A
national broadcasting company presents Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, private detective.
Mr. Diamond, the reason you're here is because I want someone to talk to the mayor. I don't
know whether it was explained to you or not, but unless his honor is done away with himself
by noon, a lot of people are going to get hurt.
Including yourself.
Oh, that doesn't really matter. You see, in making my escape, a guard attempted to stop
me. I had to kill him.
Here's another exciting half hour with Richard Diamond, private detective, starring Dick
Powell.
The detective agency, there's no corpse like an old corpse.
Oh, Rick, that's awful.
Yeah, but what am I going to do? I can't be witty and handsome at the same time.
Well, don't be greedy. Just concentrate on one of them.
Oh, you're pretty nothing today.
Why don't you come on over and we'll both try and improve?
Shame on you. You know I've got to work.
Oh, have you got a client?
Well, not yet, but I've set bear traps all the way down the hall.
Well, now that's silly. How can you be sure you'll catch a client?
Well, I can't be, but I get so lonesome up here with no one to talk to. It's fun setting
broken legs.
Oh, you're impossible.
Diamond.
Oh, my gosh.
What's wrong, Rick?
Those traps. I think I've caught something terrible.
Hmm?
Diamond, I got to talk to you.
Who is it, Rick?
Sergeant Otis. Says he's got to talk to me, but I'll be darned if I'll teach him how.
Oh, say hello for me.
Helen says hello, Otis.
Tell her hello, then get off the phone. This is serious.
Hey, what's with you? Somebody steal your catnip?
Can't you stop being funny, Shamas? I mean it. This is serious.
Helen, I'll call you back.
Why? Is something wrong?
Well, Otis looks worried, and he's making sense for the first time in 11 years.
Oh, well, call me later and tell me about it. Bye.
Bye, Hag.
Now, Sergeant, what's on your personal mind?
I want you to come down to the station with me in a hurry.
Of course you'll think this is a silly question, but why?
You remember Lewis Spence?
Lewis Spence?
About four years ago. Caught him running around sticking dynamite under the homes of some of our city officials.
Oh, yeah, yeah. Socialistic nut. Put him away, didn't they?
Yeah, crazy as they come. Well, he's out.
What do you mean he's out? If they cured his head, he'd still face a lot of years up the river.
Oh, he ain't cured. Not a bit he ain't cured.
You mean he busted on?
Yesterday. Now, do me a favor and come on down to the station.
Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute and take it easy.
What's going down to the station got to do with Lewis Spence?
He's down there with the lieutenant.
Well, great. Put them both in fancy jackets and send them home.
We can't. He walked in 20 minutes ago and asked to see the lieutenant.
I didn't recognize him, so I let him in. Now we can't get him out.
Why the devil can't you?
He won't let us in and he won't let the lieutenant out.
He's sitting there holding a big bomb and it's ready to go off.
Oh, that looks like a convention.
Everyone's trying to think of something to do.
Well, why is Spence doing this? What's he going to do, just sit in there?
You'll really get a boot out of this, Shammus.
If the mayor don't jump off the top of the city hall by noon,
Spence blows up the whole fifth precinct.
What?
That's right.
Hey, Otis, get Diamond in there. It's 11 o'clock.
Hello, Charlie.
Hello, Rick.
What do you mean, get me in there?
Didn't you tell him, Otis?
No, I ain't had time.
Well, come on, come on. Why me? What do you want me in there for?
Spence wants someone Levinson can give direction to.
He says no cop.
Levinson buzzed out and told us to get hold of you.
Okay.
Wait a minute. Talk to the lieutenant on the intercom.
Spence won't know who's walking through the door
and maybe blow the whole joint up.
Otis, you amaze me.
I ain't so smart. I was Spence's idea. Come on.
Here, go ahead.
Walt?
Rick?
Yeah.
Wait a minute.
Diamond's outside now.
Okay, tell him to come in.
But just him. Anyone else?
Okay, okay.
Rick, come on in, but no one else.
All right. Otis, stick right here. I may want to talk to you.
Sure.
Diamond.
Yeah?
Nothing.
You're so right.
Hello, Rick.
Walt.
This is Mr. Lou Spence, Rick.
Mm-hmm.
How are you, Mr. Diamond?
What's the matter, Spence? You want an early Fourth of July?
Rick.
