Exploring the Charm of Vintage Television: "Mr. and Mrs. North"
The 1950s were a golden era for television, with many shows that are still celebrated for their wit, charm, and pioneering spirit. Among these classics is "Mr. and Mrs. North," a series that brought mystery and comedy together in a format that captivated audiences of its time.
"Murder on the Midway," an episode from this series, is a perfect example of the show's allure. Airing on June 19, 1953, this episode finds the Norths, a married couple played by Richard Denning and Barbara Britton, embroiled in a murder mystery at a traveling carnival. The plot thickens when a fortune teller's stepson is accused of murder, setting the stage for the Norths to unravel the mystery before the police.
The show was based on characters created by Frances and Richard Lockridge, and it stood out for its sophisticated humor and the chemistry between its leads. The Norths were not professional detectives; rather, they were a regular couple who found themselves solving crimes, often stumbling upon clues in the most unexpected places.
"Murder on the Midway" is a snapshot of the era, complete with the intrigue of carnival life, the dynamics of family relationships, and the societal norms of the time. It's a window into the past, offering not only entertainment but also a reflection of the culture and values of the 1950s.
For those interested in revisiting this episode or discovering it for the first time, it can be found on various online platforms, where it continues to be appreciated by fans of classic television and mystery enthusiasts alike.
"Mr. and Mrs. North" remains a testament to the enduring appeal of vintage television, where simplicity in production met complexity in storytelling, creating a legacy that inspires nostalgia and admiration to this day. Whether you're a long-time fan or a newcomer to the series, "Murder on the Midway" is a must-watch episode that showcases the charm and ingenuity of early TV mysteries.
The 1950s were a golden era for television, with many shows that are still celebrated for their wit, charm, and pioneering spirit. Among these classics is "Mr. and Mrs. North," a series that brought mystery and comedy together in a format that captivated audiences of its time.
"Murder on the Midway," an episode from this series, is a perfect example of the show's allure. Airing on June 19, 1953, this episode finds the Norths, a married couple played by Richard Denning and Barbara Britton, embroiled in a murder mystery at a traveling carnival. The plot thickens when a fortune teller's stepson is accused of murder, setting the stage for the Norths to unravel the mystery before the police.
The show was based on characters created by Frances and Richard Lockridge, and it stood out for its sophisticated humor and the chemistry between its leads. The Norths were not professional detectives; rather, they were a regular couple who found themselves solving crimes, often stumbling upon clues in the most unexpected places.
"Murder on the Midway" is a snapshot of the era, complete with the intrigue of carnival life, the dynamics of family relationships, and the societal norms of the time. It's a window into the past, offering not only entertainment but also a reflection of the culture and values of the 1950s.
For those interested in revisiting this episode or discovering it for the first time, it can be found on various online platforms, where it continues to be appreciated by fans of classic television and mystery enthusiasts alike.
"Mr. and Mrs. North" remains a testament to the enduring appeal of vintage television, where simplicity in production met complexity in storytelling, creating a legacy that inspires nostalgia and admiration to this day. Whether you're a long-time fan or a newcomer to the series, "Murder on the Midway" is a must-watch episode that showcases the charm and ingenuity of early TV mysteries.
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FunTranscript
00:00Mr. and Mrs. North, starring Barbara Britton and Richard Denning.
00:30Mr. and Mrs. North, starring Barbara Britton and Richard Denning.
00:44You're going to meet a small, thin man. No money and out of work. But he plays an excellent game of pool and knows how to cook.
01:09I married him a year ago. I came here to get a picture of a rosy future, not a dull colored past.
01:16The future will be brilliant. No bill collectors.
01:21Madam Zodiac, I paid you my dollar and I want satisfaction.
01:26Well, for a dollar, what would satisfy you?
01:29I have a problem. Shall I go to Pittsburgh and will Harry be there?
01:35Yes, I see mist and smoke.
01:39That's Pittsburgh.
01:41And Harry will be waiting for you.
01:46When shall I go?
01:49The first week in March. The first Thursday in March. And happiness is waiting for you at the end of your bus ride.
01:59You're sure it's Thursday?
02:01Positive. It's written in the stars.
02:04Goodbye, dear. And drop in again when you return from Pittsburgh.
02:11Something wrong, Ace?
02:12Lock that front door.
02:14What's eating you, Ace?
02:15I want to talk to you and I don't want anybody butting in. Lock that door.
02:26The FBI picked up Salter and Myers yesterday. Caught them together.
02:30So, I suppose I should feel sorry. But you know how I feel about all this.
02:35I don't care how you feel. All I know is we've got to find a better way for passing orders, that's all.
