Standard of California, on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations
throughout the west invites you to let George do it. One against a city, another adventure
of George Valentine. Personal notice, danger is my stock and trade. If it comes out troubled,
dead end, no matter which way, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details.
Dear Mr. Valentine, a city that's lost so much of its conscience that it's allowing itself to
be ruled by three cynical ruthless men. That's the gimmick I hope will intrigue you. Thanks to one
other citizen who feels as I do, I can now hire a man of strength and courage who's interested not
only in money but in the challenge of a very uneven but worthy battle. I've tried to fight this.
Try to fight this thing alone, me and my puny one-cylinder newspaper. All I got out of it was
threats, a few expert beatings and a reputation as a crackpot idealist. Come on in Mr. Valentine,
the water isn't fine nor clean. But you may be the kind who doesn't mind swimming against the tide.
It's signed Sam Morgan. Let me have that book seen. Here. Intrigued? Slightly fascinated.
Sharandale Chronicle, the voice of Sharandale. Population 70,000 and growing strong. 70,000
people goose-stepping for three little Caesars. Isn't it just possible George that Mr. Morgan may
be letting his journalistic fervor run away with him? Well what about the mayor, the guardians of
the law, the rest of the men of goodwill? Well that's what makes it so fascinating, Angel. Oh,
okay. When do we pack and go to meet this crusading editor? I'll hop the first train to
Sharandale. Since we may be gone for a while, you'd better clean up a few details here and
mosey along later. Okay. Check in at the biggest hotel, Brooksie, and I'll be in touch with you.
Sharandale, next stop, next stop, Sharandale. What? Ain't you kind of cold out here on the
platform, Jack? I'm getting off as soon as the train stops. You don't say so, Jack. Hey now,
look Buster, there's something about you I don't like. So don't make me take you apart to find out
what it is. Just come out to offer you a drink. Hell, I'm sorry. I don't slug my carp and varnish
out of bottles. That's too bad, Jack, because I brought this bottle special for you. Hey,
look, what are you trying to do? You're getting off here. Now don't make me carve things in your
face. I don't like the sight of blood. Well it's not gonna be my blood, Buster. Get off, I said.
Hey! Happy landing, Jack, and stay out of Sharandale. Valentine, I can't understand it. No one could have
found out you were coming here. Yeah, well nevertheless, Morgan, you can see I received a
very enthusiastic welcome to Sharandale. Gee, did you really get pushed off the train, mister?
Johnny, didn't I tell you to go upstairs to bed? And you mean you only got your face scratched up
like that? Johnny. I got a few other bruises, son, why they don't show. Hey, look, your train
was slowing down. I bet you it was one of those gangsters you're always talking about, huh, Dad?
I bet you. Oh, Johnny, Johnny, do as your mother says. Go to bed. Aw, gee, okay. Well, I suppose I
should tell you how sorry I am, Valentine. But after all, I knew what I was getting into. The
important point now, Morgan, is how did it leak out about me? Well, Mrs. Sharand is out of the
question. She put up $25,000 for this whole campaign. You may as well know it, Sam. I called up
Len Tucker and warned him. What are you saying? I wanted this man scared away. Well, looks like
we're a house divided. Why shouldn't I, Sam? For 10 years now, you've been running for mayor,
butting your head against the stone wall, getting yourself beaten up. We've been through this before,
but Valentine here, he could have been killed. You'll have to believe me, Mr. Valentine, I'm sorry.
I didn't dream they'd do anything vicious. I was thinking about our home and our future.
You just heard Johnny talking about gangsters as though this was some kind of game we were playing.
You heard him, Mr. Valentine. Yes, Mrs. Morgan, I heard him. Oh, Sam, Sam, give it up. Nobody else
cares what happens in Sharandale. Why should you? Well, because I'm me, Ruth. I don't think I'll
ever change. It's destroying us. That's all I know. You still want to go on playing ball, Morgan?
You heard what I told my wife. After what happened to you, I didn't think that you...
Well, just suppose I'm weak of mind and don't care if I'm pushed off trains.
Now, what's the setup in this charming bird? Well, as I said in my letter, through the years,
70,000 upstanding citizens have allowed themselves to become the pawns of three men.
And I guess it's safe to presume these three characters work together.
