Chapter 1: What is the premise of the backstage murder in Boston Blackie?
Oh, Mary, you can't mean it. What could I do in a musical comedy? What everybody does in a musical comedy, Blackie. Act and dance and sing. Oh, now, darling, you just have to do it. Yes, you simply must do it, Blackie. The club is counting on you to do it. They're counting, are they, Mr. Merriweather? Well, you're director of the show. Direct them to start counting me out right now.
But, Blackie, Miss Wesley says you can sing, and the dance routines are simple, Blackie, but terribly simple. And we're doing Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado. The dances are hardly more than little toe, heel, toe, kick, toe, heel, toe. Ouch! Well, you know what I mean. Um, Blackie... You mustn't forget the cause. We're staging the performance for the Orphans Foundation. And, um... Yes, what is it?
Also, I have a confession to make. We have already advertised that you will be in the show. Oh, Mary, sometimes I... You'll do it then. Oh, this is wonderful. Marvelous. Simply superb, Blackie. Rehearsal starts at nine tomorrow morning. At nine in the morning. Sharp, but on the dot of nine. What time was that again? Never mind. I'll be there. Only I've got a hunch I'm going to wish I weren't.
And now, back to Dick Calmer as Boston Blackie. Enemy to those who make him an enemy. Friend to those who have no friend. Whose deal is it, Arnold? I think it's Rogers. Yeah, it's mine, Lester. This will have to be the last hand. Oh? Why? They're opening this broken-down theater for the first time in a year to do a benefit performance of the Macado. You're just spoiled, Roger.
Being superintendent of a closed theater must be pretty soft. Well, it looks as if you'll have to work for a while. Only for a few days. Rehearsal's called in an hour, so this is the last hand. All right, Dale. Maybe I'll have better luck this time. I'll need more than luck from now on. I'll need money. What's the matter, Lester? Haven't you sold one of your statues yet? No.
Too many lowbrows in the world. Well, go ahead with your deal, Roger. Oh, sure, sure. Here we go. And give me something I can play with this time, Roger, will you? I'll try to, Arnold.
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Chapter 2: How does Blackie get involved in the theater performance?
Hey, wait a minute, Roger. What's the matter? Let me look at those cards. What are you talking about? You know what we're talking about. You've been cheating us, Roger. How long? Now, now, look, I'll explain later. I've got to get this theater ready for that macabre. Now, wait a minute, Roger. I want to see those cards. I'll let him go, Lester. But he's been cheating. Yes, I know.
I've been losing to him for two years, ever since the three of us started playing. So have I, Lester. Yeah, you're rich. You've got more to lose. I know, so I lost more. You know, I... I never thought a lifelong friend would do this to me. And I never thought I could be tempted to do what I'm thinking to a lifelong friend. All right, now, I must have quiet.
Please, dear people, I simply must have quiet. Now, this is a dress rehearsal, not a garden party. And I insist on having your strictest attention at all times. Now, places, everybody, places. We'll run through the wandering minstrel number right now. Miss Wesley! Oh, Miss Wesley! Oh, yes, yes, Mr. Merriweather. Now, where is Boston Blackie? I must have Boston Blackie on stage, please.
He's right here trying to get backstage and stay there. Go on out, Blackie. Now, please, Blackie, you're holding up the rehearsal. We simply must get on with the rehearsal. All right, Mr. Merriweather. Let's get the rehearsal over with. So I can take off these tights. Do I have to wear these tights? Of course, but of course.
The costume is as much a part of the role of Nanky Poo as the role itself. All right, now, places, everybody. The wandering minstrel number. Ready at the piano. That's enough, that's enough. Now, all right, Blackie, you know what you're to do while you're singing? Sure, practice ducking and weaving so I won't get hit too often during the performance. Oh, now, that's enough.
Please, that's enough frivolity for now. Now, you're to walk up those stairs past that open trunk at the landing there and around the balcony as you sing. Uh-huh. Now, here we go, everybody, and no matter what happens, keep the performance going. The most important thing is to keep up the performance. Keep up the performance? What about these tights? Ready, everyone? Splendid, splendid.
Here we go. Music, please.
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Chapter 3: What clues lead to the discovery of the body in the trunk?
