Broadway's My Beat: The Julie Dixon Murder Case (EP4571)

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary: Broadway's My Beat: The Julie Dixon Murder Case (EP4571)

Introduction

In this gripping episode of The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio, host Adam Graham presents "Broadway's My Beat: The Julie Dixon Murder Case," a captivating detective drama originally aired during the Golden Age of Radio. Set against the vibrant and tumultuous backdrop of 1950s New York City, the story weaves a complex tale of love, deception, and murder within the dazzling world of Broadway and professional wrestling.

Plot Overview

Broadway's My Beat centers around Detective Danny Clover, portrayed by Larry Thor, as he delves into the mysterious disappearance of Julie Dixon, a young woman celebrated in the media as a "Cinderella girl." Julie was engaged to the affluent lawyer Alex Malvern, but her sudden vanishing act has left both her fiancé and the police baffled.

Key Characters:

• Detective Danny Clover (Larry Thor): The seasoned detective determined to uncover the truth behind Julie Dixon's disappearance.
• Alex Malvern (Joe Warner/Max Magnificent): A wealthy lawyer who is secretly Joe Warner, a professional wrestler known as Max Magnificent.
• Julie Dixon (Vivie Janis): The missing woman whose disappearance sparks the investigation.
• Rupert (Mabel): Max Magnificent's valet, involved in the intricate web of deceit surrounding the case.
• Sergeant Gino Tartaglia (Charles Calvert): Danny's supportive but sometimes distracted colleague assisting in the investigation.

Detailed Plot Summary

The episode opens on a tumultuous night in February 1950, with Detective Danny Clover receiving urgent orders to investigate a significant development related to Julie Dixon's disappearance. The narrative swiftly introduces the connection between Julie and Alex Malvern, hinting at underlying tensions and secrets.

Confrontation with Alex Malvern At the wrestling matches, Danny encounters Alex Malvern, who deflects his inquiries about Julie with evasive remarks. Alex's dismissive attitude—“You know, asking me questions with no sense”—raises Danny's suspicions. The conversation reveals that Julie had been acting strangely before her disappearance and that Alex had received a suspicious newspaper clipping linking Max Magnificent to Julie.

Investigating Max Magnificent Danny's investigation leads him to Max Magnificent, revealed to be Joe Warner, Julie's estranged husband who faked his death in the Texas City disaster. Max's flamboyant persona and his valet, Rupert, add layers of complexity to the case. Max denies any wrongdoing, but his suspicious behavior and connections to Julie deepen the mystery.

Unraveling the Blackmail Scheme Through diligent detective work, Danny uncovers that Julie had withdrawn $3,000 from her bank account—a substantial amount for her—and had been involved in a blackmail scheme orchestrated by Rupert. Julie's financial maneuvers suggest desperation, possibly linked to hiding her first marriage to Joe Warner (Max Magnificent).

The Climax at the Ashton Hotel Danny's pursuit leads him to the Ashton Hotel, where he confronts Rupert, only to discover Max Magnificent's lifeless body. Rupert's erratic behavior and the discovery of Max's true identity as Joe Warner complicate the case further. The dialogue intensifies as Rupert reveals the violent confrontation that led to Max's death, implicating Julie in the events that transpired.

Julie Dixon's Revelation In a pivotal scene, Detective Danny Clover finally encounters Julie Dixon, who confesses her involvement in the blackmail scheme. She reveals that her marriage to Joe Warner was fraught with deceit, leading her to seek solace in a relationship with Alex Malvern. The confrontation culminates in a struggle where Julie, though wounded, maintains her innocence, hinting at a more nuanced situation than initially presumed.

Notable Quotes

• Danny Clover on Broadway's Deception:

  “Broadway is a place that can fool. You can walk by the lost and the broken and the dying without batting an eye.”
  (00:18)

• Alex Malvern Deflecting Danny:

  “We all have to grub for nickels one way or another. Here's to you, Danny.”
  (10:54)

• Julie Dixon's Emotional Struggle:

  “I thought he was dead. We were never divorced and I thought he was dead.”
  (25:11)

• Rupert's Threat:

  “I'll kill him so help me.”
  (27:01)

• Danny Clover's Reflection:

  “So there was only one thing to do then. I bent over Julie to try to help her...”
  (27:24)

Investigative Insights

Throughout the episode, Detective Clover employs classic investigative techniques—interviewing suspects, analyzing evidence, and piecing together disparate clues. The revelation that Max Magnificent is actually Joe Warner highlights themes of identity and the lengths individuals go to conceal their pasts. The role of Rupert as both a valet and an antagonist underscores the complexities of loyalty and betrayal within personal relationships.

