Personal notice, dangerous my stock and trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details.
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Framed For Hanging, another adventure of George Valentine.
Dear Mr. Valentine, my name is A.W. Anchors. The card I'm enclosing will introduce you as my representative.
Anchors? Surely you realize the importance of that name. Of course, the initial A is for Andrews and all the money of his mother's family.
Never heard of him. Well, let me read the rest of this. He's from Detroit. And when he asked me this afternoon to deliver this message...
Oh, hold it, will you please? Well, I only... You're just delivering this note, check. Mr. whatever your name is?
Frame. Gerald Frame. But of course, everyone calls me Jerry. You see, I'm in the downtown office of Mr. Anchor's local administrative branch. He's only in town once every six months or so.
Okay, okay, Frame. I get the picture. Everyone makes his little joke. So, Mr. Frame, tell me what's in this note from this big shot boss of yours, Anchors.
Well, of course, I don't know exactly what... If you don't know, tell me why you should know. You delivered it like the man said. Thanks very much. Goodbye.
No, no, he asked... I don't mind though. Certainly if Mr. Anchor's needs assistance, we should all do what we can.
Curiosity killed a cat. Doesn't that worry an office boy? What? Off... I beg your pardon. I'll have you know I'm in a position of some trust in the organization.
Take your frame out of it. Now, see here, Mr. Valentine... Eager beaver. Yeah, go on with the letter, Brooksie.
Oh, dear Mr. Valentine, my name is A.W. Anchor's, the card I'm enclosing will introduce you as my representative. I expect you to meet me at the office of the Dewey Company, one of my local holdings, promptly at 5.30.
Uh-huh, as Nibs has spoken. Well, it's almost 5.30 now. Think I'm supposed to tremble?
George, listen. My local inspection tour suggests that I have one problem of personnel to clean up.
Oh, personnel. So that's it. Name a frame you want to vet. The office nuisance. Big case.
Yeah, he's certain.
What's the matter?
Well, maybe this isn't quite as routine as it looks, George. Mr. Anchor says, I normally don't interfere in these matters of local personnel, but I need your advice since I certainly don't want to be the employer of anyone who might commit murder.
We're only a few minutes late, George.
I don't see anybody waiting in the reception room.
I'm dreadfully sorry, but we are closed now.
Well, this is the office of the Dewey Company, isn't it?
Administrative section, but I'm dreadfully sorry. I'm just locking up.
We were supposed to meet someone here.
Please leave your name on the pad. Besides, I have a date myself. I'm sure you understand.
Supposed to meet Mr. Anchor. Dreadfully sorry.
Who?
A.W. Anchor. I have a card he wrote to introduce me.
Oh no, Nola, that's not necessary. I'm so sorry. Yes, of course, you're his personal representative. I mean, I had no idea. It's just that I had a date and I was trying to get away. Oh, please excuse me.
Well, sure, but where is he?
Well, he was in and left. I don't know, but he'll be back if he said he'd meet you. Why don't you just sit down and wait? I mean, here, you take the keys. That's it. And for heaven's sake, don't tell him I treated you like a salesman.
Hey, wait a minute.
I've got to get my coat. You just lock up and leave. Leave the keys here tomorrow.
Well, my little card seems to work wonders. Imagine knowing a man who knows a man who knows A.W. Anchor.
Oh, sure. Big man except in words. If he'd only tell me what it was he wants me to do, I'd probably...
A.W. Anchor, your name isn't George Valentine, is it?
Oh, back again. Now, that's right. What's yours?
Angela. Angela Barkley. There's an envelope out there on the table. It's in Mr. Anchor's handwriting.
For me? Yeah, let me see it.
Well, he must have left it when he was here.
Yeah, yeah, thanks. Well, what are you waiting for?
Mr. Valentine, what exactly are you doing for Mr. Anchor's?
You expect me to answer that?
Well, I don't want to be personal quite so quickly.
No, of course you don't, darling. Mr. Valentine is nothing but a personnel man.
Well, I might be personnel, mightn't I?
Yeah, yeah, I guess you could be a problem.
Oh, by thank you. But that wasn't quite...
George, Miss Barkley seems to have a date with Jerry Frame tonight. I'm sure she's in a hurry.
What? Well, how did you know?
Guest. He's a man we met once. I noticed Mr. Frame's picture on your desk, that's all.
He looks much better without his glasses.
Oh, well, he doesn't mean anything. He's just the pursuing type, you know how it is.
And when your job throws you together with someone who's ambitious...
Sure, sure. You're curious, aren't you?
