Episode 417: The Hitchhiker

[00:00:16] Speaker A: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society podcast. 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. [00:00:35] Speaker B: I'm Tim. [00:00:36] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:00:37] 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. [00:00:42] Speaker A: This week we'll be listening to the Hitchhiker from the Clock. Created by Lawrence Klee, the clock premiered November 3, 1946, and after 80 episodes, concluded May 23, 1948. The series was hosted by Father Time, whose poetic musings stand in dark contrast to the sinister, sinister foreboding employed by other show hosts. [00:01:05] Speaker C: In 1947, the series moved from New York to Hollywood and enlisted director William Speer of suspense and the adventures of Sam Spade fame. The move was also accompanied by a change in actors, including Elliot and Kathy Lewis, as well as Jeanette Nolan. [00:01:23] Speaker B: Like most of the existing episodes of the Clock you'll come across, this recording of the Hitchhiker is from the mid-1950s Australian version of the show presented by Grace Gibson Productions. Seven years after series left the American airwaves, Grace Gibson recycled over 50 scripts from the original run and met with tremendous success. The American version of the Hitchhiker was first broadcast February 9, 1947, but this Australian production first aired March 1, 1956. [00:01:49] 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. [00:02:13] Speaker D: Sunrise and sunset, promise and fulfillment, birth and death. The whole drama of life is written in the sands of time. We present a new series of radio programs. The Clock. Time is uniform. There are just so many seconds and hours and minutes in each day. Their length never changes, and yet they often seem to change. When you're traveling, for instance, time may lengthen or quicken according to your mood. I'm not referring to the conveyance in which you travel. It doesn't matter if you use a train, a bus or a boat. But when you travel by car alone, when you sit behind the wheel and watch the highway ribbon out in front of you. As for mile after endless mile, time hangs heavy on your hands, and you long for a way to ease the monotony. Gas. Mister? Yeah? Pull up. Okay. All right. Guess. Outstretched. The pendant A little. Gets kind of cramped behind that wheel after a while. Now, how far is it to about 200 miles? Maybe 250 ought to make it by 3 in the morning if my luck holds up. Well, the road's pretty good from here on in. Say, do you know anything about radios? Car radios? Yeah, we install them here. Well, take a look at mine, will you? There's something's wrong with it. Sure thing. When you're on the road alone, a radio is a good bet. It helps to pass the time. Yeah, I know how it is. It gets kind of lonesome when you travel the way I do. Five within 16, 1700 miles a week, maybe a lot. Mister, you got a bad wire connection on that set. Can you fix it? Yeah, Take me about three minutes. Well, say, look, mister, got room for another passenger and car? Another passenger? Yeah. I wouldn't ask, except I'm so sorry for the kid, you know, and she said something about being used at some being loaned tomorrow. And she's trying to hitchhike her way to Salt Lake City to see her old lady. Some guy dropped her off at a fork about an hour ago. And she's been. What, you've been waiting for lift ever since. Well, I guess I can give you a ride. Where is she? Inside. Good looker, too. Nice shape. Hey, now, take it easy. I'm a married man with two kids. Ah, well, you know how it is. Sure, I know how it is. I'll ask her if she wants to lift while you fix that wire. Okay, mister. Okay. Excuse me. What do you want? The gas attendant outside said you were looking for a lift to Salt Lake City. [00:05:17] Speaker E: You going that far? [00:05:18] Speaker D: I'm going to try to make it tonight. [00:05:20] Speaker E: Well, I don't usually like. [00:05:23] Speaker D: My name's Keeler. Leonard Keeler. Everybody calls me Len. [00:05:26] Speaker E: My name's Lola Pickens. [00:05:28] Speaker D: Well, if you get your stuff, I [00:05:29] Speaker E: don't have any suitcases. [00:05:30] Speaker D: Oh, it's having. Nice, huh? Hey. Well, you coming? [00:05:36] Speaker E: I guess. [00:05:38] Speaker D: No, you don't have to worry. I'm not the kind who makes passes. [00:05:42] Speaker E: I wasn't thinking. [00:05:44] Speaker D: Okay, mister, Radar's working fine now. I'll be right there. Now, come on, Lola. There's a long stretch of road ahead of us. We better get started. Cigarette? [00:05:57] Speaker E: Yes, thanks. [00:05:58] Speaker D: Up there's a lighter on the dashboard. [00:06:00] Speaker E: There's so many gadgets up here. [00:06:02] Speaker D: The round one, the flat one for the heater which works the defroster. The dial turns on the radio. [00:06:08] Speaker E: Where's the gadget that turns on the dishwasher? [00:06:11] Speaker D: That's good. And if you don't think I'd have a dishwasher in here if I needed one. I like a lot of cheesecake. On my car. I'm willing to pay for them, so why not have them? [00:06:21] Speaker E: It's a nice car. [00:06:22] Speaker D: Yes. Yours. Where are you from, Ly? [00:06:26] Speaker E: Chicago. [00:06:26] Speaker D: And you're hitchhiking all the way to Salt Lake City? [00:06:29] Speaker E: It's the cutest way to travel. [00:06:30] Speaker D: I'll say. Oh, you. You're pretty nervy. A girl like you traveling on the road alone. Ever run into trouble? [00:06:37] Speaker E: Once or twice. Every once in a while you come across a Romeo who thinks he's terrific. I know how to handle that kind. [00:06:44] Speaker D: I bet you do. What do you do for a living, Lola? No, I wasn't getting nosy or anything like that. I. You know, I was just trying to pass it. [00:06:52] Speaker E: Oh, it's all right. I don't mind telling you, I've been almost everything from a waitress to a dancer in a burlesque line. [00:06:58] Speaker D: You got experience, huh? [00:07:00] Speaker E: Too much. Now I'm going home to my folks. That's where I should have stayed in the first place. [00:07:05] Speaker