeah? Why aren't you still working for him?

[Frank Lovejoy]

The usual reason. Female gender.

[Carl Beck]

Well, Fielder passed through town just last week. He didn't say anything about you coming here last week.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I didn't know it either.

[Carl Beck]

Well, I happen to be full up right now, Harriman. You might try Minneapolis. Maybe Kansas City.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I was high man for field of nine weeks in a row. Beck over a phone. I sound like the president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. And once I get a nibble, I never lose my fish.

[Carl Beck]

Well, Diane.

[Diane Corbett]

Oh, I'm sorry, Carl. The girl didn't tell me you were busy.

[Carl Beck]

Oh, I'm not. I'll be right with you, Diane. Goodbye, Harriman.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Maybe we could talk some more later.

[Carl Beck]

I said goodbye. Let's go, Diane.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I got a good look at the old man's daughter as I followed them into the reception room. She didn't look like the type that would go for a man like Beck. But then neither had my wife looked like the type that would run away with another woman's husband. And what about Beck's little blonde receptionist? What type was she? Maybe I ought to light a cigarette and find out why she was looking at me like that.

[Diane Corbett]

So all you wanted was a job?

[Frank Lovejoy]

When a man's in my fix, what more can he want?

[Diane Corbett]

There are plenty of places besides boiler rooms for a fellow with your personality.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Not if he wants to make my kind of money.

[Diane Corbett]

Oh, and what do you do with it afterwards?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Guess.

[Diane Corbett]

Well, I just got paid. Maybe you could. Maybe you could show me tonight.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, if you'll consider it a loan, miss.

[Diane Corbett]

Just call me Fay.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I don't Know how soon I can pay you back, Fay?

[Diane Corbett]

Well, maybe sooner than you think. It just happens that Carl, the boss, that is, kind of looks to me for advice. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you went to work for him after all.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Next afternoon, I was working for the Beck solicitation service and finding out plenty for Mr. Jason Corbin. Work, did I say? You put on a set of headphones and wear out your right index finger. Dialing, dialing, dialing. Mr. Stebbins, I'm calling you on behalf of the friends of the homeless. I'm sure you're well acquainted with this worthy organization and all the good it performs. Now, it happens that we're planning a Sunday outing for our proteges, and we're asking leading citizens like you to help defray the expenses. Now, let me see. We have you down for the nominal sum of $25. Well, then we'll make it 10. 5. Well, thank you, Mr. Stebbins. We'll have someone there to pick up your check within the hour. May Friends of the Homeless, one of such outfits got 40% of the take. The other 60% was split between Beck and the solicitor. It was enough to turn a man's stomach. Otherwise, I thought I was getting by okay until a week later when Beck sent for me.

[Carl Beck]

Sit down, Harriman.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Nothing wrong, I hope.

[Carl Beck]

So do I. Reason I sent for you, though, was to try you out on a new pitch.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Oh.

[Carl Beck]

Mm. We're gonna promote a centennial book for the Pontica Pioneer Society.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Pontica? What sort of a setup do they have?

[Carl Beck]

Well, how do I know? I never heard of them before. All that concerns you is that we're sucking each sponsor a C note.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Wow. And for this they get what?

[Carl Beck]

Their name in the back of the book with all the other names At.

[Frank Lovejoy]

A hundred bucks a crack.

[Carl Beck]

Yeah. Really ought to clean up on this. Now, here's a list for you to start on. Let's see who we got on top there. Oh, yes. Jason Corbett.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Jason Corbett. He runs the big Corbett corporation, doesn't he?

[Carl Beck]

Yeah. Yeah, I thought you might have heard of him.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I'll go right in and call him.

[Carl Beck]

Yeah. Wait. Use my phone. Ah, but Mr. Beck, I'll be listening on the extension so I can analyze just what happened. You understand this is a test.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yeah, I get it. This his office number?

[Carl Beck]

No. He should be home now. He. Hold it.

[Diane Corbett]

Hello?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Oh, will you please tell Mr. Corbett the Pontica pioneer Society is calling?

