Episode Transcript
[00:00:27] Speaker A: Welcome to the mysterious old Radio Listening Society, a podcast dedicated to suspense, crime, and horror stories from the golden age of radio. I'm Eric.
[00:00:37] Speaker B: I'm Tim.
[00:00:37] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua.
[00:00:38] Speaker A: We love mysterious old time radio stories, but do they stand the test of time? That's what we're here to find out.
[00:00:45] Speaker D: Today we are returning to a series we've only heard once before, the Key. It is program full of mystery, both in its content and its origins. We know it's from Australia and that 32 episodes survived, all of which were originally broadcast, we believe, in 1956. And although I haven't checked all 32 recordings, it seems as though each episode begins with the opening of a door, ends with a door closing, and features some kind of key as a vital plot point.
[00:01:10] Speaker C: An ad for the key appeared on December 11, 1957 in the Australian Broadcasting Commission weekly, which said that the Sydney station two UW presents the key. By James Workman 30 minutes of thrills, action, and suspense James Workman was born.
[00:01:29] Speaker A: On February 2, 1912, in Scotland. He was educated in England and trained as a naval cadet. After three years as a member of the London Metropolitan Police, he joined the Wits Rifles, an infantry regiment of the south african army. It was while he was in South Africa that his interests apparently changed.
[00:01:47] Speaker D: He joined a touring theater group and eventually went to work for the South African Broadcasting Commission as an announcer, scriptwriter, and producer. He moved to Australia and, in addition to his continued work in radio, made a name for himself as a pulp writer, authoring 23 novels for Horwitz Publishing. Workman passed away on March 28, 2001, in Sydney.
[00:02:07] Speaker C: While the series itself remains a mystery, today we are going to unlock another sample of their work. And just to warn our listeners, the sound quality isn't great on this recording, but somehow it just adds to the enigma. This is showgirl murdered from the series the Key, first broadcast sometime in 1956, probably.
[00:02:30] 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 radial. Listen to the sounds coming from the speaker. Listen to the music, and listen to the voices.
[00:03:08] Speaker B: Every door has a key.
There's a key to every situation.
Behind every unopened door, there is a mystery.
And the opening of this door introduces us to another in the series.
The key.
[00:03:44] Speaker E: It's you, honey. Aren't you just the littlest old cooper? Polly, you just get 90 years out of me then. 90 years, honest.
There's soft shoes. That's for giving me a lovely surprise.
Come back in here. It's like a turkish bath in there.
You can sit down and read something while I have my bath. It won't be long. Oh, and guess what? We'll just have a guess. Go on. Well, I bet you can guess anyway, so I'll tell you. Ab rang me. You know Ab, my agent. Well, he rang me and he's got me a honey of a part in the Sal Kalman's new show. And guess what? I'm gonna be that doll lady. Cadiva yet imagine me, all hair and a.
What's the matter? I think it's terrific. I thought you'd be keen on it, too.
Why don't you say something?
What's the matter? Cat got you?
Hey, what's it? You got? The clips? It's.
[00:05:57] Speaker B: Yes, can I help you? You're Mark Sampson? Yes. Halliday, special division, homicide. This is Sergeant Brand.
You're here about Martha. Mind if we come in? Not at all. I've been expecting you. I stayed at home today because I thought you'd want to see me.
Sit down, lieutenant. Sergeant. Thanks.
Been living here in this block long, Mr. Samson? Five years.
Nearly five years. That is, I came here in five years. What you work? I'm in the film business. Editor. I work for vision Incorporated. Good job. Sure. I've got no complaints.
Anyway. Knew Martha wills pretty well. You must know the answer to that already, otherwise you wouldn't be down here. All the same, you tell me. Don't. Sure? Yes, I knew her well. I started knowing her well three years ago. That's just after she came here to live in this block. Three years. Had you thought of getting married in that time? To her? Yeah, sure. I asked her to marry me once.
She turned me down, flattened. Although I was sore about it at the time. I was glad later. Why? Well, Martha was cute. She had all the looks, but not much on top.
I guess I was carried away by the face and figure when I popped the question. But later, you know, the cold, light of dawn routine. But you were still friendly with her? Sure, why not? I used to see her every so often. It suited her. Suited me how often?
A couple of times a week, maybe.
That is, until recently.
She got some other guy in tow and she started to ease me out, but I didn't mind. When's the last time you saw her? Maybe three, four weeks ago. Not last night.
You haven't got any idea of pinning her death on me, have you? I just asked you whether you saw her last night. No, I didn't. And I object to this. I'm no murderer. This yours, Mr. Sampson?
Say, who gave you the right to go to my car and get your car? Sure. I always keep my driving license in the glove box so it'll be around when I need it. You admit then that this is your driving license? Got my name on it, hasn't it? Can't be anybody else's. But before you went poking around at my car, you should have shown me you had a search warrant. I know my law well enough. This wasn't found in your car.
We found it near Martha Will's bath.
What?
