Case Closed! (Aug 27, 2025): “Marlowe and Mystery House”

Podcast by RelicRadio.com
Episodes featured:

• "Philip Marlowe: The Collector's Item" (originally aired Aug 25, 1950)
• "Mystery House: Time to Kill" (originally aired Jun 21, 1945)

Overview

This episode of Case Closed! delves into two classic crime dramas from the golden age of radio: a gripping Philip Marlowe detective story about murder and a rare coin, followed by a layered whodunit from Mystery House centered around fame, blackmail, and murder in high society. Both stories immerse listeners in intricate plots, featuring colorful characters, witty banter, and the classic hard-boiled detective tone.

Segment 1: The Adventures of Philip Marlowe - “The Collector’s Item”

(starts at 00:20)

Major Characters

• Philip Marlowe: Private investigator, narrator.
• Joe Joplin: Wisecracking cab driver.
• Leon Radi: Coin dealer, Marlowe’s client, soon murdered.
• Seth Appleborough: Eccentric Southern collector.
• Pierpont Bowman: Wealthy, obsessive coin collector.
• Christine: Bowman's niece, later revealed as a conspirator.
• Fred Locke: Poses as a Treasury agent (“T-man”); actually a criminal.

Key Plot Points & Insights

• On the Chase (01:08)

  • Marlowe follows a suspicious man in a white Panama hat and exchanges banter with Joe the cabbie.
  • “Legal as Confederate money.” –– Marlowe, wryly underscoring the suspect legality of the deal. (02:05)

• The Setup (02:55)

  • Turns out the "man" they've tailed was only a hat on a car seat—a setup to lose them.

• The Murder (04:47)

  • Radi calls Marlowe, reporting an altercation with Appleborough over a rare Confederate coin. The call abruptly ends in gunshots.
  • Marlowe discovers Radi dead, the precious coin missing.

• Interviews and Red Herrings (06:18)

  • Joe Joplin uncovers that Appleborough was dropped at Wilshire Gardens, Villa 9.
  • Appleborough is hostile and claims innocence, feuding over “the South” and his family’s lost coin.

• The Bowman Connection (10:50)

  • Marlowe visits the ostentatious Bowman manor, meeting attractive Christine and learning that the coin has already been sold (for $37,000) to Uncle Pierpont, by someone posing as Radi.

• The Coin’s Trail (14:40)

  • Bowman is useless as a witness—“Only had eyes for the coin. And what a coin she is.”—showing comic collector obsession.

• Enter Fred Locke – False Ally (18:09)

  • Locke claims to be after Appleborough for other crimes, but Marlowe quickly exposes him as a fraud (“Like you’re a cockeyed liar. Like Treasury men don’t call themselves T-men any more than PIs call themselves private eyes.” [19:20])

• Another Killing (20:13)

  • Locke gets gunned down outside Wilshire Gardens. Appleborough is found unconscious in his car, badge confirming his Southern roots.
  • Marlowe realizes there’s a “third interested party.”

• The Unmasking (25:00)

  • At Bowman’s, Marlowe notes Christine slips up, knowing Locke’s first name—information she shouldn’t have.
  • With a chilling reveal, Christine holds them at gunpoint:
    • “This is one gun in here that’s no relic. It’s been fired something less than 300 years ago.” – Christine, threateningly. (25:03)

• Motivation and Resolution (26:13)

  • Christine confesses her hatred for her uncle’s collecting obsession, wanting to destroy the cursed coin and the fortune squandered on "junk."
  • “I want one thing more before I leave—that half dollar in your pocket. Hand it over. Come on.” – Christine to her uncle. (26:07)
  • Police arrive to clean up. Bowman is left mourning, clutching the coin.

Notable Quotes

• Marlowe, opening the episode:
  "Get this and get it straight. Climbers are suckers road and those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave. There's no other end, but they never learn." (00:20)

• Marlowe on dead-ends and persistence:
  "I went to work for Leon Rayadi to protect him. A job I didn't do. Also, losing clients this way is bad for my business and conscience. Good night and happy gathering coins in May." (15:54)

Memorable Moments

• The gag of tailing a Panama hat propped up on a car seat (03:02).
• The Southern drawl and Civil War banter between Marlowe and Appleborough.
• The surprising reveal of Christine as the criminal mastermind, twisting the “family loyalty” trope.