D: Yeah, there's no place like home. [00:07:08] Speaker E: What do you do, Mr. Keelis? [00:07:10] Speaker D: Call me Len. Huh? I'm a salesman. [00:07:14] Speaker E: What's your line? [00:07:16] Speaker D: You won't laugh now? [00:07:17] Speaker E: No, of course I won't laugh. [00:07:19] Speaker D: Of course it's. No. I don't know why, but that always gets a laugh. What's so funny about. [00:07:25] Speaker E: I don't know. [00:07:26] Speaker D: You wait till you're fat and 40. You'll find out that I'm practically your best friend. I say it's good to have company when you hit the road. [00:07:34] Speaker E: It's nice to meet someone who's regular. [00:07:38] Speaker D: What's that? [00:07:40] Speaker E: What? [00:07:40] Speaker D: It's like a man standing up there at the bend in the road. [00:07:43] Speaker E: Waiting for a lift, I guess. Poor guy. It's getting dark. I know how it is when you stand out there and watch the cars go past you. [00:07:51] Speaker D: Well, Lola, inasmuch as you've got a heart as big as a pumpkin, suppose we give the guy a break, huh? He looks okay. Might even be an xdi. How far are you going, Mr. Wheeler? Where's that? About 150 miles from here, on the road to Salt Lake. You're in luck, brother. Ah, here we go again. [00:08:20] Speaker E: Mind if I have another cigarette, then? [00:08:22] Speaker D: Help yourself, lover. You comfortable back there? Yeah, thanks. Been on the road long? Oh, it's getting kind of late. I guess I better put on my lights. You want a cigarette back there? No. As long as we're all traveling together, I may as well introduce myself. My name's keila. This is Ms. Lola Pickens. Rhymes with Chickens. [00:08:45] Speaker E: Horace Green, [00:08:49] Speaker D: I said her name was. I heard you. Not very funny, is it? [00:08:54] Speaker E: No. [00:08:56] Speaker D: What's your name? Friends? Leach. Mind if I ask you what your job is? I haven't been working at it lately. Well, what is your line when you work at it? I'm in ladies wear. You don't say. Who'd you work for? You never heard of the firm. I bet I did. I heard of every ladies wear firm in the country. I work for Lewis Brothers. Lewis Brothers? Where's that? Salt Lake. Oh, you got me there, brother. That is one firm I have never heard of. Out of business now. Oh, I see. Looking for another setup, huh? I'm not looking for anything, mister. Including conversation. Well, I just thought. [00:09:42] Speaker E: Oh, leave him alone then. Maybe he just doesn't want to talk. [00:09:45] Speaker D: That's all right with me. Let me see the rest of it. [00:09:49] Speaker E: Don't he sure [00:09:52] Speaker D: looks like we're climbing. Going into the mountains to get. Oh, wait a minute. There's a crossroads. Hmm? Route 7, Salt Lake City. Route 7A. Salt Lake City. So you get there either way. Well, I. Take a peek at the map and see which is shorter. Here, take Route 7, mister. It seems like 7A shorter. Listen to me. Take some 7. Now, wait a minute, friend. I'm still driving this car. We'll take 7A. [00:10:31] Speaker E: Sure, miss, sure. [00:10:33] Speaker D: Save maybe 20 miles. Go through the hills. This car can climb like nobody sits. [00:10:39] Speaker E: Hope the good weather keeps up. The radio said it might get foggy before morning. [00:10:43] Speaker D: Hey, that reminds me. May as well have some music. Don't put the radio on, mister. Why not? I don't like music. Now, look here, friend. Seems as though you don't like anything in this car at all. Maybe you want me to drop you off at the next turn. No, no, don't do that. Look, don't mind me, mister. I haven't been feeling so well lately. I'm sort of convalescing. Oh, that's different. But if you don't mind my saying so, a good disposition never stopped anybody from getting better. Sure. Sure, you're right. What was the matter with you? It was my ear. Your ear mastoid? Not exactly. No, I. But I. I'm all right now. I'm glad to hear. Lola. [00:11:29] Speaker E: Yes? [00:11:30] Speaker D: A snap that radio on, huh? It's. It's got to warm up first. Good set, though. [00:11:42] Speaker E: How's that? [00:11:43] Speaker D: Couldn't be better. [00:11:45] Speaker E: Makes me feel like this. [00:11:47] Speaker D: Me, too. Hey, sir. Mister, I wonder if I could ask you for a favor. Sure. Well, my father's very sick in Wheeler, and I'M getting kind of worried about it. You want to make a call or something? If you don't mind. Oh, it's all right with me. Except where can you make it? I don't think we'll hit another town until we get out of these hills. Well, there's a farmhouse up ahead. I. I could make a call from there and pay him for it. Okay. Leech. Will you wait for me? Naturally. You don't think I'd leave you flat out here this time of night. Thanks. I'll try to make it fair. No hurry. [00:12:31] Speaker E: He's a funny kind of guy. [00:12:33] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:12:34] Speaker E: I'll see you all the time. He was sitting in the back seat. I got a creepy feeling like. Like he was staring at the back of my neck or something. [00:12:44] Speaker D: Nice neck. I don't think we interrupt this program for a special announcement. What's that? We've just been notified of a four state alarm broadcast for an inmate of the Lowell Hospital for the Insane. Located near Pike City. That's only about 20 miles. This man escaped the asylum two hours ago. And he's a very dangerous homicidal maniac. His name is John Slade, although he is probably using an alias. He is 5ft 11 inches tall, light brown hair, blue eyes, about 170 pounds. This man is dangerous to both men and women, and he strikes without warning. He may possibly be immediately identified by the fact that he has an insatiable desire to cut small sections from the hair of his victim. If you see this man, please notify the nearest state police barracks. Now we turn you to our regular program when. Wait a minute. Simply because that general description fits Leech. [00:13:39] Speaker E: Then how do we know, huh? [00:13:42] Speaker D: What's the matter, Lola? [00:13:44] Speaker E: I. I can feel. Look at my hair. At the back length. [00:13:52] Speaker D: There's a piece of your hair, miss. Yes. Time passes quickly on the road when there's someone to chat with and a pleasant tune to listen to on the radio. But when that tune goes sour and the conversation turns to death. Time stands still. [00:14:21] Speaker E: Oh, no. Stop the car, Lynn. Let's get out of here. [00:14:29] Speaker D: I can't see the stomach. [00:14:31] Speaker E: What's the matter? He's coming back. [00:14:35] Speaker D: Thanks for waiting, Mr. Keeler. Did you reach your father? No, the line was busy. Well, then try again at the next farmhouse. Never mind. I can wait. [00:14:52] Speaker E: Lynn. [00:14:53] Speaker D: Yes? [00:14:53] Speaker E: You're all out of cigarettes. [00:14:55] Speaker D: I. There. Yeah. Here, I got. No. What? [00:15:01] Speaker E: I. I mean, I don't want to smoke right away now anyway. [00:15:05] Speaker D: How about you, mister? No, no, no. No, thanks. What's the matter, mister? [00:15:13] Speaker E: I. I thought you touched me. [00:15:17] Speaker D: Yes. Is that any reason to jump like that? [00:15:20] Speaker E: I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. [00:15:23] Speaker D: I was just going to ask. Would you. You folks mind if I sat up front? [00:15:27] Speaker E: No. [00:15:28] Speaker D: Okay. [00:15:29] Speaker E: I mean, you can't sit here. [00:15:31] Speaker D: I can't? There's not enough room. [00:15:33] Speaker E: L. Don't you need some gas, Lynn? [00:15:36] Speaker D: Gas? Oh, sure. Yeah, gas. Yeah, I better gas over the next station if we can find one. Kyle. [00:15:44] Speaker E: I'll keep my eyes open. [00:15:46] Speaker D: Say, maybe it would be cozier if Leech sat up here with us. [00:15:49] Speaker E: No. [00:15:50] Speaker D: We could stop the car for a minute and he could get out and come into the sun out. [00:15:55] Speaker E: Oh. Oh, sure. [00:15:57] Speaker D: Here's their room. Lola can move over. She doesn't take up much space. [00:16:01] Speaker E: Yes. Stop the car. L. He can sit in front [00:16:08] Speaker D: of. Okay, Leech. How about and come in front? [00:16:12] Speaker E: Step on his lane. [00:16:16] Speaker D: Hey, come back here. [00:16:19] Speaker E: Come back here. We've left him behind. He's running after us. Don't stop, Len. Don't stop. [00:16:29] Speaker D: We wouldn't get far in a flat. Jimmy. What's the idea? Funny thing. It must have been in gear. She jumped ahead without warning. Yeah, you got a flat. I know that. Front tire. I guess we'd better go to work on it. Say, let me do it. What? Let me fix it. I want to pay you back for the ride. The spares in the trunk. Here's the key. Won't take me long. [00:16:58] Speaker E: When? What are we going to do? [00:16:59] Speaker D: Take it easy, Laura. There's a way out of this. We can outsmart him. There must be a way. [00:17:05] Speaker E: As soon as he gets the tire fixed. Can you start the car again and leave him behind? [00:17:08] Speaker D: The ignition key's on the same ring with the trunk key. He's got some bolts. [00:17:11] Speaker E: I'll go crazy if we don't get rid of him. Every time he moves, I can almost feel his fingers around himself. [00:17:16] Speaker D: How do you think I feel? My scalp's been crawling up and down my spine. [00:17:19] Speaker E: What do we do? [00:17:20] Speaker D: We've got to play it straight. You understand? Whatever we do, we can't let on we know. [00:17:26] Speaker E: But supposing. [00:17:27] Speaker D: Guess that he won't if we play smart. Home, huh? Here he comes. This shouldn't take more than 10 minutes, Mr. Keeler. You sure you don't want some help? No, you stay where you are. That suit of yours is too good to roll on this road. [00:17:44] Speaker E: Lynn, for heaven's sake, think of something. Trying to. [00:17:47] Speaker D: One thing we've got to do. Doll for time. Loaded. Do you think you can play a play so he won't try anything until I work out a plan. You know, be sweet. Make believe you think he's handsome or clever or something like that. [00:18:02] Speaker E: You couldn't ask me to play up to a maniac. [00:18:04] Speaker D: I couldn't. But our lives may depend on us, Laura. [00:18:06] Speaker E: Not if we run into the woods. [00:18:08] Speaker D: Sure. We'll be right where he wants it. [00:18:10] Speaker E: Man, I'm scared. I'm so scared, I'm sick. [00:18:13] Speaker D: Right where you stand onto yourself. [00:18:16] Speaker E: He's looking at it, Martin. [00:18:19] Speaker D: Now you tell me what I want. [00:18:23] Speaker E: I wonder what time we'll get into Salt Lake City. [00:18:25] Speaker D: You do it, kid. Keep him from being suspicious. [00:18:27] Speaker E: Why give me a lion? There's no other way. What else can I do? [00:18:40] Speaker D: To Len and Lola, changing that tire seemed to be an age. But to leap, it was just one of those things. Okay, Mr. Kilch, he's fixed. Thanks a lot. Don't mention it. We'll stop off at the first gas station to have that other tire. Hey, didn't you say you needed some gas? Yeah. The gauge on your dashboard says you pull up. That gauge doesn't work too well. You can't trust it. Give me the keys, Leach. I think I'll drive, Mr. Keeler. What? For Safety's sake. You know, you've been behind the wheel for quite a while. I imagine it's better if we change over. But you see, I'm not tired. Move up. Mr. Keeler. Let me take over. All right, if you insist. I can sit in the back. [00:19:31] Speaker E: No, stay here with me in the front. [00:19:34] Speaker D: Sure, there's plenty of room. Lola. All set? Yeah. Here we go. To tell you the truth, I'd like to see lola again. [00:19:50] Speaker E: What's. Mr. Leach? [00:19:52] Speaker D: You. You remind me of someone I used to know. [00:19:56] Speaker E: Who is she? [00:19:57] Speaker D: Her name was Charlotte. [00:19:58] Speaker E: Charlotte. That's nice. [00:20:00] Speaker D: Lynn. Ruth, huh? [00:20:01] Speaker E: Beautiful. You said her name. Wife. Charlotte. [00:20:04] Speaker D: That's right. She's dead. [00:20:07] Speaker E: Oh. [00:20:10] Speaker D: Maybe you're getting tired, Leech. Not a bit. I just started to drive. Well, you're not used to the car, I mean. I'll let you know when I'm tired. [00:20:19] Speaker