You're kidding me. Not this time, Mr. Sampson. The tape is still sudden. Where some of the water slopped over the bass. Down to it. I think you better come down to headquarters with it.
[00:08:46] Speaker E: All about it.
[00:08:47] Speaker B: We tax in charge.
Good morning, Mr. Sampson. Hello. How are you feeling today?
Okay, I guess.
Sorry I can't offer you a better sleep, Mr. Blake. You'll have to make do with the other, as usual.
For Pete's sake, when is this fast going to end? Are they going to realize that I've made a mistake? I didn't kill that dumb little. Easy now, easy? How the devil can I be easy? I'm charged with bumping off martyr. But I couldn't mean the chair for me. How can I be easy about that? Would you be easy, Mr. Sanson? I'm here to help. Okay, okay. But for the love of my, stop telling me to be easy about it. Sorry. Well, obviously you intend to stick to this story that you're innocent. Of course I'm innocent.
Look, just what sort of a lawyer are you? Why are you trying to make me confess all the time? Confess to something that I didn't do. Are they paying you? The cops? Are you looking for them or for me? For you, naturally. When my book, it doesn't look like it. I'm just trying to get the complete truth from you, Mr. Sampson. I must have the whole truth if I'm to handle your case properly. You've got the whole truth. I can't be any more truthful than I've been already.
All right, we'll leave it at that.
You still don't believe me? What sort of a crummy lump are you, Blake? What do you want me to do? Well, what the heck else can I do? Nothing, if you've given me all the thanks. Great day. Okay, boy, you go ahead and help me on my way to that little room. I guess you'll help them get everything over undone with quickly. Anyway, you can always get another lawyer, Mr. Samson, if you're not satisfied.
I'm just too nervy to talk today. The final set for tomorrow. Of course. You. I think I've forgotten that. Gone. Peter.
Maybe I'll be better by tomorrow once the trial's underway. But once all this waiting is over. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye.
You're looking a little better today, I must say. I'm all right.
Why all this wait? Now I'll be patient. Patient. Mr. Blake. You kill me, boy, you really kill me.
Why do they have to let all these goons into the place? Look at them back there. The public.
They think this was a three wing circus. Don't let them worry. Just ignore them.
Well, maybe this is better than a seat of the movies. This is flesh and blood. There's always something about flesh and blood, don't you think? That intimacy between audience and performer. They're a pack of creeps. They can't be kept out if they want to come in. Well, it's a public courtroom.
Who's that guy over there? The prosecutor.
That's the big. Huh?
Who is he?
I've seen his face.
Marvin Clark.
Uh, what's a little.
No, I was just thinking.
He's the guy who hasn't lost a case yet, right? There's always a first time for everyone.
He looks kind of sure of himself. He generally does. But don't let that worry you, either. You're just one great big happy walking tranquilizer pill, aren't you? And what else needn't I worry about? Should I ignore the verdict, too? When the judge tells me they're going to shoot a few thousand volts through me? Should I break into a broad grin about that? If you are innocent, the prospect of a verdict shouldn't worry you. Who do you think you're trying to fool, Blake? What does it matter in this place if I'm innocent or not? Everything's stacked against me, even you. That's nonsense. You say, when am I going to start? When will I get off their?
You going to punish me enough that I have to lay it on even more? Please, Mr. Samson. Silence in the court. Silence in the court. Well, your waiting's over now. This is it.
Let's see where they go from here's.
[00:13:29] Speaker E: I don't know. Doesn't look like a murderer to me, Fred.
I said, he doesn't look like a murderer to me.
[00:13:37] Speaker B: Who doesn't?
[00:13:38] Speaker E: Oh, this Mark Sampson they've got in for the murder of that girl. The girl the beautiful blonde drowned in the bath.
[00:13:45] Speaker F: Girl.
[00:13:45] Speaker E: That's who. Don't you follow your papers, not murders.
[00:13:50] Speaker B: At the pact tonight.
What happened to all of my music is on a book?
[00:13:54] Speaker E: Aren't you ever interested in anything that's happening? Can't you ever get your nose out of those books?
[00:13:59] Speaker B: You should read this good, gracie. Maybe here and there, but good.
The blonde and this thing to do with a spot of Duncan in the bath, I can tell you. Yeah, no.
[00:14:11] Speaker E: Well, if I was this judge, I'd let this samsung man off. I really would. He's got too nice a smile to be a murderer.
Anyway, it's probably good riddance that someone threw her in the bath. From the evidence they've been printing, she was just a huzzy, that's all. All those men in her life thought it was exciting and lots of fun. But look what it brought her.
It's always the trouble with women who try to get some excitement out of life.
They always end up getting the worst of it.
[00:14:55] Speaker B: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, in conclusion, this has been a long and tiring trial. For nearly two weeks now, you've heard evidence dragging on and on. You've heard the testimonies of witnesses, denials, admissions. You've heard enough courtroom oratory to confuse even the most astute legal brain.
But one thing remains clear, and I would point it out to you again in a brief summary.
