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Title

The Money Makers

Plot

When a couple of counterfeiters set up their operation in an abandoned house, they are unaware that a spirit haunts the place. The wife of one of the criminals is placed in a bind when she learns of their illegal activities from the ghost.

Episode

0379

Air Dates

  • First Run - November 14, 1975
  • Repeat - April 28, 1976

Actors

Writer

Listen

Rating

104
94     10


14 Responses to Episode 0379

This program is entertaining. It is a combination crime/ghost story. Two men rent a run-down house in a rural area outside a small town with the intent of setting up a counterfeit printing operation. The ditsy wife of one of the men accompanies them and she is oblivious to what they are doing. What the trio is not prepared for is how what occurred in the home years ago will affect them now.

Meljohn Forbes

Counterfeiters set up shop in a haunted house. The ghost begins communicating with the wife of one of the crooks and tips her off as to what their really doing. She faces a moral crisis.

F. Wayans

The worlds of crime and the occult collide when counterfeiters set up their operation in a haunted house.

Jannen

I must say- I hated this episode. A dull ghost falls in love with a Bimbo who is married to an idiot who befreinds a mindless crook. I could care less what happens in the episode because each character is useless. I set my criteria of the value of a show based on relevency..this one was irrelevant.

Rio

I found this show interesting for the combination of horror, crime drama, romance and a little comedy at first. The juxtaposition didn't quite gel, but I enjoyed it because of the attempt. So while Roy and Steve weren't entirely believable as crooks, the notion of setting up a crooks' den in a haunted house has been used many times in different media, ranging from Charlie Chan to the Hardy Boys, and I never get tired of it. And while Ralph Bell's Noah didn't menace or evoke sympathy, his voice is perfectly suited to a ghostly role and I'm glad he got one! In fact, the ghostly narrator angle was interesting because it is a ghostly narrator within another, EG Marshall and the squeaking door. And at the end, when Noah warns Steve of eternal damnation, to me it sounded exactly like The Shadow warning a hoodlum that his "trail of murder and mayhem will end in the death-house" -- I got a real hoot out of that. So although this show didn't entirely work (I can't believe Roy would be so casual about the idea of his wife being "wasted", for one), I got a kick out of it just because of all the traditional elements being pulled together into one story, and I enjoyed this show quite a bit.

Justin Ralph

The most appealing episodes for me are the ones that combine either horror and psychology, mystery and murder, or even some kind of spiritual depth that gets me thinking about my own existence. This particular episode, I think, is more of a light-hearted tale which might appeal to a more general audience. My taste aside, it was interesting how the characters reacted as typically they do in so often a many ghost tale: they stay in the house. IIf I were in a house that had even the nicest ghost, I'd be out of there before you could say "Ghostbusters!" Why do these people stay? Please... someone tell me! Anyhow, coming back to my personal taste, I found this to be a predictably weak episode. The characters were flat and uninspiring, especially the ghost, despite being fairly well performed. I blame the writer on this one. No character development, no depth of emotion from anyone, and a plot that had about as many twists as a new yard stick. It surprised me how light this was for RMT. I was also a bit shocked at the husband actually slapping his wife. Even for RMT, that was a bit harsh. What was worse was her lame reaction! Again, the writer is to blame. It seems like the episode wanted to be crime, drama, comedy, love story, horror and mystery all in the same breath. But, as I've come to find, too many ingredients in the soup make only for unsavory broth. One thing that I did get from this show, was in one of the commercials. It was a commercial for Chock Full O' Nuts Coffee. It began with that hysterical song, "Chock Full O' Nuts is that Flaaaaaavorful Coffee, that Flaaaaaavorful Coffee..." and then went into a narrative. The man says something like, "Chock Full O' Nuts is full of the most expensive beans money can buy, and by spending a lot of money on good beans, YOU get the best flavor." How's that for marketing! Yikes!

Leah Andrea S.

