The Shadow - The Return of Carnation Charlie

Oh, no. What evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow, no. The Shadow.... A mysterious character who aids the forces of law and order is in reality Lamont Cranston, a wealthy young man about town. As the shadow, Cranston is gifted with hypnotic power to cloud men's minds so that they cannot see him. Cranston's friend and companion, the lovely Margo Lane, is the only person who knows to whom the voice of the invisible shadow belongs. Today's story, The Return. Of Carnation Charlie. Well, Warden, good to see you. But to what do I owe the honor of this visit? Time to go, Charlie. Ready? For the chair? Sure, sure, I'm ready. I brought the chaplain. I thought you might change your mind about repenting. No, I haven't. But did you bring the carnation? Yes, Charlie. Here it is. Good. Good. Maybe it's not too late for it to work. I'll just fasten it to this here snappy prison outfit. I don't think it'll bring you good luck this time, Charlie. You don't, huh? Well, now, that carnation of mine has never failed, Warden. All my life I wore a carnation. Every day. And I always had good luck. But the day I come to trial for the murder of that rat Colucci, your Commissioner Weston says I ain't to wear it. It's against the court etiquette. And what happens? The jury says first-degree murder. Superstition, Charlie. That carnation isn't going to save you from the chair. Maybe and maybe not, warden. Maybe you think I'm nuts. Well, all I know is. I've beaten every. Rat when I had my carnation. But the first time I don't have it... They slap a death sentence on me. But remember... I said I'm coming back. And I will. I got my carnation. Nothing can stop me now. Calm down, son. First of all. I'm going to get that florist. The stupid boob made it easy for Weston by never sending me my carnation once during that trial. Yeah. I'm coming back. And that florist is the first guy I'm going to get. Once you're dead, Charlie, you won't... I ain't through, Warden. Then I'm going to get Morley. Bo Morley. There's a guy supposed to be my best friend. My right-hand man. And what does he do? He rats on me. He waits till I'm in a jam. Then he moves in and takes over my gang. Oh. Oh, I mustn't forget him. Haven't you any other thoughts than revenge, Charlie? Not a one, Warden. I'm coming back. And I'm gonna get that guy Weston. He put the screws on me, that Commissioner Weston, and he twisted him. You see, I don't like that from a cop. I don't have to take that. You deserved what you got, Charlie. You know that. You're not dying for the murder of Gucci alone... But for the murder of many others. Yeah? They couldn't pin a thing on me, and you know it. You're a killer, Charlie, and you deserve to die. Okay, so I'm going to die, ain't I? But remember, I'm coming back. And I'm going to get first that flower, second that rat, Bo Morley, and last the Commissioner Weston. Just remember that. And now, let's go and give the newspaper boys a thrill, huh? All right, God. Light the prisoner on both sides. Chaplains. Whether he wants it or not, if you will. Certainly. All right, Charlie. Let's go. Wait and see, Warden. I'm coming back. Just remember that. I'm coming back. I pronounce this man, known as Carnation Charlie, dead. Oh, Lamar, how wonderful to think that we're actually going to see Gone with the Wind. You sound excited, Margaret. Oh, I am. After all, I read the book, and I'm so anxious to see what they've done to it. You'll find it to be a now very faithful adoption, Miss Lane. Oh, have you seen it, Shrevie? Yeah, hey, last night, hey. I kind of cabbed in and took my wife out. I made a big now social event out of what I made. I bought a flower, hey. Flowers, hey? Well, remind me, hey, Lamar, what about it, hey? What? Flowers for me, hey. Oh, I just love some orchids. Mm, orchids, no less. Why don't you break down and get us. Some, Mr. Cranston, hey? Hi. Bravo, Shrevie there. Lamont speaks a true gentleman. Look, Mr. Cranston, if she wants a corset or orchids, get her one. Shrevie, you stay out of this. Hey, there's a place right there. And whether you like it or not, Mr. Cranston, I'm pulling up. I'm pulling. Shrevie, this is playing right into the little lady's hands, but go ahead. Well, Margo, my dove, wait us here and we shall return from Yon Flores late. All right, Shreve, he lives away. You know, Mr. Cranston, you're an all right guy, all right, but sometimes I don't think you speak so good. Yeah, so, Shreve. Well, I'll have to be more careful in the future, eh? Hmm. Shop seems to be empty. Hello? Anybody here? Gee, don't it smell elegant in here with all the posies and