Episode 302: Long Distance

[00:00:16] Speaker A: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Podcast welcome to the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society of a podcast dedicated to suspense, crime and horror stories from the golden age of radio. I'm Eric. [00:00:36] Speaker B: I'm Tim. [00:00:37] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:00:38] Speaker B: We love mysterious old time radio stories, but do they stand the test of time? That's what we're here to find out. [00:00:43] Speaker C: Today we return to the Listener Library for an episode of the Chase, recommended by our mysterious listener and Patreon supporter Jillian. [00:00:53] Speaker A: Jillian writes, I thought I'd add something different to what must be an insane list from the Listener Library. Long Distance from The Chase Lawrence Klee's adventure series The Chase debuted in April of 1952 and continued to broadcast Sunday afternoons on NBC for a total of 55 episodes. Fortunately for fans of the show, almost all of these episodes have survived this one. [00:01:18] Speaker B: Long Distance features an intense performance by Jan Minor, who had an extensive career both on stage and on the radio, but may be best remembered as Madge the manicurist who would extol the benefits of Palmolive dish soap to her clients before revealing the shocking truth. You're soaking in it. [00:01:33] Speaker C: The script, written by Harry W. Junkin, was first broadcast as the premiere episode of a different series, Radio city playhouse, on September 25, 1948. Jan Minor starred in this earlier production as well, four years before the version presented by the chase, first broadcast November 2, 1952. [00:01:54] Speaker A: It's late at night and a chill has set in. You're alone and the only light you see is coming from an antique radio. Listen to the sounds coming from the speaker, listen to the music, and listen to the voices. [00:02:30] Speaker D: The National Broadcasting Company invites you by transcription to join the Chase. There's always the hunter and the hunted, the pursuer and the pursued. It may be the voice of authority, or a race with death and destruction the most relentless of the hunters. There are times when laughter is heard as counterpoint and moments when sheer terror is the theme. But always there is the chase. And sometimes, while sitting in a chair with merely a phone in your hand, the Chase can reach its climax in a matter of minutes, with the course to be followed marked out by a telephone wire that stretches between life and death. NBC is proud to present one of radio's outstanding chase stories, Long Distance, written by Harry W. Junkin and starring Jan Minor as Mrs. Leon Jacks, who is at this moment seated at the telephone in her home. [00:03:49] Speaker E: But Warden, you don't understand. After all, you're the warden of the prison. [00:03:53] Speaker F: Mrs. Jackson, I just can't act on your say so You. You've left it too late. I'd like to help. [00:03:59] Speaker E: We wouldn't. Try to understand. I've called the governor, but I can't get him. This letter proves that my husband didn't commit the murder. Why can't I make you see? My husband would never have been found guilty. If we could have produced this letter at the trial. [00:04:13] Speaker F: Mrs. Jacks, we always have these telephone calls before an execution. I know just how you feel. I'm terribly sorry for you, but there's nothing I can do. You didn't produce this letter at the trial. [00:04:23] Speaker E: I know we didn't produce it. That's what I'm telling you. I found it tonight quite by accident, between the lining and the covering of my overnight bag. If we could have produced it at the trial, my husband would never have been. Well, the case would have been dismissed. Can't you understand that? You're. You're. He's innocent. You're executing an innocent man. [00:04:43] Speaker F: But, Mrs. Jacks, I tell you, it's not in my power. I know how you feel. Believe me, I do, But. But you telephone me half an hour before an execution and start talking about some letter you found. I just. I just can't do it, Mrs. Jackson. It's something that's out of my hands. I don't have the proper authority. [00:04:59] Speaker E: Oh, you're so stupid. I tell you, this letter changes everything. At least you can delay the execution for 24 hours until you've investigated. You can't kill him. I tell you, it's monstrous wicked. [00:05:11] Speaker F: Mrs. Jacks, believe me, I can do nothing for you. [00:05:15] Speaker E: Well, then who can? There must be somebody. The governor. [00:05:18] Speaker F: The governor is the only man in New York State who can stay in execution. [00:05:22] Speaker E: Did I tell you I called him? He's out of town. The Lieutenant governor's out of town. Everyone's out of town. And it's only half an hour until they. [00:05:29] Speaker F: Mrs. Jacks, believe me, I'd like to help you, but I. [00:05:32] Speaker E: But you can't do it. I tell you. You can't. He's innocent. This letter proves he's innocent. [00:05:39] Speaker F: Well, Mrs. Jacks, who was the appeal judge? [00:05:43] Speaker E: McLean. Judge McLean? [00:05:45] Speaker C: Yes. [00:05:46] Speaker F: Well, under the circumstances, I mean, naturally, we do want to be. Just look here, if you can get Judge McClain to phone me here at the prison, I'll delay the execution 24 hours. [00:05:58] Speaker E: You will? [00:05:59] Speaker F: Judge McLean is the only man who can help you. I'm so. [00:06:02] Speaker E: All right, thanks. I'll call him. M, M, M, m, m, c McLean. McLean. McLean. Oh, here he is. Judge John C. Eldorado, 5, 0, 5, 9, 9. El do B, 5O, 5, 9, 9. Please, God, let him be in answer. No answer. Why? Don't. Please. Hello? Oh, is Judge McLean there, please? [00:06:54] Speaker G: I'm sorry, he's not. He's out of town. [00:06:56] Speaker E: Out of town? [00:06:57] Speaker G: This is Mrs. McLean speaking. [00:06:59] Speaker E: Where is he? [00:07:00] Speaker G: Well, he went to San Francisco the day before yesterday. Who's speaking? [00:07:04] Speaker E: You mean he's on a train somewhere? [00:07:05] Speaker G: No, he flew out. [00:07:06] Speaker H: Who is this? [00:07:07] Speaker E: Oh, Mrs. McLean, it's Mrs. Leon Jack speaking. Mrs. Leon Jacks? Do you know who I am? [00:07:13] Speaker G: Oh, yes, yes, yes, I. [00:07:14] Speaker E: Well, Mrs. McLean, you've got to help me. I don't know if you remember, at the trial there was a lot of talk about a letter which never turned up. We couldn't produce the letter that would prove that my husband was in Canada on Armistice Day and couldn't have committed the murder. Well, I've never given up looking for it, and tonight I found it, quite by accident. It slipped down between the lining and the covering of my overnight bag. I knocked the bag down off a shelf and it sprung open and the letter fell out. Are you listening? [00:07:38] Speaker G: Yes, I'm listening. [00:07:38] Speaker E: That's right. I phoned the prison for a moment, I was so stunned. Anyway, I phoned the prison and they told me that Judge McLean was the only man who could stop them from killing Leon. If I could just talk to Judge McLean, I mean, well, he'd recognize at once the importance of my finding this letter. The man at the prison doesn't understand that the whole prosecution rested on the fact that we couldn't produce the letter at the trial. [00:08:01] Speaker G: Mrs. Jacks, when's the execution? [00:08:04] Speaker E: In it, a little over 20 minutes. I've never given up. That's why I'm not at the prison with Leon. I've never stopped working to try to prove his innocence. I just got back from Canada tonight, was going out to be with him, and then I found it. Mrs. McLean. I've got to talk to your husband, Mrs. Jacks. [00:08:20] Speaker G: Phone him in San Francisco. He's at the Golden State Hotel. [00:08:22] Speaker E: Golden State Hotel? [00:08:25] Speaker G: Yes, he always stays there. I'm sure you can reach him. [00:08:27] Speaker E: All right, I'll try. Thanks. [00:08:28] Speaker G: Please let me know if there's anything else I can do. [00:08:30] Speaker E: Yes, yes, thank you. [00:08:31] Speaker G: I know it'll be all right. I just know it will. [00:08:34] Speaker E: Thank you. Goodbye. Long distance? Long distance? [00:08:49] Speaker H: Long distance. [00:08:50] Speaker E: Long distance. I want to call San Francisco, the Golden State Hotel. Judge J.C. mcLean? Judge J.C. mcLean, that's right. Is that capital MC? Capital L E, A, N. That's right. [00:09:04] Speaker H: Golden State Hotel, San Francisco. [00:09:06] Speaker E: Yes, operator. [00:09:06] Speaker G: And what is your number, madam? [00:09:08] Speaker E: It's region 4, 9970. [00:09:10] Speaker H: Regent 49970. [00:09:13] Speaker E: Yes, operator. And your name, madam? Mrs. Leon Jacks. J, A, C, K, S. Thank you, madam. [00:09:19] Speaker H: I will call you. [00:09:20] Speaker E: Operator, this is a very important call. How long will you be? [00:09:23] Speaker H: The circuits are busy, madam. [00:09:25] Speaker E: I will call you. But how long will it take? [00:09:27] Speaker H: It's hard to say, madam. [00:09:28] Speaker E: I'll call you A. Operator, I have to know how long this call will take. It's very urgent. It's a matter. It's very urgent. [00:09:34] Speaker H: The circuits are busy west of Chicago, madam. [00:09:36] Speaker G: There are several calls ahead of yours. [00:09:38] Speaker H: I'll put it through as. [00:09:39] Speaker E: Let me speak to the chief operator, please. [00:09:41] Speaker G: Yes, madam. [00:09:42] Speaker H: Just a moment, please. Chief operator. Ms. Milton speaking. [00:09:46] Speaker E: Operator, I'm calling San Francisco on a very urgent matter and I've got to get through as quickly as possible. [00:09:51] Speaker H: Whom do you wish to call in San. [00:09:53] Speaker E: You don't understand. I gave all that information to the other operator. She said the circuits were busy. I just wanted to tell you why it was so important that my call be put through at once. [00:10:02] Speaker H: Yes, madam. [00:10:03] Speaker E: My name is Jax. Mrs. Leon Jacks. My husband is Leon Jacks. [00:10:07] Speaker H: And your phone number matter. [00:10:08] Speaker E: What difference is region 49970. But, operator. [00:10:12] Speaker H: Region 49970. [00:10:14] Speaker E: Yes, operator. My husband. I don't know whether you read the papers or not, but my husband is being executed tonight for murder. For a murder that he didn't commit. Do you understand that? [00:10:26] Speaker H: Yes, madam. [00:10:27] Speaker E: Well, this man in San Francisco is the only one who can stop the execution. I've uncovered, quite by accident, I've uncovered new evidence. I've got to speak to Judge McClain quickly because the execution is wait 20 minutes less than that now. And he's the only man that can make them stop operating. It's a matter of a man's life. Do you understand that? [00:10:49] Speaker H: I'll see that your call is put through as quickly as possible ahead of the others. I'll do the best I can, madam. [00:10:53] Speaker E: But may I hold the line? [00:10:54] Speaker H: I'll call you, madam. [00:10:55] Speaker E: All right, but hurry, operator, hurry. Please, God, let him be near a telephone. Don't let him be out. Please, God. 15 minutes more. Oh, God, help me, please. Please, God. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Oh, God, don't let them kill the. He didn't do it. You know he didn't do it. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven, Leon never hurt anybody in his life. Please, God, let him save him. Oh, God, I love him so. Hello? [00:11:50] Speaker H: Your call to San Francisco, madam, for Judge J. [00:11:52] Speaker E: Yes, yes. Have you got him? [00:11:54] Speaker H: There is no Mr. McLean. I mean, no Judge McLean registered at the Golden State, operator. [00:11:58] Speaker E: He must be registered. His wife said he always stays there. [00:12:01] Speaker H: Just a moment, madam. I'll check them again. Hello, operator? Yes, operator, Would you check that name again, please? J.C. mcLean. My party is sure that Judge McLean is registered. They have no Judge McLean, operator. They have a Mr. McLean in 701 from Toledo, Ohio. [00:12:18] Speaker E: That's the only McLean register, operator. [00:12:20] Speaker H: Yes, madam. [00:12:21] Speaker E: That must be the right Maclay. His wife told me just a minute ago that he was there. He always stays at the Golden State Hotel. Please have them check it again and hurry. Operator. [00:12:29] Speaker H: Just a moment, madam. Hello? [00:12:34] Speaker E: For heaven's sake, what are you doing? Operator? [00:12:37] Speaker H: Hello, operator, this is New York