Originally broadcast: 3 July 1946 Dashiell Hammett Frank Wilson Leith Stevens Dee Engelbach https://emruf.webs.com/acad.htm Humphrey Bogart Mary Astor Sydney Greenstreet Hugh Brundage ANNOUNCER SPADE BRIGID CAIRO WILMER GUTMAN MUSIC ... THEME ... IN AND UNDER ANNOUNCER The House of Squibb presents "Academy Award"! MUSIC ... THEME ... CONTINUES, THEN IN BG ANNOUNCER Every week, Squibb brings you Hollywood's finest -- the great picture plays, the great actors and actresses, techniques and skills chosen from the honor roll of those who have won, or been nominated for, the famous golden "Oscar" of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences! MUSIC ... THEME ... UP AND OUT ANNOUNCER And now, E. R. Squibb and Sons, manufacturing chemists of the medical profession since 1858, bring you the distinguished star, Mister Humphrey Bogart, who as Best Actor of the Year, was nominated for the 1943 Academy Award. You will also hear Miss Mary Astor, who won the 1941 Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress of the Year. And Sydney Greenstreet, who was nominated for the 1941 Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor. Tonight, Mr. Bogart, Miss Astor and Mr. Greenstreet will play the famous roles they created for the screen in "The Maltese Falcon," the thrilling mystery which was nominated as Best Production of the Year for the 1941 Academy Award! MUSIC ... FOR AN INTRODUCTION ... THEN IN BG SPADE NARRATES My name is Spade, Sam Spade. License number three-five- seven-eight-nine-six, issued by the police department of San Francisco. Occupation: private detective -- sometimes known as "private eye." My files in the case of the Maltese Falcon are closed, but I've got the Maltese Falcon. I got it and some dough. My partner got murdered and a very slick chick went up for life. I'll tell you about it. MUSIC ... AN ACCENT ... THEN IN BG SPADE NARRATES This slick dame comes to see me one day, gives me a song- and-dance about her sister and a guy called Floyd Thursby. She wants us to get her sister back before her mother and father get in from Hawaii. I put my partner, Miles Archer, on the case. That night, he gets murdered. And so does this guy Thursby. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS SPADE NARRATES I go round to the apartment where the dame is living, the one called Brigid O'Shaughnessy. CHUCKLES She had something I seemed to go for. MUSIC ... OUT BRIGID SURPRISED TO SEE HIM Oh, uh, Mr. Spade. Come in. SPADE I have come in. BRIGID CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY Oh, yes. So you have. TROUBLED Mr. Spade, tell me -- am I to blame for last night? SPADE You warned us that Thursby was dangerous. Of course, you lied to us about your sister and all that, but that doesn't count. We didn't believe you. BRIGID Ohh. Help me, Mr. Spade. I - I need help so badly. I've no right to ask you but I do ask you. Help me. SPADE CHUCKLES You won't need much of anybody's help. You're good. You're awful good. It's chiefly your eyes, I think, and that throb you get into your voice when you say things like - MIMICS HER "Help me, Mr. Spade." BRIGID I deserve that. But, oh, the lie was in the WAY I said it and - not at all in what I said. SPADE If I'm going to help you, I've got to have some sort of a line on your Floyd Thursby. BRIGID I met him in the Orient. We came here from Hong Kong last week. SPADE Did he kill Archer? BRIGID Yes, certainly. SPADE Picked a nice sort of playmate. BRIGID Only that sort could have helped me if - if he had been loyal. SPADE How bad a hole are you actually in? BRIGID As bad as could be. SPADE Physical danger? BRIGID I'm not heroic. I don't think there's anything worse than death. SPADE Then it's that? BRIGID It's that as surely as we're sitting here. Unless you help me. SPADE Who killed Thursby? Your enemies or his? BRIGID I don't know. His, I suppose. I'm afraid, I don't know. SPADE Who ARE these enemies? BRIGID EVASIVE Well, there's a small, dark man with white teeth and a smooth, dangerous fat man. SPADE Oh, this is hopeless. Well, how much money have you got? BRIGID I've about five hundred dollars left. SPADE Give it to me. