Jeff Regan, Investigator: The Lady with the Golden Hair

When Anthony J. Lyon catches in on somebody's trouble, it means money for him. For me, it means work. I'm Jeff Regan, the Lions' Rivet Eye. Here's the kind of program you've been waiting to hear.

Hard-boiled action and mystery as told by Jeff Regan Investigator. So stand by for trouble. Stand by for suspense. Stand by for adventure. In tonight's story, The Lady with the Golden Hair. and now here's jack web as jeff reagan this is the way it started i was sitting in the lion's den waiting for him to get off the phone so i

could ask him about my expense sheet on that nor anything he was playing the usual games with his lawyer just about the time he hung up and turned his chair in my way the office door Aha!

A little curly-headed man about 40 dressed in a black suit was standing there. I was holding a stack of $50 bills, a gold-headed king, and a red card in one hand. In his other he had a black derby with a hole through the top of it, a pair of suede gloves and a white carnation.

I'd start there, looked at both of us, the lion looked at the $50 bills, I looked at the little man. You are Mr. Lion, though. I, Max Bladney, have come to see you unappointed. Where you are?

My name's Regan. This is Mr. Lyon. Aha! You will do it. Won't you sit down, Mr.? Max Bladney. Bladney, Max. One, six, four, two, Moll Holland Drive, Hollywood, twenty eight, an Imperial Studio payroll. Time I do not have.

I will mark it. Aha! I demonstrate. See you. That flower I do not need. This ticket because I too long park, I also do not need came a place here, a gift from my grandfather, I keep that.

Also, Glovez. Now, what have I left, gentlemen? Quite a bundle of cash, Mr. Vladimir. Yeah, from bank, I just arrived. Also, this I do not need. For you, all for you. Well, well, well, Mr. Vladimir.

Aha, now what I have? You I answer myself. Bullet hauling heart, CEO. Oh. He is not finished. One, two, three. Oh, those look like 38 slugs. What'd you get them? Out of Dorvey, I dig them where I'm shot last night in my home.

Who's shooting at you, Mr. Blanding? This, if I know, I shoot back. I have no enemies. Everyone is madly in love with Max Blanding. I must buy new hearts. cannot bind your head. Kindly you will guard my body from dying.

Of course, of course. Now, you've certainly come to the right place, Mr. Vanne. If your life has been threatened, you can depend on international detective bureau to see that no harm comes to you. Therefore, if it's so, we see.

I understand perfectly. Well, if somebody shot at you last night, why didn't you call the police? Mr. Egan meant to ask, who recommended you to international? Aha, I explained. In imperial motion pictures studio where master of makeup, Max Vladne, who is great, is important to create beautiful faces from skin is called and fat neck is much new space.

Free sometimes for agents to press. Hollywood police might think because I work on great, gone epic, tie my rope tight, is trick for agents to press but is not joke to you I come to take no chance in I am mister eager of course you're in mr.

bloodney and mister reagan here will stick right by your side until we can get to the bottom now wait a minute if I have to I use every man and my staff to protect your life mister bloodney all the resources of international detective bureau behind you Rigan, I'm entrusting you with Mr. Bladney's life.

All ready back that I feel. Vista! And call me Rigan. Call me. I know. Call you if I run into trouble. Come on, Max. You can see how it was. Max Bladney's car was parked in a red zone in front of the building and there was another ticket on it.

He tore that one up too. On the way out to his house I tried to get a little more information but it didn't come too much. He couldn't figure out why somebody was shooting at him or who was doing it was about six o'clock when we pulled up in front of his house on Mulholland Drive one of those little

places with a big sun porch in front of it and an egg shaped swimming pool in front of that it was pulling things out of his pocket looking at the keys of the front door what happened see see what I tell you all the time shooting at Max if I get on get on what I tell you my heart is full again a whole I shut up you

He's frightened. Unless he's got a machine gun, he can't find anything more. Wait, where go you? You live much to be killed. I'm going after him. Stay right here, you'll be all right. I started for the heavy brush outside the clearing of the house where white gun smokes still hung around the trees.

Then I saw him. He was a gray haired man, stocky, build glasses about a hundred feet away running down the hill waving the gun. I went after him, but I couldn't get a clear shot.