02:40You may be the next one to get caught, Ace. You know what I told you was there in the ball.
02:45Don't pull that fortune telling malarkey on me. Just listen to what I have to say.
02:49We're going to use this place of yours after tonight so none of us will have to be seen together.
02:53Oh, no.
02:54What are you worried about?
02:57I'm going to get more dough for it. Three times the dough.
03:00I don't care about the money. I don't want any part of it.
03:02Who cares what you want?
03:04Well, I won't go through with it, Ace.
03:06Listen, you're my wife and you'll do like I say.
03:09Not this time and you can't make me.
03:11I can't, huh? Well, maybe this will convince you.
03:18Jerry.
03:20Pam, no.
03:22My dear, I just wanted to see if this is the place where Cousin Willie got the sinking of the main.
03:27I'm not interested in the naval battle on Cousin Willie's chest.
03:31All right, but let's go to the Penny Arcade. I love to play those funny machines.
03:35It's closed.
03:36No, it isn't. This is a wonderful time.
03:38We're going to play the baseball machine or the muscle machine or ski ball.
03:41Oh, Pam.
03:42And I'm going to have my fortune told looking at those funny mirrors.
03:44You see, they want us to come in.
03:46Darling, you've had everything from hot dogs to ice cream.
03:49It's almost midnight.
03:50Everyone else has gone home and gone to bed and that's where I want to go and not come home.
03:53No, Jerry. This is a wonderful time to be here.
03:55We have the whole midway to ourselves.
03:57I want to go to the Penny Arcade.
03:59Oh.
04:19Oh.
04:49Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and get in on the biggest bargain on the midway.
05:01Let me guess your correct weight.
05:03These scales are calibrated to within one hundredth of an ounce.
05:07They have the stamp of approval of the United States Department of Weights and Measures.
05:12All right, ladies and gentlemen, you can't go wrong.
05:15All day yesterday, I didn't guess right once.
05:18There's your weight, lady.
05:19All right, go ahead.
05:31I would say a hundred and twenty pounds.
05:33What?
05:34That's ridiculous. I don't weigh an ounce over a hundred and twelve.
05:37Well, there's the scale, lady.
05:39If I'm off over three pounds, you don't owe me a dime.
05:42A hundred and twenty pounds, Jerry. You know better than that.
05:45All you have to do is get on the scale, darling.
05:47All right, but I never heard of anything so ridiculous in all my life.
05:50A hundred and twenty pounds.
05:53The scale reads a hundred and twenty-one pounds.
05:58Only one pound off.
06:00We'll find a legitimate weighing machine. I'll prove to you I don't weigh that much.
06:09I'll show you I don't weigh anything like a hundred and twenty pounds.
06:12A hundred and twenty-one, darling.
06:14Jerry, please.
06:16I'll have to get some pennies.
06:20Can I have five pennies, please?
06:21Sure.
06:36Ace, I gotta talk to you.
06:39We're not supposed to be seen together. What's the idea?
06:41There's a message in the machine. There's a dame.
06:47Look, that dame is gonna get on the weight machine. Get that first.
06:52Hey, why don't you look where you're going?
06:54Yeah, why don't you?
06:55Who do you think you're talking to?
06:56You. Why?
06:57Why, I've got a mind.
06:59Well, that's news.
07:00It's a good thing for you I ain't really burned up.
07:02It certainly is. You might get high blood pressure.
07:04Hey, wait!
07:05Did you say something?
07:09Not me.
07:11Guess I showed him, huh?
07:19How about your shoes and stockings?
07:27How much?
07:30Just as I thought.
07:31Come on, let's see it.
07:33Are you doubting my word?
07:35Look, darling, this was your idea in the first place.
07:41All right, now we can take in your shooting gallery.
07:44Good.
07:48Well, what happened?
07:49She got there first. I couldn't help it.
07:51Never mind.
07:52Just get over to Lou and tell him about that weight ticket.
07:55And tell him what I said about the extra dough for this new deal.
07:58I either get it or else.
08:00What are you waiting for?
08:11How are you, ma'am?
08:13Andy!
08:14You're back!
08:15Come here, baby.
08:17Oh, gee, kid, you look great.
08:19How long have you been gone?
08:20Ten days, ma'am.
08:21Ten beautiful days.
08:23Say, the door to Mom's concession is locked.
08:25Where is she, do you know?
08:26She was there a few minutes ago, probably having a little rest.
08:29Did you not?
08:30Oh, good idea.
08:31I'll see you later, mate.
08:34Pardon me, sir, but aren't you Mr. North?
