Sure, they “fly to prevent it”…and Hal Duncan (Walter Reed)—Special Government Agent!—even goes as far as parachuting out of the aircraft to try and warn the train below that it’s about to be blown to smithereens. But once Hal lands on terra cotta, the winds shift and he winds up tangled in his parachute on the railroad tracks as the Twentieth Century Limited comes barreling down on him!
Hannh? |
…sees that the train is no longer chug-a-lug-a-lugging, so he unhooks the TNT and slinks off. Fare thee well, henchman…there will be no wholesale destruction for you today. A few people from the train help Hal to his feet and then onto the train as the scene fades to black.
A different angle on the Interstate Block Building, but the same-ol’-same-ol’ is going on inside at the Interstate Truck Owners Association: another boring, pointless meeting in which Hal informs the four other members—Armstrong (Pierce Lyden), Crandall (Arthur Space), Thompson (Mauritz Hugo) and Willard (George Meeker)—of his (non)progress in stopping the men responsible for hijacking “critical defense material supplies” as dutiful gal Friday Kay Roberts (Mary Ellen Kay) scribbles “Mrs. Hal Duncan” over and over on her steno pad.
CRANDALL: Then the electronic
instruments got through safely?
HAL: Yes, they’re now in a
government warehouse…but they’re not complete
instruments—only parts…
Just like Chicken McNuggets.
(Parts is parts.)
HAL: The other necessary parts to
make up the instruments were stolen from a warehouse last week…
ARMSTRONG: Then the shipment that
came in by train is useless…
HAL: Well…until other parts can be
made—or the stolen ones recovered…
WILLARD: No one’s ever had much
luck in recovering anything from that gang…
HAL: No—but in this case, the parts
the gang already have are no good to them, either…so the government is offering
a reward of $50,000 for their return…
I don’t understand a word of this “parts” double talk but I
do understand the $50,000. Fifty-thousand
smackers! If I were Regan (Dick Curtis)
or Cady (Fred Coby) I’d be making a call to Uncle Sam right about now…
THOMPSON: That might tempt the crooks to do business…
HAL: Well, that’s what we’re
hoping…the government has ordered me to act as contact man if we hear anything
from them…
CRANDALL: Sounds like a good idea…
As the meeting adjourns, we hear Willard say “I’ll be glad when this gang is cleaned up and we can get back in business again”—which might explain why these jamokes have so much free time to sit around in meetings. With the information that Hal is allowed to generously reward anyone returning the stolen parts, the ITOA member who is secretly the boss of the hijackers (a.k.a. “The Voice”) returns to his lair in the Metz Building and informs Regan and Cady of the government’s offer…though Regan isn’t entirely unconvinced it’s not a trap.
VOICE: The government is urgently
in need of that equipment…and they have every reason for wanting to go through
with the deal…since the parts we have are of no use to us, we might as well do
business with them…
REGAN: How are we gonna collect the
payoff?
VOICE: I’ll send instructions to
Duncan telling him just what to do…
“…and where to go, come to think of it.” Regan and Cady take a truck loaded with the parts to a place called Taylor Flats…where those two rapscallions also plan a little surprise for our hero: a B-O-M-B! As Hal approaches the truck area in his taxpayer-funded sedan, Regan orders Cady to hide out of sight behind the car…and not to start anything until he’s sure Duncan has the money with him.
HAL: Yeah? How do I know what’s in those boxes?
REGAN: Well, you’d better take my
word for it—because there’s also a bomb
in there…and I’m holding onto the wire that’s tied to the detonator handle…if I
pull it, that whole truck will be blown sky high and you with it!
REGAN: Throw your gun away, then
walk over here and show me that money…
HAL: I’ll meet you halfway…after
you throw your gun away…
Regan is nothing if not a sport…he throws his weapon to the
ground at the same as does Hal. He then
cautiously walks over to where our hero is standing.
HAL: When you see the money—do I
get the truck?
REGAN: That’s the deal… (Hal hands
him a parcel wrapped in brown paper, and Regan tears off one corner) Yeah…looks all right!