Host's Commentary

After the dramatic conclusion of the episode, host Adam Graham provides insightful reflections on the narrative:

"At some point you have to wonder if Danny just likes drama. He had to deal with lip from a room clerk and also have the missing woman try to fake an assault. None of that would happen if he just flashed the badge first. Because honestly, if people come up to you asking the sort of questions he asked, you have no reason to answer them or give them the time of day." (31:37)

Graham critiques Detective Danny Clover's investigative approach, suggesting that a more straightforward use of authority might have streamlined the investigation. He also highlights the portrayal of professional wrestling within the storyline, noting its significance in the era and its evolution over time.

Listener Feedback

Adam Graham shares enthusiastic listener comments, illustrating the podcast's impact and the audience's appreciation for classic detective dramas:

• Derek from [Location]:

  "I listen daily, catch up on old shows I may have missed, in my opinion, the best podcast on Spotify."
  (34:19)

• Lee from the UK:

  "Absolutely happy to listen to anything from old time detectives as they are fantastic."
  (34:20)

Conclusion

Broadway's My Beat: The Julie Dixon Murder Case offers a compelling blend of suspense, character development, and period-specific elements that engage listeners in the detective's quest for truth. Through its intricate plot and memorable characters, the episode exemplifies the enduring appeal of old-time radio mysteries.

Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio podcast for more enthralling episodes and to support the show through Patreon or one-time donations. With over 1,000 episodes spanning fifteen seasons, Adam Graham continues to honor and revive the rich legacy of old-time radio detective series.

Transcript

[Adam Graham]

Coming up this week on the Old Time Radio Snack Wagon.

[Larry Thor]

How was things?

[Max Magnificent]

I asked the uncle. Real gay and carefree. I was shining like the sun overhead.

[Larry Thor]

One minute and hit by a clap.

[Max Magnificent]

Of thunder and a bolt of lightning the next.

[Danny Clover]

You're going to the wedding, Davey. I tell you, boy, I kind of wish twas you the girl was married.

[Adam Graham]

Listen to the Old Time radio snack wagon snackwagon.net or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 My Beat. But if you are enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. Today's program is brought in part by the financial support of our listeners. You can support the show on a one time basis using the Zelle app to box13greatdetives.net and you can also become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month by going to patreon.greatdetectives.net but now, from February 10, 1950, here is the Julie Dixon murder case.

[Danny Clover]

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

[Larry Thor]

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

[Danny Clover]

Broadway. It's the journey you have to make because all the other streets you ever walked never paid off. But Broadway's different. It twists you into the nighttime and you whirl your puppet dance with the spinning lights. It rocks you and throws you up in the air and beats you against the wall. And you can't quit because Broadway never does. That's how it is on Broadway. My Beat. People go to wrestling matches for a variety of reasons. For a change of pace from their own domestic stranglehold. For laughs, for motives which make footnotes in textbooks. And at the bout between Max Magnificent and the Panther man, the faces and the reasons were up to par. I was there because pressure from upstairs ordered me to be there. They said a man was there who was trying to keep a big secret. They said to drop everything to see him right now. Right now. He was sitting on the aisle near the tunnel entrance. I walked up to him and nodded.

[Alex Malvern]

What do you want, Dann?

[Danny Clover]

Just talk, Melvin. That's all.

[Alex Malvern]

I'd like to watch this. Max Magnificent.

[Danny Clover]

Danny, the first call's not due for 10 minutes yet. You'll be back before then. Come on, we can talk in the tunnel.

[Alex Malvern]

All right.

[Danny Clover]

Well, what do you want Julie Dixon. What about her?

[Alex Malvern]

What about her?

[Danny Clover]

Forget you're a big criminal lawyer, Melvin. Make believe you're not quibbling in a courtroom. Make believe that it's just you and me. Where's Julie?

[Alex Malvern]

Forget it, Danny.

[Danny Clover]

You know better than that.

[Larry Thor]

Forget it.

[Danny Clover]

I can't do it that way. The papers are screaming about a Cinderella girl named Julie Dixon. They waste a lot of type about a poor, poor girl getting engaged to a rich, rich lawyer named Alex Malvern. You. Now Julie's gone in a puff of smoke. They say today they've coined a new phrase. Foul play.

[Alex Malvern]

She's around. She'll be back.

[Danny Clover]

Maybe only the foul play phrase bothers the police department. You going to help us, Danny?

[Alex Malvern]

Danny, forget it, huh? Lay off. I'll find Julie. I've got friends. That's why I've got to say it again. Danny, lay off.

