NOTE: Some episode listings will offer audio files in mp³ format of the Opening Narrator Sequence — where the suspects are named and shown and the announcer asks you to "Match wits with Ellery Queen and see if you can guess Whodunnit!" This sequence is always cut from the syndicated versions (a crime in itself), so wherever possible, we'll be bringing these to you.

Pilot film for the series that followed. The novel was simplified and the most important clues significantly altered in this otherwise handsomely mounted and well-played production. But even at 96 minutes it contained hardly any padding.

A son, discovering his father has been having a secret love affair, is determined to go to the aid of his mother, and so arranges a meeting with the "other woman." But complications ensue when he falls in love with her himself.

Now Ellery Queen must track down the murderer of famous fashion designer, Monica Grey, who pulled out the plug of her clock and her TV set as a cryptic dying message. Chief suspects are her Thursday evening lover, financier Carson McKell, and McKell's jealous wife and hot-tempered son, each of whom in turn is charged with and then cleared of the murder. Ellery uses a series of anagram clues to uncover a fourth theory and then — after issuing a most Queen-like challenge to the viewer — turns the dying message into the keystone of a fifth and final solution.

Here we are introduced to the recurring character of Simon Brimmer; a radio mystery sleuth with an insatiable desire to best Ellery in a real murder case. His show was called "The Casebook of Simon Brimmer," sponsored by Vita-Cream.

Movie first aired on March 23, 1975 and was re-run once on September 7, 1975 (the Sunday before the premiere of the series run.)

This story of a murder on New Year's Eve (1946) is charming and smart, one of the best in the series, with even a couple of touching moments, and a clever, but completely fair, dying clue. A wealthy man is murdered after excusing himself from the posh ballroom to make a phone call to his lawyer. This just moments after revealing his plans to disinherit his companions. An ingenious use of the real Guy Lombardo lends great credibility to this episode.

In addition, we see the "other side" of Ellery — the consequences of his forgetfulness when he misses his appointed date with the lovely Kitty McBride. A lady who is, quite obviously, smitten with the dashing young sleuth.

This episode, the premiere, is packed with famous names, but of interesting note:
Peggy Rea who plays Mrs. (Madge) Velie is better known now as Grace's mother-in-law (Jean Kelley) in "Grace Under Fire." George Wyner who plays Joe Kemmelman is better known in such roles as Colonel Sandurz in "Spaceballs" and Irwin Bernstein in "Hill Street Blues."

While reading an Ellery Queen book (of the same name as this episode's title), Fountain Pen Heiress Stephanie Kendrick begins having all the same experiences as the character in the book. From hearing noises to having an overwhelming urge to leap off the balcony! It isn't long till she's found dead at the bottom of that balcony, but did she really leap on her own? And if so, why?

One of the in-jokes the writers utilized here was naming all of the episode-specific characters after well-known mystery writers: Marsh, Chandler, etc..

A highlight of this episode finds Ellery commandeered into playing Caddy for Simon and Dr. Marsh on the golf course.

A wealthy man — owner of a multi-million dollar galoshes factory and grandson of the town's founder — is murdered. He's been struck by an ornamental dog figurine meant as a wedding gift for his daughter and worth a half million dollars. On the scene to investigate is a Sherrif up for election, whose heels are being nipped at by rival Henry Palmer. Palmer enlists the aid of the vacationing Queens when he thinks old Sherrif Eberhart can't handle the first murder in Wrightsville in decades.

Poor Inspector Queen, thought he'd actually get to do a little fishing. Of course once Ellery — just along for the ride — learns that the influencial man's been hit over the head with a dog, he's too intrigued not to get involved.

Interesting cast notes: You might remember the Coroner (Hal Smith) as Otis Campbell (the town drunk) from "The Andy Griffith Show," and the waitress in the town diner is played by Dee Wallace (later "Wallace-Stone") who was Elliot's mother, Mary in "E.T. The Extraterrestrial."

This episode opens with a fiery-angy Ellery Queen (we don't often see a high-level of emotion in EQ) at the offices of money-grubbing Comic Mogul, Bud Armstrong. It seems they are putting out a Comic Book version of The Adventures of Ellery Queen in which EQ is played with heavy-handed violence. (There actually was an Ellery Queen comic, by the way.) Ellery is even more angered to learn that Capricorn Comics is owned by his publisher's company and they can get away with this legally via some hidden small print in his contract. So it's no wonder he ends up threatening Mr. Armstrong. Needless to say, later that day Armstrong — vicious to each of his employees and unwilling to give credit for their work, nor release them from contracts — ends up quite dead.

