Podcast Summary: Nero Wolfe: The Dear Dead Lady (Nov 3, 1950)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode Date: November 18, 2025
Featured Characters: Nero Wolfe (Sydney Greenstreet), Archie Goodwin, Ted Oliphant, Barstow Young, Jack “the Babe” Hunter, and others.

Episode Overview

This episode of Nero Wolfe, “The Dear Dead Lady,” transports listeners into the classic world of mid-century radio drama, full of wit, intrigue, and sharp detective work. Private detective and orchid enthusiast Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin are drawn into a complex murder mystery involving romance, jealousy, and secrets among the New York elite. The case centers on the strangling of Ilsa Dana, a socialite with a past, whose life and death unravel a tangle of suspects, motives, and revelations.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Progression

1. Wolfe’s Finances & Oliphant’s Plea for Help

• [02:17 – 07:00]
  • Wolfe’s love of fine food and orchids contrasts with his strained bank account.
  • Ted Oliphant, leader of the Seekers of the Inner Power, approaches Wolfe, voicing concern for Ilsa Dana, whom he loves. Oliphant claims her other suitor, Jack “the Babe” Hunter, has threatened to kill her out of jealousy.
    • Quote (Ted Oliphant, 04:49): “I want you to save Ilsa Dana’s life.”
• Wolfe accepts Oliphant’s $7,000 retainer to look into the matter.

2. Ilsa Dana’s Warning Call and Her Death

• [07:22 – 08:45]
  • Ilsa Dana herself telephones Wolfe, contradicting Oliphant and dismissing the threat, but inviting a meeting.
    • Quote (Ilsa Dana, 07:52): “Not one word of it was true. I’d like to talk to you, Mr. Wolfe.”
• Archie arrives at Dana’s apartment ([08:16]), only to find her freshly murdered.

3. Suspect Parade: Motives and Alibis

• [10:22 – 17:17]
  • The investigation circles around three main suspects: Oliphant, Barstow Young (actor and would-be suitor), and “the Babe” Hunter (prizefighter and ex-lover).
  • Barstow Young claims Oliphant is a religious fanatic who threatened Dana’s life ([12:26]).
    • Quote (Barstow Young, 12:26): “Theodore Oliphant is a religious maniac.”
  • Hunter says Young was embittered after Dana refused to finance his new play, suggesting Young’s motive ([16:00]).
    • Quote (Hunter, 16:00): “Yeah, well, he’s your man, Wolfe. He got so sore when she told him she wouldn’t toss any more moolah into his broken down career, he went off his rocker and tore it down.”

4. The Postcard & Literary Clues

• [17:33 – 19:17]
  • The elevator boy discovers a postcard at the crime scene with the phrase “Have you prayed tonight? — O.” Wolfe realizes it’s a literary threat, echoing Othello just before Desdemona’s murder.
    • Quote (Wolfe, 23:30): “The line, ‘Have you prayed tonight?’, is spoken by the hero to the heroine just before he murders her. The name of the heroine is Desdemona, and the hero, as I’m sure you all know, is Othello.”

5. Burglarizing for Clues: The Pawn Ticket

• [19:27 – 20:51]
  • Wolfe sends Archie to Dana's apartment to search for anything overlooked. He finds a pawn ticket, which leads to a pawnshop and a steel box containing a marriage license for Dana and a man named Johann Jaeger.

6. Confrontation and Reveal

• [21:36 – 28:17]
  • All suspects are assembled. One by one, their alibis are questioned.
  • Wolfe proves Oliphant didn't have the opportunity ([22:28]), and Young lacked the physical strength to have committed the crime ([24:22]).
  • Wolfe catches “the Babe” Hunter in a linguistic slip, revealing his true identity as Johann Jaeger, Dana’s secret husband:
    • Quote (Wolfe, 25:11): “I asked you in German if Ilsa Dana was your wife, and you…answered me yes—in your mother tongue.”
    • Hunter confesses to being Dana's husband and discusses the pain and abuse he suffered, confirming the murder motive.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Archie on Wolfe’s Work Ethic ([10:39]):
  “I don’t like work of any variety, but this thing has its points.”
• Wolfe on Client Suspicions ([10:48]):
  “Merely because a reform playboy employs a detective doesn't exempt him from suspicion, Archie.”
• Barstow Young Reading from Othello ([23:28]):
  “Have you prayed tonight?”
• The Big Reveal ([25:11]):
  Wolfe exposes “Hunter” as Ilsa’s secret husband using a German phrase.
• Hunter’s Motive ([27:52]):
  “I married her on the terms that nobody should ever know I was her husband…But I was crazy about her, so I took it. What I’ve taken, you wouldn’t believe.”
• Wolfe’s Final Reflection ([28:06]):
  “The question is, will a jury believe you? And that we must begin to learn immediately.”

Important Segment Timestamps

• [04:49] – Oliphant seeks Wolfe’s help for Dana
• [07:52] – Dana calls Wolfe, disputes Oliphant’s story
• [08:28–08:45] – Archie discovers Ilsa Dana’s body
• [12:26] – Young accuses Oliphant of being a fanatic
• [16:00] – Hunter shifts suspicion to Young
• [17:44] – The “Have you prayed tonight?” postcard
• [20:51] – The marriage license discovery
• [21:36–28:17] – Wolfe interrogates and unravels the suspects; the confession

Tone and Character

The episode is a classic example of wry, rapid-fire detective banter punctuated by sharp observations and dry humor:

• Wolfe’s languid but razor-sharp intellect
• Archie’s wisecracking Brooklyn street sense
• The suspects’ dramatic and occasionally melodramatic declarations of love, jealousy, and innocence

Conclusion

This brisk, engaging episode features all the hallmarks of Golden Age detective radio: red herrings, romantic entanglements, and an ingenious solution. Wolfe’s logical prowess and Archie’s tenacity expose the real culprit—a spurned, suffering, and secret husband—unraveling a mystery shrouded in secrecy, pride, and Shakespearean allusions.

For fans seeking a classic detective escapade with sharp dialogue and twisting plot, this episode delivers both suspense and retro charm in spades.