You think I'm kidding, Mr. Diamond?
You think I'm not serious about this thing?
Is that the bomb?
Right here in my lap.
He's got it rigged so it goes off the minute he relaxes his hand.
You see, I thought maybe the police would want to take it away from me.
If you shoot me, try to knock me out, well, it goes off.
Then you won't mind if I take a look, huh?
Rick, please.
Stay right where you are, and I'll stay over here.
Well, just as you say, Mr. Spence.
Mr. Diamond, the reason you're here is because I want someone to talk to the mayor.
I don't know whether it was explained to you or not,
but unless his honor is done away with himself by noon,
a lot of people are going to get hurt.
Including yourself.
Oh, that doesn't really matter.
You see, in making my escape, a guard attempted to stop me.
I had to kill him.
He split his head open with a crowbar.
That's right.
Oh, mind if I sit down?
Not at all.
But it's four minutes after 11.
I hope you don't plan on staying too long.
Cigarette?
No, thank you.
You look like a pretty reasonable guy, Spence.
Thank you.
It's too bad Lieutenant Levinson didn't think so when they arrested me.
Now I'm going to have to show him I'm not as insane as he thought I was.
Oh, well, you'll have to excuse that, Spence.
Walt thinks everybody's a little...
Well, you know, even me.
That's very interesting.
Oh, and with good reason.
Ever take a look at his sergeant?
Mr. Diamond, when the lieutenant arrested me,
I was putting an explosive under the mayor's house.
He stopped me in my first attempt to rid the community of a political Judas.
But now, as you see, I have a second chance.
You really think the mayor's going to jump off the city hall?
He better.
And by 12 o'clock.
By the way, you have 55 minutes.
Now, look, Spence...
Forget it, Mr. Diamond.
I know just what you're thinking.
How to get me without the bomb going off.
You'll never make it. It's too well thought out.
I've planned this for four years.
In case you're wondering how much dynamite he's got, Rick...
Oh, Mr. Diamond needs convincing.
Well, under this overcoat, Mr. Diamond, are some 100 sticks.
Uh, does the mayor know about it yet?
Yeah.
Oh, you want me to talk to him, huh?
I don't care whether you talk to him enough.
I just want you to be there when he jumps.
Swell.
And just because you come back and tell me he's jumped, that isn't enough.
I want his body in this room.
Uh, Walt, I, uh... I don't know what to say.
Don't say anything, Rick. Just get out of here.
I'm sorry I dragged you over, but I needed time.
You still do. It's 54 minutes to 12.
Clear the building, Rick.
Yes, do that, Mr. Diamond.
I think the lieutenant is going to make a hero of himself.
Uh, look, Spence, I've, uh... I've got till 12 o'clock, haven't I?
Unless someone tries to get me.
Well, then, uh, sit tight, Walt, and give me till 12.
Okay, Rick.
I hope you spend the time wisely.
I'm sure you'd rather see the mayor die than your best friend.
Oh, Spence, if you forget about this, they'll probably just put you back at...
Goodbye, Mr. Diamond.
53 minutes.
Okay.
Walt?
Go ahead, Rick. Like you said, 53 minutes.
Goodbye, Mr. Diamond.
Come back soon.
Otis.
Yeah? What's going to happen?
Clear the building.
Well, what about it, Rick?
Lieutenant wants the building cleared.
Okay, come on, you guys. Weapons and sets clear the building, so we clear the building.
Good luck, Rick.
Thanks, Charlie.
Okay, what do we do?
I don't know.
What do you mean you don't know?
It's ten minutes after 11.
In another 50 minutes, this whole building is going to get blown high in the kite.
Okay, do something.
Huh?
Well, go ahead.
Well, I, uh...
You see, Otis, you're in just as tough a spot as I am.
Yeah, but you're smarter than I am. You can usually come up with something.
Well, usually my problems are a puzzle, Otis.
Spencer's a problem and a puzzle.
I don't know about guys like him.
Well, for Pete's sake, who does?
Well, that's an idea.
Huh?
Stay here and keep close to the intercom.
Don't let the lieutenant get any crazy ideas.
Hey, wait a minute. Where you going? You're acting screwy.
Well, Otis, I'm going to go see someone who takes care of people who act screwy sometimes.
Well, that's the story, George. You're a psychiatrist. What do I do now?