All right, now, Blackie, remember you go up the steps as you sing. The theater is packed with an enraptured audience. Sing. A wandering minstrel I, a thing of shreds and patches, of ballad songs and snatches, and dreamy lullaby. My catalog is long through every... Hey! Blackie, I said to go straight through the scene, and I meant straight through the scene.
I know, but you see... Nothing must interfere with the rehearsal. Now, you're at the top of the stairs. Now, continue past the trunk and go on with the song. But, Mr. Merriweather, I just... No excuses. Simply no excuses. Go on with the song. All right. You at the piano, pick up from the beginning. There is a body here. It's in the trunk and murdered. A knife is sticking in it.
And so it had to die. Was the body a murder? Oh, my goodness. Lucky, this is awful. Is somebody really dead? Or is this just a joke? If this is a joke, Mary, that man in the trunk died laughing. Does he look dead to you? Oh, my gosh. Wait till Faraday sees him in the trunk. And, oh, brother, wait till he sees me in these tights. Sure, I'm here on a murder case. But you in tights, Blackie.
I can't stop laughing. You ought to see yourself. Boston Blackie in tights. Who are you supposed to be? Me? I'm Nanky Poo. Yeah. Nanky who? Poo. As Mr. Merriweather would say, Poo to you. Merriweather? Who's Merriweather? Our beloved director. Wait till you see him. Oh, that was Merriweather. The little fellow who kept screaming, The show must go on! That's him. Look, he's the boss. I've got you.
Inspector! Inspector! Yeah, Rollins? Those are the things we found on the dead man, Inspector. We just identified the body. Yeah? Whose is it? It's a man named Roger Knowlton. He's superintendent of this building. His wife identified the body. His wife, huh?
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Chapter 4: Who are the key suspects in Roger Knowlton's murder?
Where's she? In her apartment. Down these steps, backstage, toward the front. Thanks. I'll have a talk with her later. Now, let's see what you found on Knowlton's body. Put that in here on the table, huh? Here, sir. Here you are. Papers, coins, playing cards, and a lot of junk. I wonder why anyone would kill a theater superintendent. It's a funny thing to find in a man's pockets.
A deck of playing cards. Hmm. Let me look at those. Well... What do you mean, well? Well, for one thing, I can tell you that the reason Knowlton was a marked man is that these are marked cards. You seem to feel a little better, Blackie. Is that why you're going to talk to Mr. Knowlton's wife? I feel better because I'm out of those darn tights.
But I want to talk to Knowlton's wife because of that deck of cards Rollins found in her late husband's pockets. Why? What was... Uh-oh. Mrs. Knowlton? Yes. I'm Boston Blackie. Could I speak to you for a moment? Yes, if you'd like. I... Yes, I know. It's your husband's death I want to speak to you about. Oh, I see. Then come in, of course. Thanks. Oh, Mrs. Norton, this is Miss Wesley.
How do you do? How do you do? Come in and sit down, both of you. Thank you. I'll close the door, Blackie. All right. Oh, look what I've done. I tore the sleeve of my glove. Oh, it's a shame. Oh, I'm so sorry. I should have warned you about that nail on the door. I'll be glad to mend your dress for you. Oh, no, thank you. I'm afraid, anyway, even mended the tear will show.
Oh, no, it won't, really. See here on my dress, a tear is mended and scarcely shows. Why, you sew beautifully, Mrs. Knowlton. Doesn't she, Blackie? Yes, she does. Uh, Mrs. Knowlton, the police found a deck of playing cards in your husband's pocket. Mocked cards. Mocked? They think my husband cheated at cards? That's impossible. People who cheat usually win, don't they?
And if he had won, he'd have given me money.
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Chapter 5: What evidence suggests cheating at cards in the case?
Yet he's never had money to give me, as you can see by my home, by my clothes. Then perhaps the cards weren't his. Perhaps he was being cheated, Mrs. Knowlton. Do you know with whom he played? Yes, I do. Two men. Arnold Grimes and Lester Boswell. But I don't think either one of them would cheat my husband. They were his close friends. They were?
Well, maybe one of his close friends got near enough to him to put a knife in his back. Oh, wrong English. Wrong English. Dean Grimes? Arnold Grimes? Yes. What are you doing in this club? You're not a member. I'm Boston Blackie, Mr. Grimes. Sorry to have to interrupt your billiard game, but I'd like to talk to you. What about... Now, there's a billiard shot I've been trying to make for six years.
