Choice Classic Radio Detectives: Sherlock Holmes – "The Unfortunate Tobacconist" (Aired 04/30/1945)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode Theme: A trio of murders in a single London tobacconist shop attract the attention of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Inspector Lestrade as espionage, inheritance, and familial intrigue intertwine in a tense East End mystery.
Date Summarized: November 7, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode revisits the Golden Age detective tales, presenting a new (for 1945) adventure of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as told to the audience by Dr. Watson himself. Called "The Unfortunate Tobacconist," the story revolves around a series of mysterious murders in a single London tobacconist's shop. Holmes, Watson, and Inspector Lestrade investigate the grisly pattern, uncovering smuggling, espionage, and family secrets along the way.

Key Discussion Points & Story Progression

1. Holmes' Curiosity Sparked by Unusual Murders

• Setting: Early 20th-century London, Baker Street; summer evening, 1906 (03:15)
• Background:
  • Dr. Watson returns to Baker Street after a pleasant walk.
  • Holmes muses on the rarity of certain murders, then zeroes in on tobacconists: “No less than three tobacconists have been murdered in the past six months, in the same small shop at the East End of London.” (Holmes, 04:19)
• Speculation:
  • Watson proposes smuggling as the underlying motive (04:47).
  • Holmes praises Watson’s imaginative theory, setting a lighter tone.

2. Inspector Lestrade's Visit and the Case Details

• Entrance: Lestrade brings firsthand details of the case (05:39).
• Case Summary:
  • The tobacconist shop experienced three murders each time a new proprietor moved in.
  • Tenants: George Grillet (initial tenant, father of Lily Grillet), followed by an Italian and a Scotsman (both murdered), then finally a Hindu, Mukherjee (also murdered).
  • Motive appears as robbery, but the specifics differ (08:17); strangulation with a silk scarf, knife, etc.
  • Lestrade is worried because George Grillet and his daughter Lily have moved back in, and Jack Longworth, the landlord (and Lily’s love interest), is concerned for their safety (09:04).

3. Holmes, Watson, & Lestrade Visit the Shop

• First Impressions:
  • Holmes observes a “bearded Hindu skulking off around the corner,” drawing a connection to the recent murdered proprietor (11:08).
• Introductions:
  • They meet Lily Grillet and Jack Longworth.
  • Lily expresses her dislike for the shop and mentions a mysterious bearded man (13:24).
• Holmes’ Plan:
  • Holmes orchestrates a ruse—Lily, Jack, and Lestrade leave, while Holmes and Watson hide to wait for the lurking threat (14:13).
  • Suspense builds as the bearded stranger enters; Holmes quickly reveals he is an undercover agent from the Foreign Office, instructed by Mycroft Holmes (16:06).

4. Foreign Office Involvement & Renewed Investigation

• Mycroft’s Role:
  • Mycroft Holmes’ indirect involvement hints at a more serious, possibly international element—espionage. “Occasionally, Mycroft is the British government.” (Holmes, 10:30)
• Pattern Recognition:
  • Holmes dismisses simple robbery as the motive. “Don’t let the theft of a few pounds from the till blind you to the real motive.” (Holmes, 18:00)

5. Confrontation with Grillet & The Clue of the Fake Attack

• Evening at the Shop:
  • Lily leaves for the evening, asking them not to go into the backroom—a key clue (18:36).
  • Grillet confides in Holmes, suspects Jack Longworth is driving out property owners to buy the shops cheaply, and presents a threatening note (20:16).
  • The men hide in the back room, awaiting the attack (21:29).
• Turning Point:
  • They hear the signal (double knock), then a staged commotion (22:28).
  • Upon rushing in, they find Grillet apparently slashed—Holmes instantly discerns the ruse.

6. Holmes Unmasks the Culprit

• Revelation:
  • Holmes explains that Grillet faked the attack:
    • The threatening note was self-written (24:06).
    • The sound of the opening shop door, which should ring a bell, was actually made by the counter flap (24:17).
  • The pattern: All murdered shopkeepers were not Grillet; the attacks targeted any non-Grillet tobacconists.
  • Holmes deduces Lily knows more than she lets on—her odd caution about the back room signals a secret (25:11).
  • Secret passage to the waterfront discovered—used for espionage or smuggling (25:21).
• Motivation:
  • The ultimate motive is tied to espionage, with the shop serving as headquarters for a spy ring (25:34).

7. Aftermath and Denouement

• Grillet’s Fate:
  • Before trial, Grillet dies of a second stroke (26:16).
  • His daughter Lily later marries Jack Longworth; Watson reminisces about dancing at the wedding (26:30).
• Holmes’ Humility:
  • Holmes admits some of the final answers must be supplied by Mycroft—a rare note of modesty from the detective (25:47).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Holmes’ dry wit about Mycroft:
  “You must bear in mind, old fellow, that occasionally Mycroft is the British government.” (10:30)

• Holmes (on Watson’s theorizing):
  “Watson, my dear fellow, you’re doing splendidly. You must walk in the park more frequently. You’re positively scintillating.” (05:00)

• On Lestrade’s police perks:
  “Observe the five cigars peering out of Lestrade’s breast pocket... Obviously the scene of his latest investigation has proffered certain, well, shall we say, professional perquisites.” (Holmes, 06:11)

• Key clue from Holmes:
  “Whenever the shop door opens, there’s a bell that jangles... there was no bell jangle when we were in the back room.” (24:18)

• Dr. Watson’s closing summation:
  “The shop had been the headquarters of a spy ring operated by Grillet. Many international criminals had been smuggled into England on foreign ships moored up the river.” (26:03)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 00:00–03:15: Dr. Watson’s introduction & invitation to tell the story
• 03:15–05:25: Holmes introduces the tobacconist murder mystery
• 05:39–10:30: Inspector Lestrade details the three murders
• 11:01–14:13: Arrival at the shop, meeting Lily and Jack, Holmes' plan
• 14:13–16:11: The bearded Hindu, Foreign Office intervention, Mycroft connection
• 18:00–21:29: Holmes, Watson, Lestrade update; Lily departs, Grillet warns of the threat
• 22:28–24:36: The fake attack is staged; Holmes reveals the truth
• 25:01–26:16: Secret passage and spy ring unveiled
• 26:16–26:30: Story’s coda; Grillet’s death, Lily and Longworth’s marriage

Tone & Style

The episode blends the cerebral, playful banter of Holmes and Watson with the determined, occasionally exasperated Lestrade. The intrigue of espionage and Victorian crime is balanced with warm doses of camaraderie and a touch of romance between Lily and Longworth. The classic radio drama style brings suspenseful pacing, lively dialogue, and a sense of period authenticity from London’s East End.

Summary for New Listeners

This tightly plotted episode exemplifies Sherlock Holmes’ deductive brilliance as he exposes not simply a series of robberies and murders, but an elaborate cover for an international spy ring. With clever misdirection, secret passages, false attacks, and the intervention of Holmes’ enigmatic brother Mycroft, the story keeps listeners guessing to the end. The episode concludes with justice overtaking the true mastermind, a touch of romance, and the typical Holmesian humility—reminding us that sometimes even Holmes must defer to the mysterious workings of the British government.