Get this and get it straight
Crime is a suckers road and those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave
It could have been perfect
Snowbound in the mountain lodge with a girl who was falling in love
But also present were a widow sick with rage a bitter old woman and a jealous man
All with reason they hate me more than anyone else in the world
It happened like this
From the pen of Raymond Chandler outstanding author of crime fiction comes his most famous character in
the adventures of Philip Marlowe
Now with Gerald Moore starred as Philip Marlowe we bring you tonight's exciting story the grim echo
Oh
Some snowstorm, yeah, it's pretty thick. Yeah
You're lucky you caught me son, yeah, just closing up
When you have a better fill it with a regular
Okay
Does that mean that you're aiming to go on that's right gotta get back to LA
I wouldn't advise it son. Oh
Jacker and sure wouldn't have liable to hit 10 below they say yeah
Where you been skiing? Yeah week of it
Up at Angel's Roost. How's the road ahead?
You got 40 miles or nothing but mountains to the next town, you know
The bound again
Drifted over any time
And why don't you blow that thing? Yeah, and what's the tariff?
Oh
Call it three bucks even
You know, I've been running this mobile gas station here 20 years and I know these storms are nasty
Oh, thanks. Yeah. Yeah, I'll be all right. Yeah, that's what you all say
Out on the road. You could freeze to death
Easy miss pledge shirt. I'm wearing you're ripping me pop
Listen that shirt won't even start to keep you warm on a deserted highway in his blizzard
Take it from old egg or inside. I know
Well, thanks anyway, so long old jacker
Took me a solid nerve wracking hour to make 12 miles
I began to realize just how right old jack urns the gas station boy had been when the road ahead was lost completely in a constant
racing blur of white
Transformed every rise into a treacherous barrier. I had a batter my way through
The chains on all four wheels chewing at the drips. I
Managed to keep on the road somehow and plow out another five miles
And then I caught a glimpse of the first lighted window i'd seen in all that distance just as I started down the back side
Of a short steep hill
Then it happened
First the helpless feeling of a skid
Before I could do anything about it. I was off the road in the ditch nose first and hood deep
In a culvert drifted full of snow
I forced the door open and plowed it back up to the road
I knew there was no chance of getting the car out without help and lots of it
And the 10 below zero that the weather bureau had bragged about was setting in
I looked back through the slashing snow for the lighted window. I spotted and
Saw a lantern swinging crazily in the hands of somebody coming toward me
A minute later. I could see it was a girl. Oh
Hello, are you hurt? Now? I'm okay. My car's stuck guys skidded off the road. I know my watch
Oh my no chance of getting it out of there tonight. Oh, that's bad
Maybe tomorrow if the blizzard lets up we can get you out
Meantime you better come on up to the lodge mister lodge
You mean I slow off the road right in front of a tourist line. Oh boy. How can I be that lucky?
Yeah, well, maybe it's fate. We're not open for business in the winter, but on a night like this. I know what you mean. Believe me
I really appreciate it. I couldn't get tough staying out here
Oh, by the way, my name is marlo philip marlo. I want to pay you for it. Did you say philip marlo?
Yeah, something wrong with your business. Mr. Marlo. Oh, well, i'm a private detective from l.a.
I've been skiing. I don't care where you've been or where you're going
You'll get no help from me. Mr. Philip marlo. You understand? I'd rather get sheltered to a dirty dog
I hope you freeze do you hear I hope you freeze to death
She was a thin girl with black hollow eyes
Full of hate for me
She didn't stop or look back all the way to the door just ran in and slammed it shut
Couldn't understand it
Even on my worst day. My reputation never was that bad
I didn't wait around to worry about it because I was cold
Besides, I want to know why the good name philip marlo was such poison at a place. I'd never heard of before
I waited up to the heavy rustic door and looked in through a tiny window
All I could see was one corner of what had to be a big room. It was slog leather and navajo rugs
Dominated by an enormous fireplace that filled every nook with a warm dancing glow
Poisoner no, I wanted in
Hello, hello you uh, you picked a bad night to travel sure did
Well, uh, won't you come in? Oh sure sure
I'm donna. Why this is echo
I'm donna. Why this is echo large. We're not open now, but of course you can't go on in the storm. No, I can't
Besides my car's in the ditch. Well
You'll be spending the night then i'd love to but there seems to be two schools of thought on that subject
What do you mean? Well, I don't know why but you know, I don't think i'm very welcome
Why do you say that? Well, I'll tell you why donna. Well helen. Oh dear. What's wrong? You've been crying
Do you know who he is?
