The Shadow - "Murder Incorporated" (Old Time Radio)
From The Shadow comes “Murder Incorporated,” originally broadcast December 17, 1939. Listed as episode 178, this Mutual Broadcasting System presentation was sponsored by Blue Coal and stars Bill Johnstone as Lamont Cranston/The Shadow, with Marjorie Anderson as Margot Lane.
A murder-for-hire gang has found a lethal use for ordinary matches. As quiet, calculated killings mount, Lamont and Margot follow the sinister trail before the organization can strike again.
The Shadow presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.
Chapters:
00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction
00:54 Original Broadcast
27:01 Closing
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Speaker 1: Seemingly ordinary matches are used by a gang that kills
for hire, and Lamont Cranston and Margot Lane are drawn
onto its trail ladies and gentlemen. Tonight's curtain rises on
The Shadow Murder Incorporated. Program number one hundred seventy eight,
first heard on the Mutual Broadcasting System on December seventeenth,
nineteen thirty nine, with Blue Coal as sponsor. This broadcast
comes from the Bill Johnstone and Marjorie Anderson period of
the series. Bill Johnstone stars as Lamont Cranston the Shadow
and Marjorie Anderson as Margo Lane, as their investigation follows
the organization behind those calculated killings and seeks to prevent
further victims. From radio's suspenseful half hour theater. We now
take you back to the original broadcast.
Speaker 2: One Evil Loves in the Hearts of Men.
Speaker 3: Shadows the Shadow, the serious character who waits the forces
of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston, wealthy
young man about town. The Shadow uses his A product
power to cloud men's minds so that they cannot see him.
Cranston's friend and companion, the lovely Margo Lane, is the
only person who knows to whom the unseen voice of
the Shadow belongs today's story incorporated. Are you at the comrades? Yes,
I'm mister Conrad. Come on get in mere, Thank you.
You must be mister Pascal. Here is that Rian? Sorry,
I wasn't a posision when your fane came in this, Conrade,
bad night. I had a hard time getting out the mountains.
You know, I was beginning to think perhaps I misunderstood
your instruction. Well, I would have have you come out
on a night like this, But I'm having a bit
of a celebration tomorrow, and i'd like to have the
piano glue.
Speaker 2: Quite all right, mister pascual.
Speaker 3: Musical instruments are like humans to me. I never failed
to respond to a course. See my house is about
two miles up the mountain. Afraid you're to find it
rather alone? Oh no, no, indeed I won't mind at all.
I hope you've come prepared to spend the night. Mister
Conrad's the night, as you see, there are no trains
until morning. Oh oh, yes, of course you know I
hadn't thought of that.
Speaker 2: Rather stupid of me.
Speaker 3: I should have wormed you could haven't occurred to me
that perhaps somebody might be expecting you home. Oh no, no, indeed,
I have no folks. There's nobody to expect me, mister pask,
nobody to expect you.
Speaker 2: Well, you will not be missed.
Speaker 3: No, no, indeed, mister Paskell, I shall.
Speaker 2: Not be missed. Hey, it's bleak and dismal night, isn't it? Yes,
a bleak and dismal night.
Speaker 3: I can't tend shut downton brousing me nuts.
Speaker 2: Take it easy. A scowl'll be up here any minute.
Speaker 4: I can't stand it anymore.
Speaker 2: Well, if I'm going alright, I'll be a fool. Shut
up and listen.
Speaker 3: What's another I think I hear pat gel on the stairs.
Speaker 4: Your daddy, that's a flaws creaking liably hear anything in
this old house?
Speaker 3: Yeah it is a joint, all right, give you the creek.
Speaker 4: There's a kind of a hide up pestio tick. Even
a ghost be afraid of horning? What Oh that's kill?
Speaker 2: Hey boy? We thought you all right, gentlemen.
Speaker 4: Say test hell, what's the big guydea?
Speaker 2: You call us here to.
Speaker 4: Talk over a scheme to clean up a couple of
hundred times?
Speaker 2: I have please, I don't want my guests below I
know I have guests about.
Speaker 3: Why do you have a piano tuning here when we
have business to talk over? And he calls it gentlemen,
the piano tuning is the business I have to talk over.
Speaker 2: What do you mean? Yes, in just a few moments,
he will drop dead. But I've got that. Well, robber,
I should say, I'll.
Speaker 3: Permit him to kill himself, But he staid, will have
all the appearances of a natural DeMier. The actual cause
will be impossible to detect.
Speaker 4: Well, how are you going to do it?
Speaker 3: Follow me, gentlemen? Way you're taking us still, first dog?
Speaker 2: Hey, what is the gentleman? Is my laboratory.
Speaker 3: In the past three years, I've devoted myself to research
an experimentation in this room on a chemical that could
kill and yet.
Speaker 4: Leave no trace. You mean a sacred toison.
Speaker 2: I'll explain. After I've perfected my chemical, I next had
to devise the best means for its use.
Speaker 3: Yes, you see this match, Yeah, the head of this
match has been dipped into my secret formula.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: So downstairs, I've placed some cigars in a package containing
the treated matches beside our guests.
Speaker 2: In a little while, he is like a cigar.
Speaker 3: So what then, gentlemen, you will have the positive proof
that my labors.
Speaker 2: Have been crowned with success a skill.
Speaker 4: When it comes to anything in a chemical line, you're
the top. But I don't get it. How does this
thing pay off?
Speaker 2: Gentlemen?
Speaker 3: We all know that the world is full of malagistic people,
men and women tied to each other by force of
circumstances ahead, So isn't it reasonable to suppose that one
party to these unfortunate associations would welcome the means by
which he or she would be rid of the other.
Speaker 4: Oh, I get it, it's an insurance shake.
Speaker 3: It sounds well to me. But I am going to
contact these clients. Have you figured that out perfectly? When
people are in trouble, they go to one of the
three men, a doctor, a lawyer, a mind reader. Those
professions will be represented by the free of us.
Speaker 4: You're going to hang out the old shingle again.
Speaker 3: The officers of doctor Bruno Pascal are already selected. It'll
be my job to impress the prospective client with the
physical necessity of escape.
Speaker 2: What's my trick?
Speaker 3: As the master the arc couch, you should visualize the
way out for them. The legal and material aspects would
be your responsibility.
Speaker 2: Newton.
Speaker 3: You will see that our clients carry the proper amount
of insurance. Okay, when the mind of the client is
conditioned to accept murder as a solution to a problem,
then we shall provide the.
Speaker 4: Means to what will truly be the end. The matches,
the matches. Listen, a piano stop at last? Maybe the
old guy's taking time off for smoke.
Speaker 3: We'll see, all right, all right, how long is it
gonna take? Why don't he light it?
Speaker 2: Why don't you do? That's it? Gentlemen?
Speaker 3: Yeah, come on, let's go, little mister Conrad in the rain.
They're gentlemen down.
Speaker 2: The piano. Tuna is dead and a new enterprise is false.
Speaker 3: She was just sitting there smoking, and all of a
sudden she kind of gasped from breath and pappl over dead.
Speaker 2: Never said a word or.
Speaker 5: He died, real peaceful, just like the cigarette. He was.
He was such an ease.
Speaker 3: You do nothing, man, Just give him the matches. He
does it himself, that's all.
Speaker 2: That is to it. You haven't a thing to worry
about it?
Speaker 5: Well, well, well, amon, what are you doing? Planning flowers
and building a house? Never see so many tools and
implements in my life.
Speaker 3: No cracks, Margot, John, my gardener didn't come to work
this morning, and I have to get these rose bushes in.
Speaker 2: And let me see.
Speaker 3: Was it four bushes one foot apart or one bush
four feet apart?
Speaker 5: Put the mistress for the world tomorrow? What are you
doing now?
Speaker 3: I'm digging a hole to put the rose bushes in?
Speaker 5: Why a must it be three feet deep?
Speaker 2: Where they're big rose bushes?
Speaker 5: Igat strike oil?
Speaker 3: Let me know, William, Margot, Please, how can I concentrate
and let me see this burlap?
Speaker 2: Come over to this se.