[Danny Clover]

I mean it. Cinderella girls are always public property. And the public screaming. I thought you'd help Melvin. Now it's got to be done my way. My way was to a penny arcade on Broadway. The sharpest little stool pigeon I had named Marty. I told him to sing it around. That I knew a lot about Julie Dixon's disappearance. But I was primed to make an arrest. And with Marty saying the words I'd put in his mouth, someone might believe them and that someone might make a move. And I needed that to help me find a lost, strayed or stolen Cinderella girl. At headquarters I waited for Marty's call. And I fell asleep waiting. And then a bell exploded at 2 o'clock in the morning. It couldn't stand it anymore and it exploded. Danny Clover speaking. Marty?

[Rupert]

No, it's not Marty. I'm inviting you to a party, Danny. Want to come?

[Danny Clover]

Who is this?

[Rupert]

A girl. Pier 38, East River, Danny. 3am an hour from now. You're the guest of honor. It's for Julie Dixon. The party. So you'll make it, huh, Danny?

[Danny Clover]

All alone? Wouldn't go any other way. Thanks. I didn't wait for 3:00. I left for the east river docks right away. Maybe I was going to be a little early, but I was being a little eager. Pier 38 occupied about 50 front feet of the darkness and lent its own quality of shadows to it. Toward the river. A couple of tugs huddled together to my right and left, equipment shacks. I should have been looking toward the stern because that's where it came from. Wake up.

[Mabel]

Wake up, I say.

[Danny Clover]

There. Come out of it.

[Mabel]

I beg your pardon? Come, come, come, come. Wake up, I say. You're Quite unintelligible, you know. Now, there. Now, open your eyes.

[Alex Malvern]

Now then.

[Mabel]

Isn't that better? Good morning.

[Danny Clover]

Huh?

[Mabel]

I said, good morning. I greeted you.

[Danny Clover]

Oh, I greet you. Good morning.

[Mabel]

Good morning.

[Danny Clover]

Where's all this greeting taking place?

[Mabel]

At the Ashton Hotel, room 312, New York City.

[Danny Clover]

And you're Rupert. Rupert. How did I get here, Rupert?

[Mabel]

I found you on Pier 38.

[Danny Clover]

Did you hit me first on the back of the head, Rupert?

[Mabel]

Oh, no, no, no, no. But I did kick you. That is, I stumbled over you. That's what made me know you were there. I brought you here in a cab.

[Danny Clover]

What were you doing on Pier 38, Rupert?

[Mabel]

Well, sir, every night. Every night after the matches, I go to the waterfront and look toward England and make a wish. The same wish, sir, that I was back in Crofton on Willow.

[Danny Clover]

Why aren't you back there, Rupert?

[Mabel]

Because I'm not. Max Magnificent doesn't wrestle in England until the summer.

[Danny Clover]

Max Magnificent.

[Mabel]

Yes, of course. I miss Vallad. I spray the ring for him, carry his robe.

[Danny Clover]

Rupert, where's Max?

[Mabel]

The Magnificent is in the next room having his hair done.

[Danny Clover]

Thanks, Rupert.

[Mabel]

Will you be staying to breakfast, Sir? Kipperth in 10 minutes.

[Max Magnificent]

Well, well, I see you're up and around. Glad to see it. Max Magnificent wishes he could sleep that well. How do you like it? No, I don't mean Mabel the hairdresser. I mean my hair. The flamingo bob. I call it. Fancy, huh?

[Danny Clover]

Fancy.

[Max Magnificent]

Well, here it is. I got it all ready for you. Autographed photograph of Max Magnificent. Look what it says. To an all American lady from your idol, Max Magnificent.

[Danny Clover]

Fancy. Can I talk to you without the hairdresser?

[Max Magnificent]

With my hair half up in curlers? You kidding, baby? Go ahead, talk to me. Mabel doesn't understand nothing except hair anyway.

[Danny Clover]

Talk.

[Max Magnificent]

Talk to me.

[Danny Clover]

Maybe I'm being coincidental. Max.

[Max Magnificent]

Mabel, comb the curls. Don't yank them out of my head.

[Danny Clover]

You're saying a man I know came to see you wrestle last night when he was supposed to be worried? Max. Man named Alex Malvern.

[Max Magnificent]

Oh, Max Magnificent welcomes him to the ever growing list of his staunch admirers. Hey, I did that good.

[Danny Clover]

Yeah. And Alex Malvern worries because his fiance, one Julie Dixon, is missing. I talked to him.

[Max Magnificent]

Worried, huh?

[Danny Clover]

Then I got slugged. Then I wake up in the tender care of Rupert, valet for Max Magnificent.

[Max Magnificent]

Hey, that makes a circle, huh? Go ahead.

[Danny Clover]

Go ahead.

[Max Magnificent]

This is real goose. Pimply talk.

