Broadway's My Beat: The Dion Hartley Murder Case (EP4583)

Summary

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio
Episode Summary: Broadway's My Beat: The Dion Hartley Murder Case (EP4583)
Release Date: December 25, 2024

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio, host Adam Graham brings listeners into the dark and enigmatic world of Broadway's most notorious detective, Danny Clover. Titled "Broadway's My Beat: The Dion Hartley Murder Case", this episode delves deep into a complex murder mystery that intertwines ambition, manipulation, and the destructive influence of a charismatic individual.

Plot Summary

The episode begins with Detective Danny Clover receiving an urgent summons to the apartment of Dion Hartley, a celebrated satirist known for his sharp wit and profound impact on those around him. Upon arrival, Dion ominously declares his intention to be murdered, creating a macabre game where Clover must prevent his own death to save a substantial sum for charity.

Key Scene: The Summons

• [02:24] Larry Thor (Danny Clover): "I put my presence in a squad car, brought it to the apartment of Dion Hartley, and placed it therein."
• [04:32] Dion Hartley: "I am going to be murdered. Don't look at me that way, Mr. Clover. I'm quite, quite serious."

As Clover immerses himself in the case, he navigates through a web of relationships and hidden motives. His investigation leads him to Sybil Reynard, an editor at the Satire magazine where Dion works, and Camden Drake, a promising writer with a shadowy past. Each interaction reveals layers of deceit and emotional manipulation orchestrated by Dion himself.

Encounter with Sybil Reynard

• [08:07] Sybil Reynard: "Danny Clover. I'm Sybil Reynard. I was just wondering... Who's your tailor?"
• [09:10] Sybil Reynard: "Camden Drake will kill Dion someday. You want to make a wager?"

The tension escalates as Clover confronts Camden Drake, uncovering threats and confrontations that suggest Drake's potential involvement in Dion's impending murder.

Confrontation with Camden Drake

• [10:11] Camden Drake: "That makes for interesting talk."
• [11:01] Camden Drake: "Because the friendship between Dion and me can't be destroyed by the ugly mouth of Sybil Reynard."

Ultimately, Clover's investigation culminates in a dramatic revelation involving Joan York, a key figure whose animosity toward Dion provides the final pieces of the puzzle. The episode reaches its climax with a tense confrontation that leaves Detective Clover questioning his own role in the unfolding tragedy.

Climactic Revelation

• [27:22] Joan York: "Danny. I killed Dion Hartley. Don't stare at me, Danny."
• [27:33] Larry Thor: "Yes."
• [27:36] Joan York: "I killed him, Danny. Now you can take me with you."

Character Insights

• Danny Clover: Portrayed by Larry Thor, Clover embodies the quintessential detective—sharp, insightful, and morally conflicted. His undercover approach exposes his internal struggles with identity and duty.

• Dion Hartley: A complex antagonist whose manipulative nature and desire for control drive the central conflict. His declaration of impending murder sets the stage for a psychological battle.

• Sybil Reynard & Camden Drake: Both characters serve as focal points of tension, representing different facets of Dion's influence and the broader repercussions of his actions on those around him.

• Joan York: Her ultimate confession unveils the human cost of Dion's manipulations, highlighting themes of love, revenge, and the search for redemption.

Themes and Analysis

Adam Graham's commentary post-episode sheds light on several key themes:

1. Loneliness and Isolation: Detective Clover's internal loneliness allows him to empathize deeply with others, a trait that makes him both effective and vulnerable. Graham notes, "there's incredible loneliness inside Danny, and that's why he could understand people the way he does," emphasizing the character's profound connection to those he investigates.

2. Influence of Media and Manipulation: Dion Hartley's ability to sway emotions and orchestrate scenarios raises questions about the power of media personalities. Graham ponders the real-world implications of such influence in the age of mass media, suggesting, "how much of an influence can that have over people's character and behavior?"

3. Moral Ambiguity: The episode blurs the lines between right and wrong, especially in Clover's interactions with Joan York. His decisions reflect the classic noir trope of flawed heroes navigating morally grey situations.

4. Impact of Unresolved Mysteries: Drawing parallels with other classic characters like Rocky Jordan and Nero Wolfe, Graham highlights how leaving certain aspects of a character's backstory ambiguous keeps the audience engaged and fuels their imagination.

Adam Graham's Reflection:
"The older mystery writers tended to understand that any sort of big, total explanation of a big mystery is not going to satisfy their audience, whose imagination is fully engaged in trying to figure this out."

Notable Quotes

• Dion Hartley on His Manipulation:
  [05:10] Dion Hartley: "I have tuned a certain group of people up to such an emotional pitch that they have no recourse but to murder me, either individually or collectively."

• Sybil Reynard's Dual Nature:
  [08:28] Sybil Reynard: "I love him. Is this extraordinary what Dion can do to a person?"