A. The accused driving license was found in that bathroom.
It has been established beyond any doubt by the police scientific department that water was dropped onto it at the time of the murder.
B.
The accused has no alibi at all to account for his movements on the night of the murder.
He says he stayed in his apartment by himself and watched television.
Well, that's what he says.
C. From the evidence given, we have seen that the accused had a motive of jealousy in regard to the killing. He objected to the deceased seeing these other men and ignoring him. And in a fit of passion, he decided on this drastic course of murder.
There is only one verdict you can bring in, ladies and gentlemen.
Guilty.
Guilty of murder in the first degree.
This ends the case for the prosecution.
Counsel for the defense? The defense rests, your honor. Blake, what else can be said? We summed up our case. It'll only be a case of reiteration. You're going to let that jury go up there remembering those words? I tell you, there's nothing more we can do. Our case is just as convincing of the prosecution. That's not good enough for me. Wait a minute. I've got something to say. Sit down, Samson. Please sit down. You're only spoiled. Everything we built up, you've built up nothing. Listen to me. I'm innocent of this charge. Do you hear? I didn't kill her.
Silence. Silence. The accused will sit down and remain seated, but you must listen. Your honor, I must apologize for my clients. His nerves are shot to pieces. What do you wonder? Put yourself in my place, any of you, in this courtroom. Silence. Hanson, you fool, this is the way you'll get to the chair. I'll shut up. You mustn't believe. Clark, please. You mustn't. The accusers will be removed from this courtroom.
Out of the way, bud. Let's get a shot of it. One side, Mr. Hey, you, Samson, look up. Let's see your face. Leave the poor devil alone. Come on, Samson. You have to leave the court. Take my honor. Come on. You'll be all right. We'll get you another room and you'll feel much better.
Yes?
They're waiting in the court, Mr. Blake. Can you come back inside now? Mark.
Mark, you have to go back inside now.
Mark. Yeah, I heard. Okay, stand up. Sure.
Whatever they've decided, don't talk to me anymore. You've talked enough. There's been too much talking all around.
Let's go ahead and face jury.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached your verdict? We have, your honor. How do you find the accused?
You find the accused guilty of murder in the first degree.
Help him. Help him. There. He's passed out.
Emily. Not eating?
[00:19:03] Speaker F: I've just been wondering how you can.
[00:19:07] Speaker B: Thought you were over all this nonsense.
Poor old Emily.
You should never let my business affect your personal life so much. Or your appetite.
I'll have a little more meat, I think.
[00:19:20] Speaker F: As long as you have to do this sort of business and influence juries to bring in verdicts of guilty will tear my stomach.
[00:19:27] Speaker B: You're a fool, Emily. Nothing more than that. A weak fool. Samson was guilty as regards the verdict. Well, I didn't make it. The jury did.
[00:19:36] Speaker F: You made up their minds for them. You always do.
[00:19:39] Speaker B: That's an idiotic thing to say. You're implying that the jury on the Samsung case had no right to be on the stand.
[00:19:44] Speaker F: Who has any right to decide another human being will die?
[00:19:49] Speaker B: He decided to kill one to be fair. But he should be punished appropriately. There must be a banish, you know. And the old eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth principle is a very good one. It stood the test of time.
[00:20:01] Speaker F: Yes, Marvin.
[00:20:02] Speaker B: And don't start in that tone again.
You had any sense at all, you'd agree with me. Now, may I have them meet, please? Sorry.
[00:20:13] Speaker F: When is the execution to take place?
[00:20:17] Speaker B: A week from now.
[00:20:18] Speaker F: A week?
[00:20:19] Speaker B: For a devil, you dispense your sympathy in the most unusual directions.
[00:20:24] Speaker F: Do you think he was guilty, Marvin?
[00:20:26] Speaker B: Do you really think that the law says he is?
[00:20:28] Speaker F: I'm not worried about the law. I'm asking you what you think, personally.
[00:20:32] Speaker B: Well, then, personally, I don't think he's guilty.
[00:20:35] Speaker F: I thought. Then why did you work so hard to get him convicted?
[00:20:38] Speaker B: Because it's my duty. It's my job.
[00:20:41] Speaker F: And you still wonder why this sort of thing turns my stomach.
[00:20:44] Speaker B: Now, listen to me. There have to be prosecutors. As they have to be defense counsel. Just as they have to be murderers. It's almost unfortunate. But as long as human nature is built the way it is, we'll see all three.
Really, you're a very dull woman, Emily. You must be logical about these things. If I became emotionally affected about every case I won.
[00:21:05] Speaker F: Maybe you don't. Might make you a little more human.
[00:21:09] Speaker B: If I'm so inhuman, if I disgust you so much. You know the course to take.
[00:21:15] Speaker F: Ruin our children's lives?
[00:21:17] Speaker B: No.
[00:21:19] Speaker F: I'll still stick it out because of them. More than I won't divorce you.
[00:21:22] Speaker B: Then you stop talking so much nonsense. In that case.
