The Relic Radio Show – December 16, 2025

Episode: John Steele Adventurer’s "Dead Ringer" (1950) & The Key (c.1956)
Podcast Host: RelicRadio.com
Theme: Exploring gripping vintage radio drama—adventure, suspense, and the hidden complexities of human nature.

Episode Overview

This episode of The Relic Radio Show features two classic old time radio dramas:

1. John Steele, Adventurer – "Dead Ringer" (originally aired July 25, 1950)
2. The Key (from around 1956)

Each tale is a journey into suspense and psychological drama, propelled by themes of vengeance, identity, and inescapable consequences from one’s past.

1. John Steele, Adventurer – "Dead Ringer"

(Starts: 01:02)

Main Storyline

A classic Western mystery of revenge and mistaken identity: Bill Allen, estranged from home for fifteen years, returns undercover as "Caleb Baxter" to uncover his father’s killer. The dusty town of Canyon City simmers with rumor, suspicion, and hidden motives—all orbiting a decades-old feud and a controversial highway project.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Elements

• Bill/Caleb’s Return and Assumed Identity

  • Bill learns his father Jed Allen has been murdered; he assumes the identity of a stranger (02:43) after finding a wallet in the desert, to investigate incognito.
  • Quote [04:52]: “If Pa had enemies in Canyon City, I’d do a lot better if I changed my name.”

• Setting the Scene: Canyon City

  • The saloon and barbershop serve as town focal points, introducing colorful locals and establishing small-town distrust.
  • Humorous exchanges between Bill (as Caleb), town barber Wendy, and editor Harvey Clements add color and misdirection (05:29–07:30).
  • Quote [06:13]: (Wendy, about his barbering skills): “He said you were the worst barber West of the Big Bend country.”

• Investigating the Murder

  • Bill questions townsfolk, especially about his father’s enemies or involvement in a new highway plan, stirring local resentments (08:03).
  • He is told a rumor of a stranger at the "old Benson place," leading to a tense nocturnal encounter and a near shootout (09:33).

• Maria, the Housekeeper

  • Bill visits the old family ranch to find Maria, the Mexican housekeeper who adored his father, but she’s tight-lipped (11:09–13:10).

• Suspicion, Deception, and Small-town Politics

  • Side plots about the highway referendum echo throughout, with ranchers resistant due to change, or ulterior motives (14:50–15:19).
  • The highway contract and town politics become key to understanding motive (19:04, 25:22).

• The Dramatic Reveal

  • The killer arranges to surrender, but Bill, after piecing together clues (especially a strong Picayune cigarette at the ranch, 18:00), suspects a trap.
  • In a tense standoff at the sheriff’s office (23:09–27:15), Bill is accused, but pivots the accusation onto Harvey Clements, the editor. He reveals that Clements hired Caleb Baxter as a hitman to remove Jed Allen, facilitating a highway contract and potential financial windfall.
  • Key reveal [25:35 & 26:00]: “He was sure I wasn't Caleb Baxter because he's the only one who knew the real Caleb Baxter…Clements hired him to do the shooting.”
  • Clements confesses under pressure after a botched escape.

• Closure

  • Bill is vindicated, and the episode ends with reflections on the nature of adventure and fate.
  • Memorable closing lines [29:16–29:20]: “A life of adventure is yours for the asking, wherever you find it. Only don’t look for it… It may find you.”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• [02:43] Bill Allen: “Seems to me you’ve been resting more than you’ve been walking. Go on, take a stretch for yourself…”
• [06:13] Caleb (Bill Allen): “He said you were the worst barber West of the Big Bend country.”
• [25:35] Caleb (Bill Allen): “He was sure I wasn’t Caleb Baxter…Clements hired him to do the shooting.”
• [29:18] John Steele: “Only don’t look for it. It may find you.”

Memorable Moments & Tone

• Western meets noir: Dry humor, tense confrontations, and a twisty, well-paced whodunit.
• Small-town politics: The backdrop of local development versus tradition drives the deeper motive.
• Self-examination: The plot cleverly twists back on the protagonist—“the story of a man who searched for a killer…led him to himself.”