Well, we solved your problem with that little blonde dancer in Flatbush.
Maybe we can do something about this.
Of course, she didn't have a hundred sticks of dynamite.
Oh, she didn't, huh? What do you think I talked about for six weeks on that couch over there?
Look, George, this isn't anything like that. This is a real mess.
Now, Rick, take it easy.
It's only a mess because you're used to working with something that has a pattern.
Maybe not at first, but you know there's one there and you set out and find it.
But with Spencer, you feel there's no pattern.
Oh, there's a pattern, George. Just wait for 38 minutes, then duck.
There's no possible way to get the bomb away from him without it going off?
Not the way he tells it. He only has to relax his hand.
That's the way he tells it.
Well, I'm not going to take the chance and call him a liar.
If I only knew for sure just how that bomb worked, I could reason with him.
Well, before you can reason with him, you've got to know something about him.
And what do you know about Lewis Spencer?
Arrested a couple of years ago for planting dynamite under the homes of some of our more prominent city officials.
Bound insane, sent to the state asylum, killed a guard, broke out, turned himself into a human bomb,
and took a seat in the 5th Precinct police station.
That's all?
Well, isn't that enough?
Well, I'll tell you what, Rick. I know Dr. Carroll at the state asylum.
Suppose we give him a call and see what we can find out.
You think it'll help?
I don't know. It might.
Lock distance.
Operator, this is an emergency. This is Dr. George Thacker, and I want to speak to Dr. Robert Carroll at the state asylum immediately.
What was the name again?
Dr. Robert Carroll.
One moment, please.
It'll be a minute, Rick. What time is it?
Oh, 25 after.
You got another phone here, George?
Yes, I've got several lines in the other office.
Then I'll make a call. Let me know when you get Dr. Carroll on the line.
Operator, would you please hurry? I hate the use of the expression, but this is a matter of life and death.
You're on my line, Rick. Use the other phone.
Yeah?
Jonas?
Yeah. Where the devil are you? It's almost 1130.
You talked to the lieutenant since I left?
Yeah, once. He wanted me to get out of the building.
Now, you just stay put until I get there. I don't want to wall to try anything stupid.
Yeah, well, I want to know what you're doing.
I'm trying to get an idea, Otis. Just one little idea.
Trying to get an idea? I suppose you've been spending the last 20 minutes sitting in Central Park waiting for one to come to you.
Rick, come in here and pick up the other phone. I've got Dr. Carroll on the line.
Bye, Otis.
I've explained the situation to him. I won't interrupt him unless I think it's necessary.
Fine. Hello, Dr. Carroll?
Mr. Diamond?
That's right. Now, doctor, I really don't know what good this is going to do, but tell me everything you know about Lewis Spence and as fast as possible.
Well, first of all, he's an aggressive paranoic with homicidal tendencies.
He feels persecuted by society or rather by those who help to govern society.
Why does he feel this way?
He believes in a great many things, all of which he thinks himself capable of achieving.
Paranoics are frustrated to a point where they perhaps imagine themselves as capable artists or great scholars, such as in the case of Lewis Spence, society being his judiscope.
Pardon me for interrupting, Bob, but don't you think Spence is capable of doing this sort of thing?
Oh, absolutely, George. You see, he's doing this whole thing purely because he enjoys the agony of it, but he's nonetheless ashamed.
But what about the mayor jumping off the city hall, doctor? Just to be ridiculous for the moment, what if his honor did jump? Would Spence then give up the bomb?
I doubt it. If the mayor jumped, it would give Spence a certain amount of satisfaction. But I still think he'd set the bomb off as a climax to his own cleverness and persecution.
Pardon again, Bob. Any usual therapy that you used on Spence?
Yes, as a matter of fact. Spence, as I've said, imagined himself a great talent, and he seemed to be particularly taught the more artistic accomplishments, such as painting and music.
In his quieter moments, we saw that he had a radio.
How does this music affect him, Bob?
He allows it to lull him into a sense of security. Sometimes he even believes he's written it.
You see, Mr. Diamond, he believes that his environment is against him, that it is trying to debase, degrade, and persecute him.
He fights off any acts of moral turpitude by becoming the thing he imagined.
Oh, I hate to break it up, boys, but it's 25 minutes to 12. I've got to leave. Thank you, doctor.