[00:21:28] Speaker F: Can't you feel anything at all. When you hear that sentence? And when the day comes when it's time for him to press down that switch. Can't you feel anything?
[00:21:35] Speaker E: Ma'am?
[00:21:35] Speaker B: I've just asked you to stop talking nonsense.
[00:21:38] Speaker F: Oh, dear heaven.
[00:21:40] Speaker B: The only thing I feel, Emily, is disappointment in you.
[00:21:45] Speaker F: I have no doubt, under the circumstances. You've created it.
[00:21:49] Speaker B: Have I?
There are plenty of women who'd give the world to be in your place. I'm successful. I'll be even more so in the years ahead. I'm not at the top yet, you know. There are a few positions above this. That I'll be taking before I'm through.
[00:22:02] Speaker F: Had more sense while I was younger.
[00:22:04] Speaker B: Yes. You wouldn't have married me. Oh, that sounds a great old favorite, isn't it? But the trouble is you've never had any sense.
You never will. If the question then why did you marry me? Is forming in your mind once more. Let me save you asking it. I married you because you're a suitable decoration for my position.
Now, anything more?
I'm going to my room. Good night, my dear.
There's nothing else you want to say, Mark? Well, father, I said everything.
It's hard for me to say this, my boy.
So little time left now. Tomorrow morning, I've still said everything. I had to say. You know, Mark, you'll have a higher court to face soon.
It'll be easier to face if your confession is complete on earth. Please go away.
I'm sorry. Perhaps I should leave you now. I'll be here again tomorrow morning. Father. Father Burke? Yes? Forgive me. Will you please come back here? Of course, Father. Give me the what now? Do you see what I'm doing?
I'm holding it in my hand. I'll have to face everything this book stands for soon.
Knowing that I'd hardly lie now, would I?
For what point is there in lying? One way or the other? It wouldn't do me any good now. But look, Father, I swear on this book that I did not kill that girl. I swear it.
Maybe you can pray for me, Father. That might help.
I believe you, Mark.
I believe you. Now, I'll see what I can do straight away, Father.
Samson, some good news for you. Phone message has just come through from the governor. New evidence has come to light. You've been granted a reprieve. One week.
Yes? Lieutenant holiday. You wanted to see me? Sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Clark, but I wanted you to know we just unearthed some new evidence on the Samson case. What? Just by sheer chance, I got on the job straight away. They granted Samson a reprieve. Oh, well, he's a lucky fellow. By the way, I wanted to return these too. You left them in my office this afternoon. Oh, my key. So there they are. Thank you, lieutenant. I was wondering what an ass had happened to them. Yes, I thought they were yours, sir. I'll take one back now, if you don't mind. Fran. Harlan. In here.
Why, what is this? It's all to do with a key, Mr. Clark. This one. Remember it quick. Yes, I see you do. Unusual design, isn't it? I couldn't help noticing it when I saw your keys lying on my table.
I'd have thought a man of your training would have removed such a valuable clue. Why? What's so strange about that key? It's unusual design. It's unusual enough to be a duplicate key to the front door of Martha Will's apartment. Odd you should have a key to her place, isn't it? Well, I can explain. Hope you can. Oh, and someone has just remembered seeing you nosing around Samson's car on the night of the murder. I guess that's when you got his driving license. Also, someone remembered seeing a grey haired man leaving the apartment block that night. They didn't take any particular notice of you at the time, but one little thing stuck in their mind, it was a hot, dry night, and the front of your suit was splashed with water as though you'd been in the rain or something.
There's plenty more on top of this, but I think we'll talk about that back at headquarters. Come on.
And of course, Clark was working on the old principle that once the case was closed by your execution and couldn't be opened again, it was the perfect crime. So he thought his position. No one would suspect him.
Well, you can see the way his mind worked.
Martha had found out who he was, and he was afraid the time would come when blackmail would handle the picture. Exactly.
Blackmail would never have entered Martha's head. Well, it's all over now. Mark Clark will get what he deserves, and you'll get the same compensation and freedom. You have the freedom now. Not quite. When the guard opens this door in the gate and lets me through, then I'll have it. Good luck, my boy.
A closing door finishes a story.
Next week, another key will open another door to another story.
Mystery, romance, or adventure all start when a door is unlocked by the key.
[00:27:05] Speaker A: That was showgirl murdered. From the key here on the mysterious old radio listening society podcast. Once again, I'm Eric.
[00:27:13] Speaker B: I'm Tim.
[00:27:14] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua.
[00:27:15] Speaker A: Tim picked that one for us.
[00:27:16] Speaker C: I did.
[00:27:17] Speaker A: And why.
That wasn't supposed to sound as accusatory as.
[00:27:23] Speaker D: No, no, I understand. Do you remember the previous episode of the we listen to the ghost?
[00:27:28] Speaker B: Hell, no.
[00:27:29] Speaker C: It's with the puzzle master.
[00:27:31] Speaker A: Oh, that one.
