Philip Marlowe and Crime Classics

Case Closed! (old time radio)

This episode of Case Closed features two distinct crime dramas from the golden age of radio. The first, 'The White Carnation,' follows detec

Key takeaways

• Dr. Ben Reynolds is revealed to be Gregory Toledo, the son of a deceased drug dealer.
• A murder occurred at Steiner's Flowers involving $40,000 in cash linked to opium sales.

Main topics

• Philip Marlowe noir mysteries
• Historical crime legends

Notable quotes

Crime is a sucker's road. Those who travel it wind up in the gutter of the prison or the grave.

Conclusion

A nostalgic and gripping collection of classic crime storytelling thro

Transcript preview

Speaker 4 (0:10) This is Case Closed, crime stories from the golden age of radio. Speaker 1 (0:20) Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker's road. Those who travel it wind up in the gutter of the prison of the grave. There's no other end. But they never learn. Speaker 8 (0:33) From the pen of Raymond Chandler, outstanding author of crime fiction, comes his most famous character in The Adventures of Philip Marlowe. Speaker 8 (0:51) with Gerald Moore, starred as Philip Marlowe. We bring you tonight's exciting story, The White Carnation. Speaker 8 (1:13) I can't understand it. Ben Reynolds is a wonderful guy with a really great future. Intelligent, handsome. Well, you've seen his picture. Yeah, yeah. You said he's a doctor, didn't you, Casey, an M.D.? That's right. He's already known as one of the best young medical men in town. Turn left at the next corner, Marlowe. Okay. You also said he's to Speaker 1 (1:30) be married soon. Speaker 8 (1:30) Soon? Tomorrow? And to the swellest girl in the world, Margaret Vanderveer. Speaker 1 (1:35) Vanderveer. As in Beverly Hills, huh? Speaker 8 (1:37) Yes. You know them? Just a name. Marlowe, we've got to locate Ben Reynolds fast and find out what's wrong. Are you sure it's not just a last-minute case of cold feet? Cold feet? Oh, Marlowe, he's in love with the girl. I'm his best man, I know. Besides, this marriage means a lot to the guy's career. He wouldn't run out. It happens, Casey. Oh, not to Ben. Why, he was fine, happy, full of laughs, right up to the minute we went into that flower shop. Flower shop? Yeah, some small place called Steiner's Flowers on Temple Street. Ben and I were driving along there this afternoon when I remembered the one thing I'd overlooked was a white carnation for the groom. We stopped and went in. Then came the switch. I'll say so. While I talked to the florist, Ben browsed around the shop. Then all at once, he grabbed me by the arm and said, let's get out of here. It was white as a sheet. We left in a hurry, and all the way up here to his place, he kept looking back like he was afraid of being followed. What'd he say about it? Oh, he wouldn't tell me a thing. When we got to his apartment, he gave me a real brush off. I went on home, and at seven tonight, I got a call from him. Give me that call word for word if you can, Casey. Well, he said... Tom, listen to me. There's a man named Gregory Toledo. I thought he was dead, but he's come back to life. I can't go on until he's dead again, this time for sure. Please don't interfere or say anything. You'll Speaker 1 (2:49) hear from me. Then he hung up. Gregory Toledo, huh? Was Bennett home then? Speaker 8 (2:55) No, no. I tried to call him back. Got no answer. I thought it over for a while, then called you. You see, I'm not only his best man, I'm his best friend, too. That's his place there. Speaker 1 (3:06) Okay, kid. I think you've done right so far, but brace yourself. For what? For something ugly. It says all the earmarks. You might wind up needing lilies, not white carnations. Let's go. Speaker 1 (3:21) The apartment was ground floor, rear, and dark. Inside, from walnut paneling to the sweet, nutty smell of good pipe tobacco, Dr. Ben Reynolds' place was neat, clean, and cozy until we got to the kitchen. There, the air was thick with a strong disinfectant. The doctor's kit was open on the sink. Beside it was a heap of blood-soaked gauze topped by a pair of forceps. And still clamped in the chromium jaws was what looked like a .38 slug. Speaker 6 (3:47) He Speaker 8 (3:48) must have Speaker 6 (3:48) performed Speaker 1 (3:48) this just before he left. Yeah, possibly on himself. This bottle of hundred-proof bourbon here is the anesthetic he used. Speaker 8 (3:55) Hey, Marlowe. Speaker 1 (3:56) Hmm? The Speaker 8 (3:57) cigarette case here. I've never seen that here before. Marlowe, look. Speaker 1 (4:01) What? Speaker 8 (4:01) The name on this thing. Speaker 1 (4:02) Toledo. Speaker 8 (4:03) Yeah, as in Gregory Toledo. Speaker 1 (4:05) He was here, Marlowe. Yeah, but now two plus two doesn't quite make four. Look, you say Ben told you on the phone that he couldn't go on until Gregory Toledo was dead. Speaker 8 (4:15) Yet apparently... Apparently Ben pulled a bullet out of that Toledo guy right here in this kitchen. Is that what you're thinking? Speaker 1 (4:20) Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Let's check the other rooms again, huh? See if we can get a lead on where he went. Right. Speaker 8 (4:25) I'll look in the bedroom. Speaker 1 (4:26) All right. I'll start on the desk. See if his clothes are still there, will you? Speaker 8 (4:30) Everything seems okay in here. Speaker 1 (4:31) Good. Speaker 1 (4:35) Say, Casey, did Ben like Armenian or Hungarian food a lot? No. Not that I know of. Why? Because his phone book has opened a restaurant and every one of that kind is checked off. Even the gypsy tea rooms. Well, that's funny. You never went to those places. What's it mean? Nothing, maybe. Let's see. He got through them as far as Sarcassian's Gypsy Cellar, 3rd Street. Ring any bell? Not a one. What are we going to do, Marlowe? You're going to go home and get some rest. But we've got to find him. That's what you hired me for, isn't it? I'll call you when I've got something. Where are you going now? Steiner's Flower Shop. See what else he stocks beside white carnations. I'll call you, Casey. Speaker 1 (5:16) I unsnapped the front door lock, went out to my car, and drove down Temple Street almost to Alvarado. I still had a block to go when I saw the red spotlights on a pair of prowl cars parked up ahead. It was too close to be coincidence. The little store marked Steiner's Flowers was crawling with law. I pushed through the whispering circle of morbidly curious, keeping a respectful distance outside, and went up to the door. There, Detective Lieutenant Matthews spotted me and motioned me in. Speaker 8 (5:43) What brings you here? Speaker 1 (5:45) Business. Stopped for a bachelor button. Speaker 8 (5:47) Uh-huh. Well, you're a bit late. The joint's closed. Proprietor's been murdered or so, I think. You Speaker 1 (5:52) think? Can't you tell? Speaker 8 (5:54) All right, let's put it this way. He's dead under suspicious circumstances. Speaker 1 (5:57) That's one way of putting it. You know Speaker 8 (5:59) there's not a mark on him? Nothing. Here, take a look in the back room. Speaker 1 (6:02) All right. Speaker 8 (6:06) That's him. One Harlan Steiner. There was a gun beside him on the floor been fired once, very recently. What caliber, Matthews? Oh, a .38. And no bullet holes in here, so he might have scored. Hey, why? Just curious. Speaker 1 (6:22) Wait a minute. What's this? Speaker 8 (6:24) Motive, maybe. List of currency denominations and amounts sent over from his bank and data today. Adds up to $40,000. Speaker 1 (6:32) Hey, that guy had $40,000 cash delivered here? That's right. I didn't realize a small flower business could be that good, even on a big day. Oh, at your age, Speaker 8 (6:42) it can't. And there's no sign of that cash around, no. Speaker 1 (6:45) Well, maybe it was robbed. Speaker 8 (6:46) By a handsome, well-dressed guy we seen running out of here earlier tonight. Steiner probably died of heart failure from the excitement, so that's that. But why did he have so much dough brought in here in the first place? And how did this get here in the back room? Speaker 1 (7:00) What? Oh, cigarette with lipstick. Well, Matthew's even florist a human, you know. Speaker 8 (7:07) So are cops. Speaker 1 (7:08) I've heard. Speaker 8 (7:08) Now give me a straight answer, Phil, huh? Of all the places in town, how come you show up here, this dumpy out-of-the-way flower shop? I Speaker 1 (7:15) was driving by on my way home, saw your car, so I stopped. Easy as that. Speaker 1 (7:21) I could have done that well all by myself. Speaker 8 (7:23) Mooney. Yeah? You can have it now. Tell them at the morgue I want a fast job. We've seen all we can here. All Speaker 1 (7:29) except that at the front door, Matthews. Get a load of it. Maybe she's your lipstick. Speaker 8 (7:33) Are Speaker 7 (7:33) you a Speaker 8 (7:35) friend of Steiner's, miss? Not Speaker 7 (7:36) exactly, sir. Sometimes by flowers from him. Speaker 8 (7:40) I see. Were you in here early today? Speaker 7 (7:42) No. I haven't been here for several days. What's wrong? Speaker 8 (7:46) You'll find out soon enough, miss. Speaker 1 (7:48) Better