The Marlowe Files

Originally Aired: July 4, 1950 Philo Vance #104, "Muddy Murder Case," District Attorney Markham presents Philo Vance with a seemingly impossible puzzle: racket leader John Williams has been shot dead in his country house, which was completely surrounded by mud from yesterday's rain. The killer left no footprints, making the murder appear impossible. Williams had recently split from his criminal pa...

Originally Aired: June 27, 1950 Philo Vance #103, "Argyle Murder Case," a mysterious body is discovered by ferry boat deckhands Danny and Joey during their 3 a.m. run. The victim has been shot and is dressed head to toe in brand new clothing - a blue suit, black shoes, shirt, and tie - but wears brown argyle socks that don't match. District Attorney Markham and amateur detective Philo Vance examin...

Originally Aired: June 20, 1950 Philo Vance #102, "Prize Ring Murder Case," When lightweight fighter Joey Martin refuses gambler Phil Terrace's cryptic proposition in his dressing room, Terrace's thug Clumpy knocks him out with a blackjack. The next night, with his manager Pop Manning and girlfriend Honey Collins cheering him on, Joey enters the ring with thirty-five grand riding on his victory. B...

Originally Aired: June 13, 1950 Philo Vance #101, "Full Dress Murder Case," When Officer Riley and hotel clerk Mr. Gorham discover a body in evening clothes behind some ash cans at midnight, the mystery deepens considerably. The deceased is identified as Boxcar Charlie, a down-and-out derelict who stays at Gorham's cheap hotel whenever he can scrape together a buck for a room. District Attorney Ma...

Originally Aired: June 6, 1950 Philo Vance #100, "The Alibi Murder Case," Philo Vance finds himself in District Attorney Markham's office at precisely 11 o'clock at night, waiting for a mysterious phone call that supposedly could save someone's life. When John Green of the Whitmere Apartments calls in a panic, claiming he's in terrible trouble, he's cut off mid-conversation by what sounds like gun...

Originally Aired: May 30, 1950 Philo Vance #99, "The Whirlaround Murder Case," opens with a chilling threat as Betty, one half of a pair of Siamese twins, vows to kill carnival concessionaire Whitey Rand. Betty believes she can commit the perfect crime because the law cannot punish her without also punishing her innocent sister Letty. When Rand turns up dead with a broken neck on the carnival midw...

Originally Aired: May 23, 1950 Philo Vance #98, "The Money Machine Murder Case," A con man named Joe Crane demonstrates an ingenious swindle for the wealthy Mrs. Willoughby, showing her a machine that seemingly converts blank paper into genuine dollar bills. After she marks the paper with her initials and watches it emerge as real currency, she eagerly pays him ten thousand dollars for the device....

Originally Aired: May 16, 1950 Philo Vance #97, "The Manicure Murder Case," begins with a frantic young manicurist rushing through traffic to find a police officer. She works in a nearby barbershop where a strange and unsettling scene has just unfolded. Twenty minutes earlier, a man came in requesting a manicure, but something was terribly wrong. Despite appearing to be in obvious pain and struggl...

Originally Aired: May 9, 1950 Philo Vance #96, "Whistling Murder Case," A ruthless killer terrorizes the wealthy by demanding their life savings, leaving victims with an impossible choice: pay everything they own or face murder. When Daniel Stewart refuses to hand over $100,000 to the mysterious extortionist, he and his wife pay the ultimate price. With three victims dead and no witnesses except t...

Originally Aired: May 2, 1950 In Philo Vance #95, "Rooftop Murder Case," what begins as a simple larceny investigation transforms into a murder case when the accused, Joe Somer, is found dead on the street below his rooftop. District Attorney Markham and Philo Vance had been on their way to question Somer about charges of grand larceny brought by his business partner, Alfred Dale, when they arrive...

Originally Aired: April 25, 1950 Philo Vance #94, "Shower Bath Murder Case," opens with a mysterious phone call that sets the stage for murder. Sylvia receives a call from George, who wants to speak with her husband Jim. She puts him off, explaining that Jim is shaving and about to take a shower. George pushes to come over to the house, revealing tension between him and Sylvia, who seems resistant...

Originally Aired: April 18, 1950 Philo Vance #93, "Golden Key Murder Case," Philo Vance returns from a three-day trip to find his secretary Ellen waiting with an unusual delivery: a mysterious golden key that arrived in the mail with no accompanying letter or explanation. Their lighthearted banter about his absence quickly turns dark when Vance enters his private office and makes a chilling discov...