Ellery is a suspect — especially when a dying clue seems to point to him. And worse yet, he's fingered in the media. This is thanks to Frank Flannigan, a Walter Winchell-type columnist for the New York Gazette, a recurring character we are introduced to in this episode.

To save his Dad's reputation with City Hall, Ellery surrenders himself to jail where he pours over comic books until he can discover a much needed clue.

It didn't help that this episode aired around the same time as the movie Murder On The Orient Express was released, as their solutions have elements of similarity.

"Queen – comma – Ellery. Mystery writer of some reknown. Born April 2nd. New York City 1912. Father — Queen – comma – Richard. Inspector New York City Police Department." — Arthur Van Dyke

News Mogul Henry Manners of the New York Daily Examiner is murdered in an elevator — an express elevator to the 12th Floor to be exact — with no one inside but the victim. A crafty plot that will test the mettle of the best whodunit fans. And the key clue is right up there on the screen — for a lengthy period of time with Ellery and the Inspector framing it — for anyone who can recognize it.

After Manners is killed, his sister, Harriet takes over the running of the paper — a job she had when Manners was away covering the war, but which she lost when he returned. Then there's the communist-conspiracy minded columnist who was always getting the paper in legal hot water. And the lawyer who had to keep putting out the fires. The Editor who was being forced into retirement against his wishes... Plus the prime shareholder's grandson who worked at the paper for seven years and couldn't get past writing obituaries. There's no end to possible suspects. But how was the victim shot at close range with a 32 calibre? And why did he press the buttons for the 6th and 5th floors? What was he trying to tell us?

"Queen... Queen! He's not the fellow who writes all the whodunits?!
Oh, my dear — I thought you said he was an author!"

Radio Soap Opera diva, Vera Bethune — known to her fans as dear Miss Aggie, beloved school teacher — is poisoned during a taping of the show. She survives, and asks Ellery at the hospital to stay on the case, but in short order, Miss Aggie is found shot to death. Both Ellery and Inspector Queen feel responsible for not protecting her and dive into the sea of suspects who might have wanted her dead — but hot on their heels in Simon Brimmer, determined to beat them to it and win back his lost Vita-Cream sponsor.

This episode finds the Queens in a number of interesting situations:
Ellery discovers the disasterous effects of cooking with a pressure cooker.
Inspector Queen goes on a diet, and it's making him a little 'on edge'!
And in one of the best scenes of the series, Ellery becomes locked in a closet while trying to question a suspect, but goes on with his questions anyway right through the locked door!

"Uh, Dad - Think you could take care of that for me? Now, I got that
  while I was working on the case."
"Ellery! You want me to fix a parking ticket? Pay the two dollars."

Self absorbed author Colonel Alec Niven is in New York for a signing of his new book, "Memoirs of a Spy." It's a character assasination novel in which he accuses a myriad of people of war crimes and treasonous acts. It seems that Niven was with the British Intellegence during the war and got his hands on some Nazi files that they didn't burn when they evacuated Paris.

Ellery's latest girlfriend, Jenny O'Brien worked at Gotham Bookstore where the signing was held and was invited to dinner with the Colonel that evening, but when she arrived, she found him dead — stabbed with an antique Cashmir daggar. She and Ellery spend the rest of the episode chasing down clues and suspects' true identities and motives.

Best moment in this story is when we see that the intruders who ransacked the Queens' apartment looking for the files were unsuccessful. The reason? An absent-minded Ellery had inadvertantly placed the files in the refrigerator — he had them in his hand when he put away the leftover turkey.

Source: short story — The Adventure of the Mad Tea Party
Original Air Date: 10/30/75

"The time has come, the Walrus said, to speak of many things —
Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax; Of cabbages and kings..."

The only series entry based on an actual Queen story, it is the finest of the episodes, and is regarded by many as the best filming of Queen ever. The script is faithful to the original story, and even surpasses it in clearing up a few logical loopholes. A classic plot makes for a classic episode.

Ellery takes a train to Greenhaven Estate in Douglaston with agent Howard Biggers (Bakus) who is arranging for Ellery's book, The Adventure of the Alabaster Apple, to be made into a play funded and produced by wealth eccentric Spencer Lockridge. A humorous scene (cut from syndicated versions) involves Ellery discussing a murder scenario from one of his books with Biggers on the train. The conductor overhears part of the conversation and is ruffled as he thinks their discussion centers on a real murder. At the end scene of this episode the conductor overhears yet another conversation and becomes quite disconcerted. This part is included in the cut versions, but makes less sense if you have not seen its context from the opening.