E: Aren't you going rather fast? [00:20:20] Speaker D: 55, that's all. That's all right. This car can make it. We. You ought to be heading in town pretty soon now. Why are you slowing down? I'm taking this turn. But how do you know it's the right one? I know. I'll be a backseat driver now. [00:20:44] Speaker E: Do you know this road, Mr. Lee? [00:20:46] Speaker D: I've been over it before. The woods are kind of thick here. Yeah. [00:20:52] Speaker E: Why don't we pass it Village? I can't understand why. [00:20:55] Speaker D: Don't. Don't. Don't be afraid. I mean, well, we're strangers, but we're both nice guys, aren't we? Le. We don't have much farther to go. [00:21:12] Speaker E: We don't? What do you mean? [00:21:16] Speaker D: We're not even near Salt Lake yet. I. I meant we don't have much longer to ride in this jalopy until we get out of these woods. Oh. [00:21:28] Speaker E: You know, I. I think that the first town we come to, I'm getting a hotel room. I mean, I'm tired and. I guess I'll call it a night. [00:21:35] Speaker D: Well, anything you say, Ms. Dickins. [00:21:37] Speaker E: You won't forget to stop, will you? [00:21:39] Speaker D: I won't forget. What time you got, Mr. Keeling? 8:20. Oh, that's fine. Is it? [00:21:50] Speaker E: What's the matter now? Why are you slowing down again? [00:21:54] Speaker D: There's a sign of that road fork. I want to read it. [00:22:00] Speaker E: Can't you read it from here? [00:22:02] Speaker D: No. What's he doing? [00:22:08] Speaker E: Looking up and down the road. Lenny wants to make sure there are no other cars. [00:22:14] Speaker D: All right. We can't wait any longer. Reach into that side pocket. Fast. [00:22:18] Speaker E: Have you got a gun? [00:22:19] Speaker D: No. No, but I just remembered there's a pocket knife in there. [00:22:23] Speaker E: Quick. [00:22:30] Speaker D: Okay, folks, get out. This is the end of the lines. I've got the car keys, so you may as well get out one. Lola, do as he says. Yes, that's right. Is this a hold up? Hold up? No. Then what's the big idea, Mr. Leach? You'll find out, Mr. Keeler, in just a second. Maybe we won't see. Wait. That. [00:23:09] Speaker E: I. I can't look at him. [00:23:13] Speaker D: It's a good thing I had this knife. [00:23:15] Speaker E: I. I guess you had to kill him, didn't you? [00:23:18] Speaker D: There's no other way. I hope. [00:23:21] Speaker E: Maybe you could do it differently. I mean, he couldn't help himself. He was sick. [00:23:26] Speaker D: Why is it he's better off this way? Laura. [00:23:28] Speaker E: Lane, let's leave him here and get back into the car. We can drive to the nearest police station and. Lance. Well, what are you doing? [00:23:43] Speaker D: I was just looking at his hair. [00:23:46] Speaker E: His hair? [00:23:48] Speaker D: It's so long. Soft, like yours is. I think I've just cut off a piece. Keeps. [00:23:57] Speaker E: It's not. [00:24:00] Speaker D: Lola. Don't you like what I'm doing? [00:24:02] Speaker E: I. I don't believe. No, you couldn't. This. He wasn't. [00:24:12] Speaker D: No, Lola, he wasn't. [00:24:14] Speaker E: Get away from me. [00:24:15] Speaker D: Come here. Lola, I want you to. With the knife on you. Lola. Just my hand. My hands and my fingers on your. Please. [00:24:29] Speaker E: Get in. [00:24:39] Speaker D: Are you all right, miss? [00:24:41] Speaker E: Great. [00:24:44] Speaker D: I finished Leach. Did he? Too bad. Poor guy called us about 20 minutes ago and we told him to stall right here. He recognized Slade when Slade picked him up. Car was stolen. Slade. Keep moving. Have you got him, Pete? Come on. Yeah, yeah, we got him. Are you sure you're all right, Ms. Veteran? [00:25:10] Speaker E: My life. [00:25:16] Speaker D: Yes, the road gets lonesome when you're spinning along behind the wheel. And it's lonesomer still when you're beside it waiting for a lift. Only sometimes it's safer to stay at home. Well, as the walrus said to the carpenter on that memorable occasion at the beach, the time has come and I must be on my way. I have an appointment with an old friend of mine. As watchmaker by profession, he's quite a pleasant fellow and I enjoy his company. He's restful, so to speak. At least for me. Somehow, whenever I leave him, I always feel well adjusted. The Clock will be heard again next week, same time, same station. Written by Lawrence Klee and starring Hart Maguire. You heard Wendy Playfair and Charles Tingwell as Lola and Len as leech. Owen Weingott as garage attendant Ozzie Wendon. The Clock is directed by John Th. A Grace Gibson radio production. [00:26:32] Speaker A: That was the Hitchhiker from the Clock here on the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society podcast once again. I'm Eric. [00:26:40] Speaker B: I'm Tim. [00:26:40] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:26:41] Speaker A: And that was my pick. I brought that this week in my normal way of figuring out what I'm going to bring. Just throwing spaghetti against the wall till something hits me right. [00:26:51] Speaker C: Oh, just suddenly imagine that you have a spaghetti dart board. [00:26:54] Speaker B: That's some bouncy spaghetti. If it's hitting you, I'm going to [00:26:58] Speaker A: invent the spaghetti dartboard. The first thing I was really hoping, really hoping when I threw this on was, oh, I hope they're doing Lucille Fletcher's the Hitchhiker, because I want to hear a different version of that. I want to. [00:27:12] Speaker C: Australian one. Yeah. [00:27:13] Speaker A: Or whatever. [00:27:14] Speaker C: I didn't know Hitchhiker is a kangaroo. [00:27:15] Speaker A: If you thought for a minute I knew that this was the Australian version until we read that in the intro. No, I just sent it to you. And someone else wrote that. Tim wrote that. [00:27:26] Speaker B: One of our staff? [00:27:27] Speaker A: Yes. Yes. Our staff, yes. So, you know, you get into it and you go, okay. Even when they pick the guy up, I'm like, is he going to disappear and keep showing up? You know, like, I was pulling hard for the like. So after a while you go, oh, it's not that. Then I realized that I was listening