Segment 2: Mystery House – “Time to Kill”

(starts at 29:52)

Major Characters

• Andy / Andy Archibald: “Public relations counselor,” narrator, eventually exposed as the killer.
• Monica Manning: Glamorous movie star with a scandalous past.
• Michael: Bitter club owner and Monica's ex.
• The Count: Monica’s bigamist husband, soon murdered.
• Helene de Veroni: The Count's legal wife.
• Captain Reagan: Police investigator.

Key Plot Points & Insights

• High Society Shadows (31:28)

  • At an upscale club, Andy discusses his flashy new client, Monica Manning, with Mike.
  • Mike warns, “She’s poison. Pure poison all the way.” (35:39)

• Personal Tangles (33:31)

  • Monica arrives; her frosty, acidic exchange with ex Mike Oozes old-school Hollywood venom.
  • Monica: "You haven't cultivated any manners, have you?" (34:06)
  • Monica’s marriage to a European Count is revealed to have been bigamous.

• The Club, The Count, and The Collapse (36:49)

  • The Count overdoses on pills given to him by Monica; dies suddenly, but the cause of death becomes murky.
  • Initial suspicion spreads rapidly to Monica and the club owner.

• A Classic Lockroom & Gun Gimmick (40:13)

  • A timed gun device is discovered in the air shaft, aimed at Monica, crafting an elaborate whodunit setup.

• The Poison Web (41:12)

  • Forensic analysis: Poison was administered to the Count hours before he died. The gun in the ventilator seems to be a red herring.
  • Helene de Veroni, the Count’s real wife, surfaces and collapses, staging her own “poisoning.” (42:42)

• Motives & Machinations (44:24)

  • Monica lays out her convoluted history with Mike and the Count, rationalizing her actions and expressing indignation at suspicion.
  • Blackmail is revealed: Monica was paying the Count to keep her past secret.

• Reversals and Final Showdown (51:14)

  • Helene is tracked to a seedy apartment, but Andy is there first—with a gun. In the struggle, Helene is killed.
  • “You shoot to kill, don't you, Andy?” – Mike, dismayed at Andy’s ruthlessness. (52:11)
  • The clever twist: Andy was trying to frame Monica for murder, using both poison and the club gun—but his fingerprints on the weapon doom him.

• The Concluding Moral (53:48)

  • Captain Regan: “Time… You’ll have time enough from now on. But it won’t be time to kill.” (53:52)

Notable Quotes

• Mike’s venom towards Monica:
  “Turning on the charm, baby? The only effect it has is making me a little sick to the stomach. I’ve seen some of your pictures and you’re just as lousy on the screen as off, baby.” (34:48)

• Christine exposing Andy:
  “That gun in the ventilator shaft. Only he forgot one thing. Fingerprints.” (52:33)

Memorable Moments

• The “timed gun in the airshaft” device, a delightfully silly old-school murder method.
• The layered motivations: scandal, jealousy, blackmail, and the baggage of silver screen illusions.
• The reversal, as the loyal publicist Andy turns out to be the true murderer.

Timestamps – Key Segments

• Marlowe: Panama Hat Ruse: 03:02

• Radi’s Murder: 04:47

• Confrontation with Appleborough: 07:01

• Bowman’s Mansion/Christine Reveal: 10:50, 25:00

• Resolution and Wrap-up: 26:13–28:03

• Mystery House: Club Banter: 31:28–35:39

• The Count’s Collapse: 36:49

• Timed Gun Discovery: 40:13

• Helene’s (Fake) Poisoning: 42:42

• Showdown with Andy: 51:14–53:52

Episode Tone

Both stories bristle with period wit, noir fatalism, and the cynical humor of their leads. Marlowe dispenses sardonic wisdom and tough-guy one-liners, while Mystery House layers social satire on top of its murder mystery, poking fun at Hollywood, fame, and crime tropes.

Summary

This Case Closed! episode delivers all the pleasures of old-time radio drama: smart-talking detectives, criminal twists, false leads, femmes fatales, and era-defining soundwork. With The Collector’s Item, the hunt for a priceless half-dollar unravels obsession, greed, and a web of betrayal. Mystery House’s Time to Kill skewers Hollywood myth and human failing, unmasking the real murderer behind a convoluted plot. Both stories offer master classes in suspense, witticisms, and dazzling period charm.