Kimberly Cross Caper: The Adventures of Sam Spade (March 23, 1951)

“Kimberly Cross Caper” is an episode of The Adventures of Sam Spade, the old-time radio show, first broadcast March 23, 1951. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Sam Spade is hired to guard the Kimberly Cross, a priceless diamond crown jewel worth $268,000, during its 24-hour exhibition at Burgundy Dorf's gallery. When the diamond disappears and the gallery owner is shot, Spade must untangle a web of deception involving a recently paroled convict, a mysterious blonde woman, and insurance company intrigue to discover who pulled off the heist.

San Francisco in 1951, primarily at Burgundy Dorf's gallery on Sutter Street, an x-ray mobile unit parked outside, the Aeolian Hotel, Christopher Apartments, and a bar on Connie Street.

Characters: Sam Spade, Effie (Sam's secretary), Mr. Runcible (insurance claims manager), Mr. Burgundy Dorf (gallery owner), Johnny Stroud (insurance company investigator), George (technician with mobile x-ray unit), Patricia Conroy (blonde woman), Larry Galliano (paroled convict)

Listen for: The clever use of a fake mobile x-ray unit as a stakeout post; the x-ray technician's accidental discovery of the diamond's location in an x-ray photograph; the revelation that insurance investigator Johnny Stroud is behind the theft; and Spade's realization that multiple parties are double-crossing each other over the valuable gem.

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.