08:36That's right.
08:37Well, maybe you remember me.
08:39I was Marine PFC Andy Martin then.
08:41I served with you on a Tacoma.
08:43You were a Navy Lieutenant, JG.
08:45I'll be darned.
08:46Of course I remember you.
08:48But you were such a kid then.
08:5017.
08:51I had to get my mom to sign a waiver so I could enlist.
08:54Looks like you stayed in, huh?
08:55Yeah, I finally made top cake.
08:57Say, listen, I'm home to see my mom.
08:58She's Madame Zodiac, the fortune teller.
09:00I'd like to have you meet her.
09:01Sure.
09:02Fortune teller?
09:03Oh, that sounds like fun.
09:04May I meet her too?
09:05Oh, this is Mrs. North, Martin.
09:07Glad to meet you, ma'am.
09:08You sure can meet her.
09:09Come on, let's go.
09:10See you later, Maine.
09:11Good to have you back, son.
09:23Andy!
09:24Hi, Mom.
09:25Oh, son.
09:27Oh.
09:30Oh, Mom, this is Lieutenant North and his wife.
09:33How do you do?
09:34He used to be on my ship.
09:35We were in the Coral Sea together.
09:36Oh, of course.
09:37I remember you.
09:38You talked about Lieutenant North in your letters.
09:40That's right.
09:42Hey, what's this?
09:44Oh, it's nothing.
09:45I just bumped into something, that's all.
09:47Mom, how did you get that?
09:49He gave it to you, didn't he?
09:50No, son, please.
09:52Your friends are here.
09:53Every time I come home, I run into something like this,
09:55and you always want me to forget it.
09:56Well, this is one time I'm not.
09:57Where is he?
09:58Andy, no.
09:59What is it, Andy?
10:00What happened?
10:01Oh, my stepfather.
10:02He's always beating up on my mother,
10:03and this is one time he's not getting away with it.
10:04Stop it, Wayne.
10:05He'll be hurt.
10:13Big overgrown moose.
10:19Take it easy, kid.
10:20Take it easy.
10:21Let him loose.
10:22He'll find out.
10:23Let me go.
10:24I'm going to kill him.
10:25I'm going to kill him.
10:26What's going on here, anyway?
10:27Andy, you ain't fighting with your old man.
10:29He ain't got the guts.
10:31Come on, this isn't going to settle anything.
10:32Andy, you're only making it harder on your mother.
10:35Let Jerry work it out.
10:37He's right, kid.
10:38The Midway's full of cops.
10:39You'll end up in the clink.
10:41Come on, let's go back to the shooting gallery
10:42and work off some of the steam, huh?
10:44Yeah, that's a great idea.
10:45Come on, kid, it's on me.
10:48Come on, Andy.
10:52Knucklehead.
11:04Now, look, we got a pretty good set up here,
11:06and I'm not going to let a creep like Ace Dunahoo spill it.
11:09Dunahoo's real mean, Lou.
11:11He's real mean and he talks too much.
11:14Something ought to be done about him.
11:17Come on, something's going to be done about him.
11:23You never learn, do you?
11:25Why didn't I tell you two about coming around here?
11:28Never mind about that, Ace.
11:30We got more important things to talk about.
11:32Yeah?
11:33What?
11:34I don't think I can get you that extra money.
11:36You'd better.
11:39Now, don't start threatening us, Dunahoo.
11:41It ain't smart.
11:42Listen, I'm the best part of this little deal we got here,
11:45and the big boy knows it.
11:47Yeah?
11:48Well, you've been causing us a lot of trouble,
11:50and we're beginning to think you're not worth it.
11:53Who cares what you think?
11:55If I was to quit, where would you be?
11:57You can't quit.
11:59Now, get that through your noggin.
12:00Nobody quits on us.
12:03That's what you think.
12:05If I don't get that extra dough,
12:06you watch me peddle my papers somewhere else.
12:09And I'm not going to waste any more time talking to you guys.
12:13Now, hang around here.
12:14Start playing the machines.
12:17See what I mean?
12:19Real mean.
12:20Yeah.
12:22Maybe we better get out of here.
12:23Write this thing off.
12:25We'll write nothing off.
12:27We got a beautiful little setup here,
12:29and I'm not going to let a joker like Ace Dunahoo spoil it.
12:33Now, you take care of getting that white ticket from that dame.
12:36I'm going to fix it so Mr. Dunahoo
12:38gets everything that's coming to him in spades.
12:41Here you are.
12:42Take your spite out on those targets.
12:44And here's yours, Mr. North.
12:46Thanks.
12:50Hey, kid.
