The Pigeons Blood: The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (June 11, 1949)

“The Pigeons Blood” is an episode of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, the old-time radio show, first broadcast June 11, 1949. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

A mysterious woman with soft brown eyes and a French accent hires private detective Philip Marlowe to locate a collection of thirty rare pigeon's blood rubies worth $150,000, stolen from her friend Vivian's family by a wealthy businessman named Marty Loomis. Marlowe's investigation leads him into a dangerous underworld of criminals and fences as he searches for the stolen jewels.

Los Angeles, including a hotel bar, Marty Loomis's house on North Crossmore Street, and a tropical fish shop on La Siena near Melrose.

Characters: Philip Marlowe, Chaudine (the woman who hires Marlowe), Vivian, Marty Loomis, Big Mouth, Lefty, Zig Slater, Tony

Listen for: Marlowe's tough-talking inner monologue as he navigates danger from criminals and discovers a network of thieves and fences while searching for the missing rubies.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.