on circ 41 2. Is it clear? Hello? [00:12:43] Speaker E: Hello, New York? [00:12:44] Speaker H: Operator, will you connect me with the room clerk of the Golden State Hotel, please? This is an urgent call. [00:12:49] Speaker E: Right. Oh, hurry, hurry. What on earth are they doing? [00:12:56] Speaker I: Just a minute, sir, please. Hello, room clerk? [00:12:59] Speaker H: Hello, sir, this is New York calling a judge J.C. mcLean. I believe you have a Mr. McLean registered from Toledo. [00:13:06] Speaker I: What is the name again, operator? [00:13:07] Speaker H: McLean, M C, L, E, A N. [00:13:11] Speaker I: Yes, that's right, operator. Room 701. [00:13:13] Speaker H: This is an urgent call, sir. Are you sure that he is not Judge J.C. mcLean of New York City? [00:13:18] Speaker I: Oh, no, operator. Mr. McLean is from Toledo all right. He stays here quite frequent. [00:13:21] Speaker E: Operator. [00:13:22] Speaker H: Just a moment, sir. Yes, madam? [00:13:24] Speaker E: Operator, can you find out if they sent Judge McLean to another hotel? He should have arrived sometime yesterday. [00:13:30] Speaker H: Just a moment, madam. Hello, sir. [00:13:32] Speaker I: Yes, operator. [00:13:33] Speaker H: Sir, can you tell me if the hotel has any record of. I want to try and trace Judge McLean. If he applied for a room yesterday and you sent him to another hotel, would there be any record of that? [00:13:42] Speaker I: Well, would he have a reservation? Operator? [00:13:45] Speaker H: Just a moment, sir. Did Judge McLean have a reservation? [00:13:49] Speaker E: Madam, I don't know whether he had a reservation or not. I thought if the hotel was full and they sent him someplace else, they might know where. That's all. [00:13:57] Speaker H: Hello, sir. [00:13:57] Speaker I: Yes, operator. [00:13:58] Speaker H: My party does not know whether Judge McLean had a reservation or not. [00:14:04] Speaker I: No, he didn't, Operator. I have the reservation list here. There's nothing for a Judge McLean. [00:14:09] Speaker H: Is there any way we can locate Judge McLean that you know of, sir, the call is urgent. [00:14:13] Speaker E: Urgent? It's a matter of life and death. Oh, what are they doing? Hello? Hello, operator? Oh, what's the matter? Why don't you ask me? [00:14:23] Speaker H: I'm sorry, madam. There seems to be no way of tracing your party. [00:14:27] Speaker E: Operator, what can I do? I've just got to find him in. [00:14:31] Speaker H: Case Judge McLean does register at the Golden State. Madam, I can try in 20 minutes. [00:14:35] Speaker E: 20 minutes? But I told you that. Oh, never mind. Let it go. [00:14:39] Speaker H: You wish the call canceled? [00:14:41] Speaker E: Yes, yes. No, please help me, Mrs. McQueen. Please. Oh, God. Just a minute. One minute, please. [00:15:05] Speaker A: Good evening. [00:15:06] Speaker F: Brett Theater. [00:15:07] Speaker G: Oh, no. [00:15:09] Speaker E: Oh, did not help me. And then. McLean. McLean. Where is it? McLean. Here it is. El Dorado 5059. Hello, Mrs. McLay? Yes? Oh, it's Mrs. Jacks again. I can't locate your husband. He's not at the hotel. Not registered even. Is there any place else, any other hotel where he might be? [00:15:59] Speaker G: Try my sister. It's Mrs. D.C. elder, Cypress Drive. [00:16:03] Speaker H: That's C, Y, P, R, U, s. [00:16:05] Speaker E: Drive, Oakland, D.C. elder, Cypress Drive. All right, thanks. [00:16:10] Speaker G: If he isn't there, she'll know where he is. I can't understand why he isn't at the hotel. [00:16:14] Speaker E: He always stays. Thanks. Thanks, Mrs. McLean. I have to hurry. Goodbye. [00:16:29] Speaker H: Wrong distance. [00:16:31] Speaker E: Let me speak to the chief operator, please. [00:16:32] Speaker H: Thank you, madam. Just one moment, please. Chief operator. Miss. [00:16:38] Speaker E: Operator, it's Mrs. Jacks again. I have a call to San Francisco again. I mean, I want to put it through again. I mean, it's Oakland. Yes, madam, it's it's to Mrs. D.C. elder, Cypress Drive, Oakland. [00:16:50] Speaker H: D, C Elder. [00:16:51] Speaker E: Is that Cyp A, U.S. operator. [00:16:54] Speaker H: C, Y, P, R, U.S. cypress Drive. [00:16:56] Speaker E: That's right, and hurry. Operator, please. [00:16:58] Speaker H: Yes, madam. Hold the line, please. Chicago, New York calling Oakland. Operator. [00:17:06] Speaker E: Right. [00:17:07] Speaker H: Circuit's a busy operator. Will you ring me, Operator? Just a moment, Operator. I can take it now. Oakland Information, please. Operator. [00:17:18] Speaker J: Right. [00:17:21] Speaker H: Information. Operator. The number of Mrs. D.C. elder, Cypress Drive, New York, calling Elder. Just a moment, operator. Right. I have a D.C. elder, 1138 Cypress Drive, Montclair Highlands. The number is Lakehurst 39136. Lakehurst 39136. Right. Thank you. Operator. [00:17:45] Speaker J: Operator. [00:17:46] Speaker H: Lakehurst 39136. New York calling. Operator. [00:17:50] Speaker J: Lakehurst 29136. Mrs. D.C. elder. [00:17:53] Speaker H: Mrs. D. C. Elder. Right. You're still calling from Regent 9497. [00:18:01] Speaker E: No, no. [00:18:02] Speaker H: Oh, pardon me. Regent 499. [00:18:04] Speaker E: Yes, that's right. Operator. Please, please hurry. What are they doing? Oh, hello, operator. What are the. Operator, answer me. Oh, please. Operator. [00:18:18] Speaker H: We are ringing Lakehurst 39136 for you, madam. [00:18:24] Speaker E: Oh, God. Please. There's less than 10 minutes left. Why don't they answer? [00:18:32] Speaker J: Hello, operator? Lakehurst 39136 is DA. Operator. [00:18:37] Speaker H: Right, operator. Hello, madam. If they do not answer, I'm sorry. Shall I try them again in 20 minutes? [00:18:43] Speaker E: No, I told you, you stupid. Oh, what's the use? I won't. I won't give up. I can't even if I have to, I don't know what. Okay. Please. This is McCray. Oh, God. Hello, Mrs. McLean. I'm nearly out of my mind. Your sister's Number doesn't answer, Mrs. McLean. Is there nothing I can do? [00:19:23] Speaker G: Oh, Mrs. Jacks, I'm so sorry. They're probably all out to dinner or cocktails or something. They're three or four hours behind our time out there. [00:19:30] Speaker E: Oh, Mrs. McLean, what can I do? [00:19:32] Speaker G: Well, there must be somebody else you can phone here. Surely they wouldn't go ahead with the execut if there was any. Any reasonable doubt