12:54Andy, you can't point that rifle out on the midway.
13:02Andy!
13:04Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am.
13:07Should we try the targets, Mr. North?
13:09Good idea, Andy.
13:19Hiya, ma'am.
13:23Well, we ain't seen you around.
13:25Business good?
13:26Not bad.
13:34Ma'am?
13:35Yeah?
13:36The bullets in this gun hasn't got much of a smack.
13:40What do you think it is, an elephant gun?
13:43Well, we cut down in the powder.
13:44It saves money.
13:46You got any regulars around?
13:50You want regular ammunition around here,
13:52you can bring it in yourself.
13:54Okay.
13:55Maybe I will.
14:01I suppose I should have left Ace a long time ago.
14:05But I was always afraid.
14:07Well, maybe everything will work out all right.
14:10I don't have much hope for it.
14:12He's mixed up in something bad and with bad people.
14:16But don't let me bother you anymore with my troubles.
14:19You get back to that nice husband of yours.
14:21All right.
14:22And don't worry about Andy.
14:23We'll see if he forgets what happened.
14:34Just in time.
14:35Dig out some change, darling.
14:36I may stay in this place all night.
14:46Jerry.
14:47What?
14:48Come here.
14:51Read this.
14:55It's a wait ticket.
14:56On the other side.
14:57Read it.
14:58Operator 23, make contact station 7 tonight 1130.
15:05So?
15:06I wouldn't know what to make of it.
15:07Well, I know what to make of it.
15:08We've stumbled onto some sort of plot.
15:10Oh, no.
15:11Not again.
15:12Think of it, Jerry.
15:13What a way to pass messages.
15:14On the back of cards out of weighing machines.
15:17Well, let's just go back and shoot up some more targets, huh?
15:48Come on.
15:54Come on.
16:02Come on.
16:10Come on.
16:18Come on.
16:26Come on.
16:34It's him.
16:54What happened?
16:59Someone shot me from behind.
17:01How did you find me?
17:03To your purse.
17:04It was lying right out here.
17:09My purse.
17:13They took it.
17:14Took what?
17:15The weight machine ticket.
17:17That's why they charged me.
17:18Now maybe you'll listen when I tell you it was a plot.
17:20All right, darling.
17:21Come on.
17:22We better call the police.
17:30Did you get that ticket, Jeff?
17:32It's in my pocket.
17:33Good.
17:34I gotta get going, Lou.
17:36Stick around.
17:37I might need you here.
17:39I better be going, Lou.
17:40I got some unfinished business to take care of.
17:42I said stick around.
17:44We got some unfinished business to take care of right here.
17:48What do you want me to do?
17:50Grab a rifle and start firing.
17:52And keep it going.
17:53Don't stop.
18:22Hold it right through the eye.
18:33Instantaneous death.
18:35Now what's this about the soldier who threatened to kill him?
18:38Oh, that was a misunderstanding, Bill.
18:40Just a family quarrel.
18:41Yeah, well, just the same.
18:42We better bring him in.
18:44Now give me the details on this.
18:47Well, see?
18:56Oh, it's you.
18:58Is Andy here?
19:00They're going to arrest him, aren't they?
19:02They think he did it.
19:04I don't know yet.
19:05Not for sure.
19:06Well, Andy threatened Ace.
19:07And Ace is dead.
19:09They'll blame Andy for it.
19:11Is there anyone else who would have done it?
19:13I don't know.
19:14I don't know.
19:15You said that your husband was mixed up with some bad people.
19:19What kind of bad people?
19:21Were you talking about spies or saboteurs?
19:24How did you know that?
19:25They were passing information, weren't they, on the backs of weighing machine tickets.
19:29Yes.
19:30Ace was part of the gang.
19:32And there are more of them here on the Midway.
19:35Who are they?
19:37I don't know.
19:38I never did know.
19:41Did he ever fight with any of them?
19:43Oh, yes.
19:44Ace was always fighting with them about money.
19:47He always wanted more money.
19:50But that's it.
19:51That's what we're looking for.
19:53If we could only find some of those weight tickets with the messages.
19:56Ace kept them in the change booth in a locked drawer.
20:00Well, come on.
20:01We're going to talk to Lieutenant Wigand.
20:06You've got to believe this, Bill.
20:08It means that someone else had a motive for the killing.
20:11OK, Pam.
20:12Where is all this proof you're talking about?
20:14Right in here.
20:19Where's the proof, Pam?
20:22All right, so it's empty.
20:24But only because someone else beat us to it and took whatever was in here.
20:28Look, you can see where the drawer's been pried open.
