The Marlowe Files

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 about Vance's claims of receiving signals from the lady, both men observe the couple for over an hour. When the pair rises to leave, Vance convinces Markham they must follow, convinced the woman wants them to pursue her.
Racing to catch up with the couple in the restaurant's foyer, Vance and Markham encounter a puzzling twist. The scarred man they watched all evening is still present, but the blonde woman has vanished. When confronted about his female companion, the man delivers a shocking denial, claiming he hasn't been with any young lady all evening. This impossible contradiction launches Vance into a perplexing mystery where beautiful women disappear and witnesses contradict what seems to be obvious reality.

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, Tommy devises a cunning and cold-blooded scheme to gain control over his rival once and for all.
Tommy's plan is diabolical in its simplicity: he will manipulate Frank Stacy into committing a murder in front of witnesses, then use that evidence as leverage to control his enemy completely. When Chick asks who the intended victim will be, Tommy delivers a chilling answer that transforms his nervous associate from messenger to target. As tensions escalate and Tommy's ruthless plan takes shape, it becomes clear that someone will die, but whether Tommy can actually pull off his dangerous gambit remains to be seen.

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 target: corrupt political boss Joe Sterling, who controls multiple wards with an iron fist. When Sterling is found shot dead at the bottom of the stairs leading from his office, the prime suspect becomes Frank Allen, campaign manager for reform candidate Edgar Lessing and Sterling's bitter political rival. Sterling had even hired Philo Vance to shadow him, convinced someone would try to kill him.
Vance becomes involved when Markham calls about the murder, with only one potential witness: Danny Moore, Sterling's employee, who heard shots but saw nothing. As Vance prepares to question Frank Allen before the police arrest him, the Wakefield sisters ready themselves to confess yet another murder to the district attorney, convinced their concentrated thoughts have eliminated the evil political boss from the world.

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 while sharing the money and jewels with his henchmen. Dan's fiancée May, blinded by love and eager to help her future husband succeed in his new "business," secures a position as a maid in a target home and provides him with the safe combination for what she believes will be his first successful assignment.
District Attorney Markham enlists Philo Vance to solve two identical strangulation murders where wealthy victims were killed during home robberies. When Sergeant Heath discovers that valuable antique music boxes were stolen in both cases, Vance recognizes this as the killer's crucial mistake. Meanwhile, Dan prepares to commit his first murder at the home where May works, armed with his rope and the professor's deadly training, as an unsuspecting victim approaches the library door.

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 burial Vance confirms through official records, has somehow returned from the dead. As Vance investigates, he learns that Miller had been hospitalized for poisoning before his death, and that the dying man had cryptically suggested his wife was responsible.
Meanwhile, a volatile couple named George and Flo engage in explosive domestic battles, alternating between violent arguments and passionate reconciliations in their dish-depleted apartment, accompanied by Flo's beloved Persian cat, Chang. Mrs. Miller hires two bumbling brothers to locate the man she believes is her deceased husband, instructing them to ensure he "returns to his former status" once found. When the brothers spot their quarry but lose him in a crowd, Mrs. Miller grimly accepts the delay, knowing that what happens next will determine her fate for years to come.

Originally Aired: January 10, 1950
Philo Vance #79, "Left Handed Murder Case,"
When Jan wakes screaming from the sight of her ex-husband Steve at her bedroom window, her parents David and Helen face a terrifying dilemma. Steve Cayley is a known gang leader whom the police have been unable to touch, and Jan fears he wants to kill her. Meanwhile, Steve himself appears at Philo Vance's office with a surprising proposition: he wants out of the criminal life and needs help escaping his own gang. Steve's lieutenant Lefty and the other gang members are already questioning his leadership and considering more permanent solutions to replace him. Steve agrees to meet Vance and District Attorney Markham at six o'clock to discuss turning evidence against his associates.
When Steve fails to appear for the meeting, a call from Homicide Detective Douglas reveals why: Steve Cayley has been found murdered at 300 Roslyn Drive. As Vance and Markham head to the crime scene, suspicion naturally falls on those closest to the victim, including his embittered ex-wife Jan and her protective father David, who arrives home late that evening acting strangely evasive about his whereabouts.