I couldn't get the voice of Julie out of my head-rather, I couldn't recall what was so familiar about it. She reminded me of actress Dorothy Comingore's portrayal of Susan Alexander Kane in Orson Welle's "Citizen Kane." I didn't care much for either character. Julie is a hapless boob like so many others in horror who always "go down in the basement" or "open that door" after the audience has begged them not to. Why doesn't Noah let them "waste" her? Seems like maybe he would have been happier that way, but of course there's the possibilty that he would have felt guilty about stealing another man's woman the way his was... Hey, can't win 'em all, I guess. The actors did a good job, but I have to wonder if the characters came to life the way the writer intended.  The Money Makers left me with the same feeling I get after a bowl of plain oatmeal.

A. Lambert

You may be thinking of Judy Holliday. She sounded exactly like this in Born Yesterday.

Paula

An interesting mix of supernatural and crime. The characters were typical, but it was interesting that the "ditsy blonde" was the most moral of all of them (the ghost was a close second). This wasn't a terrible episode, but it wasn't one of the better ones.

Alec

I've listened to dozens of RMT episodes and found this one of the better ones. Yes, most all sound a bit corny (or a lot) 40 years later, but this one played well. Bryna Raeburn does a great Brooklyn doll voice. Ralph Bell is a bit less effective as the ghost (I think Norman Rose would've been much better) but still a nice listen overall.

Joe A

I rate this episode ★★★★☆ for GOOD. Fielden Farrington’s story had a wonderful concept of a lawbreaking drama combined with the supernatural. The drawback in this, was the relationship of the ghost and the woman. The ghost says he’s in love with her, but there’s isn’t a lot of romantic chemistry that was building up for these 2. Not enough affection. But for those that enjoy ghost stories with a lot of romance, check out #0060-THE GHOST AT THE GATE. In our Host’s Prologue, E.G. Marshall draws us in with 2 worlds: Crime & the Occult. In ACT-1, meeting the ghost who tells the story and question what portion of true love is physical and what portion is spiritual. In ACT-2, counterfeiting is one thing, but murder is another. In ACT-3, the 2 worlds have confronted each other. And in the end, our Host thinks about emotions in the afterlife and knowing that the ghost acted human in his part. In his Epilogue, E.G. Marshall’s resolution: Antagonists got caught, the leading lady moved on, and no follow up on the ghost. From intro to outro, he did splendid on his narrations. The sound effects of the car engine, birds chirping, printing press equipment, footsteps, doors, money plates, tableware clinking, paper test run, the slap at the 26:26 mark, bricks, dialing of the rotary phone, and police sirens were very supportive. The music had the right tunes to go with this mystery tale, especially the supernatural tracks during the ghost’s narrations. Now comes the cast: Ralph Bell (as Noah Carpenter), Bryna Raeburn (as Julie and Phone Operator), William Redfield (as Roy), and Jack Grimes (as Steve). Both William Redfield and Jack Grimes were great as the antagonists. Ralph Bell was OK for a ghost, but I think he should’ve been more of an eager ghost that yearned to be free from his years of haunting, rather than be a laid-back ghost. Bryna Raeburn is a terrific actress, but sounded a little ditzy when communicating with the mortals and the undead. All in all, it’s still an entertaining mystery. Plus, great nostalgic commercials of Buick Skylark, Sinus Sine-Off medicine, the Jean Shepherd Show, Bob Elliot and Ray Goulding’s book: “Write If You Get Work,” the Buick Century Regal, and Chock Full o’Nuts Coffee. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =0)

Russell

People above are really overvaluing this episode with words like horror, supernatural, occult and drama. It is a lightweight story about barely competant crooks, a ditzy wife and a not at all scary ghost. It barely qualifies as a serious story and is not at all funny so it isn't comedic. An easy pass.

Commodore's watch

This episode has a special place in my heart because it was the first CBSRMT Story me and my Dad listened to on the car radio together. After that we were both hooked!

Rob

I have a few favorites like that too, because it was an episode that I listened to with my husband, then boyfriend.

Cathy


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