Speaker 5: I have a suggestion. If that bush doesn't grow in
that hole, you can always put some concrete around the
edges and use the first swimming pool.
Speaker 2: That's very helpful.
Speaker 3: Oh, these bushes have thorns tomorrow.
Speaker 5: I have another suggestion.
Speaker 2: Fine, fine, hun, Let's.
Speaker 5: Go over and find out what happened to John before
you ruin the garden and yourself as well. Who is it?
Speaker 3: Oh, oh, mister crimm hello, mis lame hello Ms Graham,
John Holmes, Why why yes, sir, he.
Speaker 5: Is They didn't report for work this morning. We thought
perhaps he might not be well. Matter of fact, it's
late and he he's sick and dead.
Speaker 2: I thought so. Now I go up and see him.
Speaker 5: I don't think you're better. The doctor said he wasn't
to see anybody.
Speaker 2: It must be serious. John was always so healthy.
Speaker 5: He's complained to me before, mister Crimston. You see it
it's just hot, yes, it. His heart's been pretty bad.
Speaker 2: Missus Graham, and John called you.
Speaker 5: Oh did you.
Speaker 2: Tell me, Siriston, I'd like to see him right.
Speaker 5: Yes, I'm on. I don't worry, Missus Graham. We won't
stay with him long. Well, I will go about. I've
got to call the doctor. The mom asked Uncle, Missus Graham,
a terribly nervous woman.
Speaker 3: Yes, very, and I suppose it don't standable under the circumstances. Yes,
I fool so ah, here we are misters the room.
Uh well, hello John, Uh oh, hello.
Speaker 5: Mister Cranston, Miss Lane, Hello John.
Speaker 4: And I asked my wife to send for you.
Speaker 2: Say you as Missus Graham to send for me?
Speaker 3: Yes, but Julie's bugle. Uh tell me something about this illness.
Speaker 2: John. It's your heart, isn't it.
Speaker 4: Yes, sir, let's see if I'm gonna be like those
glady old as we planned the last spring, find one
day dead the next, and me, who's never had an
acre of pain in my whole life before, said.
Speaker 2: See, well, John, you said you sent for me because
you wanted to talk to me.
Speaker 4: Yes, sir, it's about my wife. You know how little
women know about money matters. Yes, I don't want nobody
to talk without a little I'm leaving you, see, sir,
as luck would.
Speaker 5: Yah.
Speaker 4: But I just took out a new insurance policy. Uh.
It's much bigger than they are carried before. But I'm
glad I did it. Now she won't have to worry.
Speaker 2: Well John, Uh, how did you happen to increase your insurance?
Speaker 4: Well it was that doctor my wife's been going to.
He he sure gave me some good sound advice.
Speaker 3: H he he suggested you take out more insurance. Yes,
I see now, John, I don't want you to worry
about anything.
Speaker 2: I'll see that your wife is willing by you. Just
take things easy. Uh.
Speaker 4: I knew I could depend on you.
Speaker 2: Say I missed the garden. I'm sure you do. John.
Speaker 4: There's bleeding heart shoots. They should be trimmed down, by
the way.
Speaker 5: I'll take care of them for you. John, might be good.
Speaker 2: I did it.
Speaker 4: Let 'em down, Frost.
Speaker 2: It'll be coming soon, knew, said John.
Speaker 3: Then what's the name of the doctor who advised you
to increase your insurance?
Speaker 2: Huh, I said John. What's the name of the dumbond
don John Margot? Yes, Lamont, he said.
Speaker 5: Well, Lamar, how do I look? Is my costume make
me look like the poor harassed housewife?
Speaker 3: Quite Margot, But I'm afraid you're going to an awful
lot of trouble for nothing.
Speaker 5: I don't think so, Laman. We know now that it's
this doctor pat Gells been treating missus Graham for a
long time. He's the one who advised John to increase
his insurance.
Speaker 3: Well, that might have been advice, sincerely often.
Speaker 5: But how do you explain missus Graham's conduct?
Speaker 2: If you mean what I think you mean, Margo, you're.