Know anything about three cushioned billiards, Blackie? Not much. But I know a lot about murder. Did you know Roger Nolton was dead? Yes. Now, if I give the ball that kind of... How'd you know? I don't know what. That Nolton was dead. Heard it on the radio. Ever seen a shot made? Once. How well did you know Norton? What business is that of yours? Look, can you make this shot? I can try.
And I can also try to find out how well you knew Norton. Oh, go ahead. Here's the kill. Let's see you make the shot. All right. You played cards with Norton. Did you know Norton cheated? Sure. Let's see you make the shot, will you? I didn't say I'd make it. I said I'd try. You knew Norton cheated and still you played with him. Why not? No law says I can't be cheated if I want to be.
Well, can you make that three-cushion shot? Maybe, if I do it like this. Huh. You even made it look easy. It was. If Nolton cheated you, why did you play cards with him? Because I could afford to lose. I'm rich, you see. He was broke. And he wouldn't let me lend him a dime.
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Chapter 6: How does Blackie confront the suspects about the murder?
Give me a chance to help him. Say, show me again how you made that shot, will you? Sorry, Grimes, I haven't time. The next shot I make won't be at a billiard ball. It'll be at Lester Boswell, the third member of your card-playing trio. Go away, I told you I'd pay the rent next week. Go away, will you? I don't want you to pay me the rent, Boswell. I just want to pay you a visit.
I'm Boston Blackie. All right, just a minute. Come in. Thanks. Say, what is this place, anyhow? A stone quarry? A stone... I'm a sculptor. This is my workshop. I'm busy working. What do you want? Just a little information about Roger Knowlton. Look, Boswell, did you know Roger Knowlton was found dead this afternoon? What? You dropped your chisel. Now drop the act, Boswell.
You knew he was dead when I came in here. He was murdered. Murdered? Yes, for cheating at cards. For cheating you at cards. Well, yes, yes, he did cheat me, but he cheated Arnold Grimes, too. Grimes had as much reason as I to kill him. Oh, no. Grimes had less reason because he has more money. You're handy with a chisel, Boswell. Maybe you were just as handy with a knife.
And maybe your fondness for marble prompted you to leave Knowlton stone dead. And now, back to Boston Blackie. While rehearsing for a benefit performance of the Mikado, Blackie finds Roger Knowlton, knife to death, in an open trunk. A deck of marked cards in the dead man's pocket indicates the dead man was cheating both wealthy Arnold Grimes and Lester Boswell, a poor sculptor.
As we return to our story, Arnold Grimes, who allegedly lost money purposely to the dead man, comes to see Knowlton's widow. It's very nice of you to call, Mr. Grimes. I really didn't expect you to... What did you expect of your husband's lifelong friend, Mrs. Knowlton? Now, Mrs. Knowlton, let's not pretend with each other.
Your husband died a rich man, you know, but before he died, he unfortunately made me a poor one. I... I don't know what you mean. I mean he won so much money from me with those mock cards of his that I'm broke. Almost ruined. Now, you should be satisfied with half, don't you think? Half? Half of what? Half of the money he won.
Now, I'm perfectly willing to get back only half and let you have the rest. I think you'd better leave, Mr. Grimes. Maybe my husband did cheat. I don't know about that. And how much he won or what he did with the money, I don't know about that either. He never gave me a penny of it. You're lying, Mrs. Norton. Am I?
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Chapter 7: What revelations come from Mrs. Knowlton regarding her husband's death?
Do I look like a woman with money? Does my home look like money? My clothes, my hands, my hair? Do I... Look, your husband won thousands of dollars from me. Tell me what he did with that money or I'll... Oh, you'll what, Mr. Grimes? Kill me too? I didn't kill your husband. Oh, didn't you? No, Mrs. Norton, I didn't. But I have a pretty good idea who did. This is Grimes, Arnold Grimes.
Open the door, Lester, will you? All right. The door is open. What do you want, Grimes? I want to talk to you. About what? You know very well about what. Some other time. Right now I'm busy. How come, Lester, put down that hammer and chisel and quit making those stupid shapes out of that rock? You pig. You murderer. You're the murderer. You dare to accuse me? I could kill you for that.