Shortly after arriving at the manor, meeting the assembled houseguests/family, and trying to get some sleep on a stormy night, Ellery stumbles into the disappearance of Lockridge and soon becomes deluged with Alice in Wonderland-esque clues and happenings, leading him to clues that are both ingenious and engaging.

"The name is Simon Brimmer.
  Surely you've heard of me, Officer nine-three-seven"

Before a new burlesque-revival show called "Take It Off" can open, its producer, Sam Packer (played in cameo by George Burns) is found dead of an apparent heart attack. But the dead man has left a video behind to be shown at his funeral declaring that no matter what it looks like, he was murdered. And he asks Simon Brimmer to solve the case. The widow, however, goes to Ellery for help, who realizes that the disappearance of the stripper's bird is more than a coincidence.

In no time at all we see, as usual, that there are more people that wanted Packer dead than you could throw a cat at. And it's no surprise that in the end, Brimmer fingers the wrong suspect.

Inspector Queen: "It's past your bedtime."
Margie Coopersmith: "Is it really past your bedtime?"
Ellery: "He's been trying to get me to go to bed at ten o'clock since I was 14..."

Norris Wenthworth has brought an Egyptian sarcophagus from Germany to display at the Tremane Museum, but there's a curse on it that's killed its previous six owners. Simon Brimmer is onhand to interview the new owner and ponder his fate, when lo and behold, he does indeed become the mummy's 7th victim. Or could someone else have had murder on his mind? Seems that Norris Wenthworth was a former aircraft manufacturer who had been investigated by a Select Senate Committee on charges of war profiteering.

This episode offers us a chance to see Ellery's writing processes in a bit more depth as he's injured his finger (on a can opener) and cannot type, so he's dictating it all to his faithful assistant, Margie Coopersmith ("with a 'C' ", as she says.)

Also, watch for a short appearance of a bellboy, played by then-unknown actor, John Larroquette.

"We're going to nip this thing in the bud. I've got the most fantastic cure-all. Hot lemondade and sassafrass — mixed with the extract of a pound of calves' liver. And after a rub-down with menthol and oil of peppermint, you take a bath in scalding chicken soup — hold the noodles..."

The episode opens with an awards dinner sponsored by the "Crime Writers of America" who announce this years' recipient of their Blunt Instrument Award to be mystery writer, Edgar Manning for his book, "The Shanghai Solution." Ellery Queen is not in attendance, as he's at home with a head cold — a great running gag throughout this episode.

At a gathering after the awards dinner, we see the story's principals at Manning's residence where each one seems to feel equal disdain for their host. After a sour toast, Manning goes into his study to call Ellery — in hopes to gloat over his win, when he is murdered while speaking to Ellery on the telephone. All Ellery hears is Manning's remark that some "rash person is there to balance the books."

While the mystery and clues are good adventure, this episode's charm is tied to everyone's attempts at cures for Ellery's cold!

This was the last first-run episode to be shown in the Thursday night time slot. After this, the show was moved to Sundays (they had tested this night's showing in October with the airing of "The Adventure of Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance.")

"There's nothing so sacred as true sentiment shared intimately by
   those who have sacrificed so much..."
"I'm sure they'd love to tell the world about it on my radio show
   tomorrow night."

Simon arrives at a restaurant where he will give a live-remote broadcast of his show and reveal his results of a murder investigation. To that end, he's invited the Queens so that he might gloat in person. But before he can pull it off, a murder is comitted in the restaurant. One of the owners is poisoned by a bottle of wine.

Lots of twists and turns in this one as the plot pulls itself forward and back in time and motives. Who really is who they claim to be? The one clue? The victim has pulled a bottled of wine off the rack with his dying breath in an attempt to point to his killer's identity.

Roddy McDowell gets the best lines in the episode and delivers a great one to Inspector Queen.

A prizefighter is killed while training for a Championship bout and when guilt points toward his sparring partner Joe Adams, Joe's girlfriend seeks out Ellery to prove his innocence. The autopsy discovers death due to poison, but who could have done it? Was it the fiance that he abused? Her father, the fight doctor? The mobster who needed him to take a dive? His manager who was being muscled?

When it turns out that Joe was a student at Manhattan Pharmaceutical, things only get worse. Episode written by Larry Alexander.

