Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio

Episode: Nero Wolfe: The Vanishing Shells (02/02/1951)
Aired: January 27, 2026
Host: Choice Classic Radio
Cast:

• Nero Wolfe (Sydney Greenstreet)
• Archie Goodwin (Gerald Moore)
• Doris Moray
• Emil Stoner
• Paula Kenyon
• Rick Hunter
• David Banning
• Inspector Kramer

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this classic detective drama, Nero Wolfe and his sharp-witted assistant Archie Goodwin are drawn into a world of backstage intrigue involving a Broadway production, threatening notes, and ultimately — murder. The case revolves around Doris Moray, an aspiring actress who fears for her reputation and safety after receiving anonymous threats warning her to quit the cast of producer Emil Stoner’s new play. When Stoner is found dead, Wolfe and Archie must unravel a tangled web of jealousy, ambition, and deception among the theatre's creative elite.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & PLOT BREAKDOWN

1. The Anonymous Threats and Tense Cast Dynamics

• Setting the Scene ([01:16]-[05:07]):
  • Archie Goodwin, wishing to take on the case against Wolfe’s initial reluctance, meets Doris Moray at her hotel.
  • Doris presents two threatening notes demanding her withdrawal from Stoner’s new production, with explicit warnings about ruining her and Stoner’s reputations.
• Intrigue Among the Theatre Company ([05:19]-[09:12]):
  • Doris is caught between affections—producer Emil Stoner (her fiancé) and director Rick Hunter (fond of her but sidelined).
  • Paula Kenyon, Stoner’s ex-wife and former leading lady, is now engaged to David Banning, who wrote the play and prefers Paula as the star.
  • Tensions rise: “Several people have a reason to want Doris off the stage, especially with the promise of a ‘star-making’ role.” — Archie ([06:29])

2. Murder in the Hotel — The Mystery Deepens

• Discovering the Body ([10:17]-[13:57]):
  • Archie escorts Doris to her room and finds Emil Stoner dead—three bullet wounds in the chest, a crumpled horoscope in his left hand, an unlit monogrammed cigarette (“PK” for Paula Kenyon) in his right, and no weapon left behind.
  • "Emil Stoner. Oh. Three red dots on his shirt front." — Archie, on discovering the body ([11:02])
  • Doris’s briefcase, with a paper on top, sits on the piano; Stoner’s hat is missing; there are no signs the victim struggled.
• Initial Investigation ([13:34]-[14:20]):
  • Doris admits she owns a .25 automatic pistol, but claims it’s been at her theater dressing room for a week.

3. The Trail of Clues — Guns, Hats, Horoscopes, and an Impossible Shooting

• Critical Observations & Clues ([15:07]-[16:28]):
  • Nero Wolfe deduces that the bullet trajectory doesn’t match the chair in Doris’s room—Archie realizes there's no bullet hole in the chair.
  • "What bullet?... There ain't no hole in the back of that chair. I just realized it." — Archie ([15:51])
• Paula Kenyon’s Apartment ([16:47]-[18:41]):
  • Archie and Doris find Paula’s apartment empty but spot Stoner’s hat, Paula’s monogrammed cigarettes, a pile of horoscopes, and Doris’s missing pistol—recently fired—on the desk. There's a bullet hole in the chair, but no empty bullet shells.

4. Nero Wolfe Assembles the Suspects

• Suspect Interrogation & Motives ([20:57]-[26:39]):
  • Inspector Kramer verifies all three bullets came from Doris’s pistol; only her fingerprints are on the weapon.
  • Wolfe questions Rick Hunter (director), who favors Doris for the lead and admits love for her. Hunter might have had access to the gun and opportunity.
  • David Banning (playwright) prefers Paula for the lead and admits to sending the threatening notes but denies murder.
  • Paula Kenyon and Doris exchange hostilities over ambition and past friendships. Paula denies inviting Stoner over or knowing about the gun.
  • "I was not in love with Mr. Stoner. That was over." — Paula ([24:25])
• Key Contradictions:
  • Doris insists she didn’t see Stoner that afternoon, but evidence (briefcase, newspaper) says otherwise.