[Danny Clover]

What's with Julie Dixon, Max?

[Max Magnificent]

You know, asking me questions with no sense. Finish me, Mabel.

[Danny Clover]

This guy just Got boring. What about Julie Dixon?

[Max Magnificent]

Mabel, hand me the mirror.

[Danny Clover]

Julie Dixon.

[Max Magnificent]

Ah, the flamingo Bob. The fans will eat it up. You know something? You Mr. Standing there? I can't hear you no more. You better go, Mr. Mabel's gotta scent me the lavender Mabel.

[Danny Clover]

Max magnificent, swept up the train of his magnificent brocaded robe with a hairy paw. Swept up Mabel. His lady barber, with his other hairy paw motioned me magnificently to the door and through it all maintained the magnificent grace and delicacy of a quaffed and perfumed gorilla. All that magnificence deserved some historical research. So I put a call through to Sergeant Itaglia to get on it. To bring me up to date on how and why and when and where Max and Rupert got so magnificent, so regally considerate of a poor beaten up policeman. And then I went back to the beginning. And the beginning was the lawyer, Alex Malvern.

[Alex Malvern]

Sure I can't offer you a drink, Danny? A noon cocktail to take the bitter taste out of your mouth?

[Danny Clover]

You've come a long way, Melvin. I can remember when it was a toss up. Who'd get to where mayhem was first, you or me?

[Alex Malvern]

You mean I was a shyster? An ambulance chaser? It doesn't shame me, Danny. We all have to grub for nickels one way or another. Here's to you, Danny.

[Danny Clover]

I told you at the wrestling matches. It bothers us police about Julie Dixon. Gets worse all the time.

[Alex Malvern]

So I see those black and blue marks, Danny. They hurt, don't they? I know they hurt because I know.

[Danny Clover]

A girl you were going to marry. The papers said. The brightest torch you ever carried.

[Alex Malvern]

The paper said true.

[Danny Clover]

She disappears, you don't even cry. You don't even ask for help. Is that how it gets when you're big, Melbourne?

[Alex Malvern]

You see the walnut paneling in my office, Danny? It cost a fortune. This private bar upholstered in Florentine leather. A fortune. Those golden girls, my secretaries, who wait on me hand and foot like I was a king. Also a fortune. None of this I got by asking anybody for help. So we've got nothing more to say to each other. Danny. Glad you dropped in, though.

[Danny Clover]

I enjoyed that, Malvern. I speak only as a jury of one, but it was very impressive. I really enjoyed it.

[Alex Malvern]

Out, Danny. I'm busy.

[Danny Clover]

You're going to throw me out, Melvin? Because that's how it'll have to be.

[Alex Malvern]

There are lots of ways. One way I could pick up the phone, talk to a friend. This friend listens when I talk. And because he listens, they could Put you in the middle of Fifth Avenue, helping visitors dodge the terrible traffic.

[Danny Clover]

Do that, Maverick. Do it, Danny. Now you got a good reason. A better one. Do it, Danny.

[Alex Malvern]

Danny, take it easy.

[Danny Clover]

Here's the phone. King. Call your friend.

[Alex Malvern]

Forget it, Danny. Forget it. Forget I said it. I only thought it would be better if I found Julian my own way. That's all there is to it, Danny, I swear.

[Danny Clover]

When did she disappear?

[Alex Malvern]

Five days ago. We were in a cab going to a theater. The cab slowed down for a light and all of a sudden Julie jumps out. I haven't seen her since.

[Danny Clover]

You didn't say anything, leave anything?

[Alex Malvern]

Just a bag with all her money in it. She didn't even say goodbye. She'd been acting funny for days.

[Mabel]

She was.

[Danny Clover]

Where's the bag? Here.

[Alex Malvern]

Right here, Danny. Take it if you want.

[Danny Clover]

Yeah. Lipstick, compact, money.

[Alex Malvern]

Hey, what, Danny?

[Danny Clover]

This newspaper clipping. This picture of Max Magnificence. You didn't tell me about that.

[Alex Malvern]

Why should I? Doesn't mean anything. Julie liked wrestling matches. Maybe Max Magnificent was a hero. She made me take it to see him once.

[Danny Clover]

Yeah, fix your $20 tie, Malvern. It got wrinkled somehow. It deserved a social call on Max Magnificent, but I was polite. I phoned first, which was the proper thing to do because he wasn't at his hotel. The Magnificent had gone to the armory early. They said he needed time to perfume his person and his dressing room before his performance tonight, they said. However, I could talk to his valet, they said. I said no, thanks. At the deserted Armory, I followed Max Espoor down a long cavern and into a whitewashed dressing room that brought me face to face with Rupert.

