The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Episode: Casebook of Gregory Hood: Death from the Red Capsule
Host: Adam Graham
Original Air Date: December 7, 2025 (Encore episode)
Main Cast: Gregory Hood (Gale Gordon), Sanderson “Sandy” Taylor (William Bakewell), Narrator (Harry Bartel), Sylvia Eustace, Sheriff Turner, Dr. Dakin

Episode Overview

In this classic radio drama from "The Casebook of Gregory Hood," a seemingly innocent mountain camping trip turns deadly when a young woman collapses and dies after taking a red capsule for her asthma. Gregory Hood and his friend, attorney Sanderson Taylor, become both witnesses and suspects in a puzzling case of poisoning, impersonation, and family intrigue. The episode exemplifies Golden Age radio’s blend of cozy scene-setting, sly humor, and twisty plotting, culminating in a classic amateur-sleuth solution.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Opening Banter and Setting the Scene

[06:19 – 07:29]

• Gregory Hood, Sandy Taylor, and their friend Harry are dining and discussing the finer points of trout cooked in rustic settings.
• The mountainous setting is established, setting off nostalgia for "the only proper way to cook brook trout."
• Sandy uses this as a transition into the new case: “Our story from the casebook began just that way on a certain star-clustered evening last fall.” (Sanderson Taylor, 07:18)

2. The Mysterious Stranger

[08:17 – 10:37]

• While cooking, Gregory and Sandy encounter a lost hiker, Sylvia Eustace.
• Sylvia suffers from asthma and uses red ephedrine capsules to treat it, declining brandy in favor of her medication.
• Quote: “I don't know if I should eat so soon after an attack, but...I'll hope for the best. As Shakespeare says, let good digestion wait on appetite and health on both.” (Sylvia Eustace, 10:14)
• After dinner, Sylvia starts acting ill and soon collapses.

3. Sudden Death and Immediate Suspicion

[11:43 – 14:20]

• Gregory realizes Sylvia is not dying from asthma but being poisoned: “This is no asthma attack. This girl’s been poisoned.” (Gregory Hood, 11:43)
• The duo attempt to get help, but are forced to descend the mountain at night.
• They eventually report the incident to the local sheriff but become the chief suspects.

4. Small-Town Justice

[14:20 – 15:55]

• The sheriff is immediately suspicious and arrests them: “Lock them up, Jake. We’ve got us a couple of murderers.” (Sheriff Turner, 14:23)
• “We come in to report a murder and then get booked for committing it.” (Gregory Hood, 14:38) — captures Gregory's dry humor and the absurdity of their situation.

5. An Unlikely Jailbreak

[15:55 – 18:29]

• Gregory plays upon the ego of Jake, the deputy, convincing him that letting them go would make him a hero and maybe even sheriff someday.
• Notable comedic moment as Jake is flattered into letting them escape.

6. A Shocking Discovery: The "Dead" Girl Is Alive?

[19:10 – 21:35]

• Hood and Sandy visit Sylvia Eustace’s address in San Francisco.
• They are stunned to meet a woman who appears to be the same Sylvia Eustace who just died.
• "It’s the same girl we left in Yosemite County.” (Gregory Hood, 20:19)

7. Dual Identities and Family Secrets

[21:37 – 24:22]

• The living Eustace reveals the dead girl was her cousin Hester, who closely resembles her.
• Both girls suffer from asthma and use red capsules, and both love hiking.
• Motive suggested: large family inheritance at stake.

8. Police Investigation and Poetic Clues

[24:22 – 27:41]

• Lieutenant Silvers of homicide arrives; confusion mounts over identities.
• Gregory notes the murdered girl loved to quote Shakespeare, a trait shared with the girl on the mountain.
• Hood’s plan: cook brook trout for Sylvia—according to family doctors, Hester was allergic to trout, but Sylvia may not be.