[00:27:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:32] Speaker A: That was terrible.
[00:27:33] Speaker D: Contender for the worst of the year.
[00:27:35] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:27:36] Speaker D: I was curious to go back because I sort of am fascinated by the conceit of these scripts of door opens. There's a key. Door closes. This one jumped out at me for. I can let you guys vent your spleens here in just a second, but I know that collectively this whole thing is not good, but the individual scenes just like this 2 minutes to this 2 minutes are fascinating and amazing to me. And I'll dive into those details here in just a second, but I'll let you guys have your.
[00:28:08] Speaker A: For you. It was not great overall, but had moments. Right. And that you found super interesting.
[00:28:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:28:15] Speaker D: I'll start with the opening scene of her getting into the bath is the audio version of. And I don't know that you will know what I'm talking about here. The black glove killer movies from Dario Gento.
[00:28:31] Speaker A: Don't know any of those words in that order.
[00:28:34] Speaker D: Yeah, it's a sort of genre italian horror film that is shot from the perspective of the killer, you just see these two sort of black gloves in the frame and it creates these sort of scenes of suspense and horror where the actual killer is just sort of a blank spot. It's just missing from the scene. And it created that exact vibe for me. And I was like, did 16 year old Dario Argento listen to this and paint thing and use it to make movies with? And even if that's just a lot of stretching on my part, which it clearly is that type of scene I don't know that it exists. Other places in radio maybe, I just don't know about it. But it was so striking and unique to me.
[00:29:18] Speaker A: And I have a comment about that opening scene.
I was really glad she was murdered so I didn't have to listen to her voice anymore. I couldn't. First of all, the recording is not great, so that doesn't help. But that pitch in her voice hit somewhere in my 57 year old eardrum that only dolphins could hear.
[00:29:39] Speaker C: Her muddy recording made her almost incomprehensible.
[00:29:45] Speaker A: I could not figure. And then she got killed. And I went, you know what? I don't really need to know what happened. She got murdered. So I didn't go back and listen because I didn't want to.
[00:29:52] Speaker D: You got the important details?
[00:29:54] Speaker A: Yeah, she's dead and good. I don't have to hear that voice.
Well, I didn't know until right now. She was in a bath.
[00:30:01] Speaker B: Important plot point. Yeah.
[00:30:02] Speaker C: That is.
That's how the license got wet, which proves he's a murderer.
[00:30:08] Speaker B: I know.
[00:30:09] Speaker D: I'm so fascinated by the forensic scientists who can prove, like, this driver's license was moistened by this bath.
[00:30:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:30:16] Speaker C: The circumstantial evidence is just. That's all there is in this case.
[00:30:20] Speaker A: In general, I wasn't upset by this. I wasn't like, oh, God, this is terrible. Other than her voice at the beginning. And I actually now finding out that it was that same one that did that horrible puzzle master one. I'm shocked at how much better this is than that. I thought it was great. I really did. And the fact that it was, again, I think last week we did the Barbara Stanwick suspense. Correct. And this followed the same pattern for me of, I know who's guilty.
[00:30:52] Speaker B: Right.
[00:30:52] Speaker A: Like, I figured that out. I really love it when I do that, and I'm wrong, but I figured the defense attorney was the prosecutor. The prosecutor. Excuse me. The prosecutor was the guy. But it didn't take away from the fun of finding out, them finding out that he did it and the mistakes he made. I actually found this to be pretty.
[00:31:15] Speaker B: That's.
[00:31:16] Speaker A: I did. I didn't mind it. Oh, here we go. Raised eyebrow. Take it away.
[00:31:21] Speaker C: No, I do want to recognize what Tim said is that there are one or two really interesting scenes in here. And I do think the scene you already noted the one sided murder conversation.
[00:31:32] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:31:34] Speaker C: So immediately I knew the killer was Bob Newhart.
But then to Eric's point, it is an interesting companion piece to last week's episode, wages of sin. I'm assuming you didn't listen to wages of sin and pick this for that.
[00:31:51] Speaker B: No.
[00:31:52] Speaker C: All serendipity. That's Tim's middle names.
[00:31:56] Speaker B: All Tim. Serendipity.
[00:31:57] Speaker D: Yep.
[00:31:58] Speaker C: But it's interesting to me that Martha is a generic, powerless, not even a character, but an inciting incident in the story. Right. We're supposed to care about not the murdered woman, but the kind of wrongly accused, the bad boyfriend who is wrongly accused. That's who we care about. And so I entered it going, yeah, it's that kind of story. That's interesting because that's what wages of sin is trying to rebut. Rebut, yes. That's a good word. But then we got to, I think, the most interesting scene in this whole episode, which is where we just get to listen in on what appears to be a random couple discussing the news.
And we have a really dismissive misogynist guy who's clearly reading Pulp magazine. I know some blondes that could use some duncan.
He's just awful. But then we have, that woman is.
[00:32:56] Speaker D: So fascinating in judging this flusy. He goes out and has adventures and really just looks after herself. And I'm going to leave this radio show right now.