[Mabel]

Oh, Mr. Clover, how very nice of you to be here when I need you so desperately.

[Danny Clover]

Later, Rupert. Where's Max Magnificent?

[Mabel]

He's there. There on the floor, in the corner.

[Danny Clover]

He sleeps on concrete because he's so rugged.

[Mabel]

The Magnificent is not asleep, Mr. Clover. He's dead.

[Danny Clover]

What?

[Mabel]

You see, Mr. Clover?

[Danny Clover]

Yeah, yeah, I see Rupert.

[Mabel]

I didn't touch him, Mr. Clover. So you police would find him. Just as I found him only a moment ago. That is the custom, isn't it, Mr. Clover?

[Danny Clover]

Yes, Rupert.

[Mabel]

That life it is back. That means he was murdered. Murdered? The magnificent is dead, Mr. Clover. Long live the Magnificent.

[Larry Thor]

You are listening to Broadway's My Beat, written by Morton Fine and David Friedkin and starring Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. The cream of the fun and songs on Arthur Godfrey's daytime shows are now brought to you in a half hour special Godfrey Digest every Saturday night on cbs. So if A date with the dentist, the hairdressers. If a traffic ticket in court kept you from hearing one of the daytime shows this week. Or if you want a fast half hour of humor and songs by Jeanette Davis, Bill Lawrence and the Mariners, listen in this Saturday night to the Godfrey Digest on most of these same CBS stations.

[Danny Clover]

Broadway is a place that can fool. You can walk by the lost and the broken and the dying without batting an eye. But when one of its own lies dead, Broadway tears its collective breast, dons the sackcloth and ashes and sends up a shrieking lament that can be heard round the world. And for a little while, you believe it. You believe Broadway is heartbreaking because death came on a man who called himself Max Magnificent and stuck a knife in his back. You believe Broadway has found torment because it lost a Cinderella girl named Julie Dixon. Then you take a good look at Broadway. You know you're out of your mind. But you stay with it because you're a cop. And as a cop, you're Broadway's conscience. And as a conscience, you've got a helper, namely Sergeant Gino Tattaglia.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Danny, sometimes when I can't go to sleep nights, I analyze my relationship with you.

[Danny Clover]

And?

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

And I have come to the conclusion. To the conclusion that I am what is technically known as a mother's helper.

[Danny Clover]

And I'm very proud of you, Gino.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Ah, Danny, stop it. Well, item one. The boys in the lab say that after a detailed check of the fingerprints of Max Magnificent, he turns out to be an ordinary human being with a name as common as Clover or Tartaglia. Oh, yeah, I understand he, Max Magnificent, was none other than Joe Warner.

[Danny Clover]

Joe Warner, huh? And Joe Warner was none other than who? Tutankley.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

A guy who we once picked up for attempted blackmail. Badge again.

[Danny Clover]

Who was the girl?

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

That we don't know. But we're still working on it. Item two. The missing girl, Julie Dixon, is known to have withdrawn her entire savings from the Corn Exchange bank the day before said Julie Dixon disappeared.

[Danny Clover]

How much savings?

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

A goodly sum. $3,000.

[Danny Clover]

As you say, goodly. Maybe that explains why she didn't need her bag when she jumped out of Melbourne's cab.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Possibly. Danny, may I continue?

[Danny Clover]

Please do.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Item 3. Detective Mugavin is even now on the tale of the famous and renowned lawyer Alex Malvern. And Detective Kenney is even now on the tail of Rupert the valet.

[Danny Clover]

And Julie Dixon's description?

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

The description.

[Danny Clover]

Description. Tartaglia. It's out. Any reports on it?

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

No. No.

[Danny Clover]

Danny, get on it. Tartaglia check again. Every railway station, every pawn shop, every everything. You'll remember, won't you, Tartaglia?

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Oh, I promise. Danny, I just remembered I forgot something.

[Danny Clover]

I'm glad for you, Tartaglia.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Thank you. Danny, I just remembered you got a call from someone named Sophie Wojciechowski.

[Danny Clover]

Huh?

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Yeah, Sophie Wojciechowski. She skates on roller skates at the roller derby at Madison Square Garden. She says come meet her at 8 tonight. There's something about Julie Dixon. She said. Danny, Danny, can I help with him? I forgot. I got so much on my mind. Mrs. Tataka with the kids.

[Danny Clover]

Hi.

[Rupert]

You waiting to see me?

[Danny Clover]

If your name's Sophie Wojcikowski, I am.

[Rupert]

Well, you don't have a scorecard, huh? Else you'd know. Everybody knows number 12 is Sophie Wiakoski.

[Danny Clover]

I'm Danny Clover.

[Rupert]

Oh.

