The Saint: The Terrible TinType (EP5066)

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas

In this episode of The Saint, Simon Templar investigates the murder of wealthy Theodore Marsh, whose death leaves behind a trail of suspicio

Key takeaways

• Theodore Marsh was found murdered with a knife in his back at his residence.
• Pete Bryan was discovered dead from a gunshot wound, which initially appeared to be a suicide.
• A photograph of Valerie Marsh and Pete Bryan sunbathing in Miami served as the primary catalyst for the investigation.
• Simon Templar deduced that Graves, the butler, was the actual murderer behind both deaths.
• Graves orchestrated the murders to secure his bequest from Theodore Marsh's will.

Main topics

• Murder mystery investigation
• Inheritance and wills
• Deception and framing

Notable quotes

I never lie to blondes.

Conclusion

A classic mystery that demonstrates how even the most overlooked chara

Transcript preview

Speaker 7 (0:06) © BF-WATCH TV 2021 Speaker 7 (0:28) 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 The Saint. But first, I want to encourage you, if you're enjoying 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. And I do want to encourage you, you can support the show on a one-time basis, support.greatdetectives.net, or become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month. And I want to go ahead and thank Emmett, who has upgraded his membership from the Master Detective level of $15 or more per month to the Chief of Detective level of $30 or more per month. Again, thank you so much for your support. Really appreciate it, Emmett. Well, now it is time for this episode. Original air date, November 26, 1950. And here is the terrible tin top. Speaker 1 (1:56) The Adventures of the Saint, starring Vincent Price. The Saint, based on characters created by Leslie Charteris and known to millions from books, magazines, and motion pictures. The Robin Hood of modern crime now comes transcribed to radio, starring Hollywood's brilliant and talented actor Vincent Price as... The Saint. Speaker 6 (2:35) On my way, Mr. Templer. Hands up. Uh-huh. I said hands up. Are you crazy or something? Do you want me to shoot you? Look, I'm not crazy. I'm not even something. Hey, go right back Speaker 3 (2:47) inside. Speaker 6 (2:48) Now, wait a minute. We must not lose our heads because... Speaker 3 (2:51) Sit down over there, Mr. Speaker 6 (2:52) Templer. Mr. Templer? Speaker 3 (2:54) But I ain't... Sit down. Speaker 6 (2:56) Okay. Speaker 6 (2:57) Sitting down, but I still ain't Mr. Templer. Don't Speaker 3 (3:00) think you can escape what's coming to you by lying to me. Speaker 6 (3:02) I never lie to blondes. And besides, my name is Louie. Mr. Templer invited me over to dine. You know, for dinner. I drive a cab. Does Mr. Templer drive a cab? Speaker 3 (3:12) Well, no, but... Well, you Speaker 6 (3:13) see, that proves I'm not Mr. Templer. Speaker 3 (3:15) It does not. Where's your cab if you're a cab driver? Speaker 6 (3:18) Out in the street. Speaker 3 (3:19) Oh, you're trying to trick me into leaving. No, Speaker 6 (3:21) lady, you can't keep a cab in an apartment. What would the landlord say? Speaker 3 (3:24) Stop trying to fool me. Just... Just give me that picture. Speaker 6 (3:28) What picture? Speaker 3 (3:30) I'm Sally Blair. Speaker 6 (3:31) Yeah, I'm Louie. I'm pleased to meet you. I want my sister's picture. I haven't got your sister's picture. I haven't even got my picture. I'm Speaker 3 (3:37) warning you. I haven't even Speaker 6 (3:38) got a sister. If Speaker 3 (3:39) I have to kill you to get it, I'll kill you. Speaker 6 (3:42) Lady, that's against the law. I ask any policeman... This is your Speaker 3 (3:46) last chance. Are you going to give me the picture, or will I have to shoot you? I think you'd better shoot me, Speaker 6 (3:52) Miss Blair. Oh, Mr. Templer, I'm very glad to see you. I didn't Speaker 5 (3:57) knock. It's not polite, but, well, it is my apartment. What seems to be the trouble? Speaker 3 (4:02) All of Speaker 6 (4:06) a sudden, she's crying. So I noticed. Look, I don't like to mention this in front of a crying woman, Mr. Templer, but that's a gun she's still got in her hand. Speaker 5 (4:15) Yes, I think I'll take it, Miss Blair. Thank you. It wasn't loaded. Speaker 6 (4:22) It wasn't loaded? So what was I scared about? Speaker 5 (4:25) Miss Blair... Speaker 3 (4:27) I'm a fool. Speaker 5 (4:28) Probably, although a pretty one. Who is your sister? Speaker 3 (4:32) Valerie Marsh. But you already know that. I Speaker 5 (4:35) do now. I didn't before you told me. Speaker 3 (4:37) But you must have known. You have her picture and... A Speaker 5 (4:40) picture of her doing what? Speaker 3 (4:42) Sunbathing at the beach in Miami with Pete. Mr. Templer, you know... Speaker 5 (4:47) He, of course, would not be Mr. Marsh. Presumably, then, the picture of Mrs. Marsh with a friend in Miami, probably taken at a time