He was quite an acrobat. He dived over a wooden road-braiser and went skidding down the embankment. By the time I got there he was flying into an old Chevy convertible and he took off and I clotted us.

I couldn't see the license plate on the clock. Something like this happening to you old Max Max. I got back to the house ten minutes later and there was a black convertible in the driveway and a very blonde girl on the doorway.

She was digging the new slugs out of the woodwork with a pen knife. Max was lying on one of the beach chairs. When the blonde girl saw me she pulled off her sunglasses and held on her hand.

How do you do your Mr. Egan? Did you kill him? got away oh and I am again to be shot at you say he got away then you saw who it was part of them who you oh he begged my pardon this is he'll the gray hand you have seen her in pictures the hair I have seen her differently she's

my wife oh did you see anybody well the shot I drove up and found poor Max by the door he's got to stop this business mister he can he's got to stop next time I mean, but it certainly does have to stop Mr. Regan Max, why he's the finest makeup artist in the world.

He'd be a great loss to everyone in Hollywood, if anything ever happened to you. You see, see, am I valuable? Did I not tell you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Where's your phone? Oh, in there, in my private workshop, a study where I have to live.

Use it, please. Oh, Mr. Lion and sub to shooting. Oh, man. Lion, this is me. I'm calling from Max's. Somebody just threw six bullets all over the place. What? Smacks alright. Didn't even come close.

Oh, good. Good. The treasure department tells me he paid 20,000 last year in income tax, and he can afford little protection. Well, whoever it is got away. I think we ought to turn this over to the cops.

The cops! And that them do for free when we're getting paid to thicken'! What about his light? Yeah, we'll worry about that too, as far as I'm concerned. And that means as far as your concerned.

I don't care what you- I'm still and do anything you actually don't call the cops. Fire label. So, voting is to rega- Yeah, you want one?

No, thanks. I have something much better than that, of my arms. I'll bet you have. I live all alone in to look late. End of the canyon. I remember that when I get thirsty. Who do you suppose is shooting at mags?

You tell me, lady, I just met him. I thought you said you saw whoever it was. I did? Well, aren't you going to look for him or send out an alarm or whatever you do?

Yeah, whatever we do. I see. Don't you think you ought to be in there holding hands with Max? He's had a hard day. Max always resting now. Do you think he's the kind I'd really have something in common with?

I wouldn't know, lady. Well, as a matter of fact, I was just leaving. I had to beat the studio early tomorrow. If there's anything I can do at all, I'd be only too happy to cooperate.

Yeah, why don't you start by giving me those slugs you were digging out of the doorway? Oh, I completely forgot about that. Here, I'm meant to give them to you. Thanks, I'll need these. Really whatever on it's for.

A comparison test. The ejector marks, the firing pin dance. You can tell if they were firing the same gun if you want to look into it. And of course, being a detective, you want to look into it.

That's right, I want to look into it. Well, Mr. Ring, it's been nice meeting you. I know you'll take good care of me. There's anything I can do. Yeah, I'll give you a ring. Father's ring.

Do we meet again? I followed her out the door and watched her pat Max on the head, kiss him on the cheek. And then she slid under the wheel of that convertible like she'd been built right along with it.

Her famous golden hair was blowing behind her by the time she got onto the main road. Be careful, careful! Oh, lovely, she's missing. Yeah, Max, she's just fine. For her too, you must keep me alive. She needs me.

Yeah, what now we wait for another guy Reinforces I like you mr. Egan already back here. I feel Raking take it easy. Oh, ciao. Come on in. What took you so long I stopped by police Ballistics on the way out. I had them 38 slugs that Max brought in check well I got some more for you well

I found a winner. Gun belongs to a feller named Pete Burger. There ain't no permit on it. He'd done 6 to 18 in San Quentin once. Robert sprung a couple years ago. Address? Yeah, a place on figure roll right off the sun, satin. Here.

Thanks. Now he was around again this afternoon, shooting things all over the place. I wonder what the connection is. I'm gonna find out before Maxie does. You take over, Joe. Okay, where's our clay pigeon, eh?

Roosting in there. Keep your eyes open, can't I? I'll get back as soon as I can. Oh take good time son. Joy the can't. Though it's on the job. Yeah. I feel better already. Stranger and I miss boy.

Hey, sure shine. It's got big pain. Yeah, awful big feet. One would be mister. Mom champagne or beer? Neither one lady. Well, we ain't got either one for you. Copper. Mm-mm, you picked wrong tonight.