to On a Country Road, meaning I'm listening to a tropey story. This is nothing that original about the story. It's, how are you telling that story? So I started listening for that, and then I'll be damned. I got caught off guard. I did not see it coming and felt a little dumb because I'm pretty sure both of you are going to say, yep, knew that was coming and did not get caught off guard. But then the last part of it was, I thought it was tremendously told, this tropey story of picking up a hitchhiker and all that, and then the. The big switcheroo at the end and all of it, because I thought it was really well written, I thought it was really well acted. And when I realized, oh, the guy driving is the bad guy, so much dialogue from before that made sense as, oh, the hitchhiker is the bad guy. Also works as he's not the bad guy. Like, it worked. It had double meaning. I really liked it. That's why I brought it. It was a fun trip for me. Not for them, not for me. [00:29:08] Speaker B: Well, they're going to Salt Lake City, so that's a tough part of road. We love you, Salt Lake City. [00:29:16] Speaker C: What I immediately thought after listening to this was, I wish I could go back in time and listen to this 10 years ago. That, to a certain extent, I feel like the podcast has ruined me the [00:29:31] Speaker D: whole time right now. [00:29:33] Speaker A: Right. [00:29:33] Speaker B: Mission accomplished. [00:29:34] Speaker C: And then I couldn't really tell if it was a fault in the script or performance that made me call the twist almost immediately or if it was just that. Now, after listening to hundreds and hundreds of episodes, I'm just programmed to start like a robot, trying to figure out what are all the various versions of the twist. There are three suspects, so one of them is the killer. I'm gonna be disappointed if it's the guy they picked up that they're pointing at. So it's either the woman that would be exciting, or it's the guy from the top who, from the get go, just activated all my suspicion. Just because he's a little too amiable, a little too avuncular. He reminded me of those sociopathic Jim Thompson characters. Lines like, well, you just wait till Your fat and 40 and I'll be your best friend as a corset salesman was like classic Jim Thompson. So from that end, I enjoyed it aesthetically. I thought the dialogue was great. And it's one of those radio shows where I'M willing to say it's me because I think it's really well done. But I found myself just immediately trying to figure it out. And I wish I had, and I wish I'd let it just wash over me. [00:30:58] Speaker B: I particularly the first half of it. I loved that in. Well, actually, let me back up this whole thing a little bit. One the very beginning, when he pulls into this gas station. I was kind of delighted by this old school, this time in traveling across America and the road, where a service station like this was a port of, like, hey, I've been traveling for two weeks. I need some hardtack and some repairs to my car. [00:31:31] Speaker A: Right, Right. [00:31:33] Speaker B: And, you know, guys, like, it's gonna take me three minutes to replace your radio or to fix your radio. So I was delighted by that aesthetic. And then to be in that nostalgic. No, it's not gonna be nostalgic, but older point of view about what hitchhiking was then. [00:31:49] Speaker A: Yes. [00:31:50] Speaker B: The tension of, like, I'm going to pick up the hitchhiker. Young girl, older married guy. There's an inherent threat, but it's not like if it was a contemporary story of, like, you are idiots if you do this. [00:32:02] Speaker C: The inherent threat is just anywhere, though it's not specific to hitchhiking with the. I suppose it confined space with the guy who claims, I'm harmless. I'm married with two kids. [00:32:13] Speaker A: Right. [00:32:13] Speaker C: Total red flag as a guy who's married with two kids. [00:32:18] Speaker B: Hey, can I get a ride? [00:32:19] Speaker D: Thing. [00:32:20] Speaker B: But in the absence of what was to come of the actual guy on the radio saying, beware, Criller is on the loose in this neighborhood, when it's just atmospheric threat without being a literal, like, there's a killer on the road threat. It was really delightful to be in the sort of charged car of these two people trying to be nice to each other, trying to relax each other. [00:32:43] Speaker C: Yeah. One interesting thing the script does is it's called the Hitchhiker. So in those first 10 minutes, my assumption was Lola is the hitchhiker. [00:32:53] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:32:53] Speaker C: And so I'm. What's gonna happen. They seem to be getting along really well, but there's still a little bit of a weird tension, as Tim was saying. That's understandable given the sexes and the differences in ages. And so I guess, yeah, there was that little disappointment when they pick up the guy who's, like, rude. Clearly a criminal type. [00:33:14] Speaker A: Right. [00:33:15] Speaker B: I enjoyed when they grabbed him. And, like, there's a third point of this triangle now, and it's ratcheted up. [00:33:21] Speaker C: Certainly Complicates it. [00:33:22] Speaker D: You're right. [00:33:23] Speaker B: But once they got to. There's a radio announcement. Killer on the road. He looks like this. He cuts hair. It's a weird thing, but I don't know if you're into cutting hair. That's cool. [00:33:32] Speaker A: Says someone who's probably never watched one episode of Criminal Minds. [00:33:37] Speaker B: Is it not cool? [00:33:39] Speaker A: It's a thing. They're called souvenirs. Anyway, go on to be that. [00:33:43] Speaker C: Why can't I pay my barber in souvenirs there instead of 50 bucks a shot? [00:33:50] Speaker B: That's when the complexity and nuance kind of compacted down to just as you were saying, the question of, is this guy that picked up the guy, or is it the other guy? [00:34:00] Speaker C: Or is there gonna be a fourth guy? Yes. With a hook. [00:34:04] Speaker A: Awesome. [00:34:05] Speaker B: This is endless. [00:34:06] Speaker A: Hitchhiker. [00:34:07] Speaker B: They got a car full of suspicious