The Adventures of Ellery Queen

The Adventures of Ellery Queen is the title of a radio series and four separate television series made from the 1950s through the 1970s. They were based on the fictional character and pseudonymous writer Ellery Queen.

Contents

Radio

With Hugh Marlowe in the title role, Ellery Queen was introduced in The Adventures of Ellery Queen on CBS Radio on June 18, 1939, running until September 22, 1940. In 1942, the series moved to NBC Radio, airing until 1944. From 1945 to 1947, it was heard once again on CBS, returning to NBC in 1947 and then ABC Radio (1947–48). The premise was that a mystery would be dramatized but then interrupted when a panel of celebrities would attempt to solve the mystery.

During the 1970s, syndicated radio fillers, Ellery Queen's Minute Mysteries, began with an announcer saying, "This is Ellery Queen..." and then outlining a case in one minute. The radio station encouraged callers to solve the mystery and win a sponsor's prize. Once they had a winner, the solution part of the spot would be played as confirmation.

Television

First TV series (DuMont and ABC)

The first series was telecast on the DuMont Television Network from October 9, 1950 to December 6, 1951 [1] and then briefly on ABC. This series starred Richard Hart as Ellery Queen in the first season and Lee Bowman in the role in later seasons. (Hart died suddenly of a heart attack in January 1951.) Florenz Ames played Inspector Richard Queen. Irving Pincus did his first work as a producer in two segments of this version of Ellery Queen.

Guest stars included Anne Bancroft, John Carradine, and Eva Gabor. The series, produced by Irving and Norman Pincus and directed by Donald Richardson, featured writing by Helene Hanff, later famous as the author of 84 Charing Cross Road (Bancroft later played Hanff in the film version of 84 Charing Cross Road).

Episode list

First season - DuMont Network

  1. Prescription For Treason
  2. The House of Terror
  3. Murder in Hollywood
  4. The Adventure of the Man who Killed Cops
  5. The Hanging Patient
  6. The Crooked Man
  7. The Human Weapon
  8. The Three Lame Men
  9. The Long Count
  10. The Invisible Lover
  11. The Adventure of the Blind Bullet
  12. Two Pieces of Silver
  13. The Hanging Acrobat (A film clip episode aired on December 21, 1950 is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more])
  14. The Star of India
  15. The Adventures of the Survivors' Club
  16. The Adventure of the Jewel-Handled Knife
  17. The Case of the Falling Corpse
  18. The Adventure of the Strange Voyage
  19. The Madcap Robbery
  20. The Adventure of the Manhunt
  21. Murder at the Museum
  22. The Adventures of the Man who Enjoyed Death
  23. The Case of the Frightened Lady
  24. The Baseball Murder Case
  25. Murder for 12 cents
  26. Death Spins a Wheel
  27. The Key to Murder
  28. Dissolve to Death
  29. The Happiness Club
  30. The Chinese Mummer Mystery
  31. Murder in the Zoo
  32. Death in a Capsule
  33. The Case of the Upright Man
  34. Frame-up
  35. The Adventure of the Frightened Child
  36. The Adventure of the Ballet Murder
  37. The Adventure of the Twilight Zone
  38. The Dead Man who Walked
  39. Murder in the Death House
  40. The Garden of Death
  41. The Gridiron Murder
  42. The Coffee House Murder
  43. Death in a Ghost Town
  44. Murder to Music
  45. The Inside Man
  46. The adventure of the Shape-Up
  47. Pavanne for a Dead Princess
  48. Death at the Opera
  49. Ticket to Nowhere

Second season: ABC

  1. A Christmas Story
  2. The Unhung Jury
  3. The Long Shot
  4. Death In the Sorority House
  5. The Feminine Touch
  6. Dance of Death
  7. One Week to Live
  8. Left-Cross
  9. Mister Big
  10. The Red Hook Murder
  11. King Size Death
  12. The File of Death
  13. The Bar Peaceful Murder
  14. Doodle of Death
  15. The Men Without Faces
  16. Death of a Wax Doll
  17. Cat and Mouse
  18. Coroner's Inquest
  19. The Third Room
  20. The not so Private Eye
  21. Prize Catch
  22. Rehearsal for Murder
  23. The Case of the Heartbroken Men
  24. The Pool of Death
  25. Dead Secret
  26. Case of the Canvas Shroud
  27. The Winner was Death
  28. A Frame for a Chair
  29. Confidential Agent