No, we haven't gotten around to the magic of my name yet helen, but maybe you'll be good enough to tell me
Does that mean anything to you?
Baraki. Oh helen. Yes, baraki
Virgil baraki was my husband
Virgil baraki was donna's brother and virgil baraki was the man that you shot down and killed. Do you remember?
I remember it. All right
Six months ago a trail that led up a blind los angeles alley to a garage where stolen cars were switched
I remembered the pair of vicious blue eyes glaring at me over the sights of a blazing 45
I remembered shooting back fast
When it was over I was alive and he was dying
Later the coroner's jury decided that killed in self-defense
The savagery here in the eyes of the woman who had been virgil baraki's wife said that that decision meant nothing
Yes, is this true?
Are you the one? Yeah. Yeah, it's true. I shot a man named virgil baraki
I had to or be killed by him. There was no choice you liar. You killed him in cold blood
Now get out of here. You've done enough to us get out
This is the man who killed virgil. I know i've been listening and I heard everything
Go find ralph for me helen. Then you'd better go off your workshop for a while. Did you hear me? I said
Go call ralph now at once
Tell him to open the cabin then go back to your carving
Can't turn a man out in this weather. Not any man
You'll stay mr. Marlow
Thank you. Mr. Baraki
Donna go get some hot food. All right mom
So you're philip marlow the private detective
You don't look much like i'd imagined you new people ever. That's not
Oh, um, would you mind fixing this fire?
I need another lock. Oh, no, it's all
You, uh, were stopped by the storm. Mr. Marlow. Yeah
My car skidded into the ditch about 50 yards down the road. I see
Almost at our doorstep you might say
Rare coincidence isn't it? Almost too rare mrs. Baraki
I uh, i'm sorry. The circumstances are painful for you
I've grown used to that kind of pain having lost both a husband and a son
Fate up to now has never been very generous
Do you believe in fate? Mr. Marlow? I don't know
Oh some things happen for which there's no explanation. No explanation. Who knows?
Perhaps everything happens according to a pre-arranged schedule
And for a purpose. Oh, come on. You don't really think I was deliberately shoved off the road at exactly this spot for a reason
You might admit it's strange though that there was a house nearby just when you needed one
And that it was our house
Oh, thank you, darling. I found me soup, but it's hot and good and there's fresh bread
The coffee will be ready in a few minutes. Go ahead. Mr. Marlow sit down. It'll do you good. Thanks
Looks wonderful. In the meanwhile, I'll check up on Ralph. He should have the cabin ready by now
It's small, but you'll be comfortable. There's a fine big oil heater in it. I haven't worked one for years. You won't have any trouble
Tell me uh, who is this Ralph? Ralph Tolman, young fellow who lives near here
Ralph works for us in the summer. And looks after us in the winter. He's staying over tonight because of the storm
He was my son's best friend
Oh, don't let the soup get cold. Mr. Marlow
The soup was thick and delicious and the coffee was rich black and steamy
Donna sat across the table and watched me eat
There was no hatred in her eyes. I looked for it closely. It wasn't even animosity
Only confusion and for some reason a shadow of fear
But as an hour slipped by and the conversation came easier the show began
The hour slipped by and the conversation came easier the shadow disappeared
Her eyes even began to smile a little
When I finished down to the third cup of coffee and started to help her clear the table the cup slipped
They both grabbed for it caught one slim inch from breaking and wound up together on the floor
Our faces close
We did it. What a team. The table waited the juglets. We could double it both and make a fortune
Yeah
Oh
Ralph yeah Ralph
What's going on?