• Joan York's Confession:
  [25:24] Joan York: "I killed Dion Hartley. Don't stare at me, Danny."

Listener Feedback

The episode was well-received, with listeners appreciating the intricate noir descriptions and character development.

• Marzetta: "Thanks for Johnny Dollar, Mr. And Mrs. North, the Falcon, and my introduction to Broadway's My Beat. 11 I had not heard."

• Mechanic6682 (YouTube): "The only name more Irish than Clover would be o. Clover or McClover."

• bunniesandbooks (Instagram): "I started listening recently and I'm obsessed with the noir descriptions of Broadway that bookend Broadway's My Beat."

Adam Graham responds thoughtfully to each comment, providing additional insights and expanding on listener observations, such as the potential ethnic implications of the surname "Clover" and the evocative noir settings that enhance the storytelling.

Conclusion

Broadway's My Beat: The Dion Hartley Murder Case stands out as a compelling installment in The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio. Through masterful storytelling, nuanced characters, and thought-provoking themes, the episode not only entertains but also invites listeners to ponder deeper questions about influence, loneliness, and the human psyche. Adam Graham's insightful commentary further enriches the experience, making this episode a must-listen for aficionados of classic radio mysteries.

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Stay Tuned:
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Transcript

[Advertiser]

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[Adam Graham]

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[Advertiser]

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[Larry Thor]

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[Adam Graham]

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're going to bring you this Week's episode of Broadway's Mob 8. But first, I do want to encourage you. If you enjoy the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. Today's program is brought to you in part by the financial support of our listeners. You can support the show on a one time basis by mailing a check to Adam Graham, P.O. box 15913. That's P.O. box 15913, Boise, ID 83715. And I want to thank Marzetta for supporting the podcast. That way you can also become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month at patreon.greatdetectives.net but here from February 17, 1950, is the Dion Hartley murder case.

[Larry Thor]

Broadway's My Beat From Times Square to Columbus Circle, the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world.

[Advertiser]

Broadway's My Beat with Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover.

[Larry Thor]

Broadway, where the measured screaming of the spectaculars echoes into the wilderness of the night, and their cadence is the beat of a metallic and mechanical heart. This is the rhythm of the life you're assigned to on Broadway. There's nothing you can do about it. You challenge it with a whisper or a plea or a cry, and there's no one to hear it because Broadway's ears are tuned only to the throb of the mechanical heart. It's Broadway, My beat. It came at noon, a transcript of a phone conversation requesting the extraordinary pleasure of my presence at the apartment of one Dion Hartley. But urgently, but immediately. So I put my presence in a squad car, brought it to the apartment of Dion Hartley, and placed it therein. It was an experience. The apartment seemed to contain everything exquisite that had been fashioned or dreamed by Men, all in crystal glass cases, all tagged with little golden medallions, and all ruled over by Dion Hartley.

[Dion Hartley]

But exquisitely, this excruciatingly Lovely Grecian statuette, Mr. Clover. You want to know what it cost?

[Larry Thor]

No, not particularly.

[Dion Hartley]

Of course you do. It cost me my most precious emotions. Even a few pennies of my soul, if I had one. A devastating price to pay, Mr. Clover, for a lousy statue.

[Larry Thor]

If you say so.

[Dion Hartley]

You're delightful, Mr. Clover. You want to know why I sent for you, fatally, inevitably, you.

[Larry Thor]

No, I'm here. I might as well know.

[Dion Hartley]

For a very simple reason. I am going to be murdered. Don't look at me that way, Mr. Clover. I'm quite, quite serious.

[Larry Thor]

Tell me about it.

[Dion Hartley]

Look, about you, Mr. Clover. My apartment, my possessions, all these reveal a man. Me, Dion Hutley, satirist for the magazine. Satire. Revealing? No.

[Larry Thor]

Up to a point.

[Dion Hartley]

Exactly. Only to a point. You would not know, for example, that I am abysmally weary of all this. That all these are only toys. That I have played with them, caressed them, and quite had my fill of them up to here.

[Larry Thor]

So?

[Dion Hartley]

So I have gone on to playing with other things more variable, more thrilling, more impassioned.

[Larry Thor]

You're out of my depth, Mr. Hartley. Like what things?

[Dion Hartley]

Like human emotions, to be exact. An exquisite hobby, Mr. Clover. Humans and their emotions. I get my kicks that way.

[Larry Thor]

That's the kind of man Dion Hartley is, huh?

[Dion Hartley]

That he has become. Mr. Clover. I have tuned a certain group of people up to such an emotional pitch that they have no recourse but to murder me, either individually or collectively.

[Larry Thor]

These lucky people, who are they?

[Dion Hartley]

That's for you to discover, Mr. Clover.

[Larry Thor]

Wait a minute. You tell me you're going to be murdered. You know the people who might murder you. Still you won't tell me who they are. I'm suddenly part of the hobby, huh, Mr. Hartley?