stuff. Hmm. Smell the carnations. Yeah. Well, they're overpowering old carnations. I never seen so many flowers. I never. Hey, look at that showcase back there. Just full of them. Ain't they beautiful, Hank? They're more than beautiful, Shrevie. They're downright interesting. Then let's have a look. Chumper, Jiminy, look inside the showcase. It's a corpse. A dead corpse. Then let's get that showcase open. Oh, gosh, Mr. Cranston, this is gruesome. That's what it is, gruesome. Gruesome is right. Must be the flower, Shrevy. The man who owns this place. Lying in state in his own showcase with flowers banked on around him. Gee, they're all carnations. Carnations? What is it, boss? What is it? Carnations, Shrevy, of course. Now I remember. This is the same florist who neglected to send flowers to Carnation Charlie during his trial. Charlie swore he'd come back and. Get revenge on this fellow. Oh, yeah, I remember now. Wait a minute. There's something in the corpse's hand. Looks like a card. A visiting card. Yes. And the name engraved on it is that of Carnation Charlie. Come on, Commissioner Weston, open up. We've got to get a story for our papers on this Carnation Charlie case. What are you doing about it? Now, why don't you boys give me a break? You know everything I know. Carnation Charlie was executed over a month ago. Whoever killed that florist must be a pal of Charlie's. Couldn't be Charlie himself. What about the fingerprints found on that visiting card? Well, fingerprints have been duplicated before. You've got to admit, it makes a swell story, Commissioner. First, the ghost of Carnation Charlie kills the florist that double-crossed him on the flowers. That's according to schedule. Ah. Then the next on Charlie's list will be Bo Moley, his former henchman who took over. And after that, it. Will be you. He swore to get. You, Commissioner, and he will if you don't get him first. Fellas, the whole thing is a... May I come in? Cranston, for the first time in my life, I'm glad to see you. Hello, Miss Lane. It's good to see you, too. Well, well, Commissioner. Goodness, think we're in the right place, Lamont? All right, boys, all right, on your way. And listen, give me a break in anything you write, will you? Sure, you know us, Weston. Anything for a pal. And, Commissioner, you look pretty tired. Donation Charlie giving you sleepless nights? Cranston, I've seen some screwy ones, but this is the most impossible. Case I've ever come up against. Which means, Commissioner, that you're in a spot. Well, I'm not worried. No? Well, not terribly worried, anyway. Never have believed in ghosts, and if it's something human I'm dealing. With, I can handle it. Yes, but I wonder if it is. What do you mean? I don't know exactly, Commissioner. Just a feeling I've got that. Oh, say, I almost forgot. It's a package for you. A man at the desk asked me to bring it in. Oh, thanks. Excuse me. Wait a while. I'll open this. Go right ahead. I wonder what it can be. Take away, Commissioner. It feels like a box of some kind. Might almost be a... Cranston. What is it? A miniature coffin, Margot. Coffin. There seems to be the smell of it. Let me get this lid off. Good heaven. It's filled with carnations. White carnation. There's a card. Visiting card on top. It says, after Molly, you come next. Yeah, and then Molly's got the jitters. Well, why shouldn't he? He got that little cough on the carnation. Didn't the carnation Charlie said he'd come back and he has? He got that florist and now my brother's next on the list. What did Molly call this meeting for anyway? You gonna take a run out? You got me. All I know is Bo's scared to death. He shouldn't have ratted on Charlie because... So, I shouldn't. Have ratted on Charlie, eh, Luke? Now, don't get me wrong, boss. I. Shut up. I call you guys together because we... We gotta. Choose a new leader. A new leader? Yes, Luke was right. I shouldn't have ratted, so I... I'm leaving town. Anyway, something important's come up out of town. I gotta turn to it as soon as I can. That something wouldn't be a small coffin full of carnations, would it, Bo? What do you mean? That's the matter, Bo. Afraid carnation Charlie's gonna get you. Maybe I am, smart guy. Maybe I am afraid that... Ah, no, no, I'm off of my nut. Sure, Charlie's dead. He's six foot and under, Eddie. He can do me no harm. Think that me, Bo Moll, is afraid of a dead guy? Because if you do, you got another thing coming. Hey, boss. Look over there. Charlie. Carnation Charlie. He looks like he was just dug up. Maybe I was just dug up from the grave. But I come back. Hey, Charlie. Now listen, pal. I come back to get you, Bo. But I want to tell you a