[Diane Corbett]

Oh, he isn't in just now, but this is Mrs. Corbett. Perhaps I can help you.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, thank you. No, Mrs. Corbett, I'm afraid it's about a donation. Well, it happens to be about our centennial book. We're asking the leading citizens of the community. How much? Well, it's a hundred dollars. Of course. The name.

[Diane Corbett]

I'll send you my personal check.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I suppose I make it out to.

[Diane Corbett]

The Beck Solicitation Service?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Why, yes.

[Diane Corbett]

Very well, then. Goodbye.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Satisfied, Mr. Beck?

[Carl Beck]

No. You see, Herman, for the purposes of the test, I wanted to hear you talk to Jason Corbett in person.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, that showed me where I stood. Yes, Beck knew that Jason Corbett was trying to get him and he had me tagged as the man with the mission, which meant I was going to have to get something definite on Beck, and fast. Conveniently, Beck had a date with Diane that night. So after my own date with Fay, I dropped into the office with a strip of celluloid that had once opened a lot of Nazi doors. I had noticed that Beck kept his glass bookcases locked, and he didn't impress me as the sort who valued literature, especially poetry. I was curious about a boxed edition of the complete works of Tennyson. Could it have been hollowed out to contain something besides poetry? Stop. Stop. Mr. Corbett, this is Matt Harriman. Well, is it all right to talk?

[Jason Corbett]

Go on, go on.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I just came from Beck's place. I had a hunch about where he was keeping something hidden.

[Jason Corbett]

What do you mean, something?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, letters, let's say. That's the stock in trade of most blackmailers.

[Jason Corbett]

Herriman, you talk as though you didn't get them.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Somebody shot at me, that's why.

[Jason Corbett]

You mean Beck?

[Frank Lovejoy]

No, no, this was a woman. Besides, Carl Beck wouldn't have used blanks.

[Jason Corbett]

How do you know they were blanks?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Because the shots came through a closed window and there was no shattered glass.

[Jason Corbett]

This woman, Herriman, ever see her before?

[Frank Lovejoy]

No, and I wasn't able to follow her. She left the motor running in her car and got away too fast. By that time, of course, people were running from all directions, so I didn't dare go back inside.

[Jason Corbett]

That's too bad, Herriman. But tonight's little adventure proves that I was right. Yes? This woman who shot at you is the person he's blackmailing. She had to stop you from finding out whatever it is that Carl Beck knows about her.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, she sure succeeded.

[Jason Corbett]

Only for the time being. You almost pulled it off, Harriman. I have every confidence. I hear my wife moving about.

[Don Wilson]

I better hang up.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yeah, but, Mr. Corbett, about Carl Beck.

[Diane Corbett]

You'd better hang up now, too, Mr. Harriman.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Oh, well, I'M glad to meet you, Diane.

[Diane Corbett]

About Carl Beck. I just left him at his office. He's very much disturbed. Imagine if he were to know positively that you are my father's spy.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Diane Beck is a blackmailer. The Boiler Room is only a front. It's for your own good.

[Diane Corbett]

For your own good, Mr. Harriman. I'm giving you 24 hours to get out of town or I'll tell Carl Beck, in which case, you'll be dead.

[Don Wilson]

In just a moment. Act two of Boiler Room, starring Mr. Frank Lovejoy.

[Diane Corbett]

It's like magic, Mr. Wilson. Real, honest to goodness.

[Don Wilson]

Magic, you mean.

[Diane Corbett]

I mean Tums and their wonderful way of letting me sleep nights. My, when I think how acid indigestion used to keep me tossing and turning. Tired out, but wide awake.

[Don Wilson]

Yes, Tums have stopped that kind of misery for millions. You see, Tums are community. They give you such speedy sweet relief. Tums soothe and relax your acid upset stomach. Put it at ease so you can sleep.

[Diane Corbett]

And the sleep that follows Tums is restful, natural sleep. I wake up mornings feeling spry as a kitten.

[Don Wilson]

Sure you do. Tums are convenient, too. Nothing to measure, mix or stir. No water needed.

[Diane Corbett]

I keep a roll of Tums handy on my bedside table and take them without even turning on the light.