[Dion Hartley]

Exactly how discerning of you.

[Larry Thor]

But you'd better explain it to me anyway.

[Dion Hartley]

It gives me profound pleasure. This is an exquisite game I have created, Mr. Clover. You are now a part of it. I have made these certain people want desperately to kill me. I shall now make you want to stop them from killing me.

[Larry Thor]

And what do you do during all this?

[Dion Hartley]

Nothing. Precisely nothing. I have set marvelous passions in motion. It's like a play. And I am dying to know what happens at the final curtain. Does it interest you, policeman? No. I shall make it more interesting. A proposal, my policeman. If I am not murdered and lying in the blood of my death at the end of this week, Say I shall pay off with $50,000 to your favorite charity. Will you save my life, Mr. Clover?

[Larry Thor]

His fingers reached out and lingered on my lapel long enough to capture a piece of lint. Then they fell away from him. It was a gesture, a smirk. But it was something else. It was his way of making terror and pride a single emotion. Dion Hartley wasn't kidding. So it began the inquiry as to why a man had to die violently. A man who dared me to stop his dying. Dion Hartley. Broadway knew him as a brittle sophisticate who wrote brittle bits for a six bit magazine called Satire. I went there, to the magazine's offices. They opened doors for me and supplied long cigarettes and short coffees until the editor could see me. Then the editor could see me.

[Sybil Reynard]

Sit down, please.

[Larry Thor]

Thanks. I'm Danny Clover.

[Joan York]

Shake.

[Sybil Reynard]

Danny Clover. I'm Sybil Reynard. I was just wondering. That suit you're wearing. I like the way it fits across the shoulders. Who's your tailor?

[Larry Thor]

I bought it off the rack.

[Sybil Reynard]

Well, that's a twist I never thought of. Now tell me why we're chatting.

[Larry Thor]

Because of Dion Hartley.

[Sybil Reynard]

You're his friend, I suppose. Then we shouldn't be chatting at all. We should be screaming at each other.

[Larry Thor]

You hate him, huh?

[Sybil Reynard]

How pulpy. I love him. Is this extraordinary what Dion can do to a person? Now tell me why I'm answering you.

[Larry Thor]

I got an interest in Hartley. He's afraid he might die.

[Sybil Reynard]

That would make you a doctor who I wouldn't talk to. An insurance agent who I'd have thrown out of here. A policeman who I wouldn't talk to.

[Larry Thor]

Or a friend of Dion's. A good friend.

[Sybil Reynard]

Oh, you too? Well, you never know. Welcome, Danny Clover.

[Larry Thor]

People want to kill him. What people?

[Sybil Reynard]

Me, I'd want to kill him. I said I loved him. On odd days of the week, starting with Tuesday. I hate him. You can follow me around and see if I'd kill him.

[Larry Thor]

I could do that.

[Sybil Reynard]

However, there's Camden.

[Larry Thor]

Yes, there is. The one in New Jersey. You mean.

[Sybil Reynard]

How pulpy can you get? I mean Camden Drake. Camden the writer? The Greenwich Village. Camden. Camden Drake will kill Dion someday. You want to make a wager? I could make you a fine, interesting wager. Danny Clover.

[Larry Thor]

It was weird. It made no sense. A policeman tracking down a crime that hadn't been committed. A crime wanted and willed by a man who knew its shape was his own death by murder and who had called in a policeman to prevent it if the policeman could. Any setup as insane as that takes special handling. So I handled it in a special way. Cybil Reynard had given me the cue. She wouldn't talk to a policeman, she said. So I stopped being a policeman. I became just the good friend of the good Dion Hartley. And then Dion's other good friends talked to me. Camden Drake was no exception.

[Camden Drake]

Dion sent you to me?

[Larry Thor]

Yes, Camden. Dion said you and I'd have a lot to talk about.

[Camden Drake]

Dion is never wrong.

[Larry Thor]

You're a writer, he said.

[Camden Drake]

I write.

[Larry Thor]

That must be very interesting to write.

[Camden Drake]

Most of the time it stinks.

[Larry Thor]

Dion said you have great talent. He said you were promising. Promising?

[Camden Drake]

That's funny. He never told me that.

[Larry Thor]

Oh, is that the lot we have.

[Camden Drake]

To talk about, Mr. Clover?

[Larry Thor]

No. I've heard other things about you.

[Camden Drake]

You have?

[Dion Hartley]

Like what?

[Larry Thor]

Like if Dion should be killed. Murdered would be more exact. It would be you who murdered him.

[Camden Drake]

That makes for interesting talk.

[Larry Thor]

You don't want to know who told me that?

[Camden Drake]

Not especially.

[Larry Thor]

But that kind of talk could get back to Dion. It could even break up your friendship. Doesn't that bother you? No.

