Professor van Dusen - Folge 1_ Eine Unze Radium
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00:30As you probably know, Mr. Hedge,
00:32radium is a mysterious, practically unexplored element.
00:37Mysterious, practically unexplored.
00:41Why, Mr. Hedge, why does radium emit rays?
00:46Yes, why?
00:47And what effects do these rays have?
00:49Effects? Rays?
00:53These questions, above all, must be answered, Mr. Hedge.
01:00I can hardly begin my report on the highly strange case of the missing radium
01:07in all modesty,
01:10than with the conversation I had with Professor Dexter
01:14from the Physical Institute for my newspaper, the Daily New Yorker.
01:19However, conversation is not the right expression.
01:22Professor Dexter, a scientist of the slightly enthusiastic kind,
01:27gave me a lecture.
01:29And I listened and wrote along.
01:32And these questions, Mr. Hedge, will be answered shortly.
01:36Shortly answered.
01:39And where, Mr. Hedge?
01:41In New York, Mr. Hedge.
01:43In the university, in this laboratory.
01:45New York, university, laboratory.
01:49Because here, in months of effort and hard work, we have managed
01:54to collect the largest amount of radium the world has ever seen.
01:58Since my dear colleague, Madame Curie,
02:01discovered this mysterious element a year ago.
02:05Madame Curie, a year ago.
02:08A whole ounce of radium, Mr. Hedge.
02:10Almost 30 grams.
02:12Do you know what value this amount represents, Mr. Hedge?
02:15I have no idea, Professor.
02:17Almost 3 million dollars, Mr. Hedge.
02:21Please do not believe that Professor Dexter
02:23was the main person in the mysterious radium case.
02:27And I, too, only had a side role
02:30in which I could make myself useful from time to time in a modest way.
02:35The main person, the star, if you will,
02:39was none other than my highly esteemed friend,
02:42the great scientist and amateur criminologist,
02:45Professor Dr. Dr. Dr. Augustus Van Dusen.
02:49Generally known as the thinking machine.
02:53Professor Van Dusen has kindly agreed to help me
02:56in the upcoming experiments
02:59with his immense physical knowledge.
03:03For this very reason, I am firmly convinced
03:06that this time the radium will reveal all its secrets to us.
03:11All its secrets.
03:12And then, Mr. Hedge,
03:14it would turn out that our young 20th century
03:18will be the century of radium.
03:21And what does that mean, Mr. Hedge?
03:23Well, what do you mean?
03:25That it will be a century of health,
03:27of life and the power of creation.
03:30A great, wonderful time, Mr. Hedge,
03:33in which there will be neither war nor illness or old age.
03:36In which humanity will be raised to the height of perfection.
03:41Magnificent.
03:43People always like to read things like that.
03:45And that is why the next day it was on page 1,
03:49right next to the headline.
03:51It read,
03:52Bodies in the harbour, beautiful strangers stung.
03:56That there was a connection between the headline
03:59and my article about Professor Dexter's radium experiments,
04:03at that time no one could guess.
04:06Not even that our radium would be stolen in Dexter's possession.
04:11But I assume the events.
04:14Professor Dexter, still happy,
04:17because he did not know what was ahead,
04:19made his final preparations in the laboratory
04:22and waited for his colleague Van Dusen
04:25to begin the experiments.
04:31Yes?
04:33Yes, what is it?
04:35Excuse me, Mr. Professor, a lady would like to speak to you.
04:38A lady?
04:39How? What?
04:40That is not possible. Order her...
04:42She says it is urgent.
04:44And it has something to do with radium.
04:46Radium, I see. And urgent.
04:49Well then, ask the lady to come in.
04:52I'll be right there.
04:57Oh, what is it?
04:59Oh, how clumsy of me.
05:01I put my big, heavy suitcase in the middle of the door.
05:06You poor thing, did you hurt yourself?
05:09No, no, it is not worth talking about.
05:11Do not bother, just leave the suitcase there.
05:14There is no one else in the lab who could come out and fall over him.
05:18Yes...
05:19You are Professor Dexter.
05:21You must be Professor Dexter.
05:23You are just like Madame Curie described you to me.