9. The Poisoned Dinner

[27:41 – 28:27]

• During dinner, Sylvia falls ill after consuming trout and taking her own ephedrine capsules.
• Hood quickly applies emergency treatment and saves her.
• It’s discovered Sylvia’s ephedrine bottle had also been poisoned.

10. Solution and Motive

[28:27 – 30:53]

• The core plot: the poison was planted in Sylvia’s ephedrine capsules at home, meant to kill her. Unknowingly, capsules from her bottle were given to Hester during a visit, resulting in the wrong woman's death.
• The murderer: Hester (the cousin), motivated by inheritance; she planned to kill Sylvia, assume her identity, and claim the estate—a plot that tragically backfired.
• Critical clue: The dying girl’s words—“Sport engineer tar”—are parsed by Gregory as a garbled version of the Shakespeare line “For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard.” (Hamlet)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gregory Hood’s dry wit on being jailed:

  "We come in to report a murder and then get booked for committing it."
  — Gregory Hood [14:38]

• On the real culprit, inspired by Shakespeare:

  "For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard. That's the Shakespearean version of the biter bit. She was hoist with her own petard and knew it."
  — Gregory Hood [29:51]

• On family intrigue:

  "Two girls, both identical in appearance, are both claiming to be Sylvia Eustace. But why, Greg?"
  — Lieutenant Silvers [24:22]

• Sandy, upon seeing the 'dead' girl alive:

  "What in thunder is he talking about? The girl’s dead!"
  — Sanderson Taylor [20:01]

• Gregory’s cookery doubling as detective work:
  “If she eats the trout and nothing happens, she's in the clear.”
  — Gregory Hood [27:24]

Episode Timeline & Timestamps

• [06:19-07:29] — Hood and Sandy set the cozy mountain campfire scene.
• [08:17-10:37] — Sylvia Eustace arrives; dinner and first asthma attack.
• [11:43-14:20] — Sylvia’s fatal collapse and suspicion of poisoning.
• [14:20-15:55] — Arrest by the local, comically inept sheriff.
• [15:55-18:29] — Comedy sequence: Jake the gullible deputy is convinced to release Hood and Sandy.
• [19:10-21:35] — The surprise reveal: Sylvia Eustace is alive in San Francisco.
• [21:37-24:22] — Family resemblance; both victims used identical asthma medication.
• [24:22-27:41] — Investigation deepens; Shakespeare clue emerges.
• [27:41-28:27] — Second poisoning attempt—another dramatic meal, Gregory saves Sylvia.
• [28:27-30:53] — The deductive denouement; Gregory reveals the correct sequence of events and the murder plot.

Host’s Commentary

Adam Graham offers post-show reflections:

• Questions the realism of the cousin’s impersonation schemes, especially with the doctor-fiance.
• Expresses “sadness” that Hester, a character who quoted Shakespeare, turns out to be the murderer:

  “I was a little sad by the ending because I like that she was, you know, doing all that Shakespeare quoting and stuff. And that's disappointing when that type of person turns out to be a murderer. But justice was done, even though the deputy sounds like he should have been voiced by Red Skelton.” (Adam Graham, 35:43)

Listener Feedback Highlights

• Jack: Praises the lineup (“Johnny Dollar, Gregory Hood, Nick Carter and the lineup are all top notch shows”) and calls out Boucher & Green’s atmospheric, authentic San Francisco.
• Brian: Grateful for the nostalgia and relaxation provided by the episodes.

Adam discusses upcoming programming notes, including planned adjustments to upcoming episodes and rotating detective shows.

Final Notes

Tone:
Lighthearted, nostalgic, and clever, blending classic detective puzzle-solving with comedic moments and warm banter.

Standout Aspects:

• Clever use of Shakespearean references as central plot devices.
• The plot's classic radio tropes: mistaken identity, rural vs. urban justice, inheritance motives.
• Flawed authorities and the wily resourcefulness of the amateur detectives.