Podcast Summary: Nero Wolfe – "Room 304" (04/27/1951)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Nero Wolfe: Room 304
Aired: April 7, 2026 (original: April 27, 1951)
Host: Choice Classic Radio
Main Cast: Nero Wolfe (Sydney Greenstreet), Archie Goodwin (Harry Bartel), Inspector Kramer, Jay Bream, Jean Bennett, Mr. Renfrew, Mr. Morio

Episode Overview

In this episode of "Nero Wolfe," the legendary armchair detective and his assistant Archie Goodwin become entangled in the mystery of "Room 304." It begins with a mysterious call from a distressed woman named Helen Rene, who is abruptly shot during the conversation. Wolfe and Archie are drawn into a tangled web of international intrigue involving technical equipment purchases, a murdered woman with a European connection, forged checks, and more than one potential suspect. As always, Wolfe's deductive prowess and Archie's street smarts pull the threads together in the classic golden-age radio detective style.

Key Discussion Points & Storyline Breakdown

1. The Mysterious Call & Sudden Murder

• 00:21–01:17
  Helen Rene, a woman with a foreign accent, calls Nero Wolfe's office in distress. Suddenly, Archie hears a gunshot over the phone.
  • Quote:
    Archie (01:14): "Hello? Boss, that was a shot."
    Nero Wolfe: "Trouble, women, always trouble."
• Archie rushes to Room 304 at the Paul Hotel, where he finds Helen Rene shot dead with a gun in her hand. Jay Bream, her dinner date and a pilot, is present at the scene.
  • Quote:
    Jay Bream (03:39): "Yeah, dead. Real dead. What do you know about this?"

2. Wolfe’s Early Deductions

• 05:54–06:14
  Archie observes a detail: a dead woman couldn't have hung up the phone. Wolfe asserts it couldn’t be a suicide—Helen was murdered.
  • Quote:
    Archie (06:03): "How can a dead woman hang up a phone?"
    Wolfe: "You finally arrived at that, Archie. Amazing. Of course, she couldn't. She was murdered."
• Wolfe discovers a $1000 check in Helen's purse made out to him—a clue that links the case to their agency.

3. The Investigative Threads

• 09:14–10:22
  Inspector Kramer initially suspects suicide, but Wolfe convinces him of murder based on the impossibility of the phone being hung up by the victim posthumously.

  • Quote:
    Wolfe (10:17): "Precisely. How can a dead girl hang up a phone?"

• Archie follows financial leads, learning from Helen’s agent Mr. Renfrew that Helen was buying technical laboratory equipment for her government in Europe. Archie’s visit to the Arrow Lab Supply Company and its owner, Morio, raises suspicion.

  • Quote:
    Archie (14:08): "I came here to find out something about Helen Rene. Just what sort of equipment did you sell her?"

4. The Web Tightens: Warehouse Snooping & More Suspects

• 18:41–21:40
  Wolfe sends Archie to stake out Morio’s warehouse, where he's ambushed and knocked out by two men—highlighting the risk in this dangerous investigation.
  • Memorable moment: Archie’s comic complaints after getting slugged.
• Archie reports finding nothing but old junk at the warehouse—evidence the lab equipment business is possibly a front for fraud.

5. Showdown and Solution: The Drawing Room Reveal

• 22:02–26:15
  Wolfe gathers all suspects (Renfrew, Morio, Jay Bream, Jean Bennett) in his office. He pieces together the puzzle from bank records, hand dominance, and phone records.
  • Key deduction: Helen was left-handed but was shot in the right temple, indicating the scene was staged by a right-handed murderer.
  • Quote:
    Wolfe (24:40): "She was shot through the right temple, Mr. Renfrew, while talking on the telephone with a gun in her left hand. Wouldn't it be awkward for her to twist her arm around her face and shoot herself?"
• The pressure cracks Renfrew, who confesses: confronted by Helen about a $50,000 embezzlement, he killed her and staged the suicide.
  • Quote:
    Renfrew (25:27): "I was forced to eliminate her. She accidentally learned about the shortage and she became most unreasonable about it."
• Renfrew attempts to escape at gunpoint but is apprehended by Inspector Kramer, who reveals he heard Renfrew's confession.

6. Classic Wolfe Epilogue

• 27:00–27:33
  Wolfe requests a grocery run from Archie via Jean Bennett, showing his typical nonchalance and wit even after a deadly case.
  • Quote:
    Wolfe (27:01): "I figured that by the skill you expressed on reviving a patient from a deep faint. Archie, on the way home, I want you to stop by the delicatessen..."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:21–01:17 – Mysterious call leads to murder
• 05:54–06:14 – Wolfe deduces it’s a murder, not suicide
• 09:14–10:22 – Inspector Kramer and Archie discuss Wolfe’s reasoning
• 12:04–14:21 – Archie investigates the Arrow lab company
• 18:41–21:40 – Archie’s warehouse ambush
• 22:02–24:40 – Wolfe gathers suspects, laying out deductions
• 24:40–25:27 – The left-handed clue and Renfrew’s reasoning exposed
• 25:27–26:15 – Renfrew’s confession and arrest
• 27:00–27:33 – Lighthearted wrap-up and Wolfe’s grocery list

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Wit and Tone:

• Wolfe’s banter about lunch and orchids, and Archie’s flippant humor, bring levity to the investigation.
  • Wolfe (12:15): "Not this once nor any other time. Archie, you know I have lunch precisely at noon."

Memorable Exchanges:

• Inspector Kramer: "Wolf, tell me, why is it you're always mixed up in these cases?"
• Wolfe: "That, Inspector, would be as difficult to answer as it would be to convince Archie of the danger of the female of the species." (10:30)

Key Insights

• Wolfe’s methodical logic shines, particularly in noticing the phone hook detail and the left-handed shooting clue.
• The case blends detective work with international intrigue, embezzlement, and a scam laboratory equipment operation.
• Classic character dynamic between irascible Wolfe and wisecracking Archie creates humor and forward drive.
• The episode exemplifies Golden Age radio drama with tight plotting, colorful suspects, and a satisfying drawing-room reveal.

For New Listeners:
This episode encapsulates the charm and intellect of Nero Wolfe stories: a seemingly convoluted murder, subtle clues, high-stakes secrets, and a humor-laden unraveling by the world’s crankiest—and cleverest—detective.