We have almost dropped a cup
And it sure would have been too bad. Wouldn't it done it? You only got about 50 like that one
I uh, I don't know why it's so important to you before what it's worth. I was the one who dropped it
It's not important to me
I guess other things aren't so important to Donna either
I think you can get it out to the kitchen now without any more help Donna Ralph. It's high time that you
Mrs. Baruchy asked me to tell you the cabin's ready Marlow. Thanks. No, thanks necessary. Mr. It's just part of my job
Yes, everybody's job has its lousy side, huh?
even a private detective
Some of them get trigger happy. I heard
I'll see you Donna. You better get out there right away. Marlow
Donna's got four whole dishes to carry out with the rate. She's been going sure to get started or she'll never make it
Keep your fat trap shut buster. You're causing a draft
So I'm gonna walk behind me as far as the door and pointed through the snow to a tiny square of light sitting apart from the rest
Of the buildings that made up echo large
As soon as I was outside he slammed the door against my back and pulled it
I stood on the porch and thought about the setup for a minute while I lit a cigarette
And I stepped out to the snow and headed for the cabin
Halfway there. I could see it clearly it looked snug and warm
And under the circumstances, I knew it was better for everybody that I was sleeping outside the main lodge
But then I saw a sudden flash and felt the impact before anything else
Right in front of me the cabin lurched one entire wall burst out in a roof collapse
A second later as I ran toward what was left of it. I could hear the others coming
What happened?
Yeah, yeah, i'm okay donna what happened marlo I don't know told me
I can't understand
Yeah, yeah, that's the way it looks but it was working okay when I left I guess it's not gonna burn though the snow put it all out
Just another few seconds and you'd have been in there you've been killed. Yeah, maybe that was fate too, huh? Maybe
Donna get away from here. I wish you had been in there marlo you deserve it
He's got no business here
An accident on it an accident you hear they happen don't say this tomorrow. Oh, sure sure
Everybody knows accidents will happen. Mrs. Barucchi of course
But oh, then let's get back into the house before we freeze to death
You can have my room now. I'll sleep with donna
Come along all of you
In just a moment the second act of philip marlo, but first
Groucho marx his famous ad libs and his teams of opposites will be back betting their lives on most of these same cbs stations tomorrow night
You've missed half your life if you haven't bet your life with groucho marx on wednesday nights this season
Hear him on this top quiz show tomorrow night on cbs
Now with our star jerald more we return to the second act of philip marlo and tonight's story the grim echo
It was a dreary little procession that trudged back toward the lodge again from the shattered cabin
I said nothing and pushed hard against the storm as far as the front door
When they were all inside I ducked back into the biting blizzard and ran down to my car in the 38
I kept in the glove compartment there
I figured it would be a warning comfort through the long cold night ahead
Until I saw that somebody else had figured the same way
The lock on the glove compartment had been sprung and the gun was gone
Now there was no doubt about the explosion
It had been no less accidental than lacrecier borgia working over an after-dinner drink
As I hurried back to the lodge, I suddenly felt the kind of inside cold you can't have a blame on the weather around you
But a moment later that same cold began to fall
Because huddled at the edge of the lodge steps ahead was done
Where have you been? What have you been doing?
Everything's gonna be all right
Bill, please
Why did you go down to your car? Well, I'll tell you but you're gonna be sorry sorry, but you got so upset over nothing
I want to get some cigarettes out of the glove compartment. It was fresh out
That was your only reason cigarettes sure sure now. Come on, huh? You got to worry. Let's do it where we can both be warm
Come on over to the fire. I'm a city boy. You know, this cold isn't doing me any
Hey
Hey donna
Those tears in your eyes
There they're from the wind it it always makes me cry
Oh bill
Why do things have to be this way?
An hour ago when you were eating everything was so nice
so friendly
And then suddenly ralph angry the explosion helen screaming and clawing at your mama. Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean
but look
look, baby
Listen to me hard, huh?
You see the things you just spoke of ralph the explosion helen all of it all the trouble
It belongs to tonight
Like the blizzard out there
Oh, it's raging now. Sure, but tomorrow or maybe a little after tomorrow it'll stop
Everything will look bright and clean to you
Honest honey, that's the way it'll be
all the way around
believe me
Oh phil I
I want to but what?