Saracen pig! |
Spartan dog! |
…KA-BOOM! That truck blowed up real good! Here’s a pro tip for ya, Cady—resist the urge to play Those Endearing Young Charms on pianos in the future. Hal reaches his car and gets in to drive off…though you’d think he’d capitalize on the opportunity to round up Regan and Cady with those two goons thoroughly discombobulated by the blast. (Then again, we’ve got eight more chapters to go.) As Hal speeds off, both Regan and Cady lament the loss of the fifty-thousand large. “Well, I’ll have to tell the boss,” grumbles Regan. (“We’re going to need to get our stories straight…”)
As Regan and Cady prepare to leave, Regan grabs a microphone
from the radio in their car to relay a message to “The Voice”:
REGAN: Calling V-317…calling V-317…
VOICE: Come in, Regan…
We then see Hal in his car, tooling along as he speeds back
to the ITOA. However, he turns his radio
on to contact Kay…and miracle of miracles, he just happens to be on the same
frequency as Regan and The Voice!
REGAN (on radio): …he got away with
the money, too…
VOICE (on radio): There’s nothing
more you can do now…keep out of sight until further orders…
REGAN (on radio): Yes, sir…
Astonished at his good fortune, our hero springs into
action…
KAY (on radio): Come in, Hal…
HAL: Kay, I just picked up a radio
conversation between Regan and his boss!
KAY: What did you hear?
HAL: Well, nothing important…but
I’ve got their wavelength, and I’m going to let them hear one of my messages
that will lead them into a trap! Tune
your set into…ten-twenty-eight and play along with me when I call you on that
band…
Genius! That boy is
an absolute genius! Over on 10-28, Hal
goes to work:
REGAN: That’s Duncan!
KAY (on radio): Come in, Hal…
HAL (on radio): The deal didn’t
work, Kay…but I got out of it all right…and I still have the money…
KAY (on radio): Well, what are you
going to do now?
HAL (on radio): Well, it’s too late
to get the money back to the bank…so I want to leave it in your office safe
tonight…
KAY (on radio): All right, Hal…I’ll
wait here for you…
REGAN (to Cady): Hey—we’ll cash in
on this deal yet! Any office safe is a cinch to crack! Get goin’!
Back at the ITOA, Hal and Kay are joined by Hal’s faithful
sidekick, Sam Bradley (John Packard)…
HAL: Nah, I’m going to take it to
headquarters and turn it in…
“Ha! Sure I am…right
after I get back from my vacation in
Vegas!”
HAL: But if those crooks did get my message—they’ll probably be
here by some time tonight…
SAM: We’ll be ready for ‘em…
HAL: Yes…but you’ll have to stand
watch alone until I get back…
“And since that will be in Vegas…I suggest you bring a book
and a change of underwear…”
HAL: Keep out of sight…and when
they break in, wait until they get where you can handle them…
SAM: Right!
HAL (to Kay): I can take you home
on my way to headquarters…
Whoa! This serial
just got a whole lot more interesting!
Hal tells Sam “I’ll try to be back by nine,” which is a great
unintentionally hilarious line.
(“Hey…once the Dom Perignon starts to flow—who knows how late I’ll be?”) Hal and Kay then leave the office, and the
scene shifts to the sedan belonging to Regan and Cady pulling up outside the
Interstate Block building around back.
This screen capture will offer a little advice to you aspiring
second-story men out there…
…always park your car so you can access the fire escape. As Regan and Cady scamper up the ladder, the camera cuts inside to the darkened ITOA office where Sam waits patiently for his interlopers…and he is reading a book. (Knowing the amount of grey matter in Bradley, I’m guessing it’s a weighty tome along the lines of Tom Swift and His Magnetic Silencer.) Sam waits for the two thugs to climb in the window and then he springs into action…
SAM: Should have come in the front
door, boys—it’s unlocked…put your guns on the desk…one at a time… (To Regan)
You first…
Both Regan and Cady toss their roscoes onto the desk, and
Sam chucks them into a wastepaper can.
“Now hand me that phone,” he orders Regan…and he gets handed the phone,
all right!
Roman cow! |
Russian snake! |
Outside the building, Hal pulls up in his ride and as he makes his way upstairs the two thugs ransack the safe in search of the $50,000…with no luck. “It’s a frame-up,” complains Regan. “There’s no money here!” Hal has reached the outside door just in time to hear Regan slam the safe shut in frustration, and the racket causes our hero to draw his pistola just in case there’s some action.
Unfortunately for Hal, his silhouette is rather noticeable on the door…and while this is not stock footage like in the previous cliffhangers for the chapters in this serial…
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