Flossie never picks him wrong. I can tell by your feet. You're paid by the city or your private peeper and somebody else pays you. Makes no difference to me. All spelled copper. What do you want?

No fuss with you, Flossie. I'm looking for Pete Burger. Who? Pete Burger. This is his last address. Ain't never heard of no Pete Burger. Neither is anybody else. And he ain't never lived here. And you got a wrong steer.

That door leads to rooms upstairs? Yeah, that door leads to rooms upstairs. Mind if I take a look? I mind a lot of things, Seamus. and taking a look is one of them. Alright, this Pete Burger you don't know and never heard, I was throwing a lot of letter on yesterday and today,

and I'm gonna take a look anyway. Wait, hey, you got to walk there. I was only halfway up when a man on the gray sweatshirt banked over the top of the stairs. There were three red holes just about the center of the sweatshirt.

He turned around and tried to say something. I saw what was gonna happen on that hook, the side of the balance. She ran over and was kneeling beside him, holding his head in her arms, rocking back and forth.

You guessed it. It was the same man I chased all afternoon. and he didn't live five seconds. We'll return to Jeff Regan, investigator in just a moment, but first here's an important message from the Agitant General's Office.

At no time in our nation's history has it been more important to develop an outstanding Army Medical Department. Without an adequate nurse corps, this cannot be accomplished, and nurses are still needed to fill the estimated requirements for 1948.

If you're a graduate registered nurse, over 21 and under 45, You are invited to apply for a commission in the Army Nurse Corps Reserve. You are selected, you may choose either active duty or inactive status.

Apply to the Adjutant General, Washington 25, D.C. Now, back to the story of the lady with the golden hair. And Jeff Regan, investigator. Well, after he came falling down the stairs at me and Flossie had a good cry over him, it wasn't anything to do but to call central homicide.

They got there a few minutes later and went over the whole place taking pictures in print. Finally, a wagon pulled up, took what was left of, peeped burger down to the moor. Detective Lieutenant Salvatore Winneti up to homicide asked everybody a lot of questions and shipped a couple of people downtown for a couple of different things and finally got around to me.

Regan, Regan, I think you ought to get yourself a new job. Every time the lion growls, you wind up with a corpse someplace that somebody has to ask you a question. That wasn't my idea, Sally.

I might have to book you on technical charts. Oh, stop it, will ya? You know I didn't have anything to do with him getting shot. How many next car named Pete Burger gets topped off just before a private dick gets around asking him a few questions.

I got asked the private dicks and questions myself or else the chief is gonna ask me some questions. Makes sense? All I know is that somebody's been shooting in the client of mine. Mm-hmm. And that's somebody's Pete Burger.

How do you know? Well, let's came from a gun owned by Pete Burger, so I came down to see him. Only he walks out or loaded down with 45 slugs and dyes before you can say hello.

Isn't that good, Bob? Who's your client, Regan? Do I have to tell you? No, but you will. Uh-uh. Company policy. Company policy. Confidence in a client, Regan? Can you arrest me for anything? Depends. Material witness, maybe.

Okay. While it's depending, I'll get a hold of the lion, and he'll get a hold of Harry Presidio, and then I'll bet you ten bucks, I'll be your writ of habeas corpus at the station at the time you get me there.

All right, all right, all right, you're clear. This is a murder case, Regan. That's a serious crime in anybody's town. I don't own him more than I just told you so. You know the name of your client?

Why was Pete shooting at? That's what I was going to ask Pete. Oh, now just exactly where does that put us? My client's safe and sound in his home and Joe Canto's keeping an eye on him.

When Canto was pounding a beat for the department, some guys got away from him. A lot of guys get away from a lot of cops, but not when the cops watching. Canto's good at that, you know him.

Oh, sure, sure. What is it for? Well, it's no good. The four-peat burger went to San Quentin. He was never very handy with a gun because his eyes were so bad he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He didn't hit anything yesterday or today, but he was sure trying. Now, floss, he told me, Pete's been playing

stop man in pictures, making a buck at it. It seems he learned all his tricks while he was in the clink. They have a nice gym up there. They never tell what he'll do next.