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS AWAY ... DRAWER OPENS AND CLOSES ... FOOTSTEPS RETURN ... SPADE COUNTS THE MONEY SPADE There's only four hundred here. BRIGID DEFENSIVE I had to keep some to live on. SPADE RELENTS Okay. I'll be back as soon as I can. You needn't come to the door with me. I can let myself out. MUSIC ... A BRIDGE, THEN IN BG SPADE NARRATES I went by the office then and found a dark little guy with very white teeth waiting for me. His name was Joel Cairo. He was a Greek. MUSIC ... OUT SOUND: DOOR SHUTS CAIRO MOUSY, WITH AN ALLEGEDLY GREEK ACCENT Mr. Spade, I'm trying to recover an - an ornament that has been, shall we say, mislaid. I thought and hoped you could assist me. SPADE Uh huh. CAIRO The ornament is a statuette, the black figure of a bird. I am prepared to pay the sum of five thousand dollars for its recovery -- and no questions asked. SPADE Five thousand's a lot of money. It's a very interesting figure-- CAIRO You will put your hands together, back of your neck, Mr. Spade. SPADE Huh? Oh, sure. CAIRO I shall shoot you if you try to stop me, Mr. Spade. But I must search your office. SPADE You won't find anything but a pair of worn out rubbers, a half-pint of rum and a pack o' chewing gum. CAIRO We shall see. Please stand up. SOUND: CHAIR SQUEAKS AS SPADE RISES ... FOOTSTEPS TO CAIRO CAIRO DIRECTS HIM WHERE TO STAND So. SPADE Sure. This way? CAIRO No. The other way. SPADE Sure. SOUND: SPADE PUNCHES CAIRO, KNOCKS HIM DOWN SPADE I'll take the gun, Mr. Cairo. Now, get up. SOUND: CAIRO RISES CAIRO WEAKLY I am very slow at things like that, unfortunately. SPADE AMUSED Yeah. CAIRO I'm still prepared to pay five thousand dollars for the return of the figure. Do you have it, Mr. Spade? SPADE No. CAIRO CONFUSED If it is not here, why did you just risk serious injury to prevent my searching for it? SPADE Well, I should sit around and let people come in and stick me up? CAIRO You wish some assurance of my sincerity? A retainer? SPADE I might. CAIRO Say, one hundred dollars? SOUND: WHIPS OUT SOME CASH SPADE Ah, ya better make it two hundred. SOUND: MONEY CHANGES HANDS SPADE Thanks. Your first guess was that I had the bird. What's your second guess? CAIRO That you know where it is, or where you can get it. SPADE You're not hiring me to murder or do burglary but to get back the figure in some lawful way? Say, from a dame with red hair? Or a smooth, dangerous fat man? CAIRO Oh, so you know? You must beware of them. They would stop at nothing. May - may I have my pistol now? SPADE CHUCKLES Yeah, yeah, sure. I'd forgotten it. CAIRO Thank you. Now, Mr. Spade, you will kindly clasp your hands behind your neck? SPADE What the--? STARTS TO LAUGH CAIRO Don't move, Mr. Spade. This time, I might shoot. I insist on searching your office. SPADE STILL LAUGHING Sure! Go ahead! MUSIC ... A BRIEF BRIDGE ... THEN IN BG SPADE NARRATES I finally got rid of the Greek and started back for Brigid O'Shaughnessy's apartment. Matter of fact, I had a hunch that the Greek was going there himself and started to tail his cab when a sad-faced guy poked something into my back and said: MUSIC ... AN ACCENT ... THEN OUT WILMER Come on. The Fat Man wants yo see ya. MUSIC ... AN ACCENT, A BRIEF BRIDGE ... THEN IN OUT WILMER Here he is, Mr. Gutman -- the guy who was talkin' to the dame and the Greek. GUTMAN ENGLISH ACCENT Ah! Mr. Spade! SPADE PLEASANTLY Mr. Gutman. GUTMAN We begin well, sir. I distrust a man who talks too much. SPADE I like to talk. GUTMAN Of course, talking's something you can't do judiciously - unless you keep in practice. SPADE Yeah. GUTMAN Now, sir, we'll talk if you like. And I'll tell you right out that I'm a man [who] likes talking to a man who likes to talk. SPADE Swell. Will we talk about the black bird? GUTMAN You're the man for me, sir. No beating about the bush, right to the point. Let us talk about the black bird, by all means. Mr. Spade, have you any conception of how much money can be got for that black bird? SPADE No. GUTMAN Well, sir, if I told you -- if I told you half, you'd call me a liar. SPADE WITH A CHUCKLE No, no. Not even if I thought so. But you just tell me what it is and I'll figure out the profits. GUTMAN You mean you don't know what that bird is? SPADE Well, I know what it's supposed to look like. I know the value in human life you people put on it. GUTMAN Miss O'Shaughnessy didn't tell you what it is? And Cairo didn't, either? SPADE