Yeah, they've got Sharandale neatly parceled out. And there's enough graph to make the authorities
look the other way. I see. Who are they? Big Ed Corrigan runs the gambling, backroom card
parlors, slot machine, bookie joints. Go on. Leonard Tucker, a very suave gentleman, sells
protection to businessmen, big and small. May know better than to say no to his salesman.
And number three? A truly incredible character who calls himself Wally Wallpaper.
Ah. Yeah. Came by the name because of the loud ties he wears. Buys and buys a dozen. He has his big
pudgy hands and everything that happens after dark. Nightclubs, road houses, things like that.
Ostensibly, he's merely the owner of a plush cafe called the Barrel House.
And you, with Mrs. Sharon's $25,000, expect to sweep all of this clean?
She's a wonderful woman. One of the first families, I guess.
The first family. Her grandfather founded Sharandale. She knows how to fight back, too.
You believe me when you hear the plan she's got. Okay, the sooner the better.
Have you got it straight, Brooksie? Yes, George. I'm not supposed to know you from a hole in the wall.
That's right. In fact, if you see any holes in the wall that even faintly resemble me,
don't look that way. Sharandale's Crime Incorporated knows I'm here and you can bet they'll try to keep
on my tail. Well, just how do I promote a job in that honky-tonk, the Barrel House?
Well, Brooksie, I understand the quaintest character since Dracula was a boy runs the joint.
He glorifies in the name of Wally Wallpaper. Huh?
From all descriptions, Wally fancies himself a ladies' man. So?
So you're a lady. Use your own discretion. Try to get a job as a hat-shag girl or in the chorus
or behind a cigarette tray. I'll tell you why later. Ours is not the reason why. Ours is to go in
and meet Wally Wallpaper. But just one thing, sweetie. If we're supposed to be total strangers,
how do we communicate with each other by thought ways? Well, I'm not going to call you at the
hotel anymore. They may trace the call. Yeah. But tomorrow exactly at noon, I'll be making a call
in the one and only telephone booth in the cigar store at the depot. Now, you'll be the annoyed
young lady who can't wait for me to get through. We'll pick it up from there. Okay. But be careful,
darling. You happen to be one stranger who's good for me. Well, that puts me in the glass with fresh
vegetables. But don't you worry, Angel. I'll be all right. But I may even see a glimmer of hope for
the home team after I talk to Mrs. Sharon.
Well, don't stare at me like that, young man. You're probably thinking, isn't that a blood-thirsty,
ripped-snorting plan to come from the lips of an old woman?
You should take up reading tea leaves, Mrs. Sharon. Don't you think it would work, Valentine?
Well, I'm not quite the clairvoyant that Mrs. Sharon is. No, Poppycock, of course it'll work.
It's the oldest maneuver in the world. You know what always happens when thieves fall out.
Well, there could be enough noise to wake up even a sleeping city. Exactly. Tucker,
Big Ed Corrigan, that merciless clown-wally wallpaper. If each one thinks the other two
are trying to poach on his territory, the three of them will be the children of the
world. They'll be an unholy clamor. Don't you see, Valentine? I'll have a real
chance at the polls next month if enough people wake up and are willing to do something about it.
It's all swell theory. But if those three are as thick as bubbles in a glass of champagne,
it's going to take some doing to turn them against each other.
There's $25,000 in Sam's account in the bank to turn theory into fact.
If any innocent people get hurt, we'll take care of them. I'll leave the details to you.
Okay, let's give it a whirl. Good. I like you, young man. You're a fighter.
Yeah, and I got some interesting scars to show for it.
I'm the last of the Sherrins. I want to see this a clean city before I die.
That isn't too much for an old woman to hope for, is it?
Don't get up, Mrs. Sharon. That's probably the Chronicle trying to get me.
Hello? What's that, Ruth?
Oh, for the love of heaven, calm down. What's happened?
Johnny, why, those dirty... I'll be over at the hospital right away.
I'll never let anything like this ever happen to you again, Johnny. This was all my fault.
I'm okay, Dad. You heard what the doctor said.
Easy, Mrs. Morgan, easy.
What about Mr. Valentine? Gosh, they pushed him off a train and that didn't scare him.
You're just a little boy, Johnny. You shouldn't be mixed up in this.
Well, I almost ducked when that old truck tried to run me over.
I guess we'll show those gangsters, huh? Huh, Dad? Just like in the movies.