[Don Wilson]

Hear that? Friends get Tums tonight. T U M S Tums for the tummy. Still only 10 cents a roll. Three roll package, a quarter on counters everywhere. Now, act two of Boiler Room, starring Mr. Frank Love.

[Frank Lovejoy]

24 hours to get out of town. A good insurance risk wouldn't have waited 24 minutes. I'd been offered $10,000 to prove that a certain Carl Beck, operator of a so called Boiler room, was a blackmailer. Prove it so that Jason Corbett's debutante daughter Diane wouldn't have anything further to do with Beck. And yet it was this same Diane, confronted with the facts about him, who had given me those 24 hours. Or else she'd tell. Sometimes when I can't figure a thing out, I sleep on it and wake up with the answer. This daybreak I woke up with a cold muzzle in my ribs.

[Carl Beck]

All right, Harriman.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, Mr. Beck. What's the matter, boss? Am I late for work?

[Carl Beck]

That Harriman is guaranteed to be the last clever thing you'll say unless you tell me quick where it is.

[Frank Lovejoy]

You know, you aren't going to believe this, of course, but I haven't the haziest notion of what it might be.

[Carl Beck]

Oh, well, don't be so hazy about that bundle of letters. You took last night.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Oh, so that's what you had inside the boxed edition of Tennyson. The bundle of letters. And written by the woman who fired those blanks at me. I can't help wondering, Beck, what's in those letters?

[Carl Beck]

The last time, Harry.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Now look, if I was the one who took those letters, would I still be here? I'm not that much of a fool.

[Carl Beck]

Well, you are enough of a fool to think I wouldn't check with Fielder and find out that you never worked for him out on the coast.

[Frank Lovejoy]

That wasn't foolishness, that was desperation. But only a low grade idiot would hang around after he got what he wanted.

[Carl Beck]

So you're a low grade idiot now. You gonna give me those letters?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, I'll do the next best thing. I'll tell you who can. Yeah, only quit poking that thing in my ribs, because when I tell you who it is, you might start to twitch. And if there's anything I hate, it's being interrupted by a bullet. Ah, that's better.

[Carl Beck]

I think I know what you're gonna say, Harriman, but you're gonna have to give me proof.

[Frank Lovejoy]

All right, in that case, I'll give you this trick, sir. Just wait. Now, if you don't mind, I'll borrow the keys to your convertible. The bump on Beck's head could be a very temporary thing, so I have no time to waste. I headed out to the estate of Jason Corbett, but not to see the old man. It was his daughter I wanted to talk to. And under the circumstances, I wasn't bothering about the proprieties.

[Diane Corbett]

Who's.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Oh, I. I seem to be very good at this sort of thing. I located your room on the very first try.

[Diane Corbett]

Diane, if you don't get out of here this minute asking for help, I'd.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Wake up dear old dad. Then I'll have to explain what led up to my presence here.

[Diane Corbett]

You're very smug, aren't you?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, there my lady sleeps with an automatic under her pillow.

[Diane Corbett]

I could kill you and only have to tell the truth.

[Frank Lovejoy]

What truth?

[Diane Corbett]

That I woke to find an intruder in my room.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Oh, you know something, Diane? First time I saw you, I just knew you didn't put your hair up in curlers every night or smear your face off like an Egyptian mummy.

[Diane Corbett]

I will kill you if you don't get out of here.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, first you'll have to explain why you frame me.

[Diane Corbett]

Framed?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yes, by stealing that bundle of letters.

[Diane Corbett]

The letters are gone.

[Frank Lovejoy]

As if you didn't know.

[Diane Corbett]

Oh, no, they can't be. Gone.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Ask your boyfriend, Carl Beck.

[Diane Corbett]

Gone.

[Frank Lovejoy]

He thinks I took them. And I think you took them.

[Diane Corbett]

Well, I didn't.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Then it could only be the lady who fired the blank cartridges at me. Now, who is she?

[Diane Corbett]

How should I know?

[Frank Lovejoy]

My dear Diane, this has gone far enough.

[Diane Corbett]

Are you going to get out of here or.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Shh.

[Diane Corbett]

Um. Who is it? Grace?