people. [00:34:09] Speaker A: Like a clown car. Clown car of suspects. [00:34:16] Speaker B: So I wasn't totally hornswoggled by the twist of what it was. But I didn't clock the police were coming because this guy used the phone 20 minutes back. [00:34:25] Speaker A: That part I loved that figuring out. Oh, that's why he made them pull over to use the phone. He called the police. [00:34:32] Speaker D: Right. [00:34:32] Speaker B: And why he wanted to make sure I've got the keys. [00:34:34] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:34:34] Speaker A: All of that. For me, it was that backtrack that happened that goes literally in three seconds in your head. [00:34:44] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:34:45] Speaker A: Oh, he's not the killer. He's the killer. And your brain goes backwards and you remember it on you. Oh, oh, oh, right. [00:34:51] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:34:52] Speaker C: That's why he wanted to sit in front. [00:34:54] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:34:54] Speaker C: That's actually trying to protect Lola, not cut more hair from her. [00:35:00] Speaker A: He didn't want to listen to the radio because if the radio comes on and talks about the guy, then that guy's going to go, shoot, Yeah, I been busted. I'm going to kill the guy in the back. It's all quite lovely. Yeah. [00:35:13] Speaker C: And I should clarify when I say, from early on, I thought it was probably Keeler. I did not tweak all the individual steps of Leech. I also enjoyed how it all fits so snugly into place at the end. So I think that's a compliment I can certainly give this, is that even knowing the twist, it was never boring. [00:35:38] Speaker A: Right. [00:35:39] Speaker C: And it still had surprises. [00:35:41] Speaker A: I think you nailed it for me, though, why I didn't guess the twist, and that is because the hitchhiker was the woman. And so I think I was kind of just floating around going, it could be anything about to happen. I don't have Any idea what's about to happen? Zero, because it wasn't clear with two hitchhikers. [00:36:03] Speaker B: The idol chitchat, which has no impact on the plot, was fascinating of like, what do you do for a living? I was a waitress, I was a dancer. This other guy also in women's clothing. [00:36:15] Speaker C: So that's a question I have is do you think Leech legitimately sold women's clothing or was he just making something up at random, just like Keeler was and they landed on the same thing. Because he might be making something up at random. Because if he immediately suspects Keeler is this killer, if he escapes, then he doesn't want to give out any real [00:36:42] Speaker B: personal identification because I'm going to make up something. Wen's Clothing. Oh, oh, no, he knows this industry. He says, okay, I'll say a company name. Oh, he doesn't know that one because he's not actually in that industry. [00:36:56] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, yeah. [00:36:58] Speaker C: See, it continues to work. [00:36:59] Speaker B: Yeah, they're double bluffed. [00:37:01] Speaker A: His. His reaction of not come being forthcoming with what he did for a living to me was 100%. Oh, I can't give this guy information about my. When I realized, when I went back, yeah, I went, oh, he did that to protect himself. [00:37:17] Speaker C: I think the real red flag in this story is men selling women's under things. [00:37:22] Speaker A: Yeah, right. [00:37:25] Speaker C: Weird thing to do. [00:37:26] Speaker B: It still strange me that his line was corsets, which I suppose at the term when like girdles or. [00:37:32] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:37:33] Speaker B: Now it just seems like I go to Renaissance festivals and sell corsets. Corsets and snoods [00:37:39] Speaker C: and codpieces. [00:37:41] Speaker A: Through today's lens. I think it's weird. And please, if you do this for a living, I don't think it's weird weird. I just. It's rare that. That a man sells women's undergarments because you would want who wears them to be the one telling you what. Do you know what I'm saying? Like that. They're not an expert on that. However, because we live our lives in the past, all three of us. There's a lot of radio and television and movies. I've seen this a lot where men sold women's corsets. [00:38:16] Speaker C: Dormitories. [00:38:16] Speaker A: Undergarments. Dorm. Yeah. It's not the first time that's happened, so it was more common back then. [00:38:22] Speaker B: I would think in Salt Lake City there'd be stores that you can go to, but like in a small little rural community, there might not be a store for you to go buy your underwear. [00:38:31] Speaker A: Thanks, Amazon. [00:38:33] Speaker B: It's like Sears catalog or this guide. [00:38:35] Speaker A: Right. Sears catalogs started in Minnesota. I don't know why I throw that out there. [00:38:40] Speaker C: And just like once you figure everything out at the end, a lot of what Leech said and did make sense. You can also go back and see all those little bits of foreshadowing from Keeler. Just how no matter what any of them ask of him, he's like, sure, take your time. He's on a business trip, but he has nowhere to be. No concerns whatsoever. [00:39:05] Speaker A: He takes the scenic route. [00:39:07] Speaker B: His plan was to drive straight there and get there at 3 in the morning. [00:39:11] Speaker A: Yeah. There's that moment where he says, we'll take the 7A through the mountains. A scenic route. That's a great point of don't you have somewhere to be? [00:39:19] Speaker B: No. [00:39:19] Speaker C: And when she expresses concern that he is, like, staring at the back of her neck, he's like, well, it's a pretty neck. Like, it's the first time he's creepy. [00:39:27] Speaker A: Here's another thing, and this is a weird thing to say, so bear with me. Not the actor, but the character was a great actor. [00:39:37] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, I follow you. [00:39:39] Speaker A: The character of the first guy driving the way he was like, oh, my gosh, we could be in trouble