2. The Key

(Starts: 30:10)

Main Storyline

A tightly-wound domestic thriller and psychological noir: The return of a long-lost criminal partner, Khan Stanhope, upends the life of respectable businessman Alvis (Albus), dragging his past into the present and holding him hostage to blackmail both emotional and financial.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Elements

• Khan’s Return and Reckoning

  • Khan appears in Alvis’ office after 20 years in prison (30:52), expecting compensation and partnership in Alvis’s successful brokerage.
  • Quote [31:40]: “Put your mind back 20 years, Alvis. Or don’t you like soiling your beautiful thoughts with a memory?”

• Past Crimes & Guilt

  • Their conversation reveals a years-old crime—robbery, betrayal, and a life sentence taken in silence (33:14–33:56).
  • Khan’s bitterness [33:33]: “I paid my debt to some society. You got no idea how it feels to have paid one’s social debt, Elvis. It’s a nice clean feeling…”

• Blackmail and Intrusion

  • Khan insists on a share in the business and a place in Alvis’s home, threatening exposure and public ruin (35:50–37:31).
  • Quote [37:34]: “You’re worried, aren’t you, partner?”

• Moral Manipulation

  • Alvis’s wife, Delia, becomes suspicious; tensions mount as Khan toys with both of them psychologically (43:40–46:44).
  • Khan rationalizes his actions as a form of justice, not blackmail, describing a strange code of criminal ethics (44:44).
  • Quote [44:53]: “Used to have. Never put anybody on the spot. Never worked a blackmail racket. Never turned down a bite. Never talking to mad. Never run out on a friend. Yes, I had a certain code of ethics.”

• Ultimatum and Despair

  • Delia demands that either Khan leaves or she will (47:14). Alvis, trapped, feebly tries to break free—even considering violence.
  • Khan’s hold tightens; he manipulates, taunts, and ultimately, after a failed murder attempt by Alvis, reappears like a ghostly conscience.

• Final Psychological Twist

  • The episode ends in existential unease: Khan will haunt Alvis forever, a manifestation of guilt that can never be truly banished.
  • Closing lines [54:09, 54:25]:
    • Khan: “You are a thief, a coward, and a moral murderer...But you’re well on the red. In fact, you’ve just managed your first installment.”
    • “All the time in the world. Good night, partner.”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• [31:40] Khan: “Put your mind back 20 years, Alvis. Or don’t you like soiling your beautiful thoughts with a memory?”
• [33:56] Khan: "20 years don’t frizzle a man’s feelings, do they, Alvis?"
• [44:53] Khan: “Yes, I had a certain code of ethics.”
• [54:09] Khan: “You’re a thief, a coward, and a moral murderer. You are…I paid my debt to society, Alvis. But you’re well on the red.”

Memorable Moments & Tone

• Unresolved tension: The ending provides no neat fix; rather, it leaves Alvis psychologically captive to his past misdeeds.
• The Key as metaphor: Every situation has a "key," but some doors should remain closed.
• Moody atmosphere: The drama’s tone is dark, claustrophobic, and laced with anxiety about inescapable consequences.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:11] Episode Introduction
• [01:02] John Steele, Adventurer – "Dead Ringer" begins
• [04:52] Bill assumes Caleb Baxter’s identity
• [09:33] First stakeout at the Benson place
• [13:39] Scenes with Windy the barber; town politics
• [18:00] Clue of the Picayune cigarettes
• [19:00–23:18] Lead-up to the confrontation; killer’s surrender
• [25:22] Exposing Harvey Clements; Story’s resolution
• [29:16] Closing narration, adventure reflections
• [30:10] Start of The Key
• [31:40] Khan confronts Alvis
• [43:40] Delia (Alvis’s wife) confronts Khan
• [47:05] Delia’s ultimatum
• [53:03] Khan’s ghostly reappearance
• [54:09] Philosophical ending
• [55:23] Episode close (from host)

Final Thoughts

This episode pairs two powerful explorations of self-deception and accountability. Both "Dead Ringer" and "The Key" demonstrate that the hardest riddles and heaviest burdens are internal—whether the search is for justice in a sun-bleached Western town, or for freedom from chains of guilt in a modern home.

John Steele’s signature tone—a blend of hard-boiled action and introspective depth—is present in both dramas. Whimsical supporting characters (like Windy the barber) and smart, layered writing ensure that these episodes "still stand the test of time," as promised.

For New Listeners

You need not have heard prior episodes to dive in: the stories unfold with clarity, rich atmosphere, and a wry wit that keeps the tension burning. The twists are earned, the characters vivid, and the moral is universal:
"A life of adventure is yours for the asking. Only—don’t look for it. It may find you." [29:18]