[Frank Lovejoy]

I thought you and your stepmother weren't very palsy. Well, jeez.

[Diane Corbett]

Um. What is it, Grace? Someone insists on seeing you. It's Lieutenant Neely from the police.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I didn't need any more urging to get out of there. Whatever the police wanted of Diane Corbett, I didn't want them asking questions of me. Not yet. So I left by way of the second story window and hurried to where I'd parked Beck's convertible. But a police car had pulled up alongside, so I elected to walk. Just before I got to my place, a car stopped for me. Fay.

[Diane Corbett]

Quick, dad, jump in.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Sure. What's the rush, Faye, at this hour?

[Diane Corbett]

They found him, Matt.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Carl Beck.

[Diane Corbett]

And now they're looking for you. They were even at my apartment.

[Frank Lovejoy]

The police?

[Diane Corbett]

Half the force is working on the case. Oh, Matt, why didn't you get out of town as soon as it happened?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Wait a minute. Wait. Just because I roughed up Carl.

[Diane Corbett]

He's dead, Matt.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Dead from a bump on the head.

[Diane Corbett]

There's also a bullet in his heart.

[Frank Lovejoy]

You're sure?

[Diane Corbett]

I just came from there, didn't I?

[Frank Lovejoy]

You mean he was found in my place?

[Diane Corbett]

He's still there. Lt. Neely left word for the medical examiner to wait until he gets back.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Fay, Last night, after I took you home, I dropped in at the office. While I was there, a woman shot at me with blank cartridges. I've got to find that woman.

[Diane Corbett]

Don't try now, Matt, or the police will find you. First, you've got to get out of town. But don't you see when this you can come back and. And find your woman. And all the while, Matt, I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Faye, you've been. You've been too good to me right from the start.

[Diane Corbett]

Wonder why.

[Frank Lovejoy]

I want you to know that I'll never forget a thing. Where are we?

[Diane Corbett]

Private airfield. They'll take you anywhere you want to go, and no questions asked. Need any money, Matt?

[Frank Lovejoy]

No, no, no. I owe you too much already. It was because I couldn't forget how much I owed Faye that I didn't take that plane ride. Instead, I hid out until dark and then sneaked back into town. Fay wasn't in when I Got to her apartment, but that was the way I'd figured it.

[Diane Corbett]

Matt? Matt Harriman.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Ah, surprise.

[Diane Corbett]

I thought you were a thousand miles away. And this place, it looks like a cyclone hit it.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yeah, well, what it all means, Faye, is that I've finally managed to add things up and get the right answers.

[Diane Corbett]

Answers to what?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, for instance, the very first thing that you did for me. Getting Carlbeck to hire me after he turned me down.

[Diane Corbett]

It wasn't easy.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yet he did it for you. Why? Could it have been because your relationship with Beck had once been more than just that of office receptionist?

[Diane Corbett]

All right, and then he went crazy over that Diane.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yes, exactly. But you wanted him back. You knew the only hold he had on Diane was those letters.

[Diane Corbett]

They weren't her letters.

[Frank Lovejoy]

No, they weren't. They were written by the woman of the blank cartridges. The woman who is now Mrs. Jason Corbett. She was afraid that if her husband ever read those old and, well, shall we say, indiscreet letters, she'd no longer be Mrs. Jason Corbett.

[Diane Corbett]

As if that could possibly have anything to do with Diane.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Diane was protecting Mrs. Corbett even to the extent of going out with Carlbeck to keep him from being too ruthless.

[Diane Corbett]

Interesting, if true. But why tell me all this?

[Frank Lovejoy]

To account for the last thing you did for me. Help me run away so the police would be sure that I had shot Carl Beck. Whereas, in fact, you had. I sure because Beck had already begun to suspect the truth. That the letters were stolen by you.

[Diane Corbett]

Well, why would I steal them?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Because it would take away the only hold Beck had over Diane. You'd have a clear field with him again.

[Diane Corbett]

You don't really think the police will believe that cockeyed story?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, they will after I show them the letters.