What? Oh, but I'll stay here if you like. I meant I could break the date or...
I know, I know. That's what I mean.
You and Frame have one thing in common. You'd like to know what's in this letter.
Well, good night, Mr. Valentine.
Well, it looks good, George. She might be the type any employer would worry about.
Oh, well, you know, this case is crazy. More orders than the big man.
Oh, what does Mr. Ankers say?
Sorry, but I see no reason for waiting. Besides, the person I want you to meet and give me your opinion on is right there anyway.
What? Well, then it is her. Wait, I'll call her.
His name is Joseph Portland.
Huh? Oh, that does it. Somebody we haven't even met yet.
Joseph Portland? He's right here in the woodwork, I suppose.
Oh, all the silly, crazy things.
George, where are you going?
To give anchors the benefit of the doubt for about one quick look, then we go home.
But that's the wrong door.
Oh, where are the lights back here anyway?
This might lead to another office, but from the street it just looks like warehouses in the back.
I know.
Oh, ouch.
He's right here. Sure, investigate the little man who wasn't there.
Ah. Yeah. Well, that's no employee. Somebody snooping around.
Stand still, Angel. There's a side window here. I can see the street light.
I want to take a look at it.
Oh, no, George!
Doc, Doc, I'm all right.
Hold still there. I see you.
That's crazy.
There he comes.
Don't move, I said. I got the drop on you.
What the heck with him, trigger-happy fool.
George, I'll be careful.
Thought you'd get me, did you? Well, this'll...
Hey, where did you...
Give me that gun, you bastard!
Okay. Think you're smart, do you, creeping in here like...
George, where are you? George, what happened?
Relax, Bruxy. I can't even see where I am.
No, you don't. I'll get those lights.
Well, two of you. Guess I better get the police.
Night watchman.
Oh, brother.
Nobody's gonna creep up on me, I'm telling you.
Watchman. And I suppose your name is Joseph Portland.
Stand there, you. You bet it is. I'm no Hank Wales. I'm no sucker.
Stop. Stop waving that thing.
You stand over there too, sister.
Now, Portland, wait. I didn't know who you were, that's all.
Now you're educated. Operator, give me the police.
Now, listen, I don't blame you for jumping, is, Portland?
Hey, Portland, look, look. I worked for your boss for Anchors.
Yeah, sure. Here, look. I got a card, says I do.
Careful there.
This is the Dewey Company, Mac. Dewey's my boss.
But Mr. Anchors owns the company, doesn't he?
I take my orders from Dewey, see?
Sure, sure, sure. I understand that.
But you're a sick man.
You've got palsy of the trigger finger.
Hey!
There. Now shoot somebody.
George, he can reach the gun.
No, he can't. Come on, Brooksie, let's get out of here fast.
I don't have to dislike this case anymore because now it's all over.
But what business has Anchors got meddling with my personnel problem?
Mr. Dewey, I don't know and I don't care.
Now, I'm not blaming you, you understand.
Well, we are. It took too long to find you.
But it'd take a lot more than two hours to find the mighty Anchors.
So I'm telling you to get a new watchman down there and fast.
Thanks and good night.
Portland's all right. Anchors is crazy.
I'll phone his hotel.
Just because he buys me out is no reason for...
Mr. Dewey, whom do I sue for being shot at?
What?
But Joe is a watchman and you were...
He doesn't even call out to us or ask what we were doing.
Oh, you don't understand. His relief has been...
I understand you got a nervous Nellie down there who's got to be replaced.
That's all I care about.
Mr. Valentine, I know what Joe Portland's like.
He's been with me for a long time. So had Hank Wales.
Who? George, that's the same name the watchman mentioned.
And Anchors ought to understand. He was in town when it happened.
What kind of a bloodless machine is he?
Maybe Portland hasn't gotten over it.
Maybe he does need another vacation.
Wait a minute. Who's Hank Wales? What happened?
Well, I thought you knew.
Hank was a buddy of Portland's before he was killed.
Killed?
Sure, last year.
Oh, hello. Give me room 1610, please.
Yes, Portland got shot in the leg, but Hank let them get the drop on him.
Just from being such a polite watchman.
Who got the drop on Wales? Who killed him?
The same whoever it was who got away with the payroll and the rest of it.
Didn't you ever hear of the amalgamated robbery?
That was us. A third of a million dollars.
Oh, I see.
No wonder Portland's still a bit nervous.
Oh, hello, Mr. Anchors.
Here, give me that. Hello.
Hello, hello. Who is this? Hello.
Mr. Anchors, this is that sucker named George Valentine you sent down to get shot at.