[Camden Drake]

I'll tell you why, Mr. Clover. Because the friendship between Dion and me can't be destroyed by the ugly mouth of Sybil Reynard.

[Larry Thor]

You knew? All the time, Camden. What's this, Camden? A manuscript you were working on? Yes. And put it down. You won't mind if I glance through it. Dion said, put it down.

[Camden Drake]

I said put it down.

[Larry Thor]

Take it easy, Camden. It's not polite to slap friends, friends of Dion.

[Camden Drake]

If you read a word of that manuscript, I'll kill you.

[Larry Thor]

It's that good.

[Camden Drake]

It's only for Dion to see.

[Larry Thor]

Only for Dion.

[Camden Drake]

Do you hear me?

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, I hear you, Camden. But maybe Dion will never get to read it. Because he'll be dead. Because maybe you'll kill him before you finish it.

[Camden Drake]

Is that why he sent you here? Because he thought I'd kill him?

[Larry Thor]

Maybe.

[Camden Drake]

Oh, he's so wrong. So wrong. He's got it mixed up. That's all he should know. It's Joan. It can only be Joan.

[Larry Thor]

Joan.

[Camden Drake]

He didn't tell you about her? About Joan York?

[Larry Thor]

No.

[Camden Drake]

Then I'm telling you. Go talk to her. Dion's friend. Ask her why she wants to kill him.

[Larry Thor]

I'll do that, Campbell. Where do I find Joan?

[Camden Drake]

In Gramercy Park. 1712 Gramercy Park. Well, it's been a nice talk, Mr. Clover. Promise me you'll never come back.

[Joan York]

Yes. Who is it?

[Larry Thor]

There was something about her. Something like the promise a man makes to himself. In some dark places. The promise had the Name? Joan York. Her dark hair clouded to her shoulders and her eyes were soft. The planes of her face, her mouth. The promise had been named Joan York.

[Joan York]

Who is it, please?

[Larry Thor]

I'm Danny Clover. A friend of yours, Camden Drake, said I might speak with you.

[Joan York]

Camden. Of course, Mr. Clover. Come in. Sit down, please. How is Camden? Why are you staring, Mr. Clover?

[Larry Thor]

Huh? Oh, he's all right.

[Joan York]

Why are you staring?

[Larry Thor]

Was. I'm sorry.

[Joan York]

I don't want to be rude. I was busy.

[Larry Thor]

You were busy at what?

[Joan York]

Illustrating, Mr. Clover. I do that for the magazine, for satire. You wanted to speak with me?

[Larry Thor]

Yes. We were talking, Camden and I, About a man. About Dion Hartley. About Dion's manner of living, his manner of dying. That's when your name was mentioned.

[Joan York]

Who are you, Mr. Clover? Another of the Charmed Circle. A worshipper at the shrine of Hartley. Another of Dion's errand boys?

[Larry Thor]

It's a way of stating it.

[Joan York]

Go back to the great Dion, Mr. Clover. Go back and tell him you had your fingertips on my brain and you beguiled me with your charm. Tell him you did all that and you finally learned that I wish that Dion Hartley were dead. I wished him dead, Mr. Clover. Tell him that.

[Larry Thor]

Why do you hate him so much?

[Joan York]

That's a searching question. I hate him because of what he does to people.

[Larry Thor]

To Camden Drake, to him, to others.

[Joan York]

But to him. I don't want Camden to disintegrate. To be a friend to Dion Hartley is to sow the seed of your own destruction. But you know that already.

[Larry Thor]

I know.

[Joan York]

And you know the disenchantment that Hartley causes. Hartley sneers at the world and passes it on to all who touch him. That's death to a talent like Camden's.

[Larry Thor]

And you'd wish Hartley dead for that?

[Joan York]

I've already told you that, Mr. Clover. Take it back to your Mr. Hartley, sit by his feet and look up at him adoring, and tell him I said so. You better go now, Mr. Clover.

[Gino Tartaglia]

Can I talk to you now, Danny? Oh, Danny, you've been sitting here for two hours now. Your face looks like it's all thumbs.

[Larry Thor]

Danny, you want something to tackle you?

[Gino Tartaglia]

Oh, you got a problem? Well, I am ready to receive it, Danny, and give you my utmost opinion on it.

[Larry Thor]

Try this. A man says he's going to be murdered and makes a game out of it. And three people, in their own way, have a motive for killing him. An editor, a writer, and what, Danny, you never saw such a girl. To that girl.

[Gino Tartaglia]

Hey, it ain't spring yet. Danny.

[Larry Thor]

Danny Clover. Speaking.

[Dion Hartley]

This is Dion Hartley. Mr. Clover, your charity has lost.

[Larry Thor]

What's the matter with you?

[Dion Hartley]

You've lost the game. Mr. Clover.

[Larry Thor]

Mr. Hartley, don't you see?

[Dion Hartley]

I've been murdered.