He offered me ten thousand for it. GUTMAN SCOFFS Ten thousand! CHUCKLES And dollars, mind you, not even pounds. SERIOUS They must know what it is. Or do they? What is your impression? SPADE I can't tell. They're both lying. GUTMAN If they don't know, I'm the only one in the whole wide, sweet world who does. SPADE Swell. When you've told me, that'll make two of us. GUTMAN Mathematically correct, sir. But I don't know for certain that I'm going to tell you. SPADE Oh, don't be foolish. You know what it is and I know where it is. That's why I'm here. GUTMAN Well, sir, where is it? SPADE CHUCKLES Don't be silly. GUTMAN You see, I must tell you what I know but you will not tell me what you know. That is hardly equitable, sir. No, no. I don't think we can do business along those lines. SPADE SUDDENLY VIOLENTLY ANGRY Yeah? Well, think again and think fast. I can get along without you! And keep that gunsel away from me while you're makin' up your mind! I'll kill him! GUTMAN: Well, sir, I must say you have a most violent temper. SPADE Well, what are you wasting time for?! You've got till 5:30, then you're either in or out for keeps! MUSIC ... A BRIDGE ... THEN IN BG SPADE NARRATES Three characters and a black bird. Well, all I knew was, my partner was dead and the cops were getting very uncooperative about the whole thing, including "who killed Floyd Thursby?" I thought I'd better get back to see that O'Shaughnessy dame before it was too late. And, sure enough, it almost was. BRIGID They came here and took him away. SPADE Took who away? Who? BRIGID The police. They - they wanted to talk to you, too. They took Mr. Cairo with them. SPADE What was HE doing here? BRIGID EVASIVE He came to talk about the bird. SPADE Hey, what IS this bird, this falcon, that everybody's all steamed up about? BRIGID Suppose I wouldn't tell you anything at all about it? What would you do? Something wild and unpredictable? SPADE Maybe. BRIGID Well, it's a black figure, as you know -- smooth and shiny, of a bird -- a hawk or falcon, about twelve inches high. SPADE Well, what makes it so important? BRIGID I don't know. They wouldn't tell me. But they promised me five hundred pounds if I helped them get it from the man who had it. SPADE Go ahead. BRIGID They promised me five hundred pounds to help them and I did. Then we found that Joel Cairo was going to take the falcon and desert Floyd and me, so we - did that to Joel first. SPADE You ARE a liar. BRIGID AFTER A BEAT, AGREES I am a liar. I've always been a liar. SPADE CHUCKLES Well, don't brag about it. Is there any truth at all in that yarn? BRIGID Some. Not very much. SPADE Well, we've got plenty of time. I'll put some coffee on and we'll try again. BRIGID SIGHS Oh, I'm so tired. So tired of lying and thinking up lies, and - not knowing what is a lie and what is the truth. Oh, darling, don't stare at me like that. Come closer, darling. SPADE It IS something to do while waiting. STUDIO AUDIENCE LAUGHS Why not? BRIGID Kiss me, Sam Spade. Kiss me. SPADE Why not? SOUND: DOORBELL BUZZES SPADE Ah, it happens every time. I'll get it. BRIGID Be careful, darling. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS ... UNLOCKS DOOR ... OPENS DOOR WILMER Okay. Come on, you. He wants to see you. SPADE Well, if it isn't the Fat Man's killer! Hello, paleface -- how many'd you bump off today? WILMER Shut up! Gutman's waiting for you. SPADE No kidding. What kept ya? BRIGID Darling, what does he want? SPADE He wants me. The Fat Man's been thinking things over. MUSIC ... A BRIEF BRIDGE ... IN AND OUT GUTMAN Well, Mr. Spade, I must apologize for sending for you in this fashion. SPADE Ah, never mind. Let's talk about the bird. GUTMAN All right. Let's. What do you think of the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem? SPADE Crusaders or something, weren't they? GUTMAN Very good. In 1539, these crusading knights persuaded Emperor Charles V to give them the island of Malta. He made but one condition. They were to pay him each year the tribute of a falcon - in acknowledgment that Malta was still under Spain. Do you follow me? SPADE Yeah. GUTMAN Have you any conception of the extreme, immeasurable wealth of the Order of that time? SPADE Well, I imagine they were pretty well fixed. GUTMAN They were rolling in wealth, sir. They