When a formerly brilliant, now seemingly senile inventor is murdered in his electric train workshop, the mystery is afoot. It seems no one could have come in or gone out during the period of time when the murder must have taken place. In order to get admittance to the train room, one had to have a "ticket." This narrows the suspects down to his family and his business associates.

Meanwhile, Ellery's being shadowed by a young woman who wants help with a love story she's writing and EQ can't seem to shake her. Eventually he wants anything BUT to shake her, as once again, Ellery shows the 'lady's man' side of his personality.

This episode affords us a number of quite priceless scenes. It's the only episode containing a genuine old-fashioned foot chase! Imagine if you will, Sergeant Velie followed by Ellery, followed by Inspector Queen all scurrying after a suspect on foot at full speed — well, as full-speed as Inspector Queen can handle.

The next great scene is when IQ comes in believing he's alone with Ellery in the house for the evening when he hears a woman's voice coming from Ellery's bedroom calling out, "Ellery... I've got my dress off."

Lastly, catch the look on the Manager's face at the Chinese Restaurant just before Ellery and Miss Farnsworth walk out. They've had a small dispute over the bill moments before Ellery realizes who the murderer is. So when Ellery says, "...we're going to Police Headquarters," the manager grabs his abbacus to recalculate their bill once again!

One of the most serious episodes of the series, and one of the best. Can Ellery help the accused murderer of mobster Nick Danello find a missing witness who can prove his innocence? Ellery feels obligated and more emotionally involved than in other cases, as the defendant is his old college buddy, Lin Hagen. But things don't seem to be adding up. The missing witness (a mysterious woman in a green dress) has left her fingerprints nowhere in the apartment. And her description could match most of the women in New York.

Along for the ride is ace reporter, Frank Flannigan, who works more closely than usual with Ellery (or "Junior" as he calls him) since he sees anyone that rid the city of sleeze like Nick deserving of a medal. But he's chomping at the bit to get this story of the mysterious witness of the St. Patrick's Day Murder — who's contacted Ellery secretly — into the headlines. Sitting on a scoop is not easy for Flannigan.

An unusual setting for Queen as much of the episode takes place in the courtroom, and the final whodunit revelations are done with Ellery speaking to the court. This episode could easily have been a 2-hour movie.

The clues are discreetly, but fairly dropped, and the twists nicely devious. Sadly, Sal Mineo was killed (knifed to death by a street mugger) shortly after this episode filmed.

Ellery and his Dad investigate when wealthy industrialist and former war profiteer George Sherman is stabbed to death with a Chinese ceremonial dagger and then dragged out of the house and hung from a tree. The tree is popularly known as a Judas tree, and a crown of flowers has been placed on his head. Six sets of fingerprints and plenty of motive to go around leave the Queens with much to sift through. And when they discover the victim was dying of acute lymphoma and had only months left to live, the plot thickens.

Religious symbolism blends with classic whodunit. As usual, Walter Doniger directed episodes tend to be a bit 'heavier' and run to a more classic style.

A fun subplot deals with Ellery's inability to repair the pipes in the kitchen after he's already torn them apart. A plumber, he's not.

An interesting concept: the Queens go to Hollywood to watch the filming of an adaptation of an Ellery Queen novel into a movie. The good Inspector is just positive they'll be mixing with the glamorous Hollywood elite any moment now, but it never seems to happen. At the studio, they meet the fellow that will be playing Inspector Queen (Noah Beery) as well as the star, Gilbert Mallory (Troy Donahue) who'll be the "Ellery Queen" of the epic. Mallory is a real ass to everyone on the set from fellow actors to director and proves himself to be a philandering husband as well. So we aren't terribly shocked when he is murdered.

The early-Hollywood nostalgia in this episode is priceless, and the self-skewering of the film industry is not to be missed! At one point, Inspector Queen comments that he heard they tried to get "Lee Bowman" for the part — a great in-joke as Lee Bowman played Ellery Queen in the 1951-52 (ABC) adaptation of "The Adventures of Ellery Queen."

Interesting cast note: The stunt man is played by James Sikking (later billed as James B. Sikking) who gains fame as Lt. Howard Hunter in "Hill Street Blues.")

While visiting Simon Brimmer's radio studios, Ellery gets a call that socialite Lillian McGraw has been stabbed. Learning of this, Simon shares with Ellery the events of the day in which he was present as Mrs. McGraw purchased three hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of paintings at the Prescott Galleries. This affords the episode the luxury of a series of flashbacks as told through Brimmer, where we get to know the murder victim a bit more than usual.