[Advertiser]

You are listening to Broadway's My Beat, written by Morton Fine and David Friedkin and starring Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. Money, music, fun and action. Whatever you want, CBS has it for you this Saturday night. Money. 53,000 in cash and prizes in Sing It Again's Phantom voice. Jackpot. Fun of full measure with the Goldbergs, with Arthur Godfrey's Digest, with the campus kids of Young love. Music. How can you beat that Hour with Vaughn Monroe and Gene Autry. And action. You'll get it with gangbusters. They're all heard every Saturday on most of these same CBS stations, so be listening.

[Larry Thor]

Broadway's a street that'll give you anything you want, any way you want it. All you have to do is set your mind to it and be looking in the right direction at the right time. If you look one way, Broadway's liable to wink you at you and nod its head. But look another way, you're liable to get a newspaper shoved in your face. That's so you'll see the headline up close. Dion Hartley shot to death. Then you keep on investing in later editions to find out what juicy set of circumstances made Dion Hartley a murder victim. It was my job to gouge out the facts at headquarters. Sergeant Gino Tartaglia summed it up. Terselyn.

[Gino Tartaglia]

We got a murder mystery on our hands, Danny.

[Larry Thor]

You think so, huh?

[Gino Tartaglia]

Yeah. And you would have nothing to worry about if you was just Frisbee Navutin.

[Larry Thor]

Look, Titaglia, I've got troubles enough, huh?

[Gino Tartaglia]

What troubles?

[Larry Thor]

I haven't done this for a long time, Titaglia. Pass myself off as something I'm not.

[Gino Tartaglia]

That is the duty of a plainclothes detective, Danny.

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, but I don't like the circumstances. This one time I feel like I'm lying by not telling people I'm an officer. It's a failing I don't care for.

[Gino Tartaglia]

But, Nanny, like I said, this is your duty. I don't understand, Danny. What people in particular do you feel like you're lying to?

[Larry Thor]

To a murderess, maybe? Girl. A girl named Joan Yorke, huh? Sounds funny, huh?

[Gino Tartaglia]

Annie, you shouldn't let certain things blind you to other certain things.

[Larry Thor]

Sure, sure. I'll wait till I'm a little older, huh? I guess it's like this. I've just got a strange idea. Joan York's got the best reason for killing Hartley. I hate the idea. I'll see you, Tortaglia. I'm going someplace where I can get the whole thing out of my mind.

[Joan York]

Joan, what is it? What do you want, Mr. Clover?

[Larry Thor]

I wanted to talk to someone whose wish came true.

[Joan York]

Mine came true. Dionysed. Is that what you mean?

[Larry Thor]

That's part of it.

[Joan York]

The rest. Tell me the rest.

[Larry Thor]

Mr. Clover, may I come in?

[Joan York]

John, I want you to.

[Larry Thor]

That music.

[Joan York]

It's lovely. Haunting. For you. Is it like that for you, Mr. Clover?

[Larry Thor]

Like that, but more like. Where's it coming from?

[Joan York]

Man in the apartment, across the air shaft. He's a student. He plays like that four hours a day. Four hours to the minute. We can't let it stop us, can we? We have to talk about Dion's murder, you and I.

[Larry Thor]

Why do you say that?

[Joan York]

Because that's why you came here to me. Because you were Dion's friend. Because you were Dion's friend. You want to know if I killed him.

[Larry Thor]

There could be another reason. Joan. Joan, listen to me.

[Joan York]

Why do you do that, Mr. Clover?

[Larry Thor]

Was I doing something?

[Joan York]

You're different today. The way you say my name, it's. It's gentle. Makes me want to run to you like a child.

[Larry Thor]

I didn't mean.

[Joan York]

No, please. Don't be embarrassed. It's me. It's the way I talk. Words have no meaning unless they say what you mean.

[Larry Thor]

That makes it easier. You were right, Joan. I want to know if you killed Dion Hartley. I have to know. I have to. Listen to me, Joan. You wanted him dead. You had a motive. At least the police would call it. Motive?

[Joan York]

I hated Dion for destroying people. People I've loved. Is that motive for killing a man?

[Larry Thor]

Yes.

[Joan York]

A good one. Don't you think, Mr. Clover?

[Larry Thor]

You tell me, Jon.

[Joan York]

I'll tell you, but not now. Not now?

[Larry Thor]

When?

[Joan York]

Later. Take me to dinner, Mr. Clover. The Casca. It's a little restaurant with music just down the street. 8:00. Is that all right for you? 9:00.

[Larry Thor]

I'll be there, John.

[Joan York]

Thank you, Mr. Clover. You're late, Mr. Clover. I was beginning to be afraid you wouldn't come.

[Larry Thor]

I'm sorry. I had some things to take care of.

[Joan York]

It doesn't matter. You're here.

[Larry Thor]

Hungry.

[Joan York]

Only to talk to someone. You? Are you hungry?