little story about the death house first. They put me in the chair and strapped me in. Then they put electrodes on my leg and on my head. Yes, yes, I know. Then a priest started to intone so as I could go without anything on my mind. And then, and then they threw a switch. See the picture, pal? Sure. Sure, I see it. 2,000 volts go through my body. 2,000 volts. Then the motors die out in a slow voice. I pronounce Carnation Charlie dead. But they forgot one thing, pal. I had on my carnation. Hey, what do you want, Charlie? You, moly. I'm going to get you now. Now listen, Charlie. I can explain everything, see? You've got nothing to explain, pal. I'll do the talking from now on. Well, boys... Any of you got reasons why I shouldn't knock off Molly? Hey, hey, hey, please, Charlie. Be reasonable, will you? Put down that gun. I'm talking to your mob now, pal. You see, I don't want to kill you if any of them should tell me why I shouldn't do it. How about it, Joe? You can kill them for all of me, Charlie. Joe, you. Shut up. How about you, Luke? If you're after him, I guess I can't stop you, can I? Guess you can't, Luke. In the name of heaven, have mercy, Charlie. I'm sorry for what I've done. Are you, Moley? Now, ain't that nice? Okay, Louie. That leaves only you. What are your feelings about my knocking off our friend? I said, what are your feelings about knocking off our friend? What do you want? I should vote for my own brother's death? Even you, Charlie, wouldn't expect that. Oh, yes. Yes. Silly of me to have forgotten that you and Bo were brothers. Well, now that makes it easier. What? Hey, what's on your mind, Charlie? You'll find out, Bo. Louie, I don't particularly like bumping rats off. So I'm going to let you do this job for me. Hey, what do you mean? Now. No, Charlie, you don't want me to kill my own brother. That's exactly what I want. Pick up that pomegranate this side. No. No, I can't. I can't do it. I won't. You'll pick up that pomegranate, or I'll blast you from here to Kingdom Come. All right. All right, Charlie. Now what? Louis. Louis, you fool. You're going to do that to me. And Louis. Louis, let me have your brother. Pick up that pot, so it'll be over quick, and let him have it. Louis, please. OK. Please, Louis. Here it comes. Here it comes. Sorry, Bo. I didn't want to do it. Well, this, I think, Al, is the picture of the chap with his fingerprints and record. Yeah, that's the monkey. Well, thanks, Harold. Sorry to disturb you at this hour of the night. Oh, nothing at all. I must say, though, when you officers work on a case, you work night and morning. It seems that way. Well, so long, Harold. Go back and get your beauty nap. A beauty nap. Oh, I see what you mean. No, I've got about 300 pictures to file away yet. The commissioner had quite a lineup today, you know. Oh, he sure did. Well, so long again, Harold. So long, Harold. What a job. I'd give anything to be tucked in my bed right now, but man's work is never done. Three o'clock. Well, I'd better start filing those pictures. Just a minute, Harold. Who... who said that? Don't be alarmed, Harold. This is the shadow. The shadow. Oh, I... I think I'm going to faint. Not now, Harold. I need you... There's nothing to be afraid of. I've merely cast a hypnotic spell over your mind which prevents you from seeing me. I see. I mean, I don't see. What do you want? I want a picture out of your files. A picture? A picture of a small-time gangster named Slim Bannister. Slim Bannister? Yes. Get it for me at once, if you please. Yes, yes, yes, of course. Let's see here. Flynn Bannister. No, no, no, Slim Bannister. Oh, gosh, I'm trembling all over. B-A-N. Sam Bannister. Saul Bannister. Sarah Slim Bannister. Oh, good. Here it is. So this is Slim Bannister. Well, Slim, maybe you're the answer to the riddle of a dead man returned to life. You all going out again tonight, Miss Vannister? Sure, Virginia. Why shouldn't I? Slim never gave me any good times, did he? Always sick like he was. But that man loved you, Miss Vannister. He so did. Oh, you talk too much. Get my mink wrap. I'm going out. Yes, ma'am, I'm going. Here's another thing, that mink raft. Where'd you get the money to buy you a mink raft? You never had no money when Slim was here. Just as soon as that poor man ain't here, you got all kinds of money. Where'd you get that money, Miss Bannister? Where that money come from is my business, see? On the contrary, Mrs. Bannister, I think it's my business as well. Who said that? Who's in this room? It's the shadow, Mrs. Bannister. No, this is the end. I'll leave it. The shadow, huh? So it's true. You can be right next to a person, and yet they can't see