Open and Shut: Tales of the Texas Rangers (November 11, 1951)

“Open and Shut” is an episode of Tales of the Texas Rangers, the old-time radio show, first broadcast November 11, 1951. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

A wealthy rancher's daughter Connie returns home hysterically screaming that a man with a gun has killed someone on the old cattle road. Ranger Jace Pearson is called to investigate the murder of Bob Brady, the rancher's accountant, who was shot with his own gun during what appears to be a robbery. Following footprints from the crime scene, Pearson tracks the killer to an old shack where he finds Jose Morales.

Texas ranch country, 1945. The crime occurs on an old cattle road near the Mestin ranch; the investigation leads to an isolated shack used as a line house.

Characters: Ranger Jace Pearson, Sheriff Sykes, John Mestin, Connie Mestin, Bob Brady, Jose Morales

Listen for: The methodical detective work as Pearson examines the crime scene, follows the killer's footprints across the ranch, and tracks down the suspect at the remote shack.

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.