[Carl Beck]

No.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Took a lot of looking, but I finally found where you'd. Oh, no, you don't. Drop that gun. Okay, okay, break it up. Lieutenant Neely, funny thing about hunches. Every once in a while they pay off. Only in this case, it was Ms. Corbett's. Hello, Diane. Hello, Matt Harriman. I'd better take a blonde down to the lockup. Mosey along and see me after a while, will you? Oh, sure thing. Oh, and about those letters. Don't think we'll have to bring them up at the trial, but I'd better have them anyway. Where are they? Well, the fact is, Lieutenant, I couldn't find them.

[Diane Corbett]

Why, you dirty.

[Frank Lovejoy]

We'll find them if we have to reduce this place to rubble. Come along, you.

[Diane Corbett]

Look, Neely, if you'll let me. Couple Please.

[Frank Lovejoy]

No dice.

[Jason Corbett]

Sister.

[Diane Corbett]

Matt.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Yeah?

[Diane Corbett]

What are you going to tell my father?

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, that he owes me the rest of that 10,000 and a job and personnel. Even though I wasn't able to find out who was being blackmailed by the late Carl Beck.

[Diane Corbett]

Well, I. I suppose I'd better go now.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Oh, yeah, wait just a minute. Here, you better take this bundle of letters with you and burn.

[Don Wilson]

Mr. Frank Lovejoy will return in just a moment. Have you got a great big major worry or just a lot of little ones? Either way, watch out for acid upset stomach. You see, when you worry, your worry nerve acts directly on your tummy. Starts at pumping bitter, burning acid. Then comes a spell of acid indigestion and heartburn. That's why it's wise to keep Tums handy. Tums quickly neutralize excess acid, settle and soothe your stomach. In a jiffy you're feeling fine again. You'll like Tums fresh minty taste. You'll love the speedy sweet relief they give. And talk about thrifty, Tums are still only 10 cents a roll. The big economy box contains 1210 cent rolls. Costs only a dollar. Take Tums, take, take Tums, Tums for the Tummy.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Don't let acid indigestion get you down.

[Don Wilson]

Get Tums, Tums for the Tummy.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Always keep that handy little roll around.

[Don Wilson]

Eat what you like, don't let heartburn strike it. T U M S Tums. Well, Frank, that was a great story tonight and a mighty fine performance. And I certainly hope it will be fair warning to everybody against one of the dirtiest rackets in our country today.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Well, Don, that's one of the reasons I jumped at the chance to do this yarn. And of course, it gave me a chance to work again with some of the old radio gang. Michael Ann Barrett, Ann Diamond, George Neese, Paul Freeze, Sheldon Leonard, and of course, my wife, Joan Banks. Thanks a lot, everybody.

[Don Wilson]

Thanks again, Frank. Frank Lovejoy will soon be seen starring in Retreat Hell Milton Sperling production for Warner Brothers. Tonight's play was written especially for Mr. Lovejoy by Maurice Zim, with music composed and conducted by Jeff Alexander. The entire production is under the direction of Jack Johnstone. And now, in just 30 seconds, we'll meet Mr. Joseph Cotton, the star of next week's thrilling play. Laxative users by the millions say I'm enjoying life again since switching to nature's remedy, better known as NR tablets. NR tablets are all vegetable. Give gentle, thorough relief every time. Do not contain harsh habit forming drugs or phenol derivatives which too often require ever increasing amounts. Try NR tablets, plain or candy coated and just see how fine you feel. Only 25 cents a box. You're delighted or your money back. NR tonight. Tomorrow. All right. Now, here, transcribed is the star of next week's Tom's Hollywood Theater, Mr. Joseph Cotton.

[Frank Lovejoy]

Slowly, I climb the stairs, step by step in pitch darkness. The Paris police guarded the streets outside. But I climbed the stairs alone, knowing he was up there waiting for me.

[Don Wilson]

The man the world had killed and buried. The man on the third floor. Thanks, Joe. The man on the third floor sounds like one of the best for next week on tonight's program. All characters and instances were fictitious. Any similarity to actual characters or incidents is purely coincidental. Now, this is Don Wilson saying good night and reminding you that night and day, at home or away, always carry Tums. T U M S Tums for the Tummy. Coming up next, Bob Hope brings you mirth and music on NBC.