The Marlowe Files

Originally Aired: April 19, 1949 Philo Vance #41, "Cardinal Murder Case," Tony Cardinal, a former racket boss turned would-be gentleman, is attempting to transform himself into a respectable member of society with the help of his English butler, Jamesy. Living in luxury with a dozen English-cut suits and carefully learning proper etiquette, Tony is spending money lavishly on his new lifestyle whil...

Originally Aired: April 12, 1949 Philo Vance #40, "Green Girls Murder Case," begins with shocking news over the radio: Jane Green, daughter of wealthy merchant Eric Green, has been found stabbed to death near her home around midnight. The police are completely baffled, with Sergeant Heath admitting that a lack of clues may hinder the investigation. Neither Jane's distraught parents nor her sister...

Originally Aired: April 5, 1949 Philo Vance #39, "Movie Murder Case," takes listeners behind the scenes of a troubled Western film production where tensions run as high as the balcony stunts. Art Ingram, a demanding and difficult leading man with 70 Westerns to his credit, clashes with director Ed Hadey and the crew during the filming of a dangerous fight scene. As the cameras roll and stunt doubl...

Originally Aired: March 29, 1949 Philo Vance #38, "High Hat Murder Case," opens with an unexpected visit to Philo Vance's office. Sarah Payton, a plain-spoken 34-year-old woman, arrives with an extraordinary request. After a lifetime of being overlooked and ignored, she recently inherited a substantial fortune, which brought her a year of happiness. Now she believes someone intends to murder her,...

Originally Aired: March 22, 1949 Philo Vance #37, "White Willow Murder Case," When stockbroker Stuart Ames takes a phone call from his sweetheart Dawn while conducting business, he has no idea his day is about to take a deadly turn. After arranging an evening rendezvous with Dawn, Ames receives an unwelcome visit from Mr. LeRoy, a client who has lost everything—$150,000—on Ames' recommendation to...

Originally Aired: March 15, 1949 Philo Vance #36, "Million Dollar Murder Case," The wealthy and paranoid Mr. Simmons has transformed his mansion into a fortress, complete with a ten-foot wall, an elaborate electric eye alarm system, and a cliff protecting the rear. As he proudly demonstrates his security measures to his new caretaker Harold, Simmons reveals the depth of his fear, believing that nu...

Originally Aired: March 8, 1949 Philo Vance #35, "Curtain Call Murder Case," As curtain time approaches at a Broadway theater, aging actor Richard West prepares for his entrance with the help of his dresser Al, carefully concealing the gray in his hair. His pre-show routine is violently interrupted when Jean, a desperate young blonde woman, bursts into his dressing room demanding that West make go...

Originally Aired: March 1, 1949 Philo Vance #34, "Listless Murder Case," A seemingly legitimate charity operation masks a sinister fraud scheme orchestrated by the calculating Mr. Miller and his assistant Donald. As donations pour in totaling $130,000 in less than two weeks, Miller reveals his criminal enterprise: only a fraction of the money collected for Consolidated Charities actually reaches t...

Originally Aired: February 22, 1949 Philo Vance #33, "Herringbone Murder Case," opens in an upscale dress shop where proprietor Miss Payne confronts her employee Claire Collins with damning evidence of embezzlement. After dismissing a customer, Mrs. Wentworth, Miss Payne coldly reveals she knows Claire has been stealing from the business, siphoning off profits totaling $12,465. Despite Claire's pr...

Originally Aired: February 15, 1949 Philo Vance #32, "Butler Murder Case," opens with a chilling scene in a dentist's office that quickly transforms from routine to deadly. Dr. Michael receives what appears to be an ordinary patient complaining of a toothache, but the visitor reveals himself as an enforcer for the mysterious Professor Powell. The thug delivers a stark ultimatum: pay ten thousand d...

Originally Aired: February 8, 1949 Philo Vance #31, "Flying Murder Case," presents a volatile confrontation that threatens to explode at 30,000 feet. When co-pilot Johnny confronts pilot Greg in his hotel room before their scheduled flight, he delivers an ultimatum: stay away from Sue Gordon, the flight's hostess and Johnny's girl, or face exposure. Johnny has discovered Greg's affair with Sylvia...

Originally Aired: February 1, 1949 Philo Vance #30, "Golden Murder Case," begins with a mysterious fortune teller named Raja revealing disturbing secrets to Kay Stone during a crystal ball reading. Raja cryptically warns her that someone she trusts is violating that trust, eventually identifying her guardian Peter Golden by name. The revelation shocks Kay, who entrusts Golden with her entire fortu...