hit upon the happy thought of sending the emperor for the first year's tribute, not an insignificant live bird, but a glorious golden falcon, encrusted from head to foot with the finest jewels in their coffers. SOUND: GLASSES CLINK GUTMAN Allow me to replenish your drink, sir. SOUND: DRINK POURED GUTMAN Well, what do you think of these knights? SPADE I don't know. GUTMAN Well, sir, the glorious falcon never reached Spain. Buccaneers raided the galleon. In 1713, the bird showed up in Sicily. In 1840, in Paris. And it had by that time, acquired a coat of black enamel, looking like nothing but a fairly interesting black statue. In 1923, a Greek dealer found it in an obscure Paris shop. He knew what it was. I heard about it in London and rushed over to buy it. But the Greek was murdered and the falcon gone. That was twenty-three years ago. For twenty-three years, I've searched for the bird. I traced it to the home of a Russian general, Kemidov, but he wouldn't sell, even though he knew nothing of its value. I was forced to send my agents after it. They got it, sir. But I haven't got it. But I'm going to get it, sir. Um, how soon can you, uh, how soon are you willing to produce the falcon? SPADE INCREASINGLY GROGGY Uh, couple of days. GUTMAN That is satisfactory. Well, sir, here's a fair bargain and profits large enough for both of us. SPADE What's your idea of a fair bargain? GUTMAN Shall I say one hundred thousand? SPADE Why not? GUTMAN What do you say to a quarter of a million? SPADE Oh, then you think the dingus is worth a million, huh? GUTMAN Why not? SPADE Yeah. Why not? Say, I - I feel kind of funny, Gutman. That drink. GUTMAN My dear man, how could you suggest anything so crude? SOUND: SPADE DROPS HIS GLASS WHICH SHATTERS ON THE FLOOR SPADE I-- I-- EXHALES SOUND: SPADE COLLAPSES UNCONSCIOUS TO THE FLOOR GUTMAN CHUCKLES, THEN CALLS OUT Wilmer, Wilmer! SOUND: DOOR OPENS, FOOTSTEPS ENTER WILMER Yeah? The drink got him, huh? GUTMAN Put your guns away, Wilmer. You must learn to be subtle in these things. Like me. WILMER Out like a light, huh? Well, I owe him something, the louse -- he thinks he's tough. Let's see if he can take this. SOUND: WILMER KICKS SPADE -- FIVE TIMES GUTMAN That's enough, Wilmer. WILMER EXHALES GUTMAN You've kicked him enough. It'd never do to kill him here. Besides, Wilmer, you know - how I hate the sight of blood. MUSIC ... TO A CONCLUSION ... IN AND OUT SOUND: STUDIO AUDIENCE APPLAUSE ANNOUNCER In a moment, you will hear the second part of "Academy Award"! You yourself uncover jewels more precious than the rarest gems every time you smile. Your teeth are priceless. Preserve their natural brilliance with creamy smooth Squibb Dental Cream. For the polishing agent in this quality dentifrice is one of the safest, softest, yet most effective known to dental science. That's why you can actually see the refreshing difference when you brush your teeth with Squibb Dental Cream. And you can taste and feel the refreshing difference, too. That's because the delightful flavor of Squibb Dental Cream is cool and inviting as a shady bed of mint. Because the refreshing action of Squibb Dental Cream leaves your teeth and gums feeling gloriously clean. So, for a brighter smile and a happier mouth, try Squibb Dental Cream -- one of the great family of Squibb products. MUSIC ... PUNCTUATES THE FOLLOWING: ANNOUNCER Taste -- feel -- and see -- the refreshing difference! Use Squibb Dental Cream! MUSIC ... TRANSITIONS TO A BRIEF BRIDGE, THEN UNDER ANNOUNCER In a moment, you will hear Part Two of "The Maltese Falcon"! But, first, we want to thank Warner Brothers for making this story available. And, one thing more -- on August sixth, Warner Brothers will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of sound pictures! Yes, it has been THAT long since the silent shadows of the screen found a voice! We congratulate Warner Brothers on this historic anniversary. MUSIC ... THEME ... IN AND UNDER ANNOUNCER And now, the House of Squibb presents Part Two of "Academy Award" starring Humphrey Bogart in "The Maltese Falcon" - with Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet. MUSIC ... TRANSITIONS TO A BRIDGE, THEN UNDER SPADE NARRATES I guess the name of Sam Spade was a cinch for the back page obituaries -- but I came out