Johnny, stop talking like that. This is not a movie.
Oh, and I think I'll close you in...
No, Ruth, Ruth, let's go out in the hall. Anything you want, Johnny, you just tell the nurse.
Sure thing, Dad.
So long, kid.
Sam, I...
No, I know all the things you're going to say, Ruth, but they're not necessary.
Well, look, maybe you folks would like to be alone.
No, Valentine, this concerns you too. Let me have a full break.
You too. Let me have a full bill of your fee and we'll call it quits. I know when I'm late.
No, Sam, that isn't what I was going to say.
What?
You fought too hard and long for what was right. If those men could do something like this,
they are capable of anything. This is our home, our town. It's up to us,
others like us, to clean it up.
But Johnny...
It's because of Johnny that I finally understood.
Valentine, I...
Save it, Morgan, I understand too. This is open war, friend, now.
And for one, I'm glad, no matter where it leads to.
We'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment.
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And now back to tonight's adventure of George Valentine.
You've come up against some pretty formidable assignments, but playing the leading role in a
drama called One Against a City, a city under the thumb of three cynical, ruthless men, is a bit of
casting you could have done without. Still, when a nameless hoodlum shoves you off a train and a
truck nearly runs down a youngster to warn you off, you just put your head down and wade in.
That is, if you have the same stubborn streak as George Valentine.
You started something Mrs. Sharon, so you may as well sit back and watch the fireworks.
You don't think I want to back out? All I expect is a fighting chance against those leeches.
I found out there's always a fighting chance Mrs. Sharon.
By heaven there has to be, especially when there are people like the Morgans and like you on our side.
The Morgans aren't letting anything scare them off and Ernie Krantz only made you boiling mad
when he nudged you off the train. Tell me something young man. What's that? Have you decided on your first step?
I'm working on a surprise for Wally wallpaper. Good, good, because I've got faith in my plan.
Play them off against each other, that's it. I may be so old-fashioned to douse myself with lilac water
every day, but I'm up to date enough to know how these modern James boys think and act.
If you were 10 years younger Mrs. Sharon, I'd put a musket in your hand.
And if I were 10 years younger, I'd take it. Now get along young man, you're wasting time.
Not wasting time Mrs. Sharon, just viding time.
Never mind thanking me for the job Miss Brooks. You can start pushing cigars and cigarettes here at the barrel house tonight.
Oh thank you Mr. Wallpaper. I think you're the sweetest man.
I think you've got class baby. Yeah and good taste. I could tell that the minute you went off, you're not about this tie.
I think you're the sweetest man.
I think you're the sweetest man.
I think you've got class baby. Yeah and good taste. I could tell that the minute you went off, you're not about this tie I got on.
Ain't it a beaut?
I've never seen anything like it in my life.
Hey look at it, when I pull on it like this, see? The girl does the hula-hula and the palm trees start waving.
What do you think?
Suddenly I'm on the beach at Waikiki.
Where? Oh, oh.
And what I like about it is it's so conservative.
That's right baby, I'm not one of them loud guys.
You'll find out how when you get to know me better, which reminds me.
Yes, Wall.
When you're through tonight, how about me showing you some of my other ties? I got hundreds of them.
To think you're taking all this interest in me, Wallop, and you're such an important man.
You're not wrong baby. If you knew all the joints in this town would pay off to me, you wouldn't believe it.
Why, let's talk about you. What did you say your first name was?
Claire.
I'll have your picture painted on a tie with your name right under it. How do you like that, huh?
Oh, that'd be wonderful. But just one thing.
Sure, name it.
Could you arrange to have me light up in the dark too?
Hey, look lady, I'm making a long distance call to my mother. Find yourself another phone booth somewhere.
Good work, Booksy.
You've been in there an hour. You don't have a lease on this phone booth, you know, mister.
Now that I've got the job, what do I do, George?
Come on, operator. Come on, come on, will you?
I don't think we're being watched, but be careful.
You'll find a little package on the shelf under the phone when I leave.
Where does your mother live in St. George?
One operator I did put in two quarters and a dime. Just smash this package on the floor of the barrel house sometime during the evening.
Then what happened?
Oh, you'll find out.
All right, operator, forget it. Okay, miss, it's all yours.
Now when the joint begins to jump tonight, Angel, just make sure Wally thinks one of Leonard Tucker's men did it.