Speaker 3: Just about accusing that poor little woman of murdering her husband.
But I'll play along with you. You're going to doctor
Pascal as a patient.
Speaker 5: Yes, well, I'm a nervous case. You know what I mean?
Married nervous?
Speaker 2: Oh you mean married nervous? Uh? Huh? I see, well
you should have a name.
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, yeah, sure, sure, let's say let's see Beldon.
Missus Beldon, how's that?
Speaker 2: Eh, he's too good.
Speaker 3: I'd rather you save the characterizing until you see the doctor.
Speaker 5: Okay, okay.
Speaker 2: Oh, say, suppose you have to produce a husband.
Speaker 5: Oh, very simple. In that case you'll be my husband
and Martin.
Speaker 2: Huh.
Speaker 5: Now let's get going. Missus Beldon may have a date
with destiny.
Speaker 2: Come on, fellows, let's get to our business.
Speaker 3: How do we spend with missus Graham to get me
insurna check tomorrow? You know we almost bungle that job. Yeah,
how defective matches? Missus Graham told me that it took
hours for her husband to die. We must be more
capful in the future. Now there's my brother, you gentlemen
right the next room.
Speaker 4: It wouldn't be ashamed of Wallace and me, would Yes?
Speaker 2: Do I have to answer that?
Speaker 5: Huh? Uh?
Speaker 2: Uh no?
Speaker 6: Uh?
Speaker 3: Okay, Pascal, the restigards the matches on the table, help yourself.
Speaker 4: Uh no, night, I carry my own matches.
Speaker 2: Well, how do you do you wish to see me? Yeah?
Speaker 5: Are you doctor Pescal?
Speaker 2: Yes, I'm doctor Pascal.
Speaker 5: Oh.
Speaker 3: I well come right in please, thanks, yes, sit down here? Yes,
So then what's your trouble?
Speaker 5: Well, doc right, I ain't been able to sleep night
for a long time. I got into I wake up
with a store just as soon as I go to show.
Speaker 3: Now, don't be nervous, dear lady, but tell me how
did you happen to come to me?
Speaker 5: I saw your name on the door?
Speaker 2: Oh you? It just happened in? Is that it? Yes?
Where do you live?
Speaker 3: And Charlsey, Oh that's quite a distance from here. You
passed a lot of doctors on the way.
Speaker 2: Well, I.
Speaker 5: I got a cousin living in this neighborhood. Oh, I
come up here putting here every day I see.
Speaker 2: And what is the name my cousin? Yours?
Speaker 5: Oh? Mine?
Speaker 3: Huh Belden married? I suppose yes?
Speaker 5: Uh?
Speaker 2: Would you sit under this light? Please?
Speaker 5: Yes? Geezet of wine.
Speaker 3: Now, don't be nervous, now, missus Beldan. I am not
in the strict sense a medical man. I don't use
medicine as drugs with the cures. You see, most ailiments
are externally spring from a cause outside the person affected you.
For example, Laura an obvious nervous case.
Speaker 5: Oh, I get terrible nervous sometimes.
Speaker 3: Oh that ailment does not necessarily come from inside you.
It's the result of a condition which you are constantly
in contact with. It might be an unhappy marriage. It
might be would that call the doctor an unhappy marriage?
Speaker 2: Oh? Very likely.
Speaker 3: I have had women come to me who run the
verge of insanity. God, of course, I'm much saying that
that's so in your case, you may be very happily married.
Speaker 5: Well, no, doctor, an I don't get along in my
husband very well.
Speaker 2: Oh now that's too bad, Too bad, missus bed.
Speaker 5: Can I close my eyes for a minute?
Speaker 2: That's life.
Speaker 3: Well, I'll send it off there now. It'll be a
long time before I've permit myself to arrive at a
death and conclusion on your case, Missus Beddin. However, if
your husband should be the cause of your trouble, you can.
Speaker 2: Easily correct it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, huh by simply ridding yourself of the cause.
Speaker 5: For ridding myself, are therey much chances that my husband
never give me a divorce?