[00:33:07] Speaker B: Exactly.
Yeah.
[00:33:09] Speaker C: She seems so harsh. She talks about, well, he can't be guilty. His smile is too nice. So not only harsh, but also shallow. And then she gets so wistful with that last line. It's always the trouble with women who try to get some excitement out of life. They always end up getting the worst of it. And then what's interesting is the episode just goes on to go, yes.
[00:33:30] Speaker A: Right.
[00:33:30] Speaker C: So it makes this powerful statement and then moving right along.
[00:33:35] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:33:36] Speaker D: So as I was listening to it the first time, and then like, okay, there's that weird black glove killer, which I don't. If you ever see a Dario like bird with crystal plumage. Really good movie. And then it jumps to what I have to assume this is just straight up dragnet parody or pastiche of this short, clipped police, a lot of sort of mundane chat going on. Of like, why is it like this? Okay. And then it's defense attorney. It's just each scene through round robin of, this is not part of everything else.
[00:34:10] Speaker A: This is not complaints.
[00:34:11] Speaker D: This is the part that really appealed to me.
[00:34:12] Speaker A: This is crazy, right?
[00:34:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:34:15] Speaker C: It was never boring. I don't think it's good, but it was not boring, because I kept thinking, okay, it's this. And I wasn't too excited about what this is, with the exception of the one scene I already mentioned.
And then the next scene would start, and you'd be like, no, it isn't that.
[00:34:34] Speaker D: Yeah, it is.
[00:34:34] Speaker C: Is it this?
The world's worst defense attorney was funny.
[00:34:42] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:34:43] Speaker D: The public's got to get. Just to see you in person, your flesh and blood up there.
[00:34:48] Speaker C: What sort of attorney are you? Are you sure you're not guilty?
Smile more. Smile. Doesn't look guilty.
[00:35:00] Speaker A: There was something appealing to me who loves some pretty straightforward police procedural into the courtroom scene.
I love law and order. I love the, hey, this is a crime. And we got this guy. And the twist of, oh, it's the prosecutor or the defense attorney. Prosecutor. Prosecutor. Sorry.
[00:35:24] Speaker D: Defense attorney is also bad. Not a murderer.
[00:35:27] Speaker A: Right. The prosecuting attorney is the murderer. It seemed like a really interesting episode of law and order to me, and nothing groundbreaking, but it sure held my interest. I liked it.
[00:35:38] Speaker D: And that weird conversation between him and his wife. You're awful.
[00:35:42] Speaker A: Yeah, he's terrible. Like, what did he call her?
[00:35:45] Speaker C: You just look good on my arm.
[00:35:46] Speaker A: Or you.
[00:35:47] Speaker C: But something along those lines. Decorative.
[00:35:49] Speaker A: You're a decoration piece for my status in this world or whatever.
[00:35:53] Speaker C: I think I land in an opposite area of Eric, where I thought all the lawyer and cop stuff was just boring and stupid.
And then it became really fascinating when we got these peeks into the stranger's life or this incredibly awful, awkward dinner with the prosecutor and his wife in which he uses the word meat very strangely.
[00:36:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:16] Speaker A: Yes, he does.
[00:36:17] Speaker C: Now, when I'm at a dinner table.
[00:36:19] Speaker A: I don't eat the meat.
[00:36:21] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:21] Speaker C: I would refer to it. That is an animal name. Yeah. Pork chop, chicken, or whatever prepared form the meat. Yes. Not like, give me more meat, woman.
[00:36:32] Speaker A: That's so fascinating because I also got hung up on that for about 20 seconds. Why don't you just say pork chop? And then I moved on, and then I forgot about it until he brought it up. But that is super weird that he.
[00:36:44] Speaker D: Just does not know what it is he's eating.
[00:36:46] Speaker C: He's trying to be polite. Meat product, more of what I presume.
[00:36:50] Speaker D: Is meat I'm unfamiliar with food.
[00:36:54] Speaker A: Well, the big word now is, do you want some protein with that?
[00:36:59] Speaker D: Oh, yeah, please pass the protein.
[00:37:02] Speaker A: I don't know, but I want some protein with that. Oh, you mean like chicken or beef or something like, say that. Want some protein with that?
[00:37:08] Speaker C: Because they also mean tofu or peanut butter.
Yes, or protein bar, peanut butter, cheese, some sort of protein. There's also, back to Tim's point about each scene. Seems to start something else. There's the completely pointless, almost final scene where Samson is talking to who I assume is the prison chaplain, who's trying to get him to confess, and he says, no, I'm innocent here. I swear in the bible, I'm innocent. And then the chaplain's like, oh, you swear in the bible? I have connections. I'm a prison chaplain. And he leaves to go try to get him a reprieve, but immediately someone else comes in and says, I've got that reprieve. Like that scene. So in my head, absolutely pointless.
[00:37:55] Speaker A: No, in my head, I'll take care of this. And walked outside and in 4 seconds took care of it. There's a guy there. And he said, guy's innocent. And I go, okay.
