John St. Polis

Lamont Cranston (Rod La Rocque), amateur criminologist and detective, with a daily radio program, sponsored by the Daily Classic newspaper, has developed a friendly feud that sometimes passes the friendly stage with Police Commissioner Weston (Thomas E. Jackson). He complains to his managing editor, Edward Heath (Oscar O'Shea), over the problems that have developed in his department since Phoebe Lane (Astrid Allwyn) has been hired as his assistant. He is advised to forget it since she is the publisher's niece. During his broadcast about Honest John (William Pawley), a famous safe cracker who has served his time, Phoebe gives him a note that the Metropolitan Theatre is to be robbed at eight o'clock and she is so insistent that he adds it as his closing note. Off the air, he learns she got the information from a man she met in a café who had an honest face. Cranston goes to the theatre where Weston and his men have gathered and, of course, nothing happens but, across town, a safe is blown at the home of international banker Gerald Morton (John St. Polis) and the banker is killed. Cranston arrives there ahead of the police and discovers enough evidence to show him that it wasn't just a simple robbery with the banker accidentally killed. The irate Weston has him jailed as a material witness, but Phoebe comes through with a habeas corpus in time for him to make his broadcast. Honest John crashes into the studio with a gun and demands that Cranston exonerates him over the air from the police suspicion that he committed the robbery. Weston rushes to the studio but Honest John has escaped. Cranston takes Phoebe on a tour of night clubs hoping she will spot the man who gave her the robbery message. She does and Cranston poses as a new arrival from Europe and learns that the man is Flotow (Wilhelm von Brincken) and his companion is Starkov (Tenen Holtz'). They make a date for lunch the next day. While they are waiting for him to join them for lunch, Cranston breaks into Flathow's apartment where he meets Phoebe who also has had the same idea. A phone call is answered and Morton's butler says there is a meeting at the Morton home that afternoon. —Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>

A pair of detectives investigate the murder of an elderly millionaire who was the target of blackmail and death threats and find that there is no shortage of suspects, many of them in the victim's own family. Two rich, reclusive old brothers, wards of their niece Elsa Carson (Irene Ware), are very protective of their own affairs and also keep a close eye on Elsa. One of them, Henry Carson (William V. Mong), is murdered and his brother, sister, and household servants all come under suspicion. Elsa enlists the aid of private detective Jim Landis (Ray Walker, with whom she is falling in love, and Jim solicits help from older, retired detective Paul Bernard (Berton Churchill).

A district attorney and a reporter try to find the killer of a D.A. who uncovered a massive stock fraud. A district attorney is investigating a utility company's directors for fraud. He gets a call about some incriminating evidence, but it's a ploy to lure him to an apartment where he is gunned down. To make the shooting seem less like an effort to suppress the investigation, it's made it look like the district attorney was keeping a jealous mistress. Andy Terrell, his wisecracking newspaperman friend, is networked with practically everyone and gets curious. Things get complicated for the utility company directors because Lionel Houston, now the new district attorney, is dating Diane Cromwell, the daughter of utility director Grover Cromwell. Andy uses his connections in low places to ferret out information but runs afoul of the king-pin Bruno by dallying with his lady. The utility directors were using their purloined funds to gamble in other stocks. Suddenly, they have no funds left plus cooked books. One tells Grover that he knows how to get his hands on $1M in gold bullion. He thinks he has talked Grover into fleeing with him, but Grover decides to arrange for a train/car accident so that his insurance will provide for his daughter. Lionel is lured by Bruno to a meeting but brings reinforcements. —Garon Smith

A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer. At the Opera of Paris, a mysterious phantom threatens a famous lyric singer, Carlotta, and forces her to give up her role (Marguerite in Faust) for unknown Christine Daae. Christine meets this phantom (a masked man) in the catacombs, where he lives. What's his goal? What's his secret? —Yepok A disfigured former composer haunts the Paris Opera House and several people have seen the cloaked, shadowy figure. From his vantage point high above the opera house stage he sees and falls in love with young understudy Christine Daae, who is standing in for the company's principal, Carlotta. The masked phantom lures Christine into the subterranean world below Paris where he lives and professes his love. When she removes his mask, she is horrified by his grotesque appearance and begs to be released. He agrees but tells her to stay away from her lover, the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny. Terrified she turns to Raoul for protection and the outraged phantom, whom the police have determined is an insane criminal and an escapee from Devil's Island, kidnaps Christine off the stage during a performance of Faust. Assisted by Ledoux of the secret police, Raoul proceeds to enter the phantom's underground lair to rescue her. —garykmcd When the Paris Opera House is sold during the production of Faust, the owners advise the new owners that the place is haunted by a Phantom that uses Box 5. The following night, Mlle. Charlotte receives a letter from The Phantom warning her that Christine Daae shall replace her, and Charlotte becomes "ill". She is replaced by Christine that tells her fiancé Vicomte Raoul de Chagny that a mysterious voice is her mentor, and she cannot stop her career. The Phantom advises the owners that Christine must continue to sing but on the next evening, Charlotte returns. During her presentations, a chandelier falls from the ceiling onto the audience. During the havoc, The Phantom kidnaps Christine and declares his love for her in his hideout in the underground of the Opera. While playing organ, Christine lures The Phantom and removes his mask. She sees an ugly deformed man and The Phantom imprisons her. Now he makes Christine promises that she will not see Raoul again if he lets her sing the Opera. But Christine does not keep her promise and The Phantom overhears her conversation. What will he do? —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil