The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (1950-51) aired “A Slight Case of Perjury” on April 14, 1951 as the 24th of the 26 episodes of this run. Prior to this radio incarnation there were two earlier series, one in 1943 and another in 1945 (each short-lived), and relatively little is known about them with only two episodes now known to be in circulation. Thus, with these two along with the 26 episodes of the 1950-51 series only 28 survive. This is only the sixth Nero Wolfe episode we have showcased, the first two being in April and September of 2018, the third being from June of 2019, the fourth offered in December of 2020 almost 5 years ago, with the fifth and most recent coming in February of last year (2024). For newcomers to the series we reprise and slightly update the introductory material provided in that first episode from 2018.

The Nero Wolfe radio programs were of course based on the popular mystery/detective novels of Rex Stout (1886-1975, photo top right). From the first Nero Wolfe novel in 1934 (Fer-de-Lance), Stout would write a total of 33 Wolfe novels and 39 novellas. Wolfe was given to us as a large man, described as being 5’11” and weighing “a seventh of a ton” (which is about 286 lbs.). Wolfe is an eccentric character in several respects. Due to his size he rarely leaves his home, avoids physical contact with both women and men, is fed gourmet meals served by his talented Swiss chef, reads voluminously, does not own a television, spends an inordinate amount of time tending his orchids, and apparently enters some kind of trance state when mentally solving crimes. This last is perhaps a reflection of the method by which Stout wrote the novels, for he has gone on record as saying he wrote them complete in his head before setting them to paper, and never reread them once finished. Rarely venturing outside the confines of his home, Wolfe relies on his able assistant Archie Goodwin to do the legwork–-chasing down leads and clues and interviewing persons of interest. Verbal wordplay between Wolfe and Goodwin shows them at times to be at odds with one another, the amicable jibes springing from their contrasting personalities lending added spice to the stories. Radio and later TV and film actor Harry Bartell (1913-2004, photo at right) played Goodwin in episodes 17-26, episode 26 being the final broadcast on April 27, 1951. Bartell was a ubiquitous character actor on many a radio show, some with regular, recurring appearances (Dragnet, Pete Kelly’s Blues and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar for but three examples), and episodic appearances on shows such as The Saint, Suspense, and Lux Radio Theater. And if that wasn’t enough, for several years he was the announcer on The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes as the person kicking off each episode by interviewing Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) and asking about his latest adventure with Holmes. No less busy was he in 50s & 60s television, with roles in many classic favorites, a few of note being Gunsmoke, Get Smart, I Love Lucy, The Wild Wild West, The Untouchables, Have Gun Will Travel, The Fugitive, and even science fiction with The Twilight Zone. At 90 years of age, Harry Bartell passed away on February 26, 2004 in Ashland, Oregon.

In 1958 Rex Stout became the MWA’s 14th President, and in 1959 he was honored as the Mystery Writers of America’s third ever Grand Master, its highest award. At Bouchercon XXXI in 2000, the Nero Wolfe novels were  nominated as Best Mystery Series of the Century, and Stout was nominated as Best Mystery Writer of the Century.

The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe starred the incomparable Sydney Greenstreet (1879-1954, photo top left and elsewhere) as Rex Stout’s iconic detective. Greenstreet is best known and remembered for his film roles, the first of which (at age 62) was as Kaspar Gutman (“The Fat Man”) in 1941’s The Maltese Falcon, opposite Humphrey Bogart as detective Sam Spade (photo at left). It was Gutman who had spent many years traveling the world and a sizeable fortune in search of the jewel-encrusted bird that was the McGuffin driving the plot in this now classic movie. His fourth film a year later in 1942 saw him in a secondary role in yet another of Hollywood’s classic films, Casablanca (photo at right), as Signor Ferrari, owner of the Blue Parrot, a rival establishment to Bogart’s character Rick Blaine and his Cafe Americain. Once again, Greenstreet was cast as an unsavory character, exemplified by Ferrari’s ironic statement: “As leader of all illegal activities in Casablanca, I am an influential and respected man.” Though beginning his film career at a late age, Sydney Greenstreet would have various roles in 24 films from 1941 through 1949, an average of three films a year. During this time he would share screen time with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Spencer Tracy, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, and Joan Crawford. Tennessee Williams wrote his play The Last of My Solid Gold Watches with Greenstreet in mind, dedicating it to him. It was at the end of his brief, eight-year film career in 1949 that Greenstreet took on the role of Nero Wolfe for radio. Stout is reported to have been highly pleased with Greenstreet in the role of his genius detective, and while a popular show it left the airwaves after 26 episodes, the advent of the new medium of television convincing potential sponsors to divert their advertising dollars to tv with its potentially larger national audience reach.