Still, can't understand why he'd all of a sudden go around shooting at somebody. I mean, there was something personal and the Pete had to do it. And whoever people shooting, I got kind of sore, turned around bug-beat tonight. My client's home safe. Fish shoot, Shoot, cattle's good.

Almost forgotten. Pete Burger was a perfect set-up for a wise guy. An ex-con who'd done 15 years, who learns his lesson, wants to make a straight dime, gets mad when anybody bothers. Blackmail? Been done before.

Pete had a good healthy bank balance. I guess he was saving up for his old age. But some wise guy finds out Pete's a con says, I'll tell you boss unless you kick in. Then maybe Pete starts shooting the scareman to shut him up.

Makes sense? Sounds like an old fairy tale, so. But screwing up to be the answer. Only this wise guy peaches you and that thinks Pete might be mean business. So he just comes over here tonight and plugs Pete.

And who's the wise guy? Your client. John, can you tell me his name? I can't involve a client in the murder. Oh, yeah. Company policy. Are you almost for a car? Regan, I'll find out in the morning.

We got some lawyers, too. I know. Couldn't tell me now. How phone you in an hour, Sally? Okay. Okay, Regan. You can talk to him first. But phone me. Good night. Night Regan. My watch said four o'clock by the time I got to the hills back a Laurel Canyon and started up Mulhullen Drive.

The usual fog was in the usual places doing the usual things to trees and houses. When I pulled up in front of Max's house, one light was burning in the window. The rest of the house looked dark.

Everything was quiet. The first thing I noticed was cordite. It smells black and it means that guns have been fired. The whole room was full of it. Max Bladney was lying half on the floor and half on the table he used for a workshop.

The bottle of spirit gum was spilled on the floor along with some false blonde hair and a crack wig block. He had one free arm around a white plaster cast of a head just like it was a doll.

There were two blue holes in the middle of his fart. I just stood there looking at him when I heard a noise in back of me. It was candle and he was on the floor at the foot of the bed.

No, don't try to move me, Regan. I've been laying here waiting for you. It's in my lungs, I'm worse. Don't think I got any blood to spare. Joy, boy, let you down. It happened to hour after you left.

I don't know who done it. There's a lot of noise in Max's room. I come in the next thing I know that I'm taking a slug myself. Hey. Hey, call me a doc. Will you, Regan? I got a date tomorrow night.

She's been trying to get rid of me. Does it give her a good excuse? Guess Lionel. Think man. Call me a doc, Regan, right quick. I made a lot of phone calls before it was all over.

Hollywood receiving hospital when Daddy central homicide. And I got the lion out of bed and told him what had happened. He said he'd meet me at the hospital. I hung around a while and talked to Windetty.

He didn't have much to say. When he got through poking around, he gave me a lift as far as the hospital. The lion was standing around the hall when I got there. The first time I'd ever seen him look tired.

Hello, Reagan. I just talked to the doctor. He was gonna cause plenty. How bad is it? 25 bucks a day for a room. Plus surgery. Oh, I mean, can't-o. Oh. People have penetrated up a low of his right lung.

Here, they pull this out. Forty-five slug. Who shoots forty-fives that good? Lots of people. Same kind of people who go around killing Pete Berger and Max Vladney. Yeah. Candle getting himself shots going to eat up every penny we might have made on this thing.

Is money all you ever think of? What else is there to think about? You got it, you're fine. You haven't got it, you're nothing but a bump. One of your own men is lying in there wondering if he's ever going to live or die He took that slug because you sent him on the job.

Everybody dies. I'll give him a citation. You big pile of blood, I'll push you out a window. Now talk like that isn't going to help anything. No, but I know what it is. Now wait a minute, Regan.

This is a police job. Oh, now it's a police job. Yeah, like I told you. And you can't go running around sticking your snoot into a couple of killings and giving international a lot of bad publicity.

I get this fatsel. I'm going out and find a guy who plugged can't open. Now you listen to me. I want it down in the books and the papers and anyplace else than an international operator brought in a guy who killed one of their clients and shot one of their men.

One of their men. I won't be responsible for anything that happens. Okay, if you don't like the way I do things, you can pull my license right off the wall and get yourself another boy.

Hey, hey, where you going? Come back. Mr. Regan, when I saw you at Max's yesterday afternoon, I didn't think you would come by for that drink at 6 o'clock in the morning. Well, come in, come in.