[Danny Clover]

What about Julie Dixon, Sophie?

[Rupert]

Oh, Julie and me used to borrow our skate key from the same guy.

[Danny Clover]

How long ago was that?

[Rupert]

Oh, years and years and years. I mean, we grew up together practically. Then we grew up, then she got married, then she went away. Then I never heard of her. Then yesterday came.

[Danny Clover]

Yesterday was something special?

[Rupert]

Not especially special, except a guy called me upon the telephone and asked me if I knew the whereabouts of Julie. I told him no, because I don't. Then the guy said a bad word and hung up.

[Danny Clover]

What guy?

[Rupert]

The guy I was talking to upon the telephone. Oh, you mean his name. He didn't say.

[Danny Clover]

Let's go back a little bit. You said Julie was married to a man named Joe Warner.

[Rupert]

That I don't know. Except I heard from sources close to the roller rink that he deserted her. Ran away to Texas. I heard this was about three years ago.

[Danny Clover]

Then the reason you called was to tell me about the phone call?

[Rupert]

Well, not exactly. You see, I saw Julie yesterday. Later, after the guy called upon the telephone, huh? Sure. She said she was broke. She came to borrow some money.

[Danny Clover]

How much did you lend her?

[Rupert]

Not a cent, because that's how much I had at the time. She said thank you and walked out of my life again.

[Mabel]

Oh, the woman's team will take their places.

[Danny Clover]

One minute.

[Rupert]

Hey, look, I gotta go now. That's all I know, Mr. Clover. Come on.

[Danny Clover]

I watched Sophie clatter onto the track, watched her rabbit punch one of the contenders trip another sharp right cross to another. And then Sophie Wadjikovsky had a clear field. It wasn't fun anymore. So I got out and I began to add it up. Julie's husband had deserted her, Sophie said. And in Julie's bag had been a picture of Max Magnificent, who was Joe Warner. And Julie had gone through $3,000 fast, even for a girl like Julie. And the sum could be blackmail and murder. Except one factor was missing from the equation. Julie Dixon. And at headquarters, Sergeant Tattaglia was being mother's helper. Like anything.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Danny, I think what we boys got on is Julie Dixon will help you like anything.

[Danny Clover]

Oh, yeah.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Sit down, Danny. Sit down. This is Bake. You ready? We have discovered that Julie Dixon was married to Joe Warner. Later, Max Magnificent. And there is no indication that a divorce happened in the family.

[Danny Clover]

You're right, Taglia. You've made a big discovery.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Thank you, Danny, thank you. But I have here another item that is not so happy. Rupert the valet has disappeared from the tail of Kenny the detective.

[Danny Clover]

What? Don't go away, Tattaglia.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Where would I go?

[Danny Clover]

Danny Clover speaking. Mr. Clover, I am Howard Jones, the mentor of a sanctuary you people call a pawn shop. We'll try to do better. Is that all you want? Not What I want, Mr. Clover. What you people want. Julie Dixon. She was in my place not an hour ago. How do you know it was Julie Dixon? She fits the description. Lots of women might. True, true. But she pawned a platinum and diamond bracelet with her initials on the back of it. I gave her $50, but only because.

[Rupert]

I'm a friend of mine.

[Danny Clover]

Okay, okay. What name did she give you? Mary Smith. Address? Hotel at 2617 E. 8th St. Thank you. Howard Jones Tateglia.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

Yeah. Danny.

[Danny Clover]

Don't go away.

[Sergeant Gino Tartaglia]

I won't. Hey, Danny, don't forget your hat.

[Danny Clover]

You the desk clerk?

[Max Magnificent]

No, I'm the scrub lady, Mac. But I got worried there's no vacancy. So go try another fleabag, huh, Mac?

[Danny Clover]

This one suits me fine. I'm looking for a girl.

[Max Magnificent]

Oh, in that case, you want the Lonely Hearts Club. Three blocks down, up two flights. Tell them I recommend you for membership.

[Danny Clover]

A girl, Julie Dixon. What room is she in? Scrub lady.

[Max Magnificent]

For this I got two answers. I doubt if one of our guests, if she has a name Julie Dixon, would sign this same name on the register. Answer number two is, why should I answer you at all, Mac?

[Danny Clover]

Good question. Good answer.

[Max Magnificent]

Plain clothes dick with badge to match. Oh. Impresses me.

[Danny Clover]

Tell me how much.

[Max Magnificent]

This much. Mac, I am a room clerk in this hostelry. We have a guest, a gorgeous doll occupying our diplomat suit. It's possible this girl could be the girl whom you of the John Dom Array.

[Danny Clover]

What room?

[Max Magnificent]

Try number 18. That's the suit with the washstand. If you want room Savers just scream, huh? Policeman.