5. Wolfe’s Solution — The Vanishing Shells

• Reconstruction and Revelation ([26:01]-[27:05]):
  • Wolfe accuses Doris Moray of inviting Stoner to her room, learning she would not get the starring role, then finding her gun missing (planted in Paula's apartment).
  • Doris retrieved the gun, put it in her handbag, crossed the hall, and shot Stoner in Paula’s apartment — firing through her handbag (explaining the absence of shells and her fingerprints only).
  • Stoner was able, despite his mortal wound, to stagger back to Doris’s apartment, where he died.
  • "No, Archie. A handbag. Thank you. Notice I ran my finger through a hole in the corner. She fired through the bag and see, three empty shells." — Wolfe ([26:01])

6. Resolution and Notable Moments

• Medical Plausibility ([26:48]-[27:16]):
  • Archie is incredulous Stoner walked after being shot through the heart. Wolfe coolly replies: "Official medical records show that people have walked a block in such instances."
• Finale ([27:34]-[28:05]):
  • As midnight strikes on Archie’s birthday, Wolfe dryly gifts him a correspondence detective course as a joke.

MEMORABLE QUOTES & TIMESTAMPS

• Archie, on Wolfe’s business priorities:
  “Orchids, beer, books. What a way to run a business.” ([04:57])

• Nero Wolfe’s cautionary prediction:
  “There will be a body, Archie. There’s always a body where you are concerned. Either a body beautiful or a dead one.” ([10:33])

• Archie’s rundown of clues:
  "The body's still warm. What's this? Crumpled in his left hand, a horoscope. Between the fingers of his right hand, an unlit cigarette. Monogrammed PK.” ([11:12])

• Nero Wolfe applies logic:
  “You found no empty shells about the floor?...What did you do with the bullet?” ([15:46])

• Wolfe identifies the murder weapon's hiding spot:
  “A handbag. Thank you. Notice I ran my finger through a hole in the corner. She fired through the bag and see, three empty shells.” ([26:01])

• Archie, on the victim managing to walk after being shot:
  “She couldn’t carry him.”
  Wolfe: “He walked." ([26:54])
  "That's a fallacy, Archie. Official medical records show that people have walked a block in such instances.” ([27:01])

• Classic deadpan sendoff:
  Archie: “Boss? Midnight. It's another day. I’m a year older.”
  Wolfe: “Yes. Cuthbert's correspondence detective course in four easy lessons. Happy birthday, Aji." ([27:40])

IMPORTANT SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS

• Doris hires Archie/Wolfe and explains the threats: [05:19]-[07:41]
• Discovery of Stoner’s body: [11:02]-[13:59]
• Archie’s first full conversation with Wolfe about clues: [14:20]-[16:28]
• Paula Kenyon’s apartment — gun and hat found: [16:47]-[18:41]
• Wolfe’s cross-examination of all suspects: [22:26]-[26:01]
• Wolfe’s denouement (solving the case): [26:01]-[27:05]
• Closing birthday banter: [27:34]-[27:40]

SUMMARY & TAKEAWAYS

A classic Nero Wolfe locked-room-style mystery, “The Vanishing Shells” offers a tightly plotted puzzle full of red herrings, misdirection, and clever logical deduction. Wolfe’s legendary reliance on logic and Archie’s keen eye lead them to a typically satisfying and ironic conclusion, hinging on a subtle detail (a hole in a handbag and missing shells) that only the truly observant would catch. The episode is rich with the repartee, sharp characterization, and period flavor that make golden age radio so beloved by detective fans.

Recommended for:
Fans of whodunits, old-time radio drama, and those who appreciate a masterfully delivered puzzle.