20:31Sure.
20:32And for more evidence, we have a little smear of red paint on the lock.
20:35But I can't use this, Pam.
20:37It's just a lot of nothing.
20:39Oh, Bill.
20:41What about the ticket the man took away from me?
20:43Now, look.
20:44Do you think I could turn in a report down at headquarters and have anyone believe it?
20:47Spies, saboteurs.
20:49Why, they'd only laugh at me.
20:51Oh, you can't believe my boy had anything to do with this, Lieutenant.
20:54Ask Mame Connors.
20:56She'll tell you he didn't fire the shot.
20:58All right.
20:59Let's go over there and see.
21:03Mame, tell this man my boy didn't go down in here, will you?
21:07Of course he didn't, honey.
21:08How do you know that?
21:10He just wouldn't do it, that's all.
21:11I know the kid.
21:12You mean you were here with the boy when this happened?
21:14Sure I was.
21:15I'm sorry, Mame, but you weren't.
21:17You ran over to Goldie's to get a hot dog just before it happened.
21:21Is that right?
21:23Oh, now wait a minute.
21:25Were you here or not?
21:27No, I guess I wasn't.
21:30Sorry, honey.
21:31Me and my big, fat appetite.
21:37How about you?
21:38Were you here?
21:39No, I went out the back door right after Mame.
21:42Back door?
21:43Yeah, there's an alley out there, Lieutenant.
21:45If you work around here, you use it.
21:47It's not as cluttered up as the midway.
21:49Bill?
21:50Yes, ma'am?
21:51Why didn't you go out the back way to get a hot dog?
21:53Goldie's is across the midway out in front, isn't it?
21:57Well, I guess I can go any way I want, can't I?
22:00Look, Lieutenant, Mame wasn't in the gallery when the shooting happened.
22:03I know.
22:04There was somebody else here.
22:06A guy.
22:07I don't know who he was or anything about him.
22:10But I tell you, he was here.
22:12A guy?
22:13Yeah.
22:14I was on the way up the alley to my stand, and I heard the woman scream.
22:19I rushed back here, and he bumped into me coming out the back door.
22:22You don't know what he looked like?
22:24No, it was pretty dark out there.
22:26I felt brass buttons.
22:29It could have been a soldier.
22:31I noticed that when I helped him to his feet.
22:34How much would you say this man weighed?
22:36How would I know?
22:37Well, you knew what my wife weighed just by touching him.
22:40You said you helped this man to his feet, yet you can't say how heavy he was.
22:44Bill, I think these people are just trying to frame Andy Martin.
22:47Well, I didn't have a chance.
22:49What do you mean a chance?
22:50You struggled with the man.
22:51You could feel his body and muscles.
22:53Well, I wasn't in a professional mood.
22:57Well, I am.
22:58And I'm holding you three people for investigation.
23:00I'm ordering this place to be searched.
23:02Don't even look like you want to make a move.
23:03I can pluck your eyebrows off one of these things.
23:07That was good shooting.
23:08You did it ace down on you too, wasn't it, Mame?
23:11Never mind that.
23:13Louie Bratton, get around this counter.
23:15We're blowing this place.
23:17You, get over there.
23:20I know who got what he asked for.
23:22He forced me into this racket, then held out on my share of the money.
23:27All right, get your hands up, quick.
23:31Come on, everybody.
23:38Ow!
23:40Is this important, Bill?
23:43You'd be surprised how important this is.
23:46These people are only small fry, but they may lead us to the big ones.
23:51Come on, you people, get moving.
23:52Come on.
24:01What's this?
24:02Cheesecake.
24:04Not very much of it.
24:06It's all there was left.
24:07I divided it.
24:08Mame?
24:09Hmm?
24:10How much was it you weighed tonight?
24:13I don't care what that man's scale said.
24:15I do not weigh 121 pounds.
24:18You're probably right at that.
24:20That ticket from the weighing machine said 123.
24:23Sherry North, you had no right to look at the other side of that ticket.
24:28Darling, cheesecake is terribly high in calories here.
24:31Now, you go out into the kitchen and get yourself a nice piece of celery, hmm?
24:34I will not.
24:36Besides, you said you liked me at 121 pounds.
24:39I sure do, darling.
24:41I sure do.
24:42Thank you, Mr. North.
24:44Thank you, Mrs. North.
24:49Mr. and Mrs. North is directed by Ralph Francis Murphy.
24:53A John W. Lofton production.
24:56Produced by Federal Telefilms.
24:59Starring Barbara Britton and Richard Denning.
25:01Featuring Francis DeSales.
25:16This has been a film presentation.