Originally Aired: April 11, 1950 Philo Vance #92, "Nylon Murder Case," District Attorney Markham calls upon Philo Vance to investigate a series of high-society robberies plaguing prominent citizens. A well-organized gang of female thieves has been infiltrating parties and stealing furs, jewelry, and cash from the wealthy elite. The tension within the gang runs deep as Doris and another member clas...

Originally Aired: April 4, 1950 Philo Vance #91, "Mimic Murder Case," begins with a nightclub impressionist named Danny demonstrating his remarkable talent to the mysterious Mr. Payne. Danny boasts he can mimic anyone, and after hearing a recording of Philo Vance's radio speech about crime and criminals, he confidently assures Payne that he could impersonate the detective so perfectly "even his mo...

Originally Aired: March 28, 1950 Philo Vance #90, "Ivory Murder Case," a fortune in African ivory leads to murder and deadly secrets. When Joe Hillary returns from an expedition claiming his partner Tom Duncan disappeared in the jungle, Duncan's widow doesn't believe the story, especially since Hillary brought back a fortune in ivory she believes rightfully belongs to her. Her suspicions deepen wh...

Originally Aired: March 21, 1950 Philo Vance #89, "Jackpot Murder Case," District Attorney Markham brings Philo Vance along to a midnight meeting with an informer named Weeping Willie, who claims to know who killed racketeer Al Laporte. When they arrive at Willie's remote shack in the pouring rain, they discover Willie's body with a knife in his back. Someone got to the informer before he could re...

Originally Aired: March 14, 1950 Philo Vance #88, "Mathematical Murder Case," opens with a tense dance rehearsal between partners Eddie and Betty Lou. The atmosphere crackles with frustration as Eddie, a demanding and arrogant dancer, berates Betty Lou for missing steps in their routine. What begins as professional criticism quickly escalates into something far more sinister when Eddie threatens t...

Originally Aired: March 7, 1950 Philo Vance #87, "Church Murder Case," a wealthy businessman named Mr. Church invites his assistant Paul to his isolated home late one evening, ostensibly to sign some important papers. What begins as a routine business matter quickly turns unsettling when Church subjects the young man to cruel practical jokes, including an exploding cigar and a hand buzzer. Church...

Originally Aired: February 28, 1950 Philo Vance #86, "The Big Nick Murder Case partial," District Attorney Markham recaps the case: Big Nick Bramley has been found shot to death, but not by police as initially believed. His gang member, Ears Snyder, is also dead. The suspects include Nick's widow Mrs. Bramley, his girlfriend Mitzi Courtney, and his brother Tommy. Tommy has inherited everything fro...

Originally Aired: February 21, 1950 Philo Vance #85, "The Psychic Murder Case partial," District Attorney Markham finds himself convinced by a mysterious young woman named Ruth who claims to possess psychic powers. After Ruth provides information that leads Sergeant Heath to shoot and kill Duke Peters, a suspect in a series of truck robbery murders, Markham is certain of her abilities. However, Ph...

Originally Aired: February 14, 1950 Philo Vance #84, "Scarface Murder Case," begins with an intriguing evening at an upscale restaurant where detective Philo Vance becomes captivated by a beautiful blonde woman dining with a mysterious scarred man. While sharing dinner with District Attorney Markham, Vance insists the woman has been trying to attract his attention. Despite Markham's skepticism abo...

Originally Aired: February 7, 1950 In Philo Vance #83, "Chicken Murder Case," a deadly gangland feud threatens to explode into open warfare when Tommy learns that Frank Stacy is plotting to kill him. Tommy's nervous associate, known as "Chick" for his high-pitched voice, brings the urgent warning that Frankie won't stop until Tommy is eliminated. Rather than seeking peace or preparing for battle,...

Originally Aired: January 31, 1950 Philo Vance #82, "Sterling Murder Case," District Attorney Markham finds himself dealing with the eccentric Wakefield sisters, Irma and Sarah, two spinsters who routinely confess to murders they believe they've committed through the power of mental concentration. After claiming responsibility for gangster Eddie Rogers' death, the sisters set their sights on a new...

Originally Aired: January 24, 1950 Philo Vance #81, "Music Box Murder Case," a sinister professor with an obsession for antique music boxes orchestrates a deadly series of robberies. The mastermind recruits criminals like nervous Dan Sanford and the experienced Billy to strangle wealthy collectors and steal their prized possessions from safes, keeping the music boxes for his twisted collection whi...

Originally Aired: January 17, 1950 Philo Vance #80, "Talking Corpse Murder Case aka Catty Corpse Murder Case," Philo Vance takes on a baffling case when a distraught widow, Mrs. Miller, arrives at his office claiming to have seen and heard her husband on the street—ten months after she buried him. Dressed in deep mourning black, the terrified woman insists that Daniel Miller, whose death and buria...