The landlady of a boarding house, Mrs. Leeds, walks in on her tenant, Mr. Miller, who is stuffing big stacks of bills into a paper bag. He tells her that this is his life savings of 75 thousand dollars (about one million dollars in 2023 money), and that he is moving it somewhere else the next day.
But gossip spreads quickly and you see the news travel from boarder to boarder. The next day Miller is on the subway with the money when he encounters a fellow boarder, Miss Carter. They are conversing when the train comes to a stop. The man next to Miller acts like he loses his balance when in fact he is distracting him so he can swap bags. The man disappears with his money before Miller realizes what happens. Miller swears he'll find the guy and kill him and leaves the train too. Miller does not resurface and he does not call the police.
You see the guy who stole Miller's money - an unfamiliar face and not a boarder by the way - packing his stuff and the money when there is a knock at his door. Someone unseen kills the thief and disappears with the money. Landlady Mrs. Leeds hires Martin Kane to try and solve the case because of the hit to her boarding house's reputation if this is not cleared up. Meanwhile Miller is still missing.
Kane is played by veteran actor Lee Tracy in this episode, and use is made of his trademark voice by letting him do some narration of the situation. The copy I saw had the tobacco shop portions cut out of it, and there seem to be a couple of spots where traditional commercials would normally go instead. However, Walter Kinsella is still billed as Happy McMann, the tobacco store owner.
Television is already getting a little more sophisticated. For example, the sets have more detail than in earlier episodes. Also this episode indicates how much pressure there was on women to conform to societal norms and marry. For example, Miss Carter is thinking about Miller's 75 thousand dollars and wishing that she had that money because then maybe some man would want her! Sorry ma'am, they'd just want your money and you would be left poor AND alone!
The ending is very ironic and is just perfect for an ending revealed by fast talking wise guy Lee Tracy.
But gossip spreads quickly and you see the news travel from boarder to boarder. The next day Miller is on the subway with the money when he encounters a fellow boarder, Miss Carter. They are conversing when the train comes to a stop. The man next to Miller acts like he loses his balance when in fact he is distracting him so he can swap bags. The man disappears with his money before Miller realizes what happens. Miller swears he'll find the guy and kill him and leaves the train too. Miller does not resurface and he does not call the police.
You see the guy who stole Miller's money - an unfamiliar face and not a boarder by the way - packing his stuff and the money when there is a knock at his door. Someone unseen kills the thief and disappears with the money. Landlady Mrs. Leeds hires Martin Kane to try and solve the case because of the hit to her boarding house's reputation if this is not cleared up. Meanwhile Miller is still missing.
Kane is played by veteran actor Lee Tracy in this episode, and use is made of his trademark voice by letting him do some narration of the situation. The copy I saw had the tobacco shop portions cut out of it, and there seem to be a couple of spots where traditional commercials would normally go instead. However, Walter Kinsella is still billed as Happy McMann, the tobacco store owner.
Television is already getting a little more sophisticated. For example, the sets have more detail than in earlier episodes. Also this episode indicates how much pressure there was on women to conform to societal norms and marry. For example, Miss Carter is thinking about Miller's 75 thousand dollars and wishing that she had that money because then maybe some man would want her! Sorry ma'am, they'd just want your money and you would be left poor AND alone!
The ending is very ironic and is just perfect for an ending revealed by fast talking wise guy Lee Tracy.