of it somehow and managed to get up and stagger out of that apartment. I went around to the hotel where Joel Cairo had a room and made a deal with the house dick to let me search it. All I could find was a newspaper in the wastebasket folded back to the steamship news. There was a list of arrivals and one was marked. It said, "Eight seven A. M. -- the La Paloma from Hong Kong." That was good enough for me. I got a cab and rode to the docks. The La Paloma was on fire and burning beautifully. I went back to my office to hold my aching head and think things over when the door opened ... SOUND: DOOR OPENS SPADE NARRATES ... and a tall guy in a long black overcoat stood there with a package in his hands, making gurgling noises, before he fell like a tree. SOUND: MAN AND PACKAGE FALL - LIKE A TREE - TO THE FLOOR SPADE NARRATES He should have. He was dead. MUSIC ... AN ACCENT, THEN OUT SOUND: PHONE RINGS SPADE NARRATES I took a good look at him. He was a mate off the La Paloma. I unwrapped his package and there it was. The black bird. The Maltese Falcon. MUSIC ... AN ACCENT, THEN UNDER SOUND: SPADE PICKS UP PHONE SPADE NARRATES I grabbed the phone and listened. It was Brigid O'Shaughnessy and she said she was in trouble. I found her shivering in the dark corner of an office building and I took her and the falcon home to my apartment. SOUND: APARTMENT DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES ... FOOTSTEPS SPADE NARRATES I put her on the couch. I put the falcon in the icebox -- where no one would think to look for anything, including ice. I came back in and switched on the lights ... SOUND: LIGHT SWITCH CLICKS SPADE NARRATES ... and found a surprise party waiting to greet me. MUSIC ... OUT GUTMAN Well, sir, we're all here. Now, let's sit down and be comfortable and talk. SPADE Sure. SHARPLY, TO WILMER Get away from me, gunsel! You're not gonna frisk me! WILMER Stand still! Shut up! SPADE Put your paw on me and I'm gonna make you use that gun. Ask your boss if he wants me shot up before we talk. GUTMAN Never mind, Wilmer. You're certainly a most headstrong individual, Mr. Spade. Well, let's be seated. SPADE You, too, Cairo. You can put down your gun, too. CAIRO Of course, Mr. Spade. I was only using caution, as it were. SPADE You ready, Gutman? Are you ready to make the first payment and take the falcon off my hands? GUTMAN Well, sir, as to that, here are ten thousand dollars, sir. SPADE Oh? We were talking about more money than this. GUTMAN Yes, sir, we were. But this is genuine coin of the realm, sir. With a dollar of this you can buy ten dollars of talk and, besides, there are more of us to be taken care of now. SPADE Well, that may be. But I'VE got the falcon. CAIRO I should not think it would be necessary to remind you, Mr. Spade, that though you may have the falcon, yet we certainly have you. SPADE Yes, I'm trying not to let that worry me. We'll come to the money later. There's another thing to be taken care of first. We've got to have a "fall guy." The police have to have a victim. Somebody they can stick for those three murders. CAIRO Two. Only two murders, Mr. Spade. Thursby undoubtedly killed your partner. SPADE All right. Two. What difference does it make? The point is, we've got to give the police-- GUTMAN Come, come, Mr. Spade. You can't expect us to believe at this late date you are the least afraid of the police. Or that you're not able to handle-- SPADE I'm up to my neck, Gutman. I've got to come through with somebody, a victim, when the time comes. If I don't, I'll be it. Let's give 'em the gunsel. He actually did shoot Thursby and the other one, didn't he? Anyway, he's made to order for the part. Let's turn him over to the cops. SOUND: WILMER RISES WILMER SAVAGE Get up on your feet! I've taken all the riding from you I'm gonna take. Get up, shoot it out! GUTMAN Now, now, Wilmer, don't shoot--! SOUND: SPADE SLUGS WILMER WHO FALLS TO FLOOR UNCONSCIOUS SPADE There. There, gunsel, that'll take care of you. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS AS WILMER IS MOVED TO SOFA SPADE Put 'em on the sofa. Sorry, Brigid, but you seem to have recovered. BRIGID I'm - I'm all right. SPADE Good. Well, gentlemen, there's our fall guy. And now, gentlemen, you agree - or I'll turn the falcon and the whole lot of you in. GUTMAN Mr. Spade, I don't like this. What if we, uh, took matters into our own hands and killed you? SPADE You won't. Or you'll never find the falcon. GUTMAN True, but there are other ways. We could make you talk. SPADE No, I'd take it and make you kill me and then you'd end up the same way. GUTMAN LAUGHS I believe you would, too. STUDIO AUDIENCE LAUGHS SPADE Well? GUTMAN I've always felt toward Wilmer like a father. But you can have him. SPADE Swell. Let's get the details fixed. Why did he shoot Thursby? GUTMAN Thursby was Miss O'Shaughnessy's ally. We thought, in disposing of him, we would teach Miss O'Shaughnessy to patch up her differences with us regarding the falcon. SPADE And the mate from the La Paloma? GUTMAN That was Miss O'Shaughnessy's fault. BRIGID GASPS GUTMAN Cairo got in touch with me when he saw the notice of the ship's arrival. He remembered that the mate and Miss O'Shaughnessy had been friendly in Hong Kong. He called on this man but he, with Miss O'Shaughnessy and the bird, slipped through our fingers. We followed them to her apartment and Wilmer shot the mate as he was coming down the fire escape. He shot him many times but the man was tough and he did not drop the falcon. We, um, persuaded Miss O'Shaughnessy to call your office. But, unfortunately, she did not call in time to prevent you from meeting the mate and getting the falcon. SPADE I see. GUTMAN And now, sir, er, would it be presumptuous if we asked to see the falcon? SPADE Okay. It's in my icebox. SOUND: CAIRO'S FOOTSTEPS TO THE ICEBOX GUTMAN Icebox?! I say. LAUGHS You ARE a character, sir! Yes, very, very clever of you, very. SOUND: ICEBOX DOOR OPENS CAIRO I've got it! I've got it! SOUND: ICEBOX DOOR SHUTS ... CAIRO'S FOOTSTEPS RETURN GUTMAN Bring it in here, at once. SOUND: UNWRAPS THE PACKAGE CAIRO Here, wrapped in this ... GUTMAN Now after twenty-three years... SOUND: UNWRAPPING STOPS, A PAUSE GUTMAN Ah! It is it! But we'll make sure. Hand me your knife, sir. CAIRO Here. GUTMAN I'll peel off some of this - disfiguring enamel. SOUND: KNIFE SCRAPES THE ENAMEL GUTMAN WHISPERS IN HORROR It's--! It's a fake! BRIGID GASPS SPADE All right, O'Shaughnessy, you've had your little joke. Now, tell us about it. BRIGID No, Sam, no! That's the one I got from the Russian, I swear! CAIRO You bungled it, Gutman -- you and your stupid attempt to buy it. The Russian caught on how valuable it was. No wonder we had so little trouble stealing it. You imbecile! You bloated idiot! GUTMAN Yes. This is the Russian's hand, there's no doubt of it. Well sir, what do you suggest? Shall we stand here and shed tears and call each other names? Or shall we go to Istanbul and interview our Russian friend? CAIRO Go to Istanbul? GUTMAN For twenty-three years I wanted that little item and have been trying to get it. If I must spend another year on the quest, well, that will be an added expenditure in time only. CAIRO I'll go with you. Wilmer's gone! GUTMAN Wilmer's gone? So he has. That makes it imperative that we go, too. TO SPADE Oh, by the way, sir, I'll trouble you for my envelope containing the ten thousand dollars. SPADE I kept my end of the bargain, but - I'll settle for a thousand for expenses. GUTMAN Thank you. I'll allow you the thousand. SPADE That'll take care of my time. GUTMAN Now, sir, we'll say goodbye to you - unless you care to undertake the Istanbul expedition with us. You don't? That's too bad. Well, sir, the shortest farewells are best. Adieu! And, to you, Miss O'Shaughnessy, I leave the rara avis there on the table there as a little memento -- the Maltese Falcon. BURSTS OUT LAUGHING MUSIC ... A BRIDGE ... THEN OUT SPADE All right, O'Shaughnessy -- talk! BRIGID Where shall I begin? SPADE You came to me and asked me to have Thursby followed. I put my partner on it. He followed Thursby. He was killed. You must have told Thursby he was being followed. BRIGID I told him, yes, but, please believe me, Sam, I wouldn't have told him if I'd thought Floyd Thursby would kill your partner. SPADE Miles hadn't many brains but he'd had too many years experience as a detective to be caught like that by a man he was shadowing up a blind alley with his gun tucked away in his hip and his overcoat buttoned. But he'd have gone up there with you, angel. BRIGID SHIVERS SPADE He