you. A matter of hypnotic control, Mrs. Bannister. And now I'd like you to tell me where you got that money. What? I don't know what you're talking about. I know that your husband, Slim Bannister, disappeared several months ago... and was never. Heard of again. I know that shortly after that, you came into a large sum of money. I also know that a few weeks before he disappeared, Slim paid a visit to a well-known heart specialist. What was wrong with his heart, Mrs. Bannister? He. He was a doomed man. The doctor gave him a month to live. I see. Then he disappeared. And someone sent you a large sum of money. How much money, Mrs. Bannister? That's none of your. How much? $ 50, 000. I see. Who sent it? I don't know. It came in an envelope. There was a note that said, this money belongs to you. There are no strings attached to it. Use it any way you like. But it wasn't signed by anyone. You've got to believe me. Thank you, Mrs. Bannister. I'm indebted to you. You've told me what I wanted to know. All right, all right. There must be a clue or a bit of evidence somewhere, Reynolds. Look into it and call me back in about ten minutes. Yeah, I'll be waiting for your call. Goodbye. That phone may ring in ten minutes, Commissioner. What? But you won't answer it. You'll be dead. Who are you? Don't turn around. It's me. Carnation Charlie, Weston. And I'm standing right behind you. And incidentally, that piece of cold steel you feel pressing against the back of your head is a gun. You're not Carnation Charlie. You can't be. You're dead. You were executed. I'm Carnation Charlie, all right. Turn around and take a look. Yes, you're Carnation Charlie or his ghost. No, not his ghost, Commissioner. I'm very much alive. You see, I never was executed. You must have been. The records prove that you were. The records prove that a man who looked like me, a man who answered to my name, went to the chair in my place. That's impossible. Is it? It happened before. His name was Slim Bannister. He was my double. Poor fool served many a sentence for me in the big house. Why not? He was well paid for it. You can't tell me he was willing to die for you. No. He was dying anyway. The doc gave him a month to live. Funny, Commissioner. He was kind of in love with that wife of his. And since they didn't have any money, he jumped at the chance to leave her 50 grand. And she... I'm talking too much. Let's get along with this. Impossible. How could you have changed places with Clint Bannister? I'm here, ain't I? Money can do a lot of things, Weston. But there's one thing that money can't do. It can't buy back your life for you. I'm going to kill you, Weston. And I'm going to do it right now. Wait a minute, Charlie. I'm waiting for nothing. I said I'd get you, and now I'm going to do it. All right, Charlie. Go ahead. Get it over with. Don't answer that. Okay, Weston. Give my regards to the other rats I've already taken care of. Who knocked that gun out of my hand? I did, Charlie. A shadow. A shadow. Why, uh... You'll do nothing. I've got your gun, Charlie, and the game is up. Yeah? A shadow or no shadow. I'm... You'll do what, Charlie? Okay. Okay. I'm smart enough to know when I'm licked. Sensible of you. Oh, by the way, Commissioner, I think you can answer that phone now. Yeah, yeah. Hello. Weston speaking. Oh, hello, Reynolds. Never mind, he's right here. Yeah, that's right, Carnation. Charlie's here in my office. Well, he came in and tried to hold me up and I. You needn't mention me, Commissioner. Tell him you did it all yourself. Well, I, uh, that is, I... Go ahead. You can use the publicity. Thanks, Shadow. You're all right. Uh, hello. Hello, Reynolds. Sorry, I just had to smack Charlie down again. How did I do it? Well, it was the greatest fight you ever saw. Came for me with a gun, but as he fired, I ducked and let him have it straight from the floor. If he comes again this time, I gave him everything I had. Lamont, how did you find out about Slim Bannister? Well, Margo, I knew that if Carnation Charlie really was at large, that he must have gotten one of his own kind to substitute for him. And that substitute had to be someone who had lost his interest in living. And you looked for that kind of person and turned up with Bannister. Exactly. Step on it, will you, Shrevie? Yes, sir, boss. Full speed ahead. Full speed ahead. Okay, boss. May I ask where we're going? To see Gone with the Wind. But our tickets were for the show. Three nights ago. Well, we'll have missed the first three nights, Margo, but that's still only the beginning of the picture. Step on it, Shrevie. The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay. The shadow knows.