I hope I've been some help.
Well, you've given me an idea anyway. Goodbye.
Oh, Miss.
Just a minute, just one minute. I'll be right with you.
Oh, look, I'm in a hurry.
So you're in a hurry, so is everybody else. You'll have to wait until I'm through with this gentleman.
Sweetheart.
Now look.
You look.
Oh, a badge.
Yeah, now this is police business. Got to be in a hurry. Is that clock right?
Yeah, it's a quarter to 12.
16 minutes to.
All right, 16 minutes. You want to split heads?
No, I want a portable phonograph and quick.
Okay, okay. Here's one right here on the counter. Three speeds, interchanging.
I'll take it.
Okay, I'll go back to the storeroom and get you a new one.
Forget it. I'll take this one.
Look, mister, we've got a policy here. I can't say you're nothing off on the counter. Supposing it don't work when you get it home.
You'll hear about it.
You see, that's just what I mean.
Does it play now?
Certainly, like everything. Listen.
Oh boy, that's Pete Wugalo's new arrangement. He's crazy.
Okay, okay.
Hmm, don't dig it, huh?
Give me a record by Debussy or Ravel.
Oh, no wonder. Well, let's see, we got the engulfed cathedral by Debussy.
No, no, something with a little more excitement.
All right, all right, I'll read them off. Debussy or Ravel?
Ravel.
La...Wolfe, I guess. We got Bolero.
I'll take it.
Which one?
The Bolero.
Okay, I'll have to play it for you.
I've heard it.
So what? It's another policy of the store. There might be an imperfection on...
Give me the record.
Hey, don't get so grabby.
Now look there. You want me to have you locked up for obstructing justice?
Huh?
Well, unless you give me that record and this machine, this one right here, I'm going to snap the cuffs on you and haul you down to headquarters.
Oh.
You want me to do that?
Oh, you can't.
All right, what's your name?
Oh, take the machine and the record.
Thanks. Charge it to Lieutenant Walter Levinson, 5th Precinct, Homicide Division. If it works, you get paid.
If it doesn't, don't even bother sending over a repairman.
Diamond, oh my gosh, you know what time it is.
What exactly?
Exactly six minutes two. What the devil you got there?
A phonograph.
A phonograph?
You talk to Walt since I left?
No. Now what's the idea with a phonograph?
Hunch, Otis. Maybe we can save this whole mess.
Well, for Pete's sake, can I help?
Sure you can, Otis. Now take this machine in the other room and play this record. You know how it works?
Well, I can find out.
You've got less than five minutes to find out, so make it good. I don't want to hear anything until you're ready to let it play all the way through.
Okay. Diamond.
Yeah, yeah. Go on, go on.
Whatever you're going to do, if I louse it up, I louse up everything, huh?
You won't louse it up, Otis.
Oh, I'm so stupid, but I'll try.
Otis.
Yeah?
You don't have to wind it. Just plug it in.
Oh, yeah, yeah. I heard about them kind.
All right, then get going.
Okay.
Yeah, Walt, it's Diamond. What's up?
Careful, Lieutenant.
Oh, I'm getting sick of this.
Walt!
Yeah?
Relax. I want to come in.
How about it, Spence? By all means, have Mr. Diamond come in.
All right, Rick.
You have some news for me, Mr. Diamond?
Well, in a way, yes. Mind if I sit down?
Not at all.
Ah, how do you feel, Walt?
Ah, dandy.
I'm afraid the Lieutenant is growing uncomfortable. It is getting late, isn't it, Lieutenant?
Rick, I want you out of this building. This crackpot is...
What?
Wait a minute now.
What did you call me?
Now look, I've taken enough...
What difference does it make now at 12 o'clock?
Well, sure it does.
Why?
Because the Mayor may jump.
What?
Yes, he's locked himself in his office. They can't get him out. He just may jump.
Oh, really, Mr. Diamond?
Well, what's the matter?
I know the Mayor won't jump, no matter how many people die when I release this trigger.
I just want him to have to face it the rest of his life.
I want everyone like me that his kind will let fulfill their potential talents to realize what a Judas he really is, what all men like him really are.
Well, you know that makes sense.
Don't try to get on the good side of me, Mr. Diamond. I know what you think about me. I know what you all think.