Third season: ABC

  1. Case of the Wise Man
  2. The Ten Dollar Bill
  3. Ready For Hanging
  4. Legacy of Death
  5. Buck Fever
  6. Custom Made
  7. The Case of the Two-Faced Man
  8. The Destructive Angel
  9. A Touch of Death
  10. A Close-Up of Murder
  11. The High Executioner
  12. Companion to a Killer
  13. Double Exposure

Second TV series

ITC's series starred Hugh Marlowe as Ellery Queen but returned Florenz Ames to the role of Richard Queen. Guest stars included Celia Lovsky.

Episode list

  1. Dark Corridor
  2. Custom Made
  3. Double Exposure
  4. Mission for Murder
  5. Comeback (also known as The Last Payoff)
  6. Death in a Ghost Town
  7. Close-up of Murder
  8. Star of Kashmir
  9. Letter from the Dead
  10. Once a Killer
  11. The Recluse
  12. Doodle OF Death
  13. The Moll
  14. Mask of Roselli
  15. Woman in the Chair
  16. Trigger Man
  17. Mardi Gras
  18. The Vicious Circle
  19. One Week to Live
  20. Backfire
  21. The Fix
  22. Blackjack
  23. Woman on the Wire
  24. Night Visitors
  25. Death of a Wax Doll
  26. The White Orchid
  27. Stranger in the Dark
  28. Design for Revenge
  29. The Golden Snow
  30. The Fatal Signal
  31. Mister Big
  32. Memoirs Unwritten

The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen

This version featured George Nader as Ellery Queen at first, then Lee Philips at the end of the season. Les Tremayne took the role of Richard Queen. Guest stars included the Oscar-nominated Nancy Carroll.

Episode list

  1. The Glass Village
  2. The King is Dead
  3. Ten Days of Wonder
  4. The Door Between
  5. The 8th Mrs Bluebeard
  6. Cat of Many Tails
  7. Death Before Bedtime
  8. Double, Double
  9. So Rich, So Lovely, So Dead
  10. Diamond-studded Typewriter
  11. Four and Twenty to Live
  12. Paint the Town Black
  13. The Hollow Man
  14. Bury Me Deep
  15. The Hinnolity Story
  16. The Jinn City Story
  17. Revolution
  18. The Murder of Whistler's Brother
  19. Death likes it Hot
  20. Margin of Terror
  21. Chauffer Disguise
  22. Shadow of the Past
  23. The Chemistry Set
  24. Cartel for Murder
  25. A Girl Named Daisy
  26. The Paper Tigers
  27. The Lecture
  28. Confession of Murder
  29. Castaway on a Nearby Island
  30. The Curse of Aden
  31. Dance into Death
  32. Body of the Crime
  33. This Murder Comes to you Live

Ellery Queen

Main article: Ellery Queen (TV series)

Universal/NBC's 1970s version featured Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen and David Wayne as Richard. The stories took place in 1947. Guest stars included Joan Collins, Don Ameche, Roddy McDowall, Tom Bosley and Betty White. The series was cancelled after one season of only 22 episodes.

Episode list

Too Many Suspects Pilot episode, later aired as a TV movie.

  1. The Adventure of Auld Lang Syne
  2. The Adventure of the Lover's Leap
  3. The Adventure of the Chinese Dog
  4. The Adventure of the Comic Book Crusader
  5. The Adventure of the 12th Floor Express
  6. The Adventure of Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance
  7. The Adventure of Colonel Niven's Memoirs
  8. The Adventure of the Mad Tea Party
  9. The Adventure of Veronica's Veils
  10. The Adventure of the Pharaoh's Curse
  11. The Adventure of the Blunt Instrument
  12. The Adventure of the Black Falcon
  13. The Adventure of the Sunday Punch
  14. The Adventure of the Eccentric Engineer
  15. The Adventure of the Wary Witness
  16. The Adventure of the Judas Tree
  17. The Adventure of the Sinister Scenario
  18. The Adventure of the Two-Faced Woman
  19. The Adventure of the Tyrant of Tin Pan Alley
  20. The Adventure of Caesar's Last Sleep
  21. The Adventure of the Hard-Hearted Huckster
  22. The Adventure of the Disappearing Dagger

See also

References

  1. ^ DuMont historical website

External links