I was just having coffee after being at the studio for an early makeup job. Okay, to me, the way you are. You gettin' me nice. Will you ask me a call of ink? No thanks.

Oh. I just stopped by for a minute. Afraid I have some tough news for him. Max. Something happened to Max. He's dead. Oh no. Not Max. Oh Max. Somebody shot him three hours ago. Why would anyone want to kill Max?

That's what I'm gonna find out. Max expected from marrying me. expected to marry him. So what can I do to help Mr. Regan? What can I do? All right now look a smart cop named Windetti is gonna be knocking on your door pretty soon.

He's gonna ask you a lot of questions about Max. Give me the answers first. Would you mind terribly if we sat down? Max was all I had. I want to be near someone. I know I'm acting silly about this. What is it I can tell you, Mr. Regan?

Max ever mentioned a man named Pete Burger? No. Never heard that name before. He worked at the same studio. He was the one that shot at Max yesterday after now. And he killed Max? No. He's dead too. He was shot to death an hour earlier. I was there.

I'm not very good at this kind of thing. What are you trying to tell me, Mr. Egan? Both of these killings were done by an amateur. They're not very good jobs. But there had to be some reason.

I don't know. I've been in the business a long time, lady. Too long. People kill for money or love, just for the crazy feel of blasting a gun at somebody. This has been a lot for you.

No, if you find a reason, you find a killer. What kind of work would a make up man be doing at home? I don't know, Max. Always try to improve his work. Because that's why I made the money to him.

He might have made a plaster cast of a head, So we can study your face? I suppose so. Yes. Do you reckon? Yes, I suppose so. Why? Face face. I see it in pictures. Most presaceans think my hair nicer.

There it is. Wow. Oh man. It feels so. We hoped it would feel. I'm done. And my lips? I don't feel. I never did love Max. I wasn't dead at all. I was terribly ill several years ago he helped me.

I can see why he felt the way he did the budget. Daniel, I like the way you did that. I know what Max had been working on. It was something for you. Really? He was holding a plaster cast of your head in his arms when I found him.

Of course there was no hair on it. It looked kind of funny. Don't say that. Don't ever say a thing like this. Yeah, no I got it. What are you talking about? Mother and lady, lots of it. You killed a poor ex-con because he bungled a job you blacked me in a doing.

You shot him last night because I was going to talk to him. You're crazy, why would I do a thing like this? Then you went over and you killed Max and while you were at it you pumped a slugger to a joke-head.

This is how there's got to be a reason to help. Every newspaper in the country is going to carry your story. Yeah. Hilda Graham, the one with all the long golden hair is really as bald as a fresh air.

Shut up, don't you ever say anything like that in front of me? Go ahead lady pick up that paper wig now break into come on let's go Max had been trying to get her to marry him and she didn't want to marry anybody so she killed him The police denographer scratch his head on that one to like explain there was her hair long golden hair

Only it wasn't hers was a wig Max fixed up for her She'd lost all hers when she was sick and couldn't stand the thought of anybody going around knowing it wasn't her own Well, I guess you're running all kinds.

A couple of days later I saw Kenta with the hospital. He'd had some transfer reasons and a lot of other things. He was coming along fine. He was reading a paper when I walked in.

Oh, right! So what is what, huh? Hi, Joe. I've been reading about that hildest gram. Too bad they don't take her pictures out all that poor-y hair. Server, uh... Yeah. How you feeling? Peechie. Reagan, how long we've been working for the line?

Too long. How many people been killed and messed up in that time, let me and you know about the person? Too many. There's one thing I can't get through my news. Why don't we get some other kind of a job?

Real estate, a movie actress or something. Why do we do it? Do it, yes. I don't know, Joe. I don't know. That web is featured as Jeff Regan with Wilms Herbert as that Anthony J. Leith.

It's CBS same time next week for Trouble, Suspense and Thrulling Adventure with Jeff Regan Investigator. The role of Max Blattany was played by Hans Conrade with Barton Javelle as Joe Cantell. Betty Lou Gerson was Hilda Graham, Jack Crucion was Win Daddy, Marlowe Dwyer was Flossy.

Jeff Regan Investigator is written by E. Jack Newman, produced and directed by Gordon T. with special music by Del Castillo. This program came to you from Hollywood, Bob Lomond speaking for CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.