It doesn't make good sense to you or anyone else. How could it?
You don't understand those of us who have a truly great talent.
Well, I'll buy that. I don't understand it.
Of course not.
Well, maybe he doesn't spend, but how do you know? Maybe I do.
Stop playing, Mr. Diamond. Look at the time. Five minutes. Five minutes and I become a martyr. We'll all get blown to kingdom come.
Rick, get out of here.
All right, Spence, I'm going to prove you're wrong.
Rick, for the love of...
Shut up, Walton.
All right, go ahead, Mr. Diamond. What are you going to prove?
I'm going to prove that I know more about you than you think.
Of course you know a lot about me. Criminals have records.
Oh, I don't mean that. I mean more about yourself, what you think, your talents.
What do I think, Mr. Diamond? You fool. How could you know what I think?
Because a talent like yours is easy to spot.
Four minutes, Mr. Diamond.
It's not hard to tell about people like you.
People like me? What about people like me?
Well, I, Spence, I meant that, well, there are not many of them there. There are few and far between. They're gifted.
What?
Certainly. There's something you have that very few are lucky enough to be gifted with.
Rick, please.
Nearly 12, Mr. Diamond.
I can tell that you are an artist, Spence.
An artist?
Yes, and a very good one.
How do you know this?
Very few people spot it. Do this, Spence.
Very few. You surprise me, Mr. Diamond.
He surprises me, too.
Walt, keep quiet.
Yes, Walt, keep quiet. It's two minutes to 12, Mr. Diamond.
You can leave because maybe you have been honest with me.
Perhaps you do recognize something that...
What's the matter, Spence?
Music.
Music? I don't hear anything.
Music. Beautiful music.
I don't hear a thing, Spence. Do you, Walt?
No.
Oh, you must hear it. It's beautiful.
Don't you hear that wonderful rhythm?
You see, Spence, we're not as lucky as you are.
No, no, no one is. This is my music.
This is what I would write if it wasn't for the people who won't let me.
What does the music sound like?
Oh, poet's words. The power and strength of death.
It makes you imagine things, doesn't it?
Yes, yes, oh, yes.
You hear the music and you become powerful.
Like making that bomb.
Not just anybody could think of that. It takes a genius.
You understand. You do understand.
Of course I do, but I'm still amazed.
There you sit with the power of life and death in your hands, and no one can do a thing.
It must be wonderful.
It is. Like the music, it's wonderful.
In seconds we'll all be torn from our earthly bonds,
taken away from this dirty, filthy world to a place of clean, wonderful things like the music.
But you, you're an artist.
How could you ever take a thing like that bomb and put it together?
A thing like this bomb? Oh, this is a masterpiece.
Just looks like a small box to me.
Oh, it took me weeks. Just a small box.
Oh, no, you see, if my finger relaxes...
Yeah, I know about that.
But this took genius. It's not just relaxing my finger.
It's how I put it together so as to get the required result.
It's like the hammer action on a gun, but it's reversed.
Well, I'll be darned.
You mean when you release your finger, that makes the hammer fall?
I can see you appreciate things of genius.
I wish you could hear the music too, Mr. Diamond.
You'd really appreciate that. It's so wonderful.
Well, tell me more about the bomb.
When you release your finger and the hammer falls, what does it hit?
Well, that's a simple part. I'm surprised at you.
I just wanted to hear you tell me. After all, you invented it.
Yes. It strikes a cap. It's that simple.
Simplicity can be beautiful. Don't you agree?
Absolutely.
Listen to that music. It builds and builds.
Tell me, Spence, what would happen if something got in the way of the hammer?
I mean, between the hammer and the cap.
Nothing can. There's nothing big enough in the box
that the hammer wouldn't tear right through.
Simplicity, Mr. Diamond.
I'd sure like to take a look at it.
Of course. There's nothing you can do.
So by all means, look.
Well, you've got glass over the end of the box.
That's right. See my finger on the trigger?
If I release it, that hammer falls and strikes that cap.
Why the glass?
So I could look in when I set it and see that everything was all right.
Oh, that's very clever.
That music is getting so big. I can't think.
What time is it?
Plenty of time, Spence.
Yes, yes. When the music finishes.
It's nearly done now.
What? I thought you said you couldn't hear it.
It's a phonograph from the other room, Spence.
What?