What's that? What are you talking about?
I'm sorry to wake you up like this in the middle of the night, but I wanted to give you a report.
That's more than you gave me before I started.
What? No, no, no, no. I gave you his name, Joseph Portland.
I wanted your opinion, having such a nervous watchman, but you didn't wake me up.
The police did. They're standing here right now.
What?
I just hired you too late, that's all. Joe has murdered a man, just as I was afraid he might.
Joe has?
Yes. Killed a prowler not over half an hour ago.
Prowler. I knew that man should be fired.
Okay, Buston, let's have it.
Fine, watchman. Portland shot one of my own men, that's what he did.
Some worthless, young, eager beaver from the office uptown.
He killed a fellow named Gerald Frame.
We'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment.
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Now, back to tonight's adventure.
Now, back to tonight's adventure of George Valentine.
The mighty Mr. Anchors has hired you, a nervous night watchman at the plant of one of his local companies needed to be replaced.
The only trouble is he wasn't replaced soon enough.
He's killed a man, the eager beaver named Jerry Frame.
Well, if your name is George Valentine, it's a little hard for you to believe that this is anything but murder.
He was crawling along there, I tell you. I thought he was trying to get in where the files are kept.
But couldn't you recognize him? Worked for the same outfit that you do?
I'm a night watchman. I never seen him before.
It's true Frame had no business coming down here, Lieutenant Johnson, except in the daytime.
Just a minute, Mr. Anchors, please. Joe, didn't you challenge him or anything?
You think I'm doing guard duty?
So you shot first and asked questions afterwards.
Leave me alone.
You should have been fired months ago.
You can say that again.
I'm not going to end up dead like Hank Wales.
You cops ought to know what it's like to be all alone and responsible when people are snooping around.
He's right about one thing. This Frame guy was snooping, all right.
Came in through a side door to the planet and it's...
Well, I'll grant you the young man was apparently the type who nosed into everything he could.
What was worth snooping for?
I understand you don't keep oversized payrolls around anymore, Mr. Anchors?
Of course not. Not since the robbery last year. Insurance company won't allow it.
Oh. You're insured now.
Why? Wasn't he before?
Not completely. That robbery where the other watchman was killed and Joe here wounded
cost me the tidy sum of $75,000.
So if you think this was none of my business,
if you think I can sit around and be kind-hearted like Dewey has been doing...
Okay, okay. I get the idea. Thanks very much.
Of course. Whatever you wish.
He's sure the high and mighty, ain't he?
Hey, Joe, what did you mean people had been snooping around?
What you said a minute ago. I don't mean Jerry Frame because I believe it about him.
I don't know. Sure there's been something going on, but I don't know what.
Past week or two since my relief's been sick, two or three times somebody's broken in,
but I couldn't catch him.
Better be more specific than that, Portland.
Nobody's going to get the drop on me like they did on Wales. I got a gun, I use it.
This plant was robbed once, mister. Sure, Wales, he yelled to see what the noise was like a sucker.
They slugged him, then they killed him with his own gun. Same one got me in the leg.
Sure, me, I come running like a sucker too, but not anymore. I'm telling you.
Oh, Joe, stop it.
I'm the watchman here.
I know. I know. Jitters. That's what's wrong with me, ain't it?
Maybe Ankers is right. Maybe I ain't got no business working here.
I'm sorry I shot that man tonight.
Okay, okay, come on, Portland. We got some records to pull out.
Aye, wait a minute, Lieutenant.
Yeah? Hello, Sergeant.
Listen, we got the gun.
Huh? What gun? You're way behind times.
Portland here is going to sign a statement to kill the man. What are you talking about?
No, no, here, look.
This is the property of J.F. Dewey Company, police special.
Hank Wales' gun.
What?
I worked on the other case last year, Lieutenant. So did one of the ballistics men. He thinks it'll check out.
The gun that killed Hank Wales a year ago. The one that was taken away from him at the time of the payroll robbery.
That's it, sir.
Holy smoke.
Might explain why that Gerald Frame was snooping again. We found this gun in the top drawer of the desk in Frame's apartment.
First lead we've had in a year.
I know, I know. But wait, Johnson. All I want to know is whether that old robbery and murder was committed by one man or by a gang.
One man. And I bet it was an inside job. Maybe it was Frame himself. He was snooping again tonight, wasn't he? He had the gun, didn't he?
Hey, hey, wait a minute. Where are you going?
Your figuring's a little wrong, Johnson. But straighten it out for yourself. Meantime, I'm going to see a girl about a date.
You already knew I had a date with Jerry Frame.