[Julie Dixon]

Get away from here.

[Danny Clover]

Your name? Julie Dixon.

[Julie Dixon]

I said get away from here. Get away before I make it real tough for you. Go ahead, you ask for it, mister.

[Rupert]

Help.

[Danny Clover]

Help.

[Rupert]

Somebody help.

[Danny Clover]

Such a pretty dress. Ripping it won't help it at all.

[Rupert]

Somebody, please.

[Danny Clover]

Please. That's me. Police.

[Rupert]

What?

[Danny Clover]

Badge and all. Look. Okay, let's go inside.

[Julie Dixon]

Police.

[Danny Clover]

That's right, Julie. You want to tell me now or later? Doesn't matter a whole lot.

[Julie Dixon]

No. No, it doesn't. Nothing matters anymore. What do you want?

[Danny Clover]

Not so much. Just fill me in. You were paying blackmail. To whom?

[Julie Dixon]

To a nursemaid. To a nursemaid? To my husband. A nursemaid who called himself Rupert.

[Danny Clover]

He had something to sell you.

[Julie Dixon]

Like this. My husband, Joe Warner. Joe Warner. Max. Magnificent, whatever you want to call him. I thought he was dead. We were never divorced and I thought he was dead.

[Danny Clover]

What made you think your husband was dead when he wasn't?

[Julie Dixon]

Papers. Joe was in Texas at the time. You know, the time the tanker blew up.

[Danny Clover]

Texas City. A disaster in 47, huh?

[Julie Dixon]

The papers listed a man named Joe Warnedet certain it was my husband. He was in Texas City then.

[Danny Clover]

Yeah. They still don't know how many people died there. Or who.

[Julie Dixon]

So I met Alex Malvern and I fell in love with him, and he fell in love with me. And we were going to get married. That's the way I am when I fall in love with a man and he falls in love with me.

[Danny Clover]

So Joel changes his name to Max Magnificent, becomes a wrestler with a hairdo and hires himself a valet named Rupert. Max, hairdo and valet show up in New York, Right?

[Julie Dixon]

Yes. Rupert came to me and said he wanted money to keep my first marriage quiet.

[Danny Clover]

More than that, Julie. It was the kind of marriage you had, wasn't it? A partnership for blackmail. A partnership to work the badger game. That's why you paid him the $3,000 you drew from the bank.

[Julie Dixon]

That's why it was worth that. To keep Melvin from knowing what I used to be. But it was no good. So I ran away. Ran away and have been running ever since.

[Danny Clover]

You got nothing to worry about anymore, Julie. Except one thing.

[Julie Dixon]

Whether Alex will have me now that.

[Danny Clover]

Maybe that. But the other thing. Your husband's been murdered. You had the motive, the opportunity, maybe, and you're running away. Murderers do that.

[Mabel]

I've been terribly impolite. I've been listening. You don't mind that, do you, Mr. Crover?

[Danny Clover]

Glad to have you aboard, Rupert. Your name was being bandied about.

[Rupert]

I'll kill him so Help me.

[Danny Clover]

I'll kill him. Take it easy, Julie.

[Mabel]

Thank you, sir. Else I would have killed her before your very eyes.

[Danny Clover]

Like you killed Max?

[Mabel]

Yes, of course. He had the body of an ox, but his insides were not fortitudinous at all. Yellow is the word for Max. Magnificent. I laugh at the name.

[Danny Clover]

Why did you come here, Rupert?

[Mabel]

I've been following you, Mr. Clover. I want you to be happy before you die. Now that you found Julie, you'd find me. Then you'd try to have me executed for murder. I just couldn't stand that.

[Danny Clover]

One more thing, Rupert. Just to make me a happy man. You said Max was yellow.

[Mabel]

I said it because I meant it. He suddenly changed his mind about blackmailing Julie. Let the kid alone. She deserves a break. Those were his very words. I tried to argue him out of his faint heart. There were words. He had muscles. I had a knife. I won the argument. Julie, you have such poor taste in husbands.

[Rupert]

You ruined it.

[Danny Clover]

You ruined everything. Your fool. I told her. Yeah, you told her. God. Rupert crashed into the washstand. The gun clattered out of his hands. And then, like some crazed animal, he scurried forward in the half light. So there was only one thing to do then. I bent over Julie to try to help her, to somehow ease the pain of the wound in her shoulder. And she did something strange. She shook her head and motioned me away. And in her eyes, there was something that could have been agony or happiness or something I didn't know about. When the ambulance came, she walked into it and lay down and fell asleep. Rupert was different. He screamed and tore at my face. So I had to give him the anesthetic once. Broadway's wearing its harlequin clothes and it winks an eye and beckons and a pale and hungry girl Walks its pavements like a queen Because Broadway's a dream street and a fat man stands with begging eyes because he just found out his last dream didn't come true It's a laugh or a cry with nothing in between It's Broadway the gaudiest, the most violent the lonesomest mile in the world. Broadway My beat.

