This Gun For Hire by The Screen Guild Theater

Relic Radio Thrillers (Old Time Radio)

This episode of The Screen Guild Theater presents a dramatic noir adaptation of 'This Gun For Hire.' The narrative follows the intersecting

Key takeaways

• Alan Ladd stars as the character Raven, a dangerous individual linked to various crimes.
• Willard Gates is identified as an executive at Nitro Chemical involved in suspicious activities.

Main topics

• Noir crime drama
• Corporate espionage

Notable quotes

The big boys don't like maybes.

Conclusion

A classic example of mid-century radio suspense that effectively blend

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:11) RelicRadio.com presents stories of mystery and intrigue, espionage and suspense. Hear tales of ticking time bombs, mysterious crime scenes, and cloak and dagger action. This is Relic Radio Thrillers. This Speaker 3 (1:09) is Veronica Lowe. Speaker 4 (1:25) Lady Esther presents the Speaker 5 (1:27) Scream Guild Players in Paramount Pictures' exciting story of This Gun for Hire by Henry Graham Greene. As Alan Ladd as Raven. The Lady Esther Scream Guild Players in This Gun for Hire. Speaker 3 (2:08) I've never even seen. I Speaker 5 (2:31) brought you something, Baker. Open up. Decided to play ball, huh? Come in, friend. Come in. Speaker 2 (2:40) Make it fast, honey. Coffee's on. Speaker 5 (2:43) Who's that? Oh, don't worry. My secretary. Got the money. You know, it's lucky you got here tonight. Go to Washington. To forgive your boss for using food in San Francisco. Sure you won't have any lunch? I'm not hungry. I understand. They've got it all across the front page. You'll handle that job very well, my boy. Speaker 4 (3:53) Ugly people, Speaker 5 (3:53) blackmailers. Only one way to pay them off. Really, won't you have some dessert? I'll have my cup, Johnson. I'm broke. I got yours, now I want mine. Oh, yes, of course. Speaker 3 (4:03) Hey, it's him, Speaker 5 (4:04) Mr. Glo. Speaker 4 (4:04) Well, Speaker 3 (4:05) what are you doing in San Francisco, Gates? Speaker 5 (4:07) Are Speaker 4 (4:07) you talking to me? Oh, aren't you Speaker 5 (4:08) Willard Gates of Los Angeles? Speaker 4 (4:10) I'm Speaker 5 (4:11) afraid not. Speaker 4 (4:11) My name is Johnson. Speaker 5 (4:13) Oh, I'm sorry. Speaker 3 (4:15) Honey, Speaker 5 (4:16) I Speaker 3 (4:16) could Speaker 5 (4:16) have Speaker 3 (4:16) sworn it was you. Speaker 5 (4:17) That's the second guy that made that mistake. Yes, it's rather Speaker 3 (4:21) annoying. Speaker 5 (4:22) Have a peppermint? They're very good. I always carry them. They seem to... Sir, look. What about this bill? It's all intense. Well, you wouldn't want a thousand ones. I guess not. These had better be good. But they're straight from the bank, just as I promised. Don't you trust me? Trust anybody. Yes, I... I see your point, of course. If those bills were bad, you wouldn't want to complain to the police. What do you mean? What would you do? Die on top of Shy Boy. And I'd give him what I gave Beck last night. Speaker 3 (5:03) Oh, please. Speaker 5 (5:04) Then I'd have put some of that blubber off of you. I don't. Speaker 3 (5:06) I can't stand violence. Speaker 5 (5:07) Not even talking about it. Draven, how Speaker 3 (5:11) do you feel when you're... Speaker 5 (5:13) I just wondered. Hello, Chief. This is Gates. Oh, no, it's all right. I'm on a pay phone. Took all my change to get to Los Angeles. Call Speaker 4 (5:37) the police. Speaker 5 (5:38) Write Speaker 4 (5:39) all the payments. They can get the numbers from the bank. Speaker 5 (5:43) Staying up here for a couple of days. I've got a few things to finish up. Oh, nothing like that. This is strictly business. Speaker 3 (5:55) Strictly business. I guess that meant me. You see, Fletcher, my agent, had called me up. He said a Mr. Gates was in town buying talent for his nightclub in Los Angeles. Fletcher wanted me to show him my act. Told me the job was something very special. I wondered why Fletcher sounded so strange. But anyway, I went to his place the next afternoon and ran through my act for Mr. Gates. And I'm finished. Speaker 5 (6:20) Bravo, Miss Graham. Just what I need. Looks like you're in, Ellen. Rehearsal in the afternoon, Los Angeles. Los Angeles? At the Neptune Club. I'm the owner. Speaker 3 (6:29) Hmm, I'm impressed. Speaker 5 (6:30) Oh, no, I'm impressed. Your act is charming. And so are you. I wonder if you'll have dinner with me tomorrow night. The agent says no. Speaker 3 (6:39) But I don't always take my agent's advice. Speaker 5 (6:42) And people ask me why I like this business. Tomorrow, then, my dear. Oh, and Fletcher, thanks for finding her. I'll send you a check to cover traveling costs. He's hooked. Speaker 3 (6:55) Say, Fletcher, what is this? You tell me to be extra nice to him and then... Not many Speaker 5 (6:59) questions. Come on in here. Speaker 3 (7:01) Where? Speaker 5 (7:02) Here she is, Speaker 3 (7:05) sir. Speaker 5 (7:08) I guess maybe you two would like to be alone. Speaker 3 (7:14) What is this, Senator? A snatch? Speaker 5 (7:16) I'd prefer to call it a conference, Miss Graham. Speaker 3 (7:18) Senators usually have conferences in places like this. Speaker 5 (7:21) Hotel rooms have walls. Sometimes walls have dicta... Very brief. My committee is investigating certain powerful interests suspected of... many reasons, we happen to think that Mr. Gates is in that group. Speaker 3 (7:34) A nightclub owner? In Speaker 5 (7:35) the daytime, he's an executive at Nitro Chemical. Speaker 3 (7:37) Oh. Speaker 5 (7:38) We want to know why he's been seeing certain people, how he's involved with them, whether he's on his own or acting for Nitro. Speaker 3 (7:43) But where do I come in? Speaker 5 (7:45) Mr. Gates, it seems, has a familiar weakness. Speaker 3 (7:48) Familiar? Who's in before you answer the doorbell? Speaker 5 (7:51) That you're sure you can handle him. Speaker 3 (7:54) Well, I've always considered myself a pretty decent citizen. Speaker 5 (8:00) When do you leave for Los Angeles? Speaker 3 (8:02) Tonight. Speaker 5 (8:04) We'll take the same train, I presume? Speaker 3 (8:06)