Well, I hope you're satisfied, lady. You came between me and my mother.
Now I forgot my name.
I'm not going to forget your name.
Well, I hope you're satisfied, lady. You came between me and my mother.
Now I forgot what number I was going to call. Oh.
Yeah, what vice got through that stink bomb? I'll kill him.
Wally, Wally, I saw who did it.
I pointed him out to a waiter and he said he was one of Leonard Tucker's men.
So that's the way it is, huh? Tucker's been wanting to move in on me for a long time.
Okay, I'm just the boy to play rough.
Are you crazy, mister? What are you going to do?
See if you can guess.
Those slot machines cost money. Wait till Big Ed Corrigan hears about this.
Just tell him that Wally wallpaper has decided to branch out.
And that includes gambling in this town.
Now, please, Mr. O'Reilly, I'm paying protection to Mr. Tucker.
Forget it. From now on, you're paying off to Big Ed Corrigan.
No, but Mr. Tucker, he will give me a...
Maybe this brick through your front window will make up your mind.
The five days at Shooks' Sharendale. Valentine, you really blew the lid off.
Well, I hope the reform mayor-to-be has his speech ready for the citizens' rally, though.
All I can think of now is those three vultures tearing each other apart.
I like that headline you got in the Chronicle today, Morgan.
The Assemblyman proposes state investigation of conditions in Sharendale.
Ten years I've waited for this, Valentine. Ten long, long years.
You know, I'm glad for you. We'd better keep our fingers crossed, Sam.
See you later at your place.
Where do you think you're going, Jack?
Johnny OneNote. I've been waiting to catch up with you.
Don't be so happy.
This rod in my pocket ain't been used for a long time.
I might decide to see if it still works.
Where to, Ernie?
Don't get so familiar.
Get going for that job.
I'm going to get my hands on that.
Don't get so familiar. Get going for that car over there.
Valentine, if you don't stop fooling with that blindfold Ernie, he's going to break a couple of your fingers.
Why don't you boys stop playing cops and robbers? You got my future all planned.
What difference does it make if I know where you brought me?
I told you, Corrigan, this guy talks too much.
So we have big head among us.
You've been pretty busy these last few days.
Yeah, like a jet-propelled termite.
Well, it's all over now. You've got to decide what to do with you. Any ideas, Wally?
Well, I'm all for Ernie taking him off our backs. Let him earn his dough.
Yeah, one thing. Make it look like an accident.
Okay, Tucker, if you want to cramp my style.
I can make it so they find him laying out on the state road. He was jaywalking.
Jaywalking? Remind me to give you a tie, Ernie.
So the three masterminds finally learned how to add two and two.
Yeah, we think slow. Maybe we've got quick tempers. But usually we see our own mistakes.
All right, Ernie, take him out.
Time to shuffle along, Jack.
Wait a minute. For alleged big shots, you guys are certainly three 14-carat suckers.
Getting rid of me won't get you off the hook.
You ought to worry about the person who hired me. A very determined character.
You mean Sam Morgan?
You know, Morgan is in hock up to his neck just trying to keep his newspaper going.
Now, I'm talking about somebody who can buy and sell the three of you guys.
Can't you see he's just stalling?
No, let him talk.
Who are you referring to, Valentine?
The person in this room who insisted that you put this thing over my eyes so I wouldn't see.
You don't need eyes to smell lilac water.
Wally, take the blindfold off him.
Hello, Mrs. Sharon.
I see I've underrated you, young man.
What is this?
You made a very stupid mistake, Mrs. Sharon, when you mentioned Ernie's name the other day.
I only knew him as another gunsel. How did you know his name?
Unless you knew everything else that was going on, too.
A very unhealthy pastime, Alyssa. Double-crossing your partners.
Do you mind telling us why? Not that it's going to do you any good.
Now, well, I'll tell you why.
She arranged for you gentlemen to help her take over the town.
But you pushed her in the background.
And that's one thing a Sharon can't stand, especially in her own bailiwick.
I don't see why you three mongrels should be so surprised with you out of the way.
I could find myself the kind of associates who'd realize that I own this town.
Even though I may need hired help to run it.
Uh, listen, are we? So when does she don't pack around?
Oh, shut up, Ernie.
One more thing you underrated, Mrs. Sharon. That corny item, public indignation.
The plan worked too well. You saw that Sharondale might go back to the people.