Originally Aired: January 3, 1950
Philo Vance #78, "Tip Top Murder Case," chorus girl Susan Blake arrives at Philo Vance's office with a chilling typewritten threat: pay five thousand dollars by tomorrow or be dead by tomorrow night. Though she and her roommate Ella Andrews are struggling performers in the Tip Top Review with barely a penny between them, Susie refuses to go to the police, fearing the publicity could ruin her career. Vance notices something peculiar about the threatening note—every time the letter Y appears, someone first struck the Z key before typing over it. When Vance asks if someone might want to put her under obligation to them for that exact amount, Susie realizes there may be such a person and insists on visiting him herself.
That person turns out to be Donald Graham, a big-time operator with mysterious connections and a strong romantic interest in Susie. When Vance later goes to check on her at the apartment she shares with Ella, they discover that Susie has had a visitor—but the outcome of that visit proves fatal, leaving Vance to untangle a web of obsession, extortion, and murder.

Originally Aired: December 27, 1949
Philo Vance #77, "Identical Murder Case," a shocking case begins when District Attorney Markham receives an unexpected visitor who has been shot. The dying man's face stuns Markham—he is the spitting image of Philo Vance. The victim reveals he was murdered because of his resemblance to the famous detective before succumbing to his wounds. Meanwhile, the ruthless gangster Tommy Orkett, who "doesn't tolerate mistakes," brutally disciplines his gunman Joe for shooting the wrong man. Orkett needs Vance dead because the detective has uncovered evidence linking him to the Hendrix murder.
Vance returns to the city after locating a witness who can testify against Orkett, only to learn about his doppelganger's death. When Orkett boldly visits Vance's office to warn him off the case, the two men engage in a tense confrontation that turns physical. Just as the situation reaches a boiling point, Vance receives a call from Penny Daly, Orkett's girlfriend, who claims she wants to betray the gangster. She's afraid Orkett will kill her for refusing to participate in his plans concerning Vance, setting up a dangerous meeting that could be either Vance's salvation or a deadly trap.

Originally Aired: December 20, 1949
Philo Vance #76, "Chop Suey Murder Case,"
In a tense scene at a Chinese restaurant, Johnny and his companion Georgie sit down for what should be an ordinary meal, but the atmosphere crackles with conflict. When Johnny orders a mysterious dish called "din-yip-har" that the puzzled waiter has never heard of, it becomes clear this is no simple dinner. Johnny's girlfriend Ev tries to understand what's happening, but he grows increasingly hostile and evasive. The tension escalates when Johnny cryptically reveals that this supposed meal is actually going to cost him $15,000, suggesting the restaurant order is a cover for something far more sinister.
As Johnny's behavior becomes more aggressive and his companions press him with questions, it becomes evident that he's involved in dangerous business that extends well beyond the dining table. The seemingly innocent act of ordering Chinese food masks a darker transaction, and the friction between the characters hints at criminal dealings that will soon require Philo Vance's expert detective skills to unravel.

Originally Aired: December 13, 1949
Philo Vance #75, "Grey Glove Murder Case," a terrifying scene unfolds as the household frantically tries to reach Edgar Downing, who is locked inside his bedroom. Matilda the servant rushes to alert Dick Staley and Ruth after hearing Mr. Downing's desperate cries. Despite their efforts, the solid oak door prevents them from breaking through to help. As they wait for the police to arrive, Matilda peers through the keyhole and witnesses an impossible sight: a single grey glove, seemingly acting on its own without any visible arm or body attached, is wrapped around Downing's throat, choking him.
By the time Dick manages to look through the keyhole himself, the horrifying attack has ended. Edgar Downing now lies motionless on his back in the middle of the room, with the mysterious grey glove lying beside him. The household is left to grapple with the impossible question of how a disembodied glove could commit such a violent act, and what supernatural or sinister force might be behind this baffling crime.