of. Well, if there was any new evidence. [00:19:40] Speaker E: I've been all through that, Mrs. McLean. I've tried to get the Governor but. [00:19:43] Speaker D: Oh, what's the use? [00:19:44] Speaker E: The prison authorities said that your husband was the only one and I'm nearly out of my mind. I can't stand it. [00:19:50] Speaker G: Mrs. Jackson, my sister has very dear friends. They live right across the street. It's just possible they might be there. Their name is Henderson. I think it's Robert. Yes, that's right, Robert Henderson. [00:20:01] Speaker E: Henderson. [00:20:02] Speaker G: Yes, on Cypress Drive. You phone them. In the meantime, I'll phone the Governor's office in Albany and see if Henderson. Yes, that's right. [00:20:09] Speaker E: All right, I'll try long distance, please. Please, long distance. Max, the chief operator, please, and hurry. [00:20:25] Speaker H: Yes, madam. Chief operator. Ms. Milton. [00:20:30] Speaker E: Chief operator. This is Mrs. Jacks again, operator. See how quickly you can get me San Francisco again, I mean Oak. Robert Henderson. It's Mrs. Robert Henderson, Cypress Drive. Again, Oakland. [00:20:40] Speaker H: Mrs. Robert Henderson, Cypress Drive. [00:20:42] Speaker E: Why do you repeat everything? Yes, that's right, and hurry, Operator. Hurry. [00:20:50] Speaker H: Chicago, New York calling Oakland, operator. [00:20:53] Speaker E: Right, call the line, operator. Well, can't you tell her to hurry? Operator, there's less than 10 minutes left. It's almost. I've told you how urgent this call is, Operator. Can they hurry it up for us? [00:21:03] Speaker H: Putting your call through as quickly as possible, madam. Oakland Information, please, Operator. [00:21:08] Speaker J: Right. [00:21:12] Speaker H: Information. New York calling. Operator. The number of Mrs. Robert Henderson, Cypress Drive. [00:21:17] Speaker E: Henderson on Cypress Drive, operator. [00:21:20] Speaker H: Yes, operator, I have a Robert L. [00:21:23] Speaker E: Henderson on Crosswood Road. Oh, for goodness sake, how can you be so stupid? It's on Cypress Drive. Now, they're right across the street from my friend's sister. You must have them listed. [00:21:32] Speaker H: Hello, operator? Yes, operator. Operator, Crasswood Road and Cypress Drive intersect. [00:21:37] Speaker E: The houses might be like kitty corner from each other. Yes, ring them and hurry. [00:21:43] Speaker H: Operator, what is the Crasswood Road number? Operator, that number is Lakehurst 38197. Right. [00:21:52] Speaker J: Operator. [00:21:53] Speaker H: Lakehurst 38197. New York calling. Operator. [00:21:57] Speaker J: Lakehurst Super 8197. [00:21:59] Speaker H: Mrs. Robert Henderson. [00:22:01] Speaker J: Mrs. Robert Henderson? [00:22:02] Speaker H: Right. Are you still calling from Regent 497? [00:22:08] Speaker E: Of course I'm still calling from Regent 4997. Oh, for goodness sake, stop asking me stupid questions. Don't you understand that I'm trying to save a man's life? What am they Answer. Oh God, please make them answer. There's only eight minutes left before. [00:22:28] Speaker I: Hello? [00:22:30] Speaker H: Hello, sir? New York calling. Mrs. Robert Henderson, please. [00:22:34] Speaker I: She's not in at the moment. This is Mr. Henderson. [00:22:36] Speaker E: He'll do, operator. He'll do. [00:22:38] Speaker H: Very well, madam. [00:22:39] Speaker E: Go ahead, please. Hello? Hello, Mr. Henderson? Yes, Mr. Henderson, I can't go into a long story. Do you know Judge McLean? I believe his wife's sister lives across the street from you. Well, it's very urgent that I contact Judge McLean at once. [00:22:51] Speaker I: Oh, yes, I know Judge McLean. Drove him to the railway station this morning. [00:22:55] Speaker E: What? [00:22:56] Speaker I: Yes, he caught the Southern Pacific West Coast Limited for Portland this morning. [00:23:00] Speaker E: Oh, Mr. Henderson, I'm in terrible trouble. I've got to locate Judge McLean. [00:23:05] Speaker I: Well, I don't see how you can. He took the train at 10. [00:23:08] Speaker E: Mr. Henderson, my husband is being executed tonight for murder. For a murder he didn't commit. Judge McLean was the judge. And, well, I found that there was a letter, a letter we couldn't find altering the trial. And I found it tonight quite by accident. And they told me at the prison that Judge McLean was the only man who could get them to put off the execution. If I don't get Judge McLean, they're gonna kill Leon and I. I'm almost sick. I can't talk right. Do you understand me? Do you? Yes, yes, I understand. [00:23:45] Speaker I: Wait a minute. Let me think. [00:23:46] Speaker E: What'll I do? Oh, God, help me. I love him so. Don't die. I think. Please. [00:23:55] Speaker I: Mrs. What's your name? [00:23:57] Speaker E: Jack. Mrs. Leon. [00:23:59] Speaker I: Mrs. Jacks. You might get him at Dunsmuir. It's a town along the line. He phoned some friend to meet him there at the station. The train stops for 15 minutes. Let's see, it's five to seven now. Train arrives at Dunsmere at 6:50. It'll be there now. Try it. Dunsmere is a small Station. The train will be there now. It's worth a chance. Dunsmere D U N S M U I R the West Coast Limited's a train, and it's Dunsmuir, California. Try it. It's a chance. [00:24:26] Speaker E: All right, all right. Hang up quickly. Thanks. [00:24:30] Speaker B: Come, come. [00:24:31] Speaker E: Are you finished, madam? Is that the Oakland operator? [00:24:34] Speaker J: Yes, madam. [00:24:35] Speaker E: Operator, you may not be able to do this. A man's life is just. Operator, can you get me the railway station at Dunsmuir, California? The railway depot. [00:24:44] Speaker J: I can connect you with the Dunsmuir operator. Madam, just a moment, please. [00:24:48] Speaker E: Just hurry. Thanks. Mirror. [00:24:54] Speaker J: Oakland calling. Operator, I have an urgent call here from New York City. Can you connect me with the railway station? [00:24:59] Speaker G: Yes, operator. [00:25:00] Speaker H: The number is 3, 9, 5. [00:25:02] Speaker J: Can you connect me, operator? [00:25:04] Speaker E: Yes, operator. Just a minute. [00:25:09] Speaker J: Will you just talk to anyone there? [00:25:10] Speaker E: Yes, yes, anyone. Anyone will. Oh, God, if you've ever helped anyone, help me now. I've only got three minutes left. I'll die. [00:25:21] Speaker J: Hello, sir? New York calling. Go ahead. [00:25:24] Speaker E: Hello? [00:25:24] Speaker I: Hello, who's this? [00:25:26] Speaker E: Is there a train in there now? The West Coast Limited. I would. Listen, whoever you are. Listen, this is a terribly urgent call. I've got to locate a man who's on the. Did the West Coast Limited just come in there to Portland? [00:25:38] Speaker I: The West Coast Limited is here now. Man just come in. Leaving again? [00:25:42] Speaker E: No. Listen, There's a Judge McClain. Have you got that? McLean. [00:25:46] Speaker I: McLean. Judge McLean? [00:25:47] Speaker E: Yes, he's on the train. I mean, he's in the station somewhere. He was meeting a friend of his who lives in Dungemore. Listen, if you can get Judge McLean to the phone, I'll give you. I'll give you a thousand dollars. [00:25:57] Speaker I: What was that, lady? What's that about? [00:25:59] Speaker E: Judge McLean. Have you got that? [00:26:01] Speaker I: Yes. [00:26:01] Speaker E: You said that Judge McLean. Yes, yes, Judge McLean. Tell him. Say that. A letter. Tell him his wife's been killed, but get him. [00:26:10] Speaker I: Okay, lady, I'll try. Judge McLean. Urgent call for Judge McLean. [00:26:15] Speaker E: I'll get him. [00:26:16] Speaker I: Judge McLean. [00:26:17] Speaker E: Hi, how are you? What's he doing? Leon. Leon. It's too late. They started doing it. It's too late. They killed you. You've never done it. Oh, God, make them wait just a little longer. Please, God, make them wait. Don't let them do it. Just five minutes more. God, make their clock slow. God, anything. Save him. Save him. [00:26:53] Speaker I: Hello? Oh, Hello. [00:26:55] Speaker E: Hello, Judge McLean? Yes. [00:26:58] Speaker I: Yes, this is Judge McLean. [00:26:59] Speaker E: Who is it? [00:27:00] Speaker I: Where's my wife? [00:27:01] Speaker E: Judge McLean, there's nothing wrong with your wife. This is Mrs. Leon, Jack's judge. I found the letter. You know, the letter. The one we couldn't find at the trial. It proves Leon and Hilliard were in Montreal that night. You know, letter, Judge, they're executing Leon tonight. Right now. It may even be too late. You know what this letter means? The whole prosecution rested on the fact that we couldn't produce it. Well, I found it tonight quite by accident. Do you understand? It proves Leon is innocent. Do you understand? [00:27:29] Speaker I: Yes. Yes, of course I understand. What time was the execution now? [00:27:34] Speaker E: 11 o'clock. They're doing it right now. This very moment. [00:27:37] Speaker I: Get off the phone. I'll call the prison at once. Get off the phone. [00:27:43] Speaker E: It's too late. They better have not killed him. I should have found it before. Oh, Leon. Leon. I should have found it before. No. No, you don't need to tell me. I know. Kill them. You kill me. Only Mana. Stop. Stop it. Stop it. Hello, Leon, darling. [00:29:19] Speaker D: In the animal world, there is the hunter and the hunted. Hound and fox, hawk and sparrow, cat and mouse. We in the topmost species have also joined the hunt. But who is to judge precisely which of us are hounds or foxes as we enter the chase? The Chase was created for the National Broadcasting Company by Lawrence Clee. Tonight's script was written by Harry W. Junkin and starred Jan Minor as Mrs. Leon Jacks. Also in tonight's cast were Connie Lemke, John McGovern, Abby Lewis, Pat Hosley, Bill Lipton, Martha Barron, Sylvia Davis, Sylvia Lee, Mildred Clinton, Cliff Owen, Rosemary Murphy and Eugene Leonard. The Chase was directed and transcribed by Edward King. Fred Collins speaking next week. The predatory woman pursues fame and fortune with no holds barred and no quarter given in the Chase. [00:31:09] Speaker A: That was long distance from the chase here in the mysterious old Radio Listening Society podcast once again. I'm Eric. [00:31:17] Speaker B: I'm Tim. [00:31:17] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:31:19] Speaker A: And that episode was brought to us by one of our listeners in our listener library. A suggestion, a request from Jillian and thank you so much, Jillian. Couple of things I want to say at the top of this. The Chase is one of those series that I've always wanted to listen to more of. We did one of them live on stage. I don't remember the name of it right now, but Hitler ends up getting eaten by piranhas at the end of it. [00:31:46] Speaker C: And that was actually the name. [00:31:48] Speaker A: Hitler gets eaten by piranhas. I just never got around to listening to many of them. So thank you for bringing this to us so that I was forced to listen to another one. You ready? I'm gonna come out swinging. This is One of the greatest episodes of all time radio drama I have ever heard in. Oh, my. That was intense. I was so freaked out. Like, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. I can't even begin to describe how on the edge of my seat I was this entire time and so relieved at the end. Thank you for that. Ending the chase. I did not want it to go bad. [00:32:28] Speaker C: All I could do was imagine, what if Jan Minor had used this dramatic range in her performance as Madge. [00:32:34] Speaker B: Right. [00:32:36] Speaker H: Okay. [00:32:39] Speaker A: To read that. At the top here I went. You gotta be kidding me. It's Madge. You know, I had no idea until we get in and record who's it is. [00:32:47] Speaker B: Amazing how many kitschy people I knew from the 70s, just vaguely, who, like, they had a huge career, incredibly talented. [00:32:55] Speaker A: Before we started this podcast, I had no idea that William Conrad was anybody but canon to discover. Oh, this man was an epic king of performance on and off stage and on radio, you know. But when we're kids, we're like, I don't know, he's manic, so I don't know who he is. [00:33:14] Speaker B: He's that big mustache guy. [00:33:15] Speaker A: Right, right. [00:33:16] Speaker C: And all jokes about Paul Molov commercials aside, there is a certain tragedy in that. Like, that's where anyone from our generation would know Chan Minor. But her performance is really out of this world. [00:33:31] Speaker A: This is an incredible piece of audio drama. [00:33:33] Speaker C: Yeah. We should address the elephant in the room that this is the sorry, wrong number concept. [00:33:39] Speaker A: Sure. [00:33:39] Speaker