Then you decided to backtrack so things would at least stay as they are.
So that's why you rounded us up, Alyssa. Showed us we had the wrong idea about each other.
Valentine out of the way, we never would have found out what you did.
Clever of me, wasn't it?
Too clever. Looks like I got two jobs to do.
No, we can't afford for you to have all that fun, Ernie.
If both of them get knocked off, too many things will tie up.
There'll be too many questions.
Well, what are we gonna do? She ain't safe to have around.
No. Alyssa'll have to go.
Why, you don't dare.
An unfortunate accident right in your own home.
You, Valentine, you're leaving town, am I?
You're too smart to hang around. You know there's nothing you can do.
Won't be a piece of evidence against us. Take him on a train, Ernie, with you.
There ain't gonna be no mistake, Corrigan, this time.
Go on, do like he says.
Come on, Jack. Good luck, young man.
We may be seeing each other sometime.
It was exciting while it lasted, wasn't it?
Yeah, a barrel of fun.
Especially for all the innocent bystanders.
Outside, Jack, outside.
All right.
Now, look, Ernie, you're seing me off.
And I'm glad to get out of this town, see?
So take that small howitzer out of my back, will you?
You don't know how lucky you are.
I'm just getting lucky, buster, because you're getting careless.
You are!
You had a lot more than that coming to you, Ernie.
That's where you're lucky. I don't have the time.
But I don't know whom we can get, Valentine.
You know how long it takes for the police to do anything when it involves Corrigan or any of those fellows?
No matter what she's done, we've got to try to help her.
I know. I'll get a couple of state troopers.
And anybody else we can trust. Tell them to meet us at the Sharon place.
They didn't waste any time getting here.
George, this is horrible.
Yeah, and they kept their word about making it look like an accident.
Old ladies have been known to fall downstairs and break their necks.
It's going to be hard for Sharondale to believe the truth about its First Lady.
Sam, you're not going to print the truth. And nobody's ever going to know it.
But George!
It's going to be the first real service she's ever done for the town she was supposed to love.
But Valentine, people have the right to know that this Mrs. Sharon was really responsible for Tucker and all the others.
She was feeding on every racket in the town.
But wouldn't it be smarter to let them think she was pure as driven snow?
I don't get it, George.
What better way of being swept into office, Sam, than making the good citizens think that a sainted member of the Ponding family was brutally murdered by gangsters they allowed to thrive all these years?
Well, we may never be able to prove that.
That's going to be your first job in office, Mayor Morgan.
Well, goodbye, Johnny. Take care of yourself.
I wanted to ask you something, Mr. Valentine.
If Dad gets to be mayor, can he make me deputy sheriff or something so I could carry a gun?
You better not let your mother hear you say that.
You ought to be thinking of your schoolwork and keeping out of trouble.
You're sweet on her, Mr. Valentine.
I guess you could call it that.
It can't be much fun having a girl who's always trying to keep you out of trouble.
Now look here, Johnny.
Oh, as a matter of fact, kid, I have all I can do to keep her from getting into trouble before I do.
Honest? Gee, you better hurry up and marry her before somebody else gets her.
Love that boy.
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Next week, when you tune our way for another adventure of George Valentine, you'll hear George saying,
All right now, Mrs. Pebbleman, Bruxy, jump in the car and hurry. I don't want to use this gun if I can help it.
Mr. Valentine, they were waiting here for you. All those men, they was going to kill you.
Yeah, well, they still have the same idea. Come on, get in the back, Mrs. Pebbleman.
Let her roll, Bruxy. And don't stop till we get to your place. Get there before that gunsle does, or we'll be missing one perfectly good client.
Tonight's adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the West.
Let George Do It stars Robert Bailey as George with Frances Robinson as Bruxy.
Tonight's story was written by David Victor and Herbert Little Jr. and directed by Don Clark.
Also heard in the cast were Hal K. Dawson as Morgan, Virginia Gregg as Mrs. Morgan, Jerry Farber as Johnny, Miriam Wolfe as Mrs. Sharon,
Harry Dobkin as Wally, Ed Begley as Corrigan, and Bob Dryden as Ernie.
The music is composed and presented by Eddie Dunstetter, your announcer, John Heaston.
Listen again next week, same time, same station to Let George Do It.
This is the Mutual Down Lee Broadcasting System.