and what are we gonna do? And they're panicking together in the car. I'm just saying the character was a really good actor for the woman. Like, that was cool. [00:39:55] Speaker B: And the story does the favor of a third party. Asks him to pick this girl up and he hems and howls and they're like, oh, okay, I'm willing to do this. [00:40:04] Speaker C: Yeah. He didn't pull over the side of the road and grab her. Yeah, that would have been far more suspicious. But to your [00:40:13] Speaker B: don't have a car. [00:40:16] Speaker A: Hey, lady bus driver, pull over. Pick up that lady, please. Creepier. [00:40:27] Speaker C: On the subject of the character's acting ability, though, while I was listening to this, I was like, wow, this would be a scenario in which my years of acting would come in handy. Both Lola and Leech are really bad at acting, not suspicious. [00:40:45] Speaker A: Well, there was that too. Right. It got a little oh, my car [00:40:50] Speaker B: just jumped into gear. [00:40:52] Speaker C: Well, yeah, Keeler. That goes to Eric's point. Like, Keeler is good acting, a bad actor. [00:40:59] Speaker A: Yes, that's what I'm getting at. [00:41:00] Speaker C: So he's very complicated and really good. But she cannot hide her nerves. Once they hear that news report of the escape lunatic who is dangerous to both men and women. He's by dangerous. [00:41:17] Speaker B: I have so many friends who would [00:41:19] Speaker C: love to have that T shirt by dangerous. Yes. [00:41:23] Speaker B: Go to patreon.com morals that's by dangerous. [00:41:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:41:30] Speaker C: And even later, when Leech is trying to stall for time, he's like, well, this is the end of the line. I mean, the end of the forest. So he's not a very good actor either. If you're really trying to not get the psycho killer suspicious. [00:41:46] Speaker A: Right. [00:41:47] Speaker C: You probably shouldn't say that she was very much a. [00:41:51] Speaker A: So what do you do for a living? Are you the killer? She was terrible. [00:41:58] Speaker B: Do you kill professionally or just for fun? [00:42:01] Speaker C: So at first I wondered if the fact that every time Keeler comes to a stop, it's this, like, screeching brakes as if he is coming to the gas station at 60 miles an hour comes to a stop, I'm like, is that foreshadowing or do they just have the one sound effect? Because throughout the entire episode, every time the car comes to us, stop. [00:42:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:26] Speaker C: It's like there's only two speeds. [00:42:30] Speaker A: Y stopping or 60. [00:42:33] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:42:33] Speaker B: But to confess my old radio Foley pedantry, when he's the car stopped and off and he's looking at the gas gauge saying, your tank is full. Which I don't know if, like older cars, it doesn't matter if the car's on or off, but my understanding is the car's gotta be on for the gas gauge to be reading. [00:42:58] Speaker C: That is pedantic. Thank you. Well done, sir. [00:43:03] Speaker B: Take my Marvel, no Prize, and go home. [00:43:06] Speaker A: I was just reminded of that moment in Family Guy where Peter Griffin meets O.J. simpson. I'm Peter Griffin. Don't stab me. He's thinking of that woman not being a good actor. [00:43:23] Speaker C: And I know we have talked about this before when we listened to the Clock and you brought it up in the intro, Tim, but I love the acting choices by this host. There is nothing ominous or menacing at all about his characterization. And it's delightful because it makes sense. He is the clock, the personification of time, which is an apex predator. He has no natural enemies. There is no reason that he is anything other than affable and easygoing because in the end, he always wins. [00:43:59] Speaker B: And it's interesting that he will frame the introduction in terms of time. In this case, it was how time passes on a road trip, which is very different than how it introduces other stories. [00:44:12] Speaker A: I'm so glad you brought this up, because the last point I did want to make was the father Time host of this. I find him delightful. I like how he weaves in and out, how it's not too long, it's just short enough. He says things that I think are written quite well and then they're back into the story and you get the feeling he's just kind of hovering nearby unseen. It's everything that the mysterious traveler was trying to do and failed miserably. I really like this host and this concept. [00:44:53] Speaker C: He does give in to pressure though at the end and do a Raymond Mr. Host style pun about visiting the clockmaker. And he always feels well adjusted afterwards. But again, it just seems like he's going through the most. [00:45:05] Speaker B: I'm do this real quick and by the time you look up, I'm out the door. [00:45:09] Speaker D: Hey. [00:45:10] Speaker B: Oh, he's gone. [00:45:12] Speaker C: And he quotes Lewis Carroll. [00:45:13] Speaker B: So. [00:45:13] Speaker C: Yeah, that's cute. [00:45:16] Speaker A: Want to vote? [00:45:16] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:45:17] Speaker C: I think it is a fun little thriller. I really do. I had a blast listening to it. The energetic pace and I think Tim mentioned this. The back and forth between the characters kept me engaged even after I in my jaded right old time radio veteran state, even after I had predicted the twist. So kudos for that same. [00:45:42] Speaker B: Really love it. My only complaint is the original American run of the Clock had this incredible line of actors that I wish I could have heard that original lineup. [00:45:53] Speaker A: Jeanette Nolan and the Lewis's. [00:45:56] Speaker B: That being said, this cast was great. [00:45:57] Speaker C: No complaints. [00:45:59] Speaker A: Yeah, I really found this to be extremely well written. I thought it was really. [00:46:10] Speaker C: You could see everything. Even though there wasn't a lot of attention to sound effects necessarily. But you could see that gas station, you could see the road. [00:46:19] Speaker A: But more