The Marlowe Files

Originally Aired: July 5, 1949 Philo Vance #52, "White Murder Case," begins with the detective being ambushed outside his own home by two armed men, Ricky and Harry, working an extortion scheme against wealthy Peter White. The criminals kidnap Vance at gunpoint, blindfolding and gagging him to prevent him from identifying their location, intending to hold him overnight while they complete their pl...

Originally Aired: June 28, 1949 Philo Vance #51, "Motor Murder Case," takes listeners into the dangerous world of midget car racing where ambition and betrayal collide at deadly speeds. Joe Turner, an ambitious young mechanic working in Duke Wilson's pit crew, dreams of becoming a top driver himself, encouraged by his girlfriend Chicky, who harbors her own bitter grudge against Duke. When a tire b...

Originally Aired: June 21, 1949 Philo Vance #50, "Peacock Murder Case," begins with an unexpected and violent intrusion into the detective's office. Early one morning, as Vance works through the night in his office, a mysterious young woman armed with a gun confronts him, accompanied by her brutish companion known only as Junior. She demands that Vance resign from a case involving David Peacock, a...

Originally Aired: June 14, 1949 Philo Vance #49, "Combination Murder Case," finds wealthy socialite Joyce Dixon in a deadly confrontation with her ex-fiance, David Allen. When Allen arrives at her home after receiving a breakup letter, Joyce coldly confirms that their engagement is over, dismissing him as simply too dull despite being otherwise perfect. The rejected suitor doesn't take the news qu...

Originally Aired: June 7, 1949 In Philo Vance #48, "Mistletoe Murder," District Attorney Markham believes the murder maestro should investigate when millionaire Simon Joyce is struck down by a hit-and-run driver on Mistletoe Road, but Sergeant Heath stubbornly insists his homicide department can handle the case without help. The circumstances surrounding Joyce's death are suspicious enough that th...

Originally Aired: May 31, 1949 Philo Vance #47, "Red Duck Murder," opens with a tense confrontation in a counterfeiting operation. Joe D'Angelo runs a scheme manufacturing fake hundred dollar bills, and his associate Eddie Keddy has just successfully passed two of the phony bills at local establishments. When Eddie demands a larger cut of the profits for taking the risk of distributing the counter...

Originally Aired: May 24, 1949 Philo Vance #46, "Hurdy Gurdy Murder," In this tense episode, nightclub singer Josie finds herself in a dangerous confrontation with her boss Joe Tanner after insulting the customers during her performance. When Joe threatens her for her behavior, Josie fires back with her own threat, claiming she has enough information to put him away for fifty years. The heated exc...

Originally Aired: May 17, 1949 Philo Vance #45, "Butterfly Murder Case," opens with a heated confrontation between Laura and her devoted admirer John, a chemist earning a modest salary. John desperately tries to warn Laura away from Eddie Mills, a smooth-talking charmer who makes ten times John's income and has captured Laura's attention. Despite John's passionate pleas and declarations of love, L...

Originally Aired: May 10, 1949 In Philo Vance #44, "Meanest Man Murder Case," wealthy construction company owner Walter Benton lives up to his reputation as the cruelest man alive. When his desperate niece Irene begs him for money to escape his torment, he coldly refuses, having kept her near for a decade solely to punish her for her father's sins. Benton proves equally ruthless in business, black...

Originally Aired: May 3, 1949 Philo Vance #43, "Masters Murder Case," brings the detective face to face with the dark underbelly of political corruption. A young idealist named Masters stands on street corners delivering impassioned speeches against Jonathan Graves and his corrupt political machine, warning citizens about their crooked schemes to steal votes. His honest campaign to expose the trut...

Originally Aired: April 26, 1949 Philo Vance #42, "Cipher Murder Case," begins on a quiet night patrol as officers Mike and his partner cruise through an affluent neighborhood, admiring the grand houses and dreaming of an easier life. Their peaceful shift is shattered when they spot two men emerging from a large residence, hastily shoving guns into their pockets. A frantic chase and shootout ensue...

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...