Speaker 3: Well, you just leave your case in my hands, and
here'sual be taken care of. Come in and see me
Wednesday at fall, and therefore that's right. We'll go into
your case more thoroughly at that time.
Speaker 5: Thanks, doctor, appreciate it very much.
Speaker 3: Oh that's quite all right. Good day missus Beldin.
Speaker 5: Goodbye doctor.
Speaker 3: All right for it to come out now? Oh, yes, yes,
it's all right. You heard the interview, Yeah, we sure
did that.
Speaker 4: Prospects certainly right for plucking.
Speaker 3: Looks like an easy few thousand dollars for her. That's
the trouble. It looks too easy. What I mean, think
she's a phony? Possibly? If she is, she's not in
this alone. We've got to play along. I want to
know who's in and up with her, and what can
we do. I'm going to send her to you, Nelson.
I want you to size the up.
Speaker 2: If you should.
Speaker 3: Confirm my suspicions, then I'd have to bring her husband
here for what he's probably a plant. If he is,
then we can nift the thing quickly and completely by
a process of swift elimination.
Speaker 5: There is Lamar Pascal's office is in that little frame
house deside the grocery store.
Speaker 3: Ye, it's a modest enough place. Why do you suppose
he wants to see me?
Speaker 5: Well, they probably want to condition your mind for a
big insurance policy, just as they did your.
Speaker 3: Gardener, John Graham and Margo. You seem to think Pascale
has several confederates.
Speaker 5: Yes, well there's that lawyer he sent me to Nelson.
Then there's a mind reader, but the name of Wallace.
Speaker 3: But remember, Margo, all of these deaths have been certified
as natural. How do you suppose they bring about these deaths?
Speaker 5: Well, I haven't progressed that far in their confidence yet,
but it's coming, I'm sure, Margot.
Speaker 3: I do hope you're right about this a fam But
now I think i'd better go in a loan first,
And for my own impression of doctor Pascal.
Speaker 5: But he asked me to come with my husband.
Speaker 3: Well, I'll tell him I'm to meet you in his office,
and you come in after I've been there about five minutes.
Speaker 5: Well, all right, if you think that's best.
Speaker 2: I'll walk on. You stay here in the car.
Speaker 3: Muggle all right, la monster, forget Mogo, give me five
minutes leeway.
Speaker 4: Yes, I'm on, there's no mistake about it. I take
a past call. I knew there was something familiar about
her face. Then I remembered where I'd seen it. I
went down to the newspaper office and dug up this
issue on the paper.
Speaker 3: That's a picture all right now from Margot Lane prominent
society here.
Speaker 4: That's right. The man beside her in this picture, well,
he's probably the one she's bringing.
Speaker 3: Here is her husband. My mom crinched the man about town.
Speaker 4: What are you gonna do past scal We can't take
any chances. That's they must be destroyed, book of them.
I gotta have the furut off. It leads up the
side and.
Speaker 3: Says, okay, good luck, Pascalf, thank you. Oh well, how
do you do you wish to see me? Doctor Pascal. Yes,
I'm mister Beldon. Oh, mister Belding. We didn't Joe wife
come with you. I expected her I'm supposed to meeting.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, in that case, I guess you'd be a
long shooting. My uh wife said you wanted to talk
to me.
Speaker 3: Oh, it's nothing of great importance, mister Belding. I simply
pes a man should know his wife's doctor.
Speaker 2: Well, how is that gonna help her? Hey?
Speaker 3: Uh, mister Belding, her face looks familiar. I've seen you
somewhere before. Yeah, I ain't never seen you before. I'm
sure i've seen you. Well, lots of people seen me.
I drive a can Oh I can't drive, ay, truly
a man about time. Eh, huh uh, yeah, I get
around all right, Yes, I imagine you do. Oh will
you have a cigar with me?
Speaker 2: Mister Belton?
Speaker 3: I smoked cigarette? Oh yeah, I help on a man
and I got my own match. Then, thank you? You
wanna after you? Okay?
Speaker 2: Oh that's one must have been da Yeah, I guess
so h.
Speaker 3: H how matches you'll get to believe me, try the third.
I'm sure you will get the results from that one.