But you're talking about tomorrow
I'm worried about tonight
I'm afraid phil awfully afraid
I spent the next 10 minutes trying to convince donna that there wasn't anything to worry about
And then when she'd gone to a room I went to mine and started all over again trying to convince myself
They out of season fireworks in the cabin and a gun stolen from my car
Made that a very tough proposition
I went to the cabin and I checked the room which was on the ground floor and close to the kitchen
And then I bolted the door and looked forward to some much-needed sleep
After that, I took off my shirt and shoes only got in the bed
And waited for sleep, which a weekend of skiing made more important than a cabin full of paint
Suddenly I was wide awake and sitting straight up in bed
The footsteps could have belonged to my dream the door that closed couldn't have
I scrambled out of bed and ran to it but it was still bowling
So I turned to the single closet in the room and opened it sharply
It was empty
Except for a long thin finger of light that streamed through a keyhole
A keyhole that belonged to a door at the rear of the closet that gave out onto the kitchen
Obviously the closet had once been a pantry
I tried the door, but it was bolder than the kitchen side
I got into my shoes grabbed my shirt and ran out of the room around to the kitchen and smacked into a very surprised round
Marlow, what are you doing up and rolling around? I'm a sleepwalker. What's your excuse? Come on. Let's have it
I'm through playing target for tonight
I know why you're hearing exactly what's on your mind. I will not before
Well, have we come to terms? All right. All right, let go
I'm here because my room is on the ground floor and I heard somebody cross through the house and come into this kitchen
So I decided to investigate you're a liar
You're in my room toman and you know it you got in through the door that leads into the closet
Come on buster. Let's level we're keeping each other awake. Listen marlo. I don't like you honest and I don't like the way you and donna are
The way we're what?
Come on boy. Get it off your chest. Never mind that now. Look at this
Wood shavings. So what? Yeah found it near the door to the closet in your room
Might also be the answer to who your visitor was. She left her calling card. What do you mean calling card?
Ellen, she's always covered with these shavings. She makes things out of rough pine
Where is this workshop of hers tomah? Up in the back. Just be on the barn
What are you gonna do marlo? Not that it's any of your business, but i'm gonna see the lady and i'll see you
What do you want?
Conversation helen if you don't mind
Wait a minute you inflate it. Close that door
I will and I will now get over there and sit down. We got a few things to clear up like what?
The way you murdered my husband perhaps cut it out
Stop it helen or i'll twist your arm off
Just as soon as you decide to behave those nails of yours draw blood baby. What are you gonna be good? Yes. All right
Now sit down over there away from those sharp chisels you work with and keep your hands in your lap
Go on that chair there
Very well, mr. Marlo anything to accommodate the man who was there
Very well, mr. Marlo anything to accommodate the man who murdered my husband which brings us right to the point you deny it
You deny that you shot him down. I fired in self-defense
Speaking lie
You did it to feather your own nest to be a hero to the police in the newspaper
You're wrong helen. I killed your husband because I had to he was on the wrong side. Don't make me laugh
You're all trying to get money for his family for me. You call that being on the wrong side
So much that he should have been killed shot down by the likes of you
Oh, mr. Marlo, you have no idea how through these past six lonely months. I thought of you
I wondered what you looked like what the man who killed virgil was doing
How you'd like to meet the same death you brought to my husband under the brave banner of law and order now
Wait a minute listen, I didn't plan your death a thousand times over
Don't think I didn't approach mama baracki ralph even sweet little donna with a delicious thought of revenge. No
No, they talk like you talk. Mr. Marlo
No, Virgil was doing the wrong thing. He was caught it wasn't right or wrong. It was him or me. Oh you shut up and listen
Sure, Virgil was stealing all right
He was stealing from me his wife. That's why he left here. That's why he tried so hard
That's why you had no reason to kill him
And that's why you should die too. Oh, that's also why we had an accidental explosion with the cabin
I was supposed to sleep in huh? I was clumsy. I was hasty. I won't be the next time you're completely out of your mind helen
Out of my mind, of course I am
Did you think this existence is living without the man I love could leave me otherwise?
Did you think making these stupid
Killing me isn't going to bring him back
Go on get out
And if you can mr. Marlo go back to bed while you wait for a chance to get me with my own gun the gun
You stole from my car
I'm not going to shoot you. Mr. Marlo
That would only further disgrace the baroque name. No
Now i'm not going to shoot you
But I am going to get you
For a long chilling moment I stared into the eyes of a half-crazed woman standing in front of me
The ice-cold bottomless eyes that a cancerous hate had destroyed as something human
And as I turned and started out of the room, I knew that I'd made a mistake that night
And Virgil Baroque had died in my arms
The mistake I had to correct before it was too late
And there was nothing left of helen but the ruthless machinery of a mind dedicated to murder
I headed back to the house and talked to mama baroque which I figured had to be the first immediate step
When I'd gone only a dozen yards from the workshop I stopped
Bill, Bill I'm over here. Donna what are you doing out here?