C: But it should be a write off because of that. Of how conceptually derivative it is. [00:33:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:46] Speaker C: But in execution, in these small details that make it different, it really comes alive and becomes something else. I think the most important of those being that it's a sympathetic protagonist. There's that obviously it has a happy ending, but that happy ending doesn't feel as assured because of its similarity to Sorry, wrong number. I think I didn't expect it to turn out okay because I was in the sorry, wrong number groove in the. [00:34:18] Speaker B: Important plot difference way. The fact that all she has to do is talk to this one guy and get a message to him and that's like she just needs to talk to him for like two or three minutes and that'll do it. And the simplicity and ease of that pass function of like, that'll do it makes every one of these slicing the plot thinner and thinner and thinner. They gotta take this step and get this step and get this step makes it just More frustrating in a great way. I will give it my one complaint. The conceit of my husband is on death row. He's gonna be executed in an hour. And I just now found the evidence that will exonerate him. And I need to, via phone, convey. That is so contrived. That was an obstacle to me. [00:35:07] Speaker C: On the other hand, if my life is ever dependent on finding a piece of physical mail in my house, strap me to a chair, find a vein, I am walking dead, man. [00:35:18] Speaker A: Here's another thing about this that I truly love. She has 30 minutes, which is the exact length of the show. We are with her in real time. And I loved that. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick in real time. There's no music break in a passage of time or anything. [00:35:37] Speaker B: And I loved tangential to that. But the. This team of operators, she gets going on her side. [00:35:42] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:43] Speaker E: Who would. [00:35:44] Speaker B: Another contrast to Sorry, wrong number. [00:35:46] Speaker A: The other thing I loved at the end when they gave the credits, 85 people that played an operator in this, they all got a paycheck. [00:35:56] Speaker C: There are a few moments in here where she becomes frustrated and she says, oh, you're so stupid, or, oh, you stupid person. And I wondered if that was an intentional echo of sorry, wrong number. Because she's often difficult with the people she's talking to. And I think she says, oh, you're so stupid at least a couple times. [00:36:15] Speaker A: There's a lot of times in this too, that she gets really frustrated. Why are you asking me this? [00:36:20] Speaker C: But again, it's a totally different type of tension when we are on the side of the person who is desperately making these calls. [00:36:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:30] Speaker B: And so I remember, it's like, well, you can't function well enough in society to get help, apparently. [00:36:34] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:36:36] Speaker A: Right. I have not sat up and rocked and fretted with anything I've ever listened to before. I've been scared before. I've been enjoyably. Listen, this was not enjoyable, which is why I loved it so much. This was me freaking out. Come on, come on, come on, come on. You know, like that's. That's a whole different set of emotion other than listening something go, oh, this is really good. It's really scary. Like the enjoyment of the suspense or the horror or the solving of the mystery, you know, the enjoyment of it. This was not enjoyable. This was. I'm living this. Which to me made it incredibly powerful piece of storytelling. [00:37:17] Speaker B: You know, I was talking with the operators and then thinking about it. This was a little bit for me, a callback to Split Second, which we listened to Some time ago. In that it's a story where, for the most part, everyone she encounters will go out of their way to help her. [00:37:29] Speaker C: The obstacle is not anyone she really interacts with so much as time. [00:37:34] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:37:34] Speaker A: Just the clock and technology, you know, like. [00:37:38] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:37:39] Speaker A: I think there's also that moment where you realize, wow, it was really hard to make a phone call and get a hold of someone. [00:37:47] Speaker C: I know. I keep bringing it back to Sorry, Wrong Number. But what is very different from Mrs. Stevens in sorry, Wrong Number is she's very logical about her choices. Because in sorrowing number, Mrs. Stevenson becomes more and more irrational with, like, who she's yelling at and who she wants to be connected to and what's going on. There's a dark comedy to her behavior, almost. But here she really. She zeroes in. She calls the prison. Right. I'm going to go straight there. And then they send her. Each direction she takes makes sense. She's even practical in her use of prayer. Like, she's acting, doing everything she can. And when she can't do anything more, when she's stuck waiting for a call to be connected or waiting for someone to pick up, that's when she's, oh, please, God. Oh, please, God. You know, like, she's doing literally every single thing she could do. And at each moment, I was testing this. Does this make me go idiot? Just do X? [00:38:40] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:38:41] Speaker C: See? And never do you? Partly because the performers and the script keep the tension so high, it doesn't allow you to start thinking of alternatives too much. But I thought, oh, maybe call a reporter or something. But then I'm like, no, by the time that story gets out, that's not today. [00:38:58] Speaker B: And she perpetually feels like I am seconds away from succeeding. [00:39:02] Speaker A: One of the only things I would have done, maybe in that situation, is try calling back the guy at the prison. Okay, I'm trying again, but that's one. [00:39:09] Speaker C: Of the longest calls she has. [00:39:10] Speaker A: Yep. [00:39:11] Speaker C: And so I think from a writing standpoint, it does its job to really establish that I really can't. And he clearly is stammering. He's not comfortable or happy with the fact that he can't. Which