Originally Aired: January 25, 1949 Philo Vance #29, "Idol Murder Case," begins with small-time crook Joe Farrell caught red-handed on a breaking and entering charge. Hauled before Sergeant Heath, Farrell insists he has vital information for District Attorney Markham and refuses to talk until the DA arrives. When Markham appears, Farrell offers a tantalizing trade: leniency on his burglary rap in e...

Originally Aired: January 4, 1949 Philo Vance #26, "Magic Murder Case," brings the debonair detective into the shadowy world of stage magicians and bitter rivalries. When Mantu, a notorious magic exposer who makes his living revealing how illusions work, visits Pop Baker's magic shop seeking to purchase tricks, he's met with seething hatred. Baker, once a headliner known as "Baker the Baffler" who...

Originally Aired: December 28, 1948 Philo Vance #25, "Rhumba Murder Case," When Sally Henderson, secretary to District Attorney F.X. Markham, visits a South American dance studio to learn the samba and rumba, she encounters the mysterious Senorita Rosita Ortega. The dance instructor initially agrees to teach her, but suddenly changes her mind upon learning Sally works for the district attorney, in...

Originally Aired: December 21, 1948 Philo Vance #24, "Vanilla Murder Case," opens with Philo Vance making a casual late-night visit to District Attorney Markham's office, hoping for an interesting case to break up his routine work. His timing proves fortuitous when a terrified young woman named June Mills arrives with an urgent plea. She desperately needs help preventing a murder, but the victim-t...

Originally Aired: December 14, 1948 Philo Vance #23, "Murdock Murder Case," tensions run high at a horse racing stable where dangerous secrets lurk beneath the surface of thoroughbred training. When trainer Burke watches exercise boy Pinky work out Miss Murdoch's promising filly, the routine morning takes a sinister turn with the arrival of star jockey Billy. The cocky rider makes it clear he's mo...

Originally Aired: December 7, 1948 Philo Vance #22, "Star Studded Murder Case," brings the gentleman detective into the world of astronomical ambition and deadly rivalry. At a banquet held by the International Astronomical Society, Dr. Humphrey J. Kent receives a prestigious medal for discovering the first new planet since Pluto. However, the celebratory atmosphere quickly turns tense when Lloyd,...

Originally Aired: November 30, 1948 Philo Vance #21, "Blackjack Murder Case," opens with a heated confrontation at an exclusive rest home where something sinister lurks beneath the surface of compassionate care. Miss Westcott desperately pleads with the facility's director, Ward, to release her wealthy Aunt Alice, insisting her family has wrongfully committed the woman to gain control of her fortu...

Originally Aired: November 23, 1948 Philo Vance #20, "Tree Trunk Murder Case," finds the detective and District Attorney Markham heading to the peaceful lumber town of Northville for a much-needed vacation weekend. As they board the train, Markham expresses relief that no murder cases will interrupt their fishing trip, while Vance remains characteristically skeptical about finding such tranquility...

Originally Aired: November 16, 1948 Philo Vance #19, "Heavyweight Murder Case," Mike Daggett stands on the brink of realizing his dream: a shot at the heavyweight championship of the world. His manager Sam Billings believes Mike is a cinch to win against the current champ, but Mike finds himself torn between ambition and love. His girlfriend Billy Stanley desperately wants him to quit boxing befor...

Originally Aired: October 12, 1948 Philo Vance #14, "The Cover Girl Murder Case," In the cutthroat world of high fashion modeling, tensions reach a boiling point when jealousy and blackmail collide. Sugar Keene, the top photography and fashion model in the country, discovers that her boyfriend, prizefighter Slugger Davis, has been seeing fellow model Betty Downs. Meanwhile, photographer Stevens is...

Originally Aired: October 5, 1948 Philo Vance #13, "The Bulletin Murder Case," Reporter Eddie Harkins receives what seems like a routine assignment from her editor Mike: get an interview with the renowned private investigator Philo Vance. But before Harkins can reach Vance's office, she's found stabbed to death in the back of a taxi cab, a knife plunged into her heart. District Attorney Markham br...

Originally Aired: September 28, 1948 Philo Vance #12, "The Argus Murder Case," opens with Philo Vance returning home in the early morning hours after an evening out with District Attorney Markham. Upon arriving at his apartment, Vance encounters Edgar Walters, a desperate man who has been waiting for hours outside his building. Walters explains that his wife, a compulsive gambler, went to an offsh...

Originally Aired: September 21, 1948 Philo Vance #11, "The Backstage Murder Case," District Attorney Markham arrives at Philo Vance's office with an unexpected guest: Doris Janell, the star of a play at the King's Theater. Miss Janell has received a chilling anonymous note threatening her life if she performs the following evening. The message is direct and ominous: "If you play your role in the t...