[00:38:04] Speaker C: No, it's not what I thought it was supposed to be. A time elapsed, but then it's clearly by the next scene. No, this whole other issue where suddenly someone realized that license could have been there already and someone could have dripped.
[00:38:19] Speaker B: Water on it during the murder.
[00:38:22] Speaker D: It's such a terrible case.
[00:38:24] Speaker C: Not a slam dunk case.
[00:38:26] Speaker D: Yes. That scene also delights me in its idiocy. Not idiocy.
[00:38:31] Speaker C: It's just like, why I'd say idiocy.
[00:38:34] Speaker D: But, you know, I was in the court, right? I swore in a bible, like, every day.
Not this bible.
[00:38:44] Speaker B: Yeah, right.
[00:38:45] Speaker D: Not my lucky bible.
[00:38:48] Speaker B: Lucky bible.
[00:38:49] Speaker C: Every guilty person in a trial swears on a bible at one point.
It's not Wonder Woman's magic lasso. That's all I'm saying.
[00:38:59] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:38:59] Speaker A: It's a weird way to get someone to listen to him as a plot device, as a writing. Like, okay, he's at wits end. How does he get someone to hear him? And it's weak. It's a weak thing to do writing wise. But then know, as Joshua pointed out, to not explore that and just, it feels like, uh oh, there's 4 minutes left. And you're so right, Joshua. A simple organ sting would have given us passage of time.
[00:39:32] Speaker C: And if you're going to write that scene, let it be the priest that does it. But it's not the priest, it's the cops. They are bizarro cops. They're like, now that we've solved the case, let's investigate it properly.
[00:39:43] Speaker A: Right?
[00:39:43] Speaker C: It makes no sense, because then the police work he describes to the prosecutor, it's like, good. You should have done. Oh, you mean you went around and interviewed witnesses who saw you there?
[00:39:55] Speaker D: This army of witnesses that have suddenly.
[00:39:58] Speaker C: Manifested, who saw you covered in bathwater.
[00:40:02] Speaker A: I hate when this happens. It was pretty good. And 5 minutes into this conversation.
[00:40:07] Speaker B: Oh, no.
[00:40:08] Speaker A: Right. This is terrible. What was I listening to all you think?
[00:40:11] Speaker D: I really enjoyed it.
[00:40:13] Speaker C: There are a lot of things that are terrible that I greatly enjoy.
[00:40:16] Speaker A: I didn't look at it too deeply. I think I just kind of surface level listen. Went, oh, there you go.
[00:40:20] Speaker D: And I listened to more episodes of the key, and they do all kinds of genre weird things, and they all.
[00:40:28] Speaker A: Have a key in it.
[00:40:29] Speaker C: This one was in an unusually designed key. That's why the cop was.
[00:40:34] Speaker D: There was another episode that has a code key.
[00:40:38] Speaker C: Yeah. I'm assuming this key had the words deos ex machina inscribed on it.
[00:40:45] Speaker D: Important evidence.
[00:40:46] Speaker C: Don't lose.
Well, can you pass the meat?
[00:40:53] Speaker A: God, I wish. Why don't we ever have food at our recordings?
[00:40:57] Speaker C: It soaks up the beer.
[00:41:01] Speaker D: I mean, I can make chewy noises.
[00:41:03] Speaker A: If I want food. I don't want chewy noises.
[00:41:06] Speaker C: One last thing that struck me, and this is not a dig at this episode, because it comes up a lot in old time radio, but because there wasn't good storytelling going on to distract me, I zeroed in on it, and that's that. He was sentenced to death, and he was going to be executed a week later, which made me go, wait, was the time lapse between sentencing and the carrying out of the execution ever that short? So I did go down a little rabbit hole, and I couldn't find information that went back any earlier than 1982. But in 1982, the average lapse in time between the sentence and the execution was six and a half years. And in 2022, it was over 18 years. Wow.
[00:41:57] Speaker A: Reminds me of that. I love a mystery story guy on death row. It was the last episode of one of their series, and he got a stay of execution for one night so that he could hear the final wrap up of whatever series that was hoping.
[00:42:12] Speaker D: To go another 18 years.
[00:42:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
I wonder if they were just like, you're sentenced to be executed, and they just took care of it there in the courtroom.
[00:42:22] Speaker C: Judge just shot him.
[00:42:26] Speaker D: What if those are the last words I appeal?
[00:42:33] Speaker A: What other caveats. Do you want to point out, Joshua.
[00:42:37] Speaker C: The last thing I will say is, I do love the prosecutor's argument to his wife at the table. We're like, well, there has to be a prosecutor. There has to be a defense attorney. There has to be a murderer. He was going to break out singing. It's a circle of life.
It doesn't really have to be. I get what you're saying, but he just painted it like it was out of his control.
[00:42:59] Speaker D: No one murdered anyone in the last two years. I better step up.
[00:43:04] Speaker A: While he was saying it, he was holding his wife under the armpits over a cliff.
You ready to vote?
[00:43:12] Speaker C: Sure.
[00:43:13] Speaker A: You start.
[00:43:14] Speaker C: My vote is lock the door and throw away the key.
Like I said earlier, it's the kind of bad radio show that I certainly find entertaining. It was perplexing.
[00:43:27] Speaker D: It's bad.
[00:43:27] Speaker C: It's not well written. I keep trying to back off of it, but I found it really entertaining. And I will give this gentleman the credit that I think he was trying something different. I don't know if there's some sort of cultural barrier here. It's australian. I don't understand.
[00:43:44] Speaker D: Crossed my mind as well.
[00:43:46] Speaker C: I mean, they have a hard time figuring out.
[00:43:47] Speaker D: Find this hilarious.
[00:43:49] Speaker C: Mammals, do they lay eggs or have live births? They're very confused over there. But it was entertaining for 30 minutes, but not a great one.
[00:43:58] Speaker A: I came into this thinking, that's decent. That was great.
And now I hate it.
[00:44:04] Speaker C: Oh, I'm sorry.
[00:44:05] Speaker A: No, it's full of terrible loopholes, but overall, seriously, the plot is not groundbreaking, but it's also not ridiculous. And I kind of liked falsely accused of a crime, and you find out that the guy that did it is the guy that's prosecuting him.
[00:44:22] Speaker C: Classic trope.
[00:44:23] Speaker A: Yeah, I like that. And I didn't think the acting was bad, but listening to you guys, I realized, well, there's a lot of big, giant holes in this. Well, here's my vote then, right? It is a classic of the key.
[00:44:39] Speaker D: Would you say this is the favorite episode of the key you've.
[00:44:42] Speaker A: Oh, yes, by far.
[00:44:44] Speaker D: I would say this episode has really only one flaw, but it's an important one, that the scene should go together to form one story.
If you can overlook that, it's pretty good.
[00:45:03] Speaker C: If this were a thematically linked short story collection, yeah, it would be great, right?
[00:45:08] Speaker A: Like a perfect day for a banana fish or something.
[00:45:11] Speaker B: Right?
[00:45:11] Speaker A: Like, just a series of random things.
[00:45:16] Speaker D: That is really honestly my opinion of it. I was really amazed by the first scene, that domestic scene this is so interesting. Like I said, the defense attorney sort of musing about having people witness in public a murder trial.
Just sort of grizzly like that. And just the defense attorney in general, just what a weird, bad attorney he was. There was so much in this that fascinated me that I just wish there was a story.
Um, so I don't even know. This stands the test of time, although it's as good now as it was then, I'm sure.
So, yeah, it stands the test of time. Bass ackwards Lee.
[00:46:01] Speaker A: Yeah, Tim, tell them more stuff.
[00:46:03] Speaker D: Hey, if you enjoyed this, what is wrong with you? Please go visit ghoulishdelights.com. You can let us know what you thought of this episode. You can listen to other episodes. Let us know what you thought of those. You can vote in polls. You can visit our swag store. Buy some mysterious old radio swag. Maybe a t shirt.
[00:46:23] Speaker C: Pantaloons.
[00:46:24] Speaker D: Pantaloons.
You can also visit a link to our Patreon page.
[00:46:31] Speaker C: Yes, go to patreon.com slash them. Become a member of mysterious old radio listening society. Society. You really should. We have so much fun with our patrons. We do a monthly Zoom happy hours where we get together and listen to old time radio and talk about it. It's great fun. I do a semi monthly book club. We have bonus podcasts.
[00:46:55] Speaker A: You can stay at our house, sign.
[00:46:56] Speaker C: Up in the next 24 hours, and we will send you a strangely designed key that will ruin your short story.
[00:47:07] Speaker A: They'll get you into Tim's house.
[00:47:10] Speaker B: Hey, if you'd like a lot of baths.
[00:47:13] Speaker A: If you'd like to see the mysterious old radio listening society theater company performing recreations of classic radio drama or a lot of our own original work, we are performing somewhere on stage monthly for a long time. Find out where we're performing, what we're performing, and how to get tickets. Just go to ghoulishderlights.com and we'd love to see you. If you're not in our vicinity or can't make it, being a Patreon gets you access to the filming of our live shows.
[00:47:43] Speaker C: We should say filming or audio.
[00:47:45] Speaker B: Or audio.
[00:47:45] Speaker A: Right?
[00:47:46] Speaker C: Faces are filmable, but you will get some recorded document that you can use to listen to our performance or see our performance or both.
[00:47:57] Speaker A: Some of it is just me leaving my recording on my phone in my back pocket.
What's coming up next?
[00:48:04] Speaker D: Up next is your choice, I believe.
[00:48:06] Speaker A: All right, we are going to be listening to I believe the first time to a man called x and the story of storm over the Alps. Until then.
[00:48:19] Speaker B: Look out.
[00:48:20] Speaker C: Can you pass the meat?