than that, the plot of it was they really clocked everything. [00:46:25] Speaker B: Hey, way to go. [00:46:29] Speaker A: They did like this was really woven really well. They wrote it backwards, so to speak. Really well. And when you go back, you can't find. Well, wait a minute, you didn't explain. [00:46:41] Speaker C: I can do one, but maybe you guys found it. I listened to it twice and I couldn't figure out when Heeler was able to cut a lock of her hair. That was the only thing where I was like, that's weird. Unless he did the old classic stretch and yawn with a pair of scissors in his hands, reached around and went there is that. But that is it. That is the only issue I could find. [00:47:07] Speaker B: Like when they first met her, like before they even got in the car. [00:47:10] Speaker A: Yeah, maybe. [00:47:11] Speaker B: Which there's nothing in the script or sound effect to say that. [00:47:14] Speaker D: But. [00:47:16] Speaker A: So I think it was really well written. I thought atmospherically, in other words, Foley and production value was great. And again, as I said at the top, so what if you've heard this type of story before. And so what if you guessed it, you start to judge it on how are you going to tell that age old story? [00:47:34] Speaker B: I think we can say without argument this is the best radio production titled the Hitchhiker in the history of old radio. [00:47:46] Speaker C: No other production title the Hitchhiker comes close. [00:47:49] Speaker A: Nope, nope. It absolutely Stand the test of time. [00:47:54] Speaker C: I agree. [00:47:55] Speaker A: It is really well done. I am shocked by a series that we don't hear a lot about in our world of old time radio. The Clock. It isn't talked about a lot. I haven't listened to a lot of them, but if they're all like this, this might be something to delve into. Because Australian version or not, this was exceptionally well done. This is. This is a good play. [00:48:22] Speaker C: Despite the presence of Australia, this was still pretty good. [00:48:26] Speaker B: Not too shabby Australia. [00:48:28] Speaker A: Well, I mean, like, I'd like to hear the originals. [00:48:31] Speaker C: Real actors do it. [00:48:32] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:48:33] Speaker A: You know, you know, you know the [00:48:36] Speaker B: ones that when they flush the toilet, it goes the right way around. [00:48:38] Speaker A: Right. [00:48:38] Speaker C: Ones that aren't descended from criminals. [00:48:45] Speaker A: I'm elongating this. Oh, please don't make a joke because I'm trying to. I'm. I'm trying to decide if I want to give a classic or not. [00:48:55] Speaker C: Okay. And you're filibustering yourself. [00:48:59] Speaker A: I am. [00:49:00] Speaker B: Just sit there silently contemplate. I feel you come to a conclusion. [00:49:03] Speaker A: I'm gonna go with classic. Why wouldn't it be? It did everything right. And as Joshua said, we all said. I was enthralled the entire time. So you win. Classic. Nice job. [00:49:16] Speaker B: Good job. Bullying Eric. Joshua. [00:49:20] Speaker A: Tim, tell him stuff. [00:49:22] Speaker B: Please go visit ghoulishdelights.com home of this podcast. We've listened to a few other episodes of the Clock, but if you want to go and find out which of these episodes they are. [00:49:29] Speaker C: Have we. [00:49:29] Speaker B: We have. [00:49:30] Speaker A: Okay. [00:49:31] Speaker B: Not many. [00:49:33] Speaker C: At least two others. [00:49:34] Speaker A: Okay. [00:49:34] Speaker C: Maybe three. [00:49:35] Speaker A: Were they this good? [00:49:36] Speaker B: They were all pretty good. [00:49:37] Speaker A: Okay, good. [00:49:39] Speaker B: This is Lucille Fletcher. Bad dreams that ring a bell because it was from the original run. [00:49:44] Speaker C: Yes. [00:49:46] Speaker B: Like the Hungarian family. [00:49:47] Speaker C: Yep. [00:49:48] Speaker B: Anyways, you can go find this. In other episodes we've done, we say a lot of interesting stuff about some really good shows and some not as good shows. You'll also find a link to our swag store. That's not the right term for it. Our merchandise store. You can go buy a T shirt. You know, buy a T shirt. Stop going around with just nothing on. And you'll find a link to our Patreon page. [00:50:09] Speaker C: Yes. Go to patreon.com themorals and support this podcast. We really appreciate all our patrons who do support this podcast. It makes it possible. But you listener who doesn't support us could make it even more possible if that's such a thing by becoming a member and enjoying all the benefits. Bonus podcast, Zoom Happy Hour, Zoom Book Clubs, Discord Servers, all kinds of words I'm saying that's what it sounds like to me. So go to patreon.com themorals thank you aunt Emmy. [00:50:49] Speaker A: A Helping Hand and Bad Dreams. [00:50:51] Speaker C: Yep, Bad Dreams was the Lucille Fletcher. [00:50:54] Speaker A: If you'd like to see the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society theater company performing live on stage recreations of classic old time radio shows and a lot of our own original work, come watch and see us performing live radio drama by going to ghoulishdelights.com there you will see where we're performing and what we're performing and how to get tickets. We are performing somewhere constantly. [00:51:20] Speaker C: We are right now. [00:51:21] Speaker A: Right now we are backstage recording a podcast while Shannon is on stage doing a one woman show. No. As every six weeks or so you can find us. So somewhere. Anyway, we also record those, the audio of those shows and we make that available to our Patreons as well. So another reason to become a Patreon. What is coming up next? [00:51:43] Speaker B: I believe it's me releasing to the incredible Trial of Laura D. Fair from Crime Classics. Until then. [00:51:52] Speaker A: Tim wrote that. [00:51:53] Speaker B: One of our staff. [00:51:54] Speaker A: Yes. Yes. Our staff. Yes. [00:51:57] Speaker C: Tim's staff, yes. [00:51:59] Speaker A: So your dog Ginger wrote it. Georgia. Georgia. Georgia, Ginger, whatever. Tim and I are real close so.