when she had told her husband she was elsewhere, would be valuable for what? A divorce case? Speaker 3 (5:00) Now you're admitting you knew all about it. Speaker 5 (5:02) I'm being bright. Humor me. Your name's Blair. Your sister's name is Marsh. You're not wearing a wedding ring, however. Therefore, it's your sister who must be married into a man named Marsh. Speaker 6 (5:12) Simple? Maybe for guys that went to college. Me, I played hooky from kindergarten. To me, it ain't simple. But it's true. Am I right, Miss Blair? Speaker 3 (5:19) I... I don't know, because you should have known all these things before this. Because, after all, you did have my sister's picture. Speaker 5 (5:27) Who told you that? Speaker 3 (5:28) Valerie's husband, Theodore Marsh. And he ought to know, oughtn't he? Speaker 5 (5:32) I don't know. Let's go ask him. Speaker 6 (5:43) Mr. Templer, you're walking into a lion's den. I'm driving there in a cab. Yeah, but your name ain't Speaker 3 (5:48) Daniel. Speaker 5 (5:48) No, however, Miss Blair needs help. Right, Miss Blair? It Speaker 3 (5:52) isn't help. It's... Well, it's clearing things up. Speaker 5 (5:54) Well, perhaps we can get started on that right away. Exactly what did your sister's husband, Theodore Marsh, say in reference to me? Speaker 3 (6:01) Well, after he told Valerie he was going to divorce her, he said you had a picture of her and Pete taken in Miami two months ago. Speaker 5 (6:07) Where was he at the time? Speaker 3 (6:08) Out west someplace on business. Speaker 5 (6:10) Your sister really was in Miami? Speaker 3 (6:12) Yes. Speaker 5 (6:13) She was at the beach with Pete? Speaker 3 (6:14) Yes. Pete what? Brian. Speaker 5 (6:17) But of course it was the merest coincidence, huh? No. Speaker 3 (6:20) Pete's in love with Valerie, but... Speaker 5 (6:22) How about Valerie? Speaker 3 (6:23) I don't know. Except that she'd never do anything that would endanger her marriage. Speaker 5 (6:27) Oh. I take it your brother-in-law, Mr. Theodore Marsh, is very wealthy then? Speaker 3 (6:32) He is loaded. That is, yes. Speaker 6 (6:37) This here is either the Marsh residence or Grant's tomb. It's the Marsh residence. Okay, but how can you tell? Speaker 5 (6:44) Grant's tomb is smaller. Here, Miss Blair. Thank you. Speaker 5 (6:50) Louie. Speaker 6 (6:50) Yeah, I'll wait. I'll wait. Speaker 5 (6:52) I wouldn't even mind. All right. I'm sorry about Speaker 6 (6:55) the Speaker 5 (6:55) dinner. No, that's Speaker 6 (6:55) all right. Would you like to go and get something to eat while you're waiting? I should say not. What kind of guy do you think I am? You ask me to dinner, I'm going to have dinner with you if I have to wait till breakfast. All right, Louie. Come on, Miss May. Speaker 3 (7:08) Mr. Templer. Oh, Speaker 5 (7:10) come now. You can't be formal with a man you were going to shoot. Call me Simon. Speaker 3 (7:14) Simon, don't tell anybody about my trying to shoot you. I won't. Speaker 5 (7:21) I really should have had a manicure before I touched that button. Tell me, is it solid gold or only gold-plated? Speaker 3 (7:27) Everything that Theodore buys is solid gold. Speaker 5 (7:29) The poor man must be weighed down. Good evening, Miss Sally. Speaker 3 (7:34) Hello, Graves. Come in, Simon. Graves, where is Mrs. Marsh? Speaker 6 (7:40) In the music room, ma'am. Speaker 3 (7:41) Come on, Simon. Speaker 6 (7:43) Miss Sally? Speaker 3 (7:43) Yes? Speaker 6 (7:44) Mrs. Marsh may not welcome any visitors. She's not well. Speaker 3 (7:49) That's all right. She'll see us. Speaker 6 (7:51) As you Speaker 5 (7:52) say, Miss Sally. Speaker 3 (7:55) Graves is a very nice butler. Speaker 5 (7:56) Well, his hair is hardly snow white, however. All Speaker 3 (7:59) butlers used to be young sometime or other. Speaker 5 (8:01) I don't know. I always thought they were kept in the cellar till aged, like wine. Speaker 3 (8:06) This is the music room. Speaker 5 (8:08) Well, it's a little smaller than Carnegie Hall. No balconies. Who's Speaker 3 (8:13) that? I'm sorry. I hope I didn't upset you, darling. Sally. You couldn't upset anyone. You're too Speaker 2 (8:20) wholesome. This is Mr. Templer. Oh? Speaker 5 (8:24) How do you do? Speaker 2 (8:25) Mr. Templer, the detective? Speaker 5 (8:27) Well, not exactly. I... Oh, Speaker 2 (8:28) shouldn't you be muttering somewhere with my husband in a dark corner? Speaker 5 (8:32) I don't know him well enough. Oh, Speaker 2 (8:33) possibly lurking in a hotel corridor? Speaker 5 (8:35) I never lurk. It's an allergy. Speaker 2 (8:37) Although I will admit you surprise me. Speaker 5 (8:39) Do I? Speaker 2 (8:40) You don't look at all like the kind of man I thought you'd be. You should have been small and sly and greasy. Your hat pulled over your eyes, a cigarette dangling from your lips. You know, I Speaker 5 (8:50) once knew a man who looked exactly like that. Speaker 2 (8:52) Oh, one of your associates. Speaker 5 (8:54) No, he happened to be