Episode Overview

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Murder Clinic 42-10-18 "Gulf Stream Green"
Air Date: October 15, 2025
Main Theme:
A classic Golden Age radio mystery featuring Frederick Irving Anderson’s famed detective, Deputy Parr. This episode, “Gulf Stream Green,” spotlights vanity, obsession, and the deadly consequences of technological ingenuity when an opera diva’s attempt to elude a threatening stalker ends in murder—and exposes the perils of pride and misplaced trust.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

Introduction: Setting the Scene

[00:34-01:26]

• Host introduces Murder Clinic and Deputy Parr, described as “the man with a nose for murder.”
  • “Tonight he is Frederick Irving Anderson's famous detective police Deputy Parr...” (00:34)
• Parr frames the story as an illustration of “the egotism of murderers.”
  • “It illustrates rather perfectly, I think, a pet theory of mine that the egotism of murderers is enormous.” (01:26, Parr)

Act I: A Dangerous Game of Deception

[01:26-07:16]

• Opera star Leocadi arrives at Estrell’s dress shop, shedding her theatrical accent in private. She asks for a girl, Bertha Tremblay, to wear her new Gulf Stream green gown and impersonate her.

  • “You will put on this dress, draw the mantilla over your face, go out to my car and drive to my hotel, the Normanduc...” (04:30, Leocadi)
  • Memorable comic moment: Bertha practices her “scream”—but meows instead.
    • “Meow. Meow, meow.” (05:04, Bertha)

• Leocadi gifts Bertha money and a jade ring and instructs her to make a convincing exit.

  • “Here, Bertha, you must take this money as a gift from me... This, this, this jade ring. Take it. It is yours.” (05:53, Leocadi)

• The scheme works: Bertha, now disguised, leaves. Leocadi confides to Estrell she fears for her life due to unknown pursuer’s threats.

  • “I have an anonymous pursuer. Do you know what that means to a woman in my position?... There have been two attempts on my life, seeming accidents.” (07:57, Leocadi)

Act II: Tragedy Unfolds

[09:39-11:46]

• Estrell’s fiancé, lawyer Kyla Braxton, arrives with shocking news: Leocadi is believed dead at the Normanduc Hotel—crushed by a fallen cornice. All evidence at the murder scene identifies the victim as her (gown, ring, etc.), but the face is “crushed beyond recognition.”

  • “You're supposed to be dead.” (10:21, Braxton)
  • “The body has been identified as yours. Leocati. Your gown, your ring. But the face crushed beyond recognition.” (10:51, Braxton)

• Realization: It’s Bertha who has died in her place.

  • “Heaven forgive me. Bertha.” (10:36, Estrell)
  • “Bertha...I sent her to death just as surely as if I myself had pronounced sentence.” (10:53, Leocadi)

• Braxton advises Leocadi to stay hidden—“the murderer thinks you're dead.”

  • “The murderer thinks you're dead. You must still let him think so. Leocati.” (11:33, Braxton)

Act III: Deputy Parr's Investigation

[12:49-15:18]

• Braxton briefs Deputy Parr on events and suspicions. Parr’s observational skills revealed: he doubted the “Leocadi” corpse, noting uncharacteristic possession of money and the new green gown.

  • “I happen to know Leocadi never carried money... that dress our corpse was wearing rattled a bit. Quite a characteristic color. Gulf Stream Green they call it.” (13:32, Parr)

• They suspect Leocadi’s manager, Wolfbane, after Parr learns Wolfbane knew about threatening letters only Leocadi had received:

  • “Wolfbane. He told me Leocadi had been receiving anonymous letters. If Leocadi told no one, how did Wolfbane know about them unless he sent them himself?” (15:18, Parr)

Act IV: The Trap is Set

[15:43-24:39]

• Parr and Braxton arrange a meeting with Wolfbane, who inadvertently reveals detailed knowledge of a specialized laboratory and new technology:

  • “Would you like to see a really modern, well equipped laboratory, Mr. Parr? ... I frequently spend the night there. I shall do so tonight.” (18:05, Wolfbane)

• Parr hatches a risky plan: Leocadi will dress again in Gulf Stream green and, hidden, dramatically unmask the killer in Wolfbane's studio.

Climax: Murder by Science—And Poetic Justice

[20:25-26:46]

• Parr explores Wolfbane’s lab, which features a photoelectric cell capable of triggering a device when someone wearing the precise shade of Gulf Stream Green passes by.

  • “Here, for instance, is a potential murderer. A photoelectric cell. ... Let me show you how it discriminates between, for instance, different shades of color. Green.” (21:29, Wolfbane)
  • “Perhaps when a woman wearing a dress of Gulf Stream green passed under it.” (22:45, Parr)

• Parr exposes Wolfbane’s elaborate scheme: only one unique gown existed in that color, and only Leocadi should have died—but Bertha was the unintended victim.

  • “But suppose Wolfbane. Hypothetically, of course, Leocadi had changed gowns with another woman. Suppose it wasn't Leocadi was wearing that Gulf Stream green this afternoon.” (25:52, Parr)

• Parr secretly signals Leocadi to appear; Wolfbane, panicked and cornered, triggers his own deadly trap and is killed by the mechanism intended for Leocadi.

  • “He killed himself.” (26:44, Estrell/Leocadi)
  • “It was poetic justice. His own constructive cleverness has destroyed him.” (27:03, Parr)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Vanity of Murderers:
  • “The egotism of murderers is enormous. I've even had them call me up. Lucky for us, it makes our work that much easier.”
    —Deputy Parr, [01:26]
• On Constructive Murder:
  • “You know, constructive murder is so much more interesting than emotional murder. The police are always baffled.”
    —Wolfbane, [23:08]
  • “Unless the murderer himself shows them how it was done, of course.”
    —Parr, [23:14]
• Comic Relief as Tension Builder:
  • “Meow. Meow, meow.”
    —Bertha’s attempt at a scream, [05:04]
• On Poetic Justice:
  • “It was poetic justice. His own constructive cleverness has destroyed him.”
    —Parr, [27:03]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:26 – Deputy Parr explains the "egotism of murderers”
• 04:30 – Leocadi details her plan for Bertha to impersonate her
• 10:21 – Braxton announces Leocadi’s “death”
• 13:32 – Parr deduces the body isn't Leocadi
• 15:18 – Parr suspects Wolfbane via knowledge of the letters
• 18:14 – Wolfbane invites Parr to his lab
• 21:29 – Demonstration of the photoelectric murder method
• 25:52 – Parr confronts Wolfbane, reveals gown-swap trick
• 26:44 – Wolfbane dies by his own trapped mechanism
• 27:03 – Parr reflects on poetic justice

Episode Tone and Style

• Fast-paced and dialogue-rich, mixing melodrama, suspense, wit, and technical ingenuity.
• Characters are bold, with accents and theatricality lending atmosphere—classic radio noir style.
• High drama is balanced with moments of levity (Bertha’s botched scream).
• Frequent foreshadowing and clever deduction keep stakes and suspense high.

Final Thoughts

“Gulf Stream Green” is a tightly woven murder mystery showcasing the cleverness—and hubris—of both criminals and detectives. Deputy Parr’s sharp insights and Wolfbane’s “constructive” villainy provide a textbook Golden Age radio drama, with a satisfying twist of poetic justice ensuring evil is undone by its own device.

Perfect for fans of classic detective stories and radio’s golden era, this episode demonstrates why these tales captivated—and still intrigue—generations.