[Larry Thor]

No.

[Joan York]

Then we can just sit and talk. I've been thinking, Danny.

[Larry Thor]

What? What were you thinking?

[Joan York]

That we're very much alike, you and I.

[Larry Thor]

How?

[Joan York]

John, there's a kind of terrible loneliness in you. I know it.

[Larry Thor]

I.

[Joan York]

No, don't stop me. I know it's a loneliness because you couldn't understand so well. All that's empty and lost and frightened in other people. I know nothing about you, Danny. How did you get so far along so fast?

[Larry Thor]

You're frightened, aren't you, Joan?

[Joan York]

No, not that. It's not the right word. Released. Free. Lonely. Are those the words? It depends on what I may have done with my life or someone else's life on that. Will you dance with me, Danny?

[Larry Thor]

I want to.

[Joan York]

Could you kill Danny?

[Larry Thor]

What?

[Joan York]

A man like Dionne Hartley. Could you have killed him?

[Larry Thor]

I don't know.

[Joan York]

I think you could have. A man like that. Did you? Somewhere, somehow, he must have given you motive, too.

[Larry Thor]

No, I didn't kill him, John.

[Joan York]

I know you didn't. I just wanted you to consider it for a moment. The thought of killing Dion, it didn't revolt you, did it? Did it, Danny? Dance with me, Danny, Dance with me.

[Camden Drake]

Well, well, well, if it isn't Joan girl. Complete with nothing.

[Larry Thor]

Hello, Camden. Goodbye, Camden.

[Joan York]

Camden, please.

[Larry Thor]

Please.

[Camden Drake]

I like that when you say please to me, John. It's like the old golden days before Dion Hartley.

[Larry Thor]

Whatever it is, take it somewhere else.

[Camden Drake]

That cut it, didn't it, Joan? That shining thing we had, you and I. Dion lost it, didn't he? Didn't he, Joan?

[Larry Thor]

Yes.

[Joan York]

He made it rotten. He made it filthy. He made me want no part of you or of him.

[Camden Drake]

So you killed him, huh?

[Larry Thor]

You killed him. You killed the best thing that ever happened to me. You killed him. Take it easy, Camden. Take it easy. The people are. Take your hands off me. Take them off. Easy, kid. Easy. I told you. Maybe now you'll believe me. Yeah, that's twice now, Camden. I owe you something. Break it up. Break it up. What do you two bums want? All right. Hey, what's the matter, Officer? You want something, officer? Keep away from me. I said keep away.

[Advertiser]

Okay.

[Larry Thor]

But it shall be as you wish. Are you coming? Quiet. Or do I use this stick on you? All right, that's better. Come on. Thanks. Did great. Look. Look. I'm only a stupid ox, Danny, but I don't get it. You I should arrest. Yeah, exactly that. I didn't want those people to know I was a cop. I want this to look legitimate. Call me a paddy wagon, officer. I want to go to jail.

[Gino Tartaglia]

Hey, Danny. Hey, Danny, wait for me.

[Larry Thor]

What is it, Tartaglia?

[Gino Tartaglia]

Well, word has it you got tangled up last night, Danny. Barroom brawl with a guy named Camden Drake.

[Larry Thor]

So?

[Gino Tartaglia]

Well, I was just talking to Demchuk, the ambulance Driver. He just brought in Camden Drake.

[Larry Thor]

Oh, no.

[Gino Tartaglia]

Yeah, Danny. Shut. They found him in an alley off bank street in the Village.

[Larry Thor]

I only kidded myself for a couple of hours longer. I told myself maybe Sybil Raynard, the editor of Satire. I told myself that and had her checked and found out. She'd flown to Florida immediately after my interview with her and had been confined to her room with the flu since she got off the plane. Airtight. Then I stopped kidding myself. I set everything up with headquarters and walked to where I had to go. And all the way there, the streets were gutters, and where I walked, people looked away.

[Joan York]

Danny. Come in, Danny. So early, Danny. It's hardly noon.

[Larry Thor]

You mind, Joan?

[Joan York]

Oh, you know I don't. Sit down.

[Larry Thor]

All right, Joan.

[Joan York]

Wait a minute, Danny. I'll fix some coffee.

[Larry Thor]

No, don't.

[Joan York]

No, Joan.

[Larry Thor]

Joan. After I was arrested last night, I went right home.

[Joan York]

Is that what you were going to ask me?

[Larry Thor]

Yes. Camden Drake's dead, Joan. He was shot dead.

[Joan York]

I don't believe you.

[Larry Thor]

He's dead.

[Joan York]

But who?

[Larry Thor]

Doesn't matter much, does it, Joan? Does it?

[Joan York]

Look, Danny, I'll get. Wait. The door.

[Sybil Reynard]

Yeah.

[Larry Thor]

Hiya, baby. Hiya.

[Camden Drake]

Johnny.