Sure, Miss Barkley. And you probably kept it too.
No. No, I didn't. Honestly.
You saw him tonight before he was shot, didn't you?
No. After I left you at the office, after I went home, I was dressing. He phoned.
Where from?
Well, how should I know? He just said something awfully important came up. Something he'd been working on and he'd be delayed, that's all. Except, well, except...
All right, except what?
Well, he did say he was going to buy me a mink coat. I thought he'd been drinking or was trying to be funny and something.
Miss Barkley, do you think Jerry Frame killed that watchman and stole that payroll last year?
What? Oh, of course not.
I agree with you. A man who's committed a perfect crime doesn't keep the murder gun around for a year in practically plain sight for people to find.
Then what are you driving at?
But a guy who's nosy and ambitious and tripping onto old evidence might have such a gun in his desk.
You mean Jerry knew who the robber was?
Well, how else can you explain it?
Who do you know that calls at this time of night?
Well, nobody.
Yeah. You want me to be your last caller? Come on, get in there.
What? Mr. Valentine, please?
Come on, go on. Where's a piece of paper and a pencil? Never mind, I see something. Just stay in there and be quiet, will you?
Miss Barkley?
I'm sorry, I didn't hear...
Oh, hello, Mr. Dewey.
Melendez.
Yeah, me. Your receptionist doesn't seem to be here.
Well, I thought she might be upset, that's all. She knew this boy who got killed.
Yeah, I know.
What are you doing here?
Same thing you are.
You knew she had a date with him tonight?
No, no, I just thought she might be able to help tell us what Frame was up to.
But if she was actually planning to be with him, was actually in on whatever he was...
Well, I don't really know that, I just thought...
There's a note here.
Oh, I didn't pay any attention, just sitting here waiting for her to show up.
Frame 62, 1.15 a.m.
Well, yeah, but it's not her handwriting.
It might be his, mightn't it?
See here, Valentine, she's not mixed up in any of this.
I'm waiting to find out.
I mean, well, it's Anchor's company now. He's the one responsible.
But I know my personnel. This is all up to the police, not us anyway.
Sure, sure, run along if you want.
Yes, I... I guess I might as well.
Sure, you do that.
Mr. Valentine!
Mr. Valentine! What do you think you're doing in there?
Be quiet, lady, I'm thinking.
Let me out of here!
I heard those things you said.
There isn't any note in there.
Be quiet, I said. You're running away.
You've already left for the airport.
What? You're crazy.
Get that key and let me out of here.
Have a nice time in the waiting room. Happy landing. See you later.
Mr. Valentine, how could I recognize anybody?
When that stick-up happened last year, I didn't see anybody to shoot at.
Wasn't even a shadow like there was tonight.
Just gun flashes and noise.
Y'all, I got you out of jail, didn't I? So trust me.
Brooksie, you sure Mr. Anchor's not the one responsible for this?
He's convinced that Angela's running away, if that's what you mean.
That's what I mean. Here we are, here's the airport.
Big dumb trigger, Happy. That's what those cops call me.
Well, Joe, don't.
Hey, Valentine.
Hey, you got men watching outside, Johnson?
Sure, sure, I'll play ball with anybody.
Angela's supposed to be running away on the 115 plane.
Still half hour or so.
From what, may I ask, Miss Brooks?
For you to figure out the obvious, Lieutenant.
Joe here is nervous, he's worried about you.
You should hear what the police doctor had to say about him.
Come on, come on, let's move out of the way.
Sure, call me anything you like.
Oh, wait, Joe.
I meant that somebody took advantage of you, don't you understand?
Sure, sure, I can figure that far, but...
If last year's robbery was an inside job, then whoever did it must have been scared to death of what Gerald Frame was finding out.
And what nicer way to handle Frame than to trick him into going down to the plant at night?
Like throwing him in a buzzsaw.
Only how was he tricked into getting that money?
How was he tricked into getting killed is a problem.
What difference does that make?
The important thing is that everyone knew that Jerry Frame was going around with Angela Barkley.
The one who committed last year's crime and who sent Jerry to be killed tonight must think that Angela knows who he is.
Well, now that's the trap. That's what we're doing.
I hope for your sake it pays off.
But you know yourself, Frame was the kind of nosy, ingratiating man who could have been tricked into using his nose once too often.
Anybody, Mr. Anchors or Mr. Dewey.
Mr. Dewey's an awful nice man.
He couldn't have had anything to do with robbing his own plant.
Sure, sure, sure. Skip it, Joe.
Come on, we'd better stay out of sight.
Let's go over there by that hanger and wait.