Of interest to SF fans is that none other than SFWA Grand Master Alfred Bester (1913-1987) wrote nearly all 26 episodes of the 1950-51 era Nero Wolfe reboot. Bester also penned scripts for other radio shows during the 1940s, among them Nick Carter–Master Detective, The Shadow, and Charlie Chan, several episodes of the first two we have presented here over the years. Those interested in timelines will note that The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe aired its final episode in late April of 1951. Alfred Bester’s classic, award-winning novel The Demolished Man began its three-part serialization in Galaxy magazine approximately eight months later, in January of 1952, winning the first-ever Science Fiction Achievement Award in 1953 (retroactively named the “Hugo” in 1955) following its book appearance in 1952. How long had Bester been working on this novel? Was it in the works while he was writing episodes of Nero Wolfe? Was it written after the radio show ended, and in a relatively short period of time? Given lead times for magazines to shepherd a typewritten story through the editing and production process to finished product and to appear on the newsstand or in a bookstore, the novel could possibly have been written and fast-tracked by editor Horace Gold during the eight months between the demise of Nero Wolfe, if indeed it was begun after the show ended. It’s interesting to speculate on such rather peripheral matters, so in the spirit of these things I would guess the novel was in the works before the Nero Wolfe series came to its end. In either case, Bester was a busy man at the time, writing for two mediums, each with distinct requirements and not something every writer could do, and do well.

“A Slight Case of Perjury” begins curiously, as Archie Goodwin accepts a phone call from a man acquitted recently of murder wishing to hire the great detective Nero Wolfe to find the person who actually murdered the man he was found not guilty of killing. Recently absolved of any wrongdoing he could have just walked away and continued his life as if nothing had happened, but he is now taking a most unorthodox approach and is determined that justice be served by solving the crime (through the offices of Nero Wolfe) the authorities evidently could not. In the midst of the man’s call, when he hasn’t even explained to Archie why he wants to hire Nero for $1,000 plus a $500 retainer, Archie hears a gunshot at the other end of the phone and believes he and Nero’s next client has been murdered. Though the would-be assailant’s shot has missed, it opens up a new mystery for Wolfe to solve. He instantly takes the new case and he and Archie are off to the races as they discover how and why their client—recently found not guilty of murder—has decided not to leave well enough alone, go the extra mile (at some personal risk) and find the real killer. Along the way, they peel back the layers of testimony given to the police by many in the original case, only to discover “A Slight Case of Perjury.” With many possibilities making their task a difficult one, Wolfe earns his money with this one.

(The linked CD at top includes this episode and 17 others.)

Play Time: 28:50

{“A Slight Case of Perjury” aired on a Friday in early April of 1951. It was a sure bet that influenced by this intriguing detective adventure the neighborhood gang would meet bright and early the next morning at the corner newsstand in search of some of their favorite detective pulps for more of the same. Black Mask (1920-51) was the gold standard of detective magazines and was a sure buy. Among the magazine’s many virtues was that it first serialized Dashiell Hammett’s future Sam Spade classic The Maltese Falcon beginning in the now famous September 1929 issue. It was a monthly for most of its run (except for two years from 1923-25 when it gave it a go briefly as a bi-weekly) when in May of 1943 it became a bimonthly until its final issue in July of 1951, the issue pictured below being the next to last. Smashing Detective (1951-58) was one of the last of the detective pulps to enter the scene. It went for hard and fast action with its mystery and detective fare. Beginning as a quarterly, in 1955 