Put down that chisel, Lester. It won't do the job on me that a knife did on Norton. You said put it down. You're breaking my arm. I'll snap your arm in two if you don't drop that chisel. All right, all right. There. Now, are you satisfied? No. Now, Lester, I want to know what you did with the money you took from Norton after you killed him. I'm sorry I dropped that chisel. I'm sorry you did, too.
I could kill you now and claim self-defense. Don't you come near me. No. I'm getting near enough to get my hands on you. No, no, you won't. Put down that statue, Lester. Sure, I'll put it down like this. You don't throw as fast as I can move, Lester. Don't try that again. You might have killed me. Don't give me any ideas about killing. Because it wasn't Knowlton I've always hated. It's you.
Well, I guess Mrs. Knowlton isn't at home, Blackie. Well, she is, Mary. She's allergic to doorbells. I'll try once more. Oh, why, we tried for five minutes. Let's go. Mrs. Knowlton can't tell us anything anyway. No, I suppose not. Well, come on, we'll go.
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Chapter 8: How does the episode conclude with the resolution of the murder mystery?
Hey, what's this in the trash can? Looks like a rag. An expertly patched rag, Mary, that yesterday was Mrs. Knowlton's dress. Well, what about it? Looks as if it needs throwing out. Look at that tear on the side of it. That's a new rip. Yes, and the dress in this trash can gives me a new angle on this case. Where's the telephone?
Oh, there's one right over there on the wall by those steps leading to the stage. Good. Come on. I'm calling Faraday. What for? I'll tell you at the same time I tell Faraday. Eavesdrop and learn. Oh, goody. I've done some of my best learning that way. I've taught some of my best lessons that way. Blackie, does that dress in the trash can really mean this much to you?
It means I have Milton's killer. Isn't that a lot? Faraday speaking. Inspector, this is Blackie. I have Roger Knowlton's killer. Well, stop wasting my time, Blackie. Goodbye. Instead of goodbye, be a good boy and listen to me a minute. All right. One minute, that's all. Faraday, arrest Mrs. Knowlton for killing her husband. I found her dress in the trash can. A dress in the trash can?
Well, what does that prove? Proves plenty, Faraday. It's a dress with a small tear in it that's going to rip this case wide open. Yeah? How? I'll tell you how. It's little things like a lost button... paperclip, a speck of dust that spoiled the most carefully worked out murder plots in the world. This torn dress is another killer's little innocent mistake. What's a mistake about it?
The dress was torn. Maybe it had to be thrown out. Oh, no, Faraday. Mrs. Knowlton has been mending and patching her torn and worn out clothing all her life. Why? Because she had to. She seldom had money enough for new clothes. The dress I found in the trash can wasn't badly torn. But she threw it out. Why? All right. Why? Because all of a sudden, she has money.
Her husband's money, the money she killed him for. Faraday, she suddenly gave up the habit of a lifetime, and only because she suddenly had no reason to keep it up. Hey, this is beginning to make sense at that. Well, you'd better make time and get down here. Mrs. Knowlton's not here, but she'll be back. I'll be down in ten minutes. Make it five. Come on, Mary. Let's go out in the theater. Okay.
We're going to look for the money Roger Knowlton won from Grimes and Boswell. Have any idea where it is? No, but I know where it isn't. In a bank. Oh, the police would have found it already. He obviously hid it somewhere. Where? I don't know where, but his wife knows. I think it's in the theater somewhere. That's my bet.
Let's get our hands on that money, and then Faraday can get his hands on our murderer. There's the theater, boys. Pull up in front of the place. Right, Inspector. Rollins, you take a squad of men around to the back. I'll go in the front way here. Yes, sir. Come on, men. Hey, where'd those shots come from? Inside the theater, Inspector. I think they did, too.
Get around back on the double, Rollins. I'll block this exit. All right, let's go, Inspector. All right, come on, Inspector. Hey, what's going on in here? Where it is, that you? Yeah. Who's that, Blackie? Yes. What's it so dark in here for? Somebody turned out the lights. Well, what's the idea of the target practice in the dark? Hey, what's the idea of shooting at me, Blackie?
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