[Larry Thor]

Johnny, baby. Sal. Johnny, baby.

[Dion Hartley]

Come here.

[Joan York]

Danny.

[Larry Thor]

Take your hand off. Hey.

[Camden Drake]

Hey, who you shooting?

[Larry Thor]

Who is this guy? Outside. I said outside.

[Joan York]

Danny. Danny, he's got a gun.

[Larry Thor]

Yeah.

[Dion Hartley]

Yeah.

[Joan York]

Danny. Danny, what did you do?

[Larry Thor]

Don't worry about it, Joan. I'll get him out of here.

[Joan York]

But you, you've just. He's dead, isn't he?

[Larry Thor]

Get away from him. Joan. You don't have to. Look at him. Look, listen to me. I'll get him out of here. This doesn't have to concern you at all. You understand that, don't you?

[Joan York]

Will you go, Danny?

[Larry Thor]

I've got some money. Europe, maybe. I don't know.

[Joan York]

Take me with you.

[Larry Thor]

What?

[Joan York]

Take me, Danny.

[Larry Thor]

I just killed a man, Joan. You don't deserve to share that.

[Joan York]

Danny.

[Larry Thor]

You just stay here. I'll get rid of him.

[Joan York]

Danny. I killed Dion Hartley. Don't stare at me, Danny. Yes, I killed him. I think you knew that, didn't you, Danny? Now you know. Now it makes everything all right. You can take me with you, Danny. Both of us, Joan.

[Larry Thor]

Yes.

[Joan York]

And Camden Drake, too. I killed him, Danny. Now you can take me. Danny. Now we've got two awful secrets we can share. It's better.

[Larry Thor]

Why? Why did you do it, Joan?

[Joan York]

I had to. I thought I was in love. In love with Camden? Dion was squeezing Camden's soul. I killed him and the boy. It was easy. You heard Camden. He didn't want me. Camden knew what I'd done and said he was going to the police. It didn't matter after that.

[Larry Thor]

After you didn't you know, John?

[Joan York]

No. Know what?

[Larry Thor]

I'm a policeman. John. Danny, get up. McAfen, you can get up now. Yeah, okay. Danny.

[Adam Graham]

Danny. Danny. No.

[Joan York]

No.

[Larry Thor]

Danny.

[Adam Graham]

You.

[Larry Thor]

No.

[Gino Tartaglia]

Hi, Danny. Nice morning, huh? Danny, I'd gladly run out and get you some coffee if you'd like some coffee. Oh, Danny. Danny. Beasting Sorry. Danny.

[Larry Thor]

It stretches out in front of you, this mere ash called Broadway, this street that offers you dreams then laughs in your face. Its crowd and cruelty, its sound and sorrow, its fury and a teardrop. It's Broadway, the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world. Broadway. My Beat.

[Advertiser]