Tell me, Spence, what happens if I jam my hand through that glass
between the hammer and the cap?
What? That music! That music!
Grab him off, grab him!
Let me go! Let me go!
You don't understand. You cheated! You did lie! You did lie!
Let me go! Let me go!
Well, that does it. Otis, take him away.
With pleasure.
And you, Rick.
Yeah?
How'd you know that music could work?
How'd you know you could stop that hammer?
How'd you know you wouldn't... wouldn't...
Oh...
Did you hurt your hand?
Well, of all the...
Well, did you?
No!
Well, all right. You just bet it is. Goodbye.
Hi.
Rick, what are you doing here?
Oh, now, that's nice.
Stop by my place some afternoon
and see what kind of a welcome you get.
Oh, I didn't mean that.
I meant, what are you doing here so early?
Well, things were getting boring.
I thought I might come over and beat you up or something.
Oh, now, isn't that sweet?
Oh, Rick, what in the world have you...
Oh, oh, the hand? Oh, it's nothing.
I know, Red Heart, but what did you do to it?
Well, I, uh, I kind of hurt it.
Yes, I can see that, but how?
Playing the piano.
Oh, how could you hurt your hand playing the piano?
Well, you know how I live my songs.
Mm-hmm.
Well, truthfully, I was, uh,
I was singing the Brother of the Wild Goose,
and I got to that part about a wandering foot or a heart at rest,
and while I was trying to make up my mind,
my heart was resting, but my foot wandered up on the keyboard
and stepped on my hand.
And stepped on your hand.
Yeah, that's exactly what happened, yeah.
Well, I think you've got that bandage on
just so you won't have to sing anything.
Honey, have you ever seen me not want to sing?
Well, sometimes it's a struggle.
I don't even know whether I can play or not.
Well, why don't you find out?
After lunch.
Before lunch.
Well, maybe I don't need that finger.
Go on.
Love is a flower
That blooms so tender
Each kiss a dew drop
Of sweet surrender
Love is a moment
Of life enchanting
Let's take that moment
That tonight is granting
There's no tomorrow
When love is new
Now is forever
When love is true
So kiss me
And hold me tight
There's no tomorrow
There's just tonight
You like that?
Oh, so pretty.
Thank you.
Oh, that reminds me.
We're having spaghetti for lunch.
Oh, good.
Whistle
So kiss me and hold me tight
There's no tomorrow
There's just tonight
That was nice.
Now tell me, how did you hurt your hand?
Simple, simple.
I was grabbing.
Grabbing?
Mm-hmm.
Like this.
Come here.
Oh, Rick.
Oh, of all times.
Hello.
Walt?
Yeah, I just thought I'd call and...
Oh, you did, did you?
Well, you sure picked a nifty time to do it.
Did I bust up something?
Yes, you did bust up something.
Well, you don't have to get sore.
Well, who's sore?
I am.
That's the last time I let you do me any favor.
Okay, okay.
If that's the way you feel about it, good-bye.
Good-bye.
Well, what in the world was all that about?
Oh, well, honey, you see, it's like there's Walt
gotten some trouble and I...
Well, I helped him out of it.
No, you see, I don't want him to feel obligated.
But, well, that's not actually it.
He doesn't want me to know how he really feels.
I...it...
Oh, what am I trying to explain it for?
I don't understand it myself.
MUSIC
WHISTLING
You have just heard Richard Diamond's Private Detective,
starring Dick Powell.
Ed Begley played Lieutenant Walt Levinson.
Also in the cast were Wilms Herbert, Francis Robinson,
Stanley Waxman, Cynthia Corley, and Paul Dubov.
Music was under the direction of Frank Worth.
Today's show was written by Blake Edwards
and directed by Russell Hughes.
Dick Powell currently may be seen in the motion picture version
of the best-selling novel, Mrs. Mike.
This is Eddie King inviting you to be with us next Sunday
at the same time, when we will again bring you Dick Powell
as Richard Diamond's Private Detective.
MUSIC
There's more great listening in store for you today on NBC.
You'll hear the hilarious Phil Harris and Alice Faye show.
And this evening on Theatre Guild on the Air,
Gertrude Lawrence and MacDonald Carey will star in Lady in the Dark.
Next, hear guest star Deborah Alden on The Harvest of Stars on NBC.