I couldn't sleep bill I couldn't sleep
I couldn't sleep bill I was too worried about you
And then when I saw you leave the house from my window and head for the workshop I
Bill fill your face. Oh, it was helen. She um, she got a little upset in there a little
Oh look at you your pocket ripped off your shirt your face scratched. Oh, it's all right. Donna. I feel she could have
No
Hey
Hey my pocket ripped off the gun. Oh bill, what is it? Tell me please. Hold it. Give me a second
Yeah, yeah sure it adds all right now look get over there inside the barn and scream long and loud, huh?
Yeah, yeah, it's our only chance. Go on do as I say down a scream
All right, I'll do it
So whatever you say
The second donna cut loose I stepped out of sight behind a tree that was opposite the barn
And I kept my eyes glued to the door of the workshop. I just left
I waited for the shattering report of the gun. I was afraid I'd hear
Then the door flew open and helen was running out toward the barn and donna screamed
My 38 clenched in a handkerchief in the right hand a look of stock bewildered and stamped over her face
Donna answer me what's wrong
What are you doing there by the barn
I don't know what do you mean? You don't know paper to me. Let's have that gun back without further discussion
Yes
Now get back against that wall and don't move an inch
No
Oh
Attempted murder, honey
She's all right attempted murder. You mean helen here was going to try and kill someone. Yeah herself
Suicide suicide that would be called murder and pinned on me
It's going to be her way of getting even I know bill
I can't believe she tried to once honey the explosion of the cabin
When that failed and everybody knew how she felt about me
I warped mind hit upon this little plan and all the pieces would have fit tight, too
What pieces what do you mean that one we argued?
To who she came to my room tonight and ripped the pocket off this plaid shirt so that we'd find it clenched in her hand
After she was dead, you see it three. She stole my 38 which has my fingerprints on it
Before she left an obvious clue on the floor of the kitchen a wood shaving that would bring me out here on the run
So everybody could find me close by when it happened. Oh, yeah, it was tight. All right
It's tight as a hangman's noose and then she was gonna shoot herself phil just after you left her and that that's where you made me scream
Yeah, and that's why now donna later tonight. I'm gonna tell her something that I intended to break to her gently
Something I was going to tell mama barucchi first
Something I hoped would straighten her out
what
Well your brother virgin didn't die the moment he was shot down and he
He lived long enough to ask one thing of me
What are you trying to say phil?
That I never let helen or you people here know about the woman he was in love with in la
The woman through whom I tracked him down
Well, I guess it it wouldn't be good for her if I was around too much
No, honey, not for a while anyway
It wouldn't be good for any of us, huh?
Come on donna. Let's get her into the house
Yes
Well, it was the next morning I went into the kitchen for some coffee and
Found myself all alone
Thought I wasn't any place inside
So I got my things together and walked slowly down to my car and
When I got in I didn't feel like leaving
Not right away
And I was glad that warming up my motor was the smart thing to do
Gave me time to light a cigarette and think look around back to an ecolodge where
I could see donna waving goodbye from an upstairs window
I'd see her again in a little while
There's a small world. All right full of echoes
And just think how the web of paths we call coincidence had brought me and those who knew and loved first together
Someday maybe
Donna and I would be looking for each other and those paths would make it a lot easier
The adventures of philip marlo bringing you raymond chandler's most famous character star gerald moore
Are produced and directed by norman mcdonnell and are written for radio by robert mitchell and gene levitt
Featured in the cast were sammy hill betty lou gerson verna felton frank gerstel and junius matthews
The special music is composed and conducted by richard arant
Be sure and be with us again next week when philip marlo says
This time a peddler of pulp paper love a black mailer with muscles
A south of the border chisler a simpering prude and a corpse in a bedroom
All had one thing in common
Each was a woman
Oh
Al jolson will pay another of those wonderful visits to bing crosby this wednesday night
And the gags and songs will again fly thick and fast
Bing and al will team up to sing waiting for the robert e lee and whispering
And as for the gags well just tune in on most of these same cbs stations
Remember, that's this wednesday night the cbs bing crosby show
This is roy rohan speaking
Now stay tuned for pursuit which follows immediately on most of these same cbs network stations
This is cbs where you bet your life with groucho marks every wednesday in the columbia broadcasting system