Even more fascinating about this story is that it takes Ellery to the offices of the victim's psychiatrist (Victor Buono) who mistakes Ellery for a patient and takes notes as EQ rambles on about a blue faced woman and bearded axe murderers. The scene is priceless.

A more convoluted plot than usual as it has its underpinnings in events that happened in France in 1922, but the journey to the solution is quite enjoyable and we are treated to outstanding performances from a host of well-known guest stars. It's no surprise though, that in the end, once again Simon Brimmer fingers the wrong person.

"Can you imagine anyone being that absent minded?"
"Huh?   Oh! Oh yeah.. yeah.. You see, sometimes a person has so much to
  think about, that there's no room for fountain pens, or car keys, or glasses..."
"Or hats?"
"..or even hats."

Popular songwriter Alvin Winer (who thinks of himself as "America's tunesmith") is murdered during the musical interlude on a radio interview show when he's gone to the station's library to find a record. Ellery tries to clear a friend — a waiter at a diner EQ frequents — who has just publicly accused the victim of stealing his latest tune from him.

Simon Brimmer appears once again — as is usual in episodes with radio-themed storylines. There is, of course, a dying clue in place, as well as plenty of other "leads" to the killer. The final solution will be more obvious to veteran readers of Queen than it was to Simon. So it will be no surprise to fans when Ellery once again out-trumps Mr. Brimmer — during his on-air broadcast.

Was the payola scandal already underway in 1947? It plays a role in this story of murder at a radio station. Take a close look when the episode title appears on the screen. Can you spot the incredibly careless goof? (hint: at first glance, your mind will try to "fix" it.)

A mobster who is going to be the star witness for an ambitious prosecutor is killed. Trouble is, Inspector Queen's office was in charge of guarding the witness who has yet to complete his testimony about organized crime, so the crusading prosecutor goes after IQ's scalp. Before you know it, the finger of suspicion points to Inspector Queen's right hand man, Sgt. Velie, whose brother-in-law owns a restaurant that mobster Benny Franks frequents. When things get publicly hot Inspector Queen is told he's too old for the job and relies too much on his son.

An interesting subplot attempts to look a little more seriously at the Queen father-son relationship and how it plays against Dad's role in the police department. In fact, this time Dad spots the crucial clue (although it's clear Ellery sees it first) and gets to do the final "exposure of the killer" scene.

Richard Michaels' only turn at directing, this episode has a different flavor than all the others, but definitely one to savor. I love Ellery's passion in this one. And seeing Velie's many sides adds a richness to his character that would have borne out well if the series had been given a fair run.

Of note: Many times writings about this episode list the character of Lee Marx as "Eddie Albert" making people assume it's the fellow from "Green Acres" and "Switch." In reality, the actor is Edward Albert — billed sometimes (as he is here) as Edward Lawrence Albert, a younger man seen most recently as Athos in "The Man in the Iron Mask."

The then-new world of television is the backdrop for this yarn. When the marketing exec for Quick Silver Tobacco Company is off'd while alone in his office having lunch, it's a lucky thing both Ellery Queen and Frank Flanagan are on the scene. Ellery is there to get some research information for a new book, and Frank has just been offered his own radio show to be sponsored by Quick Silver Cigars. But when James Blevin Long is murdered, his disdain for television is out of the way and Flannigan's offer is switched to a TV show.

But how was Mr. Long killed (stabbed) if he was alone? And who could have done it? Ellery skillfully puts the pieces together as usual, as we amusedly watch Flannigan's stagefright destroy his TV career. In the end, he is cancelled and replaced by Ed Sullivan (FF scornfully calls him "old wooden face" and adds, "That zombie won't last two weeks!")

Ellery probes the murder of a retired detective who was killed while investigating a five-year-old unsolved homicide case. Another impossible crime situation, and a reasonably good one, leads us to both cases solved by the conclusion of the episode.

This is the final aired episode of the series, but there were a number of scripts waiting to go — some of them quite excellent. Many were given over to a short-lived NBC series called "The Eddie Capra Mysteries" starring Vincent Baggetta (a show that tried to mix elements of "Columbo" with elements of "Ellery Queen" but acheived neither as the star was totally miscast.) Another of the unused scripts and one of the best, "The Adventure of the Grand Old Lady," was re-tooled and used on "Murder, She Wrote." Jessica Fletcher introduced the story, which was set in 1947. The EQ role became "Christy," a famous author of crossword puzzles, with a father who was a Homicide cop.