Speaker 2: And I hope so. I learned to say.
Speaker 3: But what's the matter, mister Cranston. Aren't you going to
smoke with me? Dispatch? My what an inglorious and ma
glamorous man about town?
Speaker 2: And I'll come along, mister Cranston. I have a room
already for you. Wow, there's your wife barely are now
You won't be alone along, mister Cranston.
Speaker 3: You will be joined directly by the corpse of Margot Lane. Ah,
missus Belin, do come in.
Speaker 5: Thanks doctor.
Speaker 3: My husband here your Oh yes, he was supposed to
come with you today. Well make yourself comfortable. He hasn't
arrived yet. Why well, now, in the meantime, I have
something which I'm sure will interest you. A little picture
of a friend of mine cut out of the paper.
Oh I'm surprised, aren't you, Missus Beldon. I was too
when I saw it. I said, my what a strange coincidence.
Miss Margot Lane looks exactly like my Missus Belden. Yeah, yeah,
it does look like me. I wouldn't it really be
amazing if mister Beldon turned out to resemble this Lamont
Cranston in the same picture.
Speaker 2: It could happen, you know.
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, I guess so why keeping?
Speaker 2: Oh no, no, Missus Beldon. He should be here directly.
Be patient. You sit down please, There we are cigarette.
Speaker 3: Missus Belden. No, I don't, Oh, but you should. It's
good for the nerves, as your physician may describe it. Here,
I'll give you a light.
Speaker 5: Oh what's the matter, doctor Pascal? You dropped the match?
Speaker 2: Why I didn't drop the matches? They were not for
my hand? What was that? I had a man's laugh?
So you did? Doctor who spoke? Who are you? What
are you?
Speaker 3: I am the fact that you failed to reckon with
when you embarked on your murder for profit enterprise.
Speaker 2: I am the shadow shadow.
Speaker 3: Yes, I've heard of you, but murder for prophet I
don't know what you mean by that.
Speaker 2: If you're responsible for the death of John Graham and
many others, why this is nonsense. I never heard of
a John Grayno use bluffing, Pascal.
Speaker 3: I've already phoned the police to pick up your two
henchman Nelson and Wallace, your next a police have no
evidence against me, that's a lack. I shall supply I
have some of your ingenious little matches. Matches you lie
you can, and I have proved that at least ten
people died with a box of your matches beside them.
Speaker 2: I see.
Speaker 3: And you think you could stop me from leaving here?
Try it, well, I'll call you to let him go. Oh,
perhaps you're convinced now that it would be best to
await the police quietly.
Speaker 2: Well, I suppose you're right.
Speaker 3: I've always believed that one should accept the inevitable and
good grace in fact, with nonchalance. I know of no
better way to emulate that attitude than to have us smoke.
Don't wait now, mister Shadow. Your police shall find me
waiting in supreme calm.
Speaker 5: I'm glad we're on our way home. Lamant living in
a land of.
Speaker 3: The dead, that's very native the truth. Mother, we were
both pretty close to him.
Speaker 5: What will happen? And missus Graham and those other women
who worked with pastcal and killing their.
Speaker 3: Husband, The law will deal with them, dear, Well, how.
Speaker 5: Did you ever find out about those matches?
Speaker 2: Well?
Speaker 3: I learned that many of the people who died so
mysteriously were found with an empty match box beside them.
But that peculiar circumstance didn't crystallize my mind until Pascal
invited me to have a smoke.
Speaker 5: Oh why didn't the match kill you?
Speaker 2: Eh?
Speaker 3: Because I had palmed Pascal's match and lit one of
my own.
Speaker 2: He thought he had me.
Speaker 5: Though the more Yes, wouldn't it be wonderful?
Speaker 2: Wouldn't what be wonderful?
Speaker 5: If you were only that clever planning Rose Bushes.
Speaker 6: He's the arch criminal who believes he can realize his
base desires by outwitting or the shadow, the weed of crime.
Speaker 2: There's bitter fruit. Crime does not pay the shadow, nos.
Speaker 1: Now the curtain falls on the Shadow in Murder Incorporated.
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