move along now. Go on. Speaker 7 (7:49) Yeah, you're okay. Speaker 1 (7:50) No, she's too dark. Your lipstick's awful blonde. Yes, I know. Well, I guess I'll shove off, too. Take it easy, Lieutenant. Speaker 8 (7:57) Sure, boy. Hey, Phil! What? Look, if you should happen to stumble over 40 grand on your way home, get in touch, will you? Speaker 1 (8:06) Don't I always? Good night, Matthews. Speaker 1 (8:13) I drove down Alvarado to 3rd Street and turned right. In a few minutes, I was parked in front of a gaudy doorway at the foot of a half a dozen steps dimly lit by a rusty hanging lantern under a sign. Said Sarkeesian's Gypsy Cellar. Armenian dishes are specialty Alex Sarkeesian proprietor. Inside the place was a stone floor, imitation oak booths, all empty. The five feet high that Hustle taught me out of a dark corner was Sarkessian himself. The welcome smile dribbled off his face like spilled beer when I said all I wanted was some information. Speaker 6 (8:46) Why you come here for it, huh? What kind of information do you want? Speaker 1 (8:50) On some people, Mr. Sarkessian. Do you know a man named Gregory Toledo? No. Well, how about Reynolds, Ben Reynolds? No. Okay. Try, uh... Never mind that girl on the billboard there. Who's she? Madame Vardena. Just like it says, she's on the billboard. What's Speaker 8 (9:07) her Speaker 1 (9:07) real name? Speaker 8 (9:08) Ruby Vardena. She works here. Works. If somebody Speaker 6 (9:12) wants to call looking at tea leaves in a cup, work. But the customer expects it. The Speaker 8 (9:17) customer is always right. So Ruby Vardena works here, but not tonight. All Speaker 1 (9:22) right. Where can I find her? Speaker 8 (9:23) Why? Speaker 1 (9:24) Because I saw her a few minutes ago in a certain flower shop. Speaker 8 (9:26) Oh, that's a very good reason. Now look, mister, I run a Speaker 1 (9:29) restaurant, not a Lonely Hearts. You look, Sarkessian, your little gypsy's in a murder right up to her big brass earrings. I gotta talk to her right now. A Speaker 6 (9:37) murder? I knew it, that fake. Oh, that no good, she ruins my business. What kind of appetite can murder give anybody, I ask you? Speaker 1 (9:45) I ask you for the last time, where does Ruby live? Villa Garibaldi on the end of Reposa Street. Thanks. Speaker 2 (9:50) When you find her, tell Sarcassian that she's fired. She don't come in my place again, you hear? She's washed out. Speaker 1 (10:04) Reposa Street turned out to be a narrow, block-long tunnel. on the dark, matted cypress trees, at the end of which Villa Garibaldi squatted like an ancient yellow toad, two stories high. I'd gone far enough for my headlights to pick up the clutter on the stairs, when Ruby herself stepped out from the trees and headed for the front door. She had enough head start that she was upstairs and at the door before I caught her! Leave Speaker 7 (10:28) me alone! I haven't done anything, copper! Leave me be! I'm Speaker 1 (10:31) no cop, Ruby. Speaker 7 (10:32) Oh, no. Lisa and I saw you at the flower shop. You're not kidding anybody. Is Speaker 1 (10:36) this your door here? Speaker 7 (10:37) Maybe. But you can't get in there without a warrant, copper. So keep it out here and keep it short. What do you want? Speaker 1 (10:42) Who is Gregory Toledo? Speaker 7 (10:44) I don't know. Speaker 1 (10:45) All right, let's try an easier one. What was that Florist Haller-Steiner to you? Speaker 7 (10:50) If you're not a cop, what do you care? Speaker 1 (10:52) I'm a private detective, honey, and I care plenty. You know what happened to him, don't you? Speaker 7 (10:56) I think he's dead, if that's what you mean. He was just a friend, that's all. Speaker 1 (11:02) You're not the type for just friends, Doc. Speaker 1 (11:06) Hey, wait a minute, sugar. Somebody's in your room. Oh, Speaker 7 (11:08) no. The money. Speaker 1 (11:09) Open the door. Hurry up, will you? Speaker 7 (11:10) Well, come on. Come on. Speaker 1 (11:12) Get out of my way. Ben, stop! Stay back, you! Speaker 1 (11:18) For an instant, I'd seen Ben Reynolds' face twisted in fear, a package wrapped in green oil paper clenched in one hand. Then he grabbed up the only lamp and smashed it at me. In the dark, I heard him run through the kitchen and out the back door. By the time I got outside, he was gone. I started my car to follow him, but stopped again. At the sudden sight of a gun barrel shoved out from the shadows between two trees and pointed straight at me. Speaker 3 (11:40) Don't move, fella. Not one inch or I'll kill you. Speaker 1 (11:42) You sound like you mean it.