also tells you that, oh, you're not just getting through to a guy who's a blowhard. And if you just push harder or you get to the next guy. [00:39:32] Speaker B: Yeah, he was apologetic. [00:39:35] Speaker C: And so you know that that avenue is not there for her. [00:39:39] Speaker A: By the end, when they're at the rail station and the guy gets on the phone at the rail, wherever the train yard or wherever the train had stopped. We are so low on time that it becomes excruciating talking to that guy. Was that about a thousand dollars right away? Never mind. [00:40:00] Speaker C: That's a great moment, though, when she starts to get desperate and smart. That's the thing. She doesn't get desperate and irrational. I'll give you a thousand dollars. [00:40:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:40:09] Speaker C: Oh, and tell him his wife's dead. That was the moment where it's like, whoa. [00:40:13] Speaker B: But yes, the beautiful payoff is like, panic, Panic. [00:40:17] Speaker A: Go. [00:40:17] Speaker B: Panic. Got him. Okay, call you back. Stop. [00:40:22] Speaker C: You're right. That is the beauty of this. And then after all that, you just have to sit and listen to your clock. And I think there's an element to this that Sorry, Wrong Number was unable to benefit from. And that is, I really felt that this was post Dragnet in its comfort with providing a very naturalistic world. The way it took its time, the textured sound, it just felt so real. Which is not to say, sorry, Wrong Number doesn't feel real, but it's trying something completely different. But it made me think of Dragnet. And maybe because there is the one episode, and I can't remember the name of it, but there is a Dragnet in which in the very first couple minutes, there's some plot reason that Joe Friday has to make a long distance call. [00:41:11] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:41:11] Speaker C: Feels like it took 20 minutes. [00:41:14] Speaker A: I remember that. I know that episode of which you speak, she also. [00:41:17] Speaker C: And this is another aspect that reminds me of Dragnet, the naturalistic monotony of these real life situations in which each person she gets a hold of, she has to repeat her story. This is probably mainly down. I'm sure it's in the script, but it's probably down to the Chan Minor as a performer that she gets faster and more desperate every time she has to repeat it again and again. And she knows she needs to tell people, they need to know the stakes. But she's also frustrated by having to explain this over and over again because each time she explains the stakes, which she must explain in order to save her husband, it makes it less likely that she's going to save her husband. [00:41:59] Speaker A: Yep. [00:41:59] Speaker C: So that's all that, like, ah. [00:42:00] Speaker B: And that. That point which she has to keep going back to the judge's wife, you know, and like, he's not at this hotel, he's not at this friend's house. And then she is game for, like, maybe he's here. And then it is in that same vein of having to keep explaining, of having to keep that in this case, go back to the same person. And what you said didn't work. [00:42:23] Speaker C: What else? We have to start over. I can't believe we're starting over. [00:42:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:42:27] Speaker C: Yeah. And on top of all this, is that layer, contrived or not, of the main conceit is that she found that letter in her overnight bag. This is her responsibility. It's not some new bit of evidence that fell in her lap. This is something they knew about, could not produce, and she had it the whole time. So that adds that extra crushing layer of desperation and guilt on top of everything else. [00:42:56] Speaker A: It occurred to me at the end that the husband is saved and spared. She gets through to the judge, he's going to make a phone call. Right before that, the wife gives her a piece of information about, try the person across the street while you're in California. Right. While you're doing that, she says, I know somebody. I'm going to try to make a phone call myself. My point being is it doesn't matter. But at the end, when he is saved, we don't know if the judge got through or if she ended up getting a hold of someone in time while she was still trying to get to the rail station to get to. [00:43:34] Speaker B: The judge, perhaps for 10 minutes. [00:43:37] Speaker A: Perhaps the judge's wife got through to someone. [00:43:40] Speaker B: That's a really good point. [00:43:41] Speaker A: It doesn't matter who did it. The point is that it worked. But what does matter is the. That somebody didn't hang up on her or didn't say, oh, my God, stop bothering me. She was empathetic and helpful and there was something very satisfying about everybody helping her along the way. Are we ready to vote? [00:44:00] Speaker C: Yeah, let's vote. Better look next time. [00:44:06] Speaker A: You ready? [00:44:07] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:44:07] Speaker A: Not only is this a classic, are. [00:44:10] Speaker B: You going to invent a new higher rating? [00:44:12] Speaker A: No. But I. Uber classic. [00:44:15] Speaker B: Mega. Classic. [00:44:16] Speaker A: Mega. No. Not only is it a classic and one of my favorite things I've ever listened to, I love it so much. Here we go. I like it better than, sorry, wrong number. [00:44:30] Speaker C: Gauntlet thrown down. [00:44:32] Speaker A: I'm just saying I know it's derivative of that. I think they did it better. I like her performance and I like the speed of it and I like the tension of it. I liked it better. [00:44:43] Speaker C: I'm going to say classic because I'm amazed at how good this is and that it is as derivative as it is. [00:44:52] Speaker A: Right. [00:44:52] Speaker C: There's no one in radio who could have come up with this concept and been oblivious to, sorry, wrong number. No, this was some radio producer's idea. Like they haven't copyrighted People on phones have they, let's do that again. You know. But all the elements came together to use everything that. Not everything. To use many of the elements that are great in Sorry, Wrong Number, and to do something different with it. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's better. I'd have to re. Listen to it again. I know we've performed Sorry, Wrong Number many times. I was going to say what I love about Sorry, Wrong Number, but I'm going to save that for whenever we do Sorry, Wrong Number, but that's right. [00:45:33] Speaker B: We haven't done it. [00:45:34] Speaker A: We haven't done it on this podcast. [00:45:35] Speaker C: It's going to be our last podcast we ever do. So if you go to Sorry, Wrong Number, it means all three of us are dying. [00:45:43] Speaker A: Or someone started dating Yoko. [00:45:48] Speaker B: I think you guys may have talked me into calling a classic. The contrived nature of the setup still bugs me, but the execution is so good and her performance is so good. [00:46:00] Speaker C: There's a point at which, to me, contrived setups all depend on what that buys you. [00:46:06] Speaker A: Right? [00:46:06] Speaker C: And this contrived setup buys you something so good that I retroactively forgive it. [00:46:12] Speaker B: For me, it was. It took me a little bit to get into it, but that is me praising with faint damnation. I also don't know that I would call it better than Sorry, Wrong Number. Lucille Fletcher is pretty amazing. [00:46:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:46:25] Speaker B: But as a supplement to Sorry, like, I want that fresh, new, Sorry, Wrong Number feeling. This is a great. [00:46:33] Speaker C: It's on the classic spectrum. We don't need to decide, you know, where all the classics fall. That'll be a whole nother podcast once we finish this one. That's just classics. [00:46:42] Speaker B: Right? [00:46:42] Speaker C: When we go back to the classics. [00:46:44] Speaker B: Literally rank every episode you listen to and put them in order of how good they are. [00:46:50] Speaker A: Do we have to? That sounds like work. [00:46:54] Speaker C: But. [00:46:54] Speaker B: But yes. Fantastic. Amazing. [00:46:57] Speaker C: Thank you, Jillian. Now, you guys probably don't remember, but she has recommended a number of other episodes. And the episodes she has recommended have always been the they're so Awful, They're Amazing episodes. It was. And I'm gonna forget all the titles. It was the Sealed Book about the guy who can control his hands. I can't remember what that one was, but we had Guy who Can Control His Hands. There was another Somebody in the Brain episode from Weird Circle. That was. Yeah, anyway. [00:47:29] Speaker B: Oh, that one. [00:47:30] Speaker C: I remember that. Okay. I can't. I should have looked these all up, but. So I think she was very excited to recommend something that wasn't gloriously Awful. So good job. [00:47:41] Speaker A: Thank you so much. That was a nice gift. Yes, Tim, tell him stuff. [00:47:47] Speaker B: Hey, go visit gurushuleist.com, home of this podcast. You can leave comments on episodes, vote in polls, let us know what you think about these. It is fascinating to hear the variety of opinions and I do read over these comments. You can also, while you're there, send us messages. If you have shows you want to recommend to us, you can do that. Just there's a little comment box. You can send us a message. You can also link to our social media pages. You can visit our threadless store and get some swag, some T shirts, a coffee mug, a shower curtain. These are things that you can have and you can link to our Patreon store. [00:48:22] Speaker C: Yes, go to patreon.com themorals it's not really a store. You just buy this podcast by giving us money, which is wonderful. Keep doing it. Thank you to all those who already support us through Patreon. And if you would like to find a way to make our lives better, you can join Patreon. And there are all sorts of benefits. Podcasts, zoom, Happy hours, book club, so much. And if you don't want to do that, you can also give us a one time [email protected] we are still raising money for our computer, so please give us some money. Yes, it's a computer now. [00:49:09] Speaker B: Someday we hope to have a robot. We do want to say thank you to people who have sent us some money to help out with their computer needs. Thank you, Bill, Brian, Annmarie, Linda, Shane, Mark, dba, Jeffrey, Micah, Ryan, Roberta, Catherine, Carolyn, Loretta, Lori, and everyone who has contributed since the time of this recording. Thank you all. We will make sure that we thank you all properly by name once we have collected enough to get this computer and then we'll stop asking. Oh, that'll be nice. And thank you. [00:49:44] Speaker A: I think that's all the Walton children. [00:49:47] Speaker B: Goodnight, John Boy. [00:49:49] Speaker A: If you'd like to see us performing live, the mysterious old Radio Listening Society Theater performs classic recreations of old classic radio shows live on stage. We also do a lot of our own original work. We perform audio drama once, maybe even twice a month. To find out where we're performing and what we're performing that month and how to get tickets, just go to ghoulishdelights.com and please come see us perform radio drama on stage. And if you can't make it for whatever reason, you can become a Patreon. And with your monthly subscription, you do get, as one of your perks? The footage. We film it and then you get to watch it again. [00:50:34] Speaker E: Footage? [00:50:34] Speaker C: Footage makes it sound like a Bigfoot sighting. [00:50:37] Speaker A: Yes. Right. [00:50:38] Speaker C: You get a video of our performance. Thank you. [00:50:41] Speaker A: Video. Thank you. That's the word. Yeah. I don't know what's going on. I don't know what year it is. And then. And then, you know, the happy hour. You get to see my bedroom. If you. If you're Patreon, you get to see what my bedroom looks like. [00:50:53] Speaker C: You just can't get out of this without being weird. [00:50:56] Speaker A: Yeah. Try being married to me. I don't know what that means. Hey, what's coming up next? [00:51:02] Speaker C: Next is Tim's choice. [00:51:04] Speaker B: I was supposed to think of a choice before this. [00:51:11] Speaker H: Hello? [00:51:13] Speaker E: Hello? Oh, for heaven's sake. Who is this? [00:51:17] Speaker A: Hello, I'm Eric. [00:51:19] Speaker E: Why are you so stupid? [00:51:20] Speaker A: Here we go. I like it better than. Sorry, Wrong number. [00:51:24] Speaker E: Oh, you. You idiot. Oh, now why did I hang up the phone like that? Now he'll think I am a fool.