Broadway's My Beat stars Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover with Charles Calvert as Tartaglia. The program was produced and directed by Elliot Lewis. The musical score was composed and conducted by Alexander Courage. The cast tonight included Anne Stone, Virginia Gregg, Elliot Reed, Ted Osborne, Burt Holland and Jack Cruc. America has always been known as the melting pot of the world. All peoples of all races and color and religions living together within the boundaries of a free democracy. The melting process has been long and difficult, but as each year passes, it becomes much easier because part of the mixture now is tolerance. And tolerance can bind a nation together. Help America to always retain her democratic reputation through your tolerance. Accept or reject people on their individual worth and for no other reason than that. Joe Walters speaking. This is cbs, where you'll find Broadway is My Beat every Friday night. The Columbia Broadcasting System.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome back. An interesting story for its insights into Danny's character. I thought Jones observation about there being incredible loneliness inside Danny, and that's why he could understand people the way he does, were very astute. And it raises a question that we're probably never going to get an answer to. But it gets a great sense of his character. And of course, this story does put him through his paces emotionally in a way that hasn't happened before. Of course, the way he ended up arresting her was very melodramatic and probably lent to the feeling of betraying her, since she assumed that since he'd committed a completely justified homicide in her presence that she could go ahead and confess to two murders. But maybe he acted that way because he assumed however he did it, he would feel like a betrayal and just decided to play it up to the maximum. The way Dion Hartley was played in this episode reminded me a little bit of the Character Waldo Lidecker in Laura, although with slightly different focus, I will say Hartley remained a true critic right up to the end, using his last breath not to leave a clue to who the killer was or to try to make peace, but to just let a subject know that he disappointed him and failed at the task. I think that if he'd had enough breath left, he would have threatened a one star review. Now, one theme of the story that I did find interesting, and it does go back to something Jones said, it was about the influence that Hartley had on people and how he changed them. And in many ways, Joan's statement is borne out by the episode, most ironically in her. And certainly Hartley thought he had this influence. And one thing it kind of had me wondering is the degree to which in our modern sort of mass new media, which is often so very intimate, how much of an influence can that have over people's character and behavior? And I'm not certain the answer. I think that we all know to a degree that it often does have an influence in real life, but I'll just leave that as an open mystery to ponder. Just as the whole source of Danny Clover's loneliness is. And I think that the episode does illustrate a big difference between modern writers and those who wrote back during this era, because there would often be details that would be brought up about a character. And it's not just radio. It could be really cross various mediums. A couple examples that come to me really quickly are Rocky Jordan, who couldn't go back to St. Louis but were never told exactly why. And in books, I think of Nero Wolf, and there's hints that he had to leave Montenegro and that maybe he wasn't always exactly the way that he is now in the books, but you never really get an answer to his backstory in all the details. And the same is true of Rocky Jordan. Now, both the Rocky Jordan radio show and the Nero Wolf mysteries would mine that mystery and maybe bring out a few details. Like on Rocky Jordan, occasionally someone who knew him in St. Louis shows up. And there were Nero Wolf stories where people who knew him from Montenegro came. And there was even novel called the Black Mountain, where he and Archie Goodwin went back to Montenegro. But at the end of the book, there's still a lot of mystery and a lot we don't know. Modern writers will invariably answer that question. They'll explain it all, and generally people will be disappointed to one degree or another. I think what the older mystery writers tended to understand is that any sort of big, total explanation of a big mystery is not going to satisfy their audience, whose imagination is fully engaged in trying to figure this out. And you're going to have a big challenge beating their imagination. And so often you end up disappointing the readers or listeners or viewers and also making the character less interesting because the little degree of mystery kind of makes you wonder about them. Like what exactly is going on? Now we turn to listener comments and feedback. We start out with Marzetta, who writes thanks for Johnny Dollar, Mr. And Mrs. North, the Falcon, and my introduction to Broadway's My Beat. 11 I had not heard. Well, thank you so much and I'm so glad you've been enjoying the podcast and that we've been able to introduce you to Danny Clover. Speaking of which, I have a comment from YouTube where Mechanic6682 writes, the only name more Irish than Clover would be o. Clover or McClover. Well, I actually the first few times that I'd heard Broadway's My Bait, I had not thought about the last name Clover having any particular ethnic root. However, it occurred to me a few months back that it could be a subtle way to make Denny Irish, and maybe that was what they were going for. However, it's not really an Irish last name as such. It is a name that is much more common in Great Britain. In fact, there is a Clover coat of arms, and it is an English coat of arms. According to Ancestry.com, it's a variant of the last name Cleaver, which means that it would be plausible to write a Leave it to Beaver, Broadway's mobbeat fanfic where Woolly and the Beaver encounter an old cousin who was a New York City police officer. And in addition to that, the most popular location for someone with the last name Clover to live in 1920 was London. Ties to the Plant. But again, the writers may not have had that in mind and may have just thought Clover can be a subtle way to associate with Irish, but it would not indicate that in real life. I did also see that Clover as a first name is a popular baby name for girls. I wouldn't say popular, but growing in popularity. Now we turn to Instagram, where bunniesandbooks writes. I started listening recently and I'm obsessed with the noir descriptions of Broadway that bookend Broadway's My Beat. Well, thanks so much and I definitely do appreciate those touches as well. Well, now it is time for us to thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to go ahead and thank James. James has been one of our patreon supporters since June 2015, currently supporting the podcast at the rookie level of $2 or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, James. And that will actually do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. And if you're enjoying it on YouTube, be sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and mark the notification bell. We'll return in three weeks with another episode of Broadway's My Beat, but stay tuned for the encores. We'll be bringing you the next couple of weeks, but join us back here tomorrow for Mr. And Mrs. North, where.

[Larry Thor]

We didn't think you'd be allowed out. Oh, I've been out for a long time now. Three months. Out of what? The clink. I mean, sing, sing. Gotta kinda watch my language, huh?

[Advertiser]

My good man, would you mind telling.

[Larry Thor]

Us who you are and what you want? You mean you don't recollect me? I'm the guy you saved from the hot seat, Mr. North. I mean, the electric chair.

[Sybil Reynard]

Oh, for goodness sake.

[Larry Thor]

Big Mike. Yeah, that's it. Oh, wow, Big Mike. When did you break out? Oh, I didn't break out, Mr. North. I got time off for good behavior. Oh, now, Mike, you're not capable of good behavior? Ah, you got me wrong, Mr. North. I'm a changed character. Five years as a gardener in a prison made me see the light.

[Joan York]

What light?

[Larry Thor]

The light of kindness. The light that shines up from you at a magnolia in the early morning dew. And that's why I'm in a jam. I'm gonna get murdered. Murdered? Well, either that or I'm going to have to murder somebody myself.

[Adam Graham]

I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to box13, greatdetectives.net follow us on Twitter at radiodetectives and check us out on Instagram instagram.com greatdetectives from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.