1953-2-15 Phone Call of Death

Broadcast February 15th 1953 on Mutual at 5:00 p.m. EST sponsored by Wildroot Cream-Oil Hair Tonic and Sylvania Television

This is a lost episode and no recreation of it has yet been made. If you have a copy of the script please let me know.

Written by: Jonathan Lewis (pseudonym of Alicia Goldfarb)

Announcer: Sandy Becker

Cast: Bret Morrison (Lamont Cranston/The Shadow) Gertrude Warner (Margot Lane)

Music: Charles Paul

Synopsis:

At the stately mansion of John Hamilton, an old friend of Lamont’s, murder strikes over the phone as Lamont overhears Hamilton being shot, mentioning the murderer by name — his nephew Paul Clayton. Since no murder weapon can be found, Paul is merely a suspect. His cousin, radio actress Carla Wells, explains to Lamont and Margot that Hamilton’s will provides Paul with a million dollars, thus presenting the motive. When Lamont receives a phone call from Carla’s fiancé, Harry Crane, explaining that he discovered an important clue, Lamont overhears a second murder — again identifying Paul as the killer. Piecing together the clues, Lamont solves the mystery and uses Margot to help him gain a confession. Alone in the radio studio, Carla meets The Shadow who reveals that the actress learned a little about editing — and with a tape recorder was able to piece together the words of Harry and her Uncle Hamilton, to frame Paul. Harry was her accomplice, but she killed him, again intending to throw the blame on Paul. Margot phones the police, who find the recording equipment at Carla’s apartment — the evidence they need to convict the actress of first-degree murder.