was just dumb enough for that. And then you could have stood as close to him in the dark as you liked and put a bullet through him. BRIGID Don't! Don't talk like that to me, Sam! You KNOW I didn't know--! SPADE Stop it! Why did you shoot him? BRIGID DISTRAUGHT I didn't mean to at first. I - I can't look at you and tell you this, Sam. SPADE You thought Thursby would tackle him. If he got Thursby, then you were rid of him. If Thursby won, you had something on him. Enough to be rid of him for good. Wasn't that it? BRIGID SOBS Something like that. SPADE But when Thursby backed down, you took the gun and did the job yourself. BRIGID Oh, Sam, sweetheart! From the very first instant I saw you, I knew--! SPADE You angel. Well, if you get a good break, you'll be out of San Quentin in twenty years and you can come back to me then. I hope they don't hang you, precious, by that sweet neck. BRIGID You know deep down in your heart that in spite of anything I've done I love you. SPADE I don't care who loves who. I'm not going to play the sap for you. I won't walk in Thursby's and I don't know how many other's footsteps. You killed my partner and you're going over for it! BRIGID Why must you do this to me Sam?! Surely, your partner wasn't as much to you as--! SPADE Listen! Listen to me! This won't do any good. You'll never understand me but I'll try once and then give it up. Listen. When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed, it's - bad business to let the killer get away with it. Bad all around. Bad for every detective everywhere. BRIGID You can't send me to the--! Sam! You can't! You love me! You love me! SPADE SIGHS Maybe I do. What of it? Maybe next month I won't. I've been through it before. I'll have some rotten nights after I've sent you over, but that'll pass. I want you, sure, but I won't take you at the price because - because all of me wants to, regardless of consequences. And because you counted on that with me, the same as you counted on that with all the others. BRIGID Oh, Sam! Darling ... Kiss me, kiss me. SPADE Sure. Sure, baby. SOUND: PICKS UP PHONE, SLOWLY DIALS MUSIC ... DARKLY ... IN BG BRIGID What are you doing? Who are you calling? SPADE The cops, baby. The cops to come and - take you away. MUSIC ... AN ACCENT ... TO A FINISH ... THEN OUT SOUND: STUDIO AUDIENCE APPLAUSE ANNOUNCER Just as thrilling as tracking down some fabulous treasure is the search for the unknown which goes on unceasingly in the Squibb research laboratories. For that is the search that leads to the discovery of new life- saving drugs and new life-saving uses for existing drugs. And streptomycin is one of the newest products of this searching. In the new field of medicine opened up by penicillin, streptomycin, still in the testing stages, shows great promise against additional enemies of mankind. That is why Squibb scientists are working night and day to unlock the secrets of streptomycin. To improve the strain, to find and test all the ways in which it may be used in the conquest of disease. It is this same questing spirit, this refusal to stop anywhere short of perfection, that inspires all endeavors of the House of Squibb. It is one reason why, wherever you come across it in the service of human health, Squibb is a name you can trust! MUSIC ... THEME ... IN AND UNDER ANNOUNCER Next Wednesday, another great picture! The House of Squibb will present "Academy Award" starring Henry Fonda in "Young Mr. Lincoln"! MUSIC ... THEME ... CONTINUES ANNOUNCER Today's performance of "The Maltese Falcon" was written for radio by Frank Wilson, with an original musical score composed and conducted by Leith Stevens. Our producer-director is Dee Engelbach! Humphrey Bogart is soon to be seen in Warner Brothers' "Big Sleep." Mary Astor appeared through the courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, producers of the Technicolor musical "Easy to Wed." Sydney Greenstreet is soon to be seen in Warner Brothers' "The Verdict." This is Hugh Brundage bidding you good night until next Wednesday at this same time when you're invited to listen again to "Academy Award" - presented by the House of Squibb, a name you can trust! This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System! SOUND: STUDIO AUDIENCE APPLAUSE MUSIC ... TO A FINISH ... THEN OUT