[Larry Thor]

Broadway's My Beat Stars Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover with Charles Calvert as Tartaglia. The musical score was composed and conducted by Alexander Courage, and the program was produced by Elliot Lewis and directed by Gordon T. Hughes. The cast tonight included Vivie Janis, Bill Johnstone, Virginia Gregg, Jay Novello, Junius Matthews and Larry Dopk. Molly Goldberg's being visited tomorrow night by an old flame and Jake's really burned up. Yes, romance has flowered in the Goldberg's apartment this week. And this Saturday night, Jake takes action against Molly's old foe. Be listening when the Goldbergs come to you on most of these same CBS stations in their new Saturday night time. Tomorrow night, Joe Walters speaking. This is cbs, where you find Broadway is my beat. Every Friday night, the Columbia Broadcasting System.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome back. At some point you have to wonder if Danny just likes drama. He had to deal with lip from a room clerk and also have the missing woman try to fake an assault. None of that would happen if he just flashed the badge first. Because honestly, if people come up to you asking the sort of questions he asked, you have no reason to answer them or give them the time of day. Also, the valet's claim to have nerve is undermined by the fact that he essentially loses at once. Disarms. So he didn't have nerves so much as he had a weapon. This episode does give some insights into old school wrestling as well as pro wrestling in general. Wrestling was really big at this time. In fact, if you listen to old time radio, it was the stereotypical thing on television that wasn't an old movie. Now, if you grew up in the 1980s and 90s, when it comes to wrestling, you had things like the wwf, which was everywhere, and all that craziness. And now the whole pro wrestling world has gone into all sorts of other directions and I only saw a catching glance of it when I was growing up. And I just will hear random bits and bobs every now and again about wrestling. But occasionally I'll hear some people who saw wrestling, say in the 1960s or 70s, particularly, you know, pro wrestling, that it, and they'll say that it was a really different sport. But this kind of stereotype early on, from the 60s suggests that Pro wrestling was always about showmanship, playing to fans and big personalities, and that it has essentially remained that and only evolved to match how society wants that to manifest. Well, now we turn to listener comments and feedback. I have a note here regarding the Joan Gale murder case where someone shared when they listened, which was from the UK on Nov 28 at 10:27pm cold and frosty night Listening in bed where it's warm with my two cats, Bette Davis and Teddy Bear. Thank you. Well, thanks for sharing and I hope the three of you enjoyed the program. And then we turn to our listener survey. Derek writes, I listen daily, catch up on old shows I may have missed, in my opinion, the best podcast on Spotify.

[Danny Clover]

Wow.

[Adam Graham]

Well, thank you so much. I really Appreciate your kind comment, Derek. And then we have a comment in the UK from Lee, who writes absolutely happy to listen to anything from old time detectives as they are fantastic. Well, thank you so much. Well, now it is time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day and I want to go ahead and thank Allen. Allen's been one of our Patreon supporters since February, currently supporting the podcast at the Detective Sergeant level of $7.14 or more per month. Thank you so much for your support, Alan. 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 the podcast on YouTube, be sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel and mark the notification bell. All those great things that help YouTube channels to grow and get our episodes in front of even more listeners. We'll be back next Wednesday with another episode of Broadway's My Beat. Next Tuesday, listen for Martin Kane. But we'll be back tomorrow with Mr. And Mrs. North where Gary, do you.

[Danny Clover]

Think there was anything between him and King Isabella? Sure. King Ferdinand. They say the Nevada climate is wonderful.

[Rupert]

At this time of year, especially in Reno.

[Danny Clover]

What grounds would you claim for divorce? Mental Crew wasn't that easy. For example, I might say something about his carrying along a Piper. A For Niner. See, darling, I believed you when you said you could do much work you didn't have to. As a matter of fact, I thought that was pretty good. Let's see.

[Rupert]

Carry North. If you're trying to think of another.

[Danny Clover]

One of those awful jokes, you're not that bad. And what's the matter? I just saw a man jump out of a window. You what? Dropped in that alleyway right ahead. Are you sure? Who's in a hurry? The only thing, darling, he looked like Jerry. I'm not making this up and I'm not crazy because it's your Aunt Agatha who's eccentric and I haven't touched the drop. And what did he look like?

[Adam Graham]

I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to box13reatdetectives.net follow us on Twitter at radiodetectives and check us out on Instagram instagram.com Great detectives from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.