George, the plane's leaving. The police didn't do a thing. They didn't stop anybody. The plane's leaving.
Yeah, sure. Good bear trap. It just didn't work.
Not a smell of anybody. Anchors is still at his hotel.
But didn't anybody try to send Miss Barkley a message or a telegram to the plane?
Twenty-five men checked every taxi, every family waving goodbye, everything.
So she really could have left on that plane and no one would have tried to stop her.
We're right back where we were a year ago trying to solve that original robbery.
Okay, Johnson. So if you haven't got evidence, you make up some.
Huh? Oh, there's a bright idea.
I just did. Don't you get it?
What are you talking about, George?
Well, if it was either Anchors or Dewey, this stunt tonight would have scared the daylights out of them.
Okay? So it's not either one of them.
Oh, that's just peachy.
Now, I was hired to solve a personnel problem. Okay? Here I go.
Uh, if you've been so trigger-happy, Joe, ever since last year, Dewey would have had to fire you no matter how nice a guy he is.
What do you mean?
So, all right, you haven't been. You just got nervous recently.
I don't get you, Valentine.
Wild man with a gun. It's an easy enough act to put on.
What? Sure.
Joe, who could get Gerald Frame down to the plant easier than yourself?
Just phone up and ask him to come down for a talk.
And who else knew that I'd already tangled with you?
That you'd be jerked off that job fast, that there wouldn't be any more golden opportunity to get rid of nosy Frame.
You're crazy. You don't know what you're talking about.
When you pulled the original crime, when you shot the other night watchman last year,
and even shot yourself in the leg to make it look good, you slipped up, didn't you?
You lost the gun or it disappeared. So you had to stay on, had to keep your job.
It was the best cover anyway.
And then finally you discovered who had the gun. It was Frame.
And he was breathing close to figuring it all out, so you got rid of him.
Well?
I'll kill you for saying that.
Yeah, sure. Shoot first, ask questions afterwards.
But who else could have staged both jobs so they looked right?
Oh, never mind. I know we had to prove the other guy's innocent to make you guilty.
Only you did it yourself too, you know. The gun.
What's that? What about what gun?
In the original holdup you said you didn't see anybody.
And they slugged the other watchman and took his gun and shot him with it.
And shot you in the leg with it.
Well, so what?
Well, in the dark, all those flashes you chatter about that makes you so nervous.
How could you tell which gun did the shooting?
Unless you were pulling the trigger.
Why you dirty...
That's all, Buster!
Sorry, but sometimes it is better to shoot first and ask questions afterwards.
He's all yours, Johnson.
George, aren't you even going to wait to see what he says?
Hey, Brooksy, I've still got a girl locked up in a closet, remember?
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George, you mean Angela didn't have anything to do with it?
That's right, Angel.
Joe Portland ran strictly a one-man crime.
That was all there was to it.
I wonder if Mr. Anchor's guessed.
I wonder if that's why he hired you.
I doubt it.
Here, this is the street she lives on.
No, Brooksy, Anchor's might be a little high-handed,
but I got over being sore at him a long time ago.
Just like Dewey.
Perfectly nice guy who hates to fire people, that's all.
It was a pretty neat stunt of Joe's, wasn't it?
Pretending to be nervous, he could shoot anybody,
and it would be called justifiable manslaughter.
Sure, he even built up the legend by trying it out on me.
It might have been a hit or two.
Oh, George, it's so late.
Why don't you just give that key to the doorman there
and ask him to go up and unlock the door?
Oh, I don't know.
Personnel problem.
For anchors, of course, Angel.
Her name's Angela, isn't it?
Yeah, but she can scarcely fly out.
No wings that I noticed.
Well, you call me Angel sometimes.
You did just now.
Sure, sure I did.
What's the matter?
She's not that good-looking.
George, I don't have any wings, either.
Hey, you doorman, catch.
Go upstairs and open the door, will you?
I'm busy here.
I've got a little personnel problem.
Tonight's adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you
by Standard Oil Company of California
on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations
and standard stations throughout the West.
Robert Bailey is starred as George,
with Virginia Gregg as Brooksie.
Let George Do It was written by David Victor and Jackson Gillis
and directed by Don Clark.
Ken Christie was heard as Lieutenant Johnson.
Louise Arthur as Angela.
Clayton Post as Joe.
Pat McGeehan as Dewey.
Byron Cain as Anchors.
And George Neese as Frame.
The music is composed and presented by Eddie Dunstetter.
And our announcer, John Heaston.
Listen again next week, same time, same station, to Let George Do It.
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