Sam Spade -- The Prodigal Panda Caper

The Adventures of Sam Spade brought Dashiell Hammett's wisecracking San Francisco private eye to NBC every week, telling each new 'caper' with snappy banter, hard-boiled atmosphere, and a leading man who was equal parts danger and dry humor. In 'The Prodigal Panda Caper' (29 December 1950, with Steven Dunne in the trench coat and Lurene Tuttle as Effie), Sam takes on his most unlikely client yet -- a determined nine-year-old boy who insists his treasured stuffed panda has been stolen. What sounds like a child's errand quickly leads Sam where Sam Spade cases always lead: into something far stranger and more dangerous than anyone bargained for.