05:26Young, handsome...
05:28But I beg you...
05:29Yes, yes!
05:31And with whom do I have the honor...
05:33I mean the pleasure...
05:35Give me a card.
05:37Madame de Chateauneuf.
05:39Aha, you come from France.
05:41From Paris.
05:43Or more precisely from La Havre.
05:45With the campaign.
05:47Then you only landed yesterday.
05:48Quite right, last night.
05:50Just because I wanted to talk to you, Professor Dexter,
05:54I dared the difficult crossing.
05:57Madame de Chateauneuf was a big, strong,
06:01but quite well-proportioned young woman of about 30 years.
06:06Very pretty, very elegantly dressed,
06:08surrounded by the scent of a perfume that threatened to confuse Professor Dexter,
06:13and brought him the surprising realization
06:16that, apart from physical experiments,
06:19there were other interesting things in the world.
06:23Before I actually touch the object of my visit,
06:27may I give you this letter?
06:29Come to my window.
06:31The light is much better here.
06:33As you wish, Madame.
06:38Oh, you are suffering, Madame.
06:40A small affection of the airways.
06:43Nothing more. The hot sea air has...
06:46From Madame Curie.
06:48That's a surprise.
06:50Dear colleague,
06:52may I recommend a friend to you, Madame de Chateauneuf,
06:57and hope that you will grant her your request.
07:00You would...
07:02Therefore very obliging?
07:05Your result, Madame Curie.
07:08I am completely at your disposal, Madame,
07:11with such a recommendation.
07:13Not that it would have been necessary.
07:16Already your appearance, Madame,
07:18if I may say so, your charm.
07:21Well, what can I do for you?
07:24To present you my request, dear Professor Dexter,
07:28I have to make do a little.
07:30Please, Madame, you have my time and mine.
07:32I am a widow.
07:34I am sorry, Madame.
07:36My soulful husband, Monsieur de Chateauneuf,
07:39he was considerably older than me, by the way,
07:42he devoted himself to physics.
07:44Ah, physics, yes.
07:46However, I hardly believe that you know his name.
07:48Unfortunately, Madame, I have to admit that...
07:51He was not connected to a university,
07:53but was able, thanks to his wealth,
07:56as a private student to pursue his passions.
07:59His field of research was...
08:02the radio.
08:04Your husband, said Madame de Chateauneuf
08:07to the professor,
08:09your husband had discovered a new method of radio acquisition
08:13and, in a short time,
08:15produced about an ounce of the rare element.
08:18Then he was dead.
08:20And since he, regrettably,
08:22had sacrificed the entire possession
08:24of his scientific desire to experiment,
08:27the grieving widow had nothing left
08:30but his unreadable notes
08:32and said ounce of radio.
08:35On the advice of Madame Curie,
08:37she continued to tell,
08:39who had pointed out to Professor Dexter
08:41the imminent attempt,
08:43she had, decisively,
08:45traveled to New York.
08:47Now I am here
08:49and offer you my ounce of radio for purchase.
08:51Madame...
08:52For a million dollars.
08:54Unbelievable, Madame,
08:56another ounce,
08:57a whole ounce of radio
08:59for my experiments,
09:00unbelievable.
09:01So you are interested.
09:03How can you ask?
09:04Of course I am interested.
09:06Only your price, Madame,
09:08your price...
09:09But far below the actual value, Professor.
09:11Without question, Madame,
09:13but a million dollars...
09:15I beg you, Professor...
09:17I must speak to the president of the university,
09:19with our donors,
09:20Mr. Carnegie, Mr. Rockefeller...
09:22Do it, Professor.
09:24I make you a proposal.
09:30Oh, God.
09:32So I give you time until tomorrow evening
09:35and I will be back here at,
09:37let's say, seven o'clock,
09:39if you wish to speak to me in the meantime.
09:42I stay at the Hotel Paris.
09:45May I take your suitcase?
09:49Thank you very much, Professor,
09:50it is not necessary.
09:51The suitcase is not heavy,
09:52despite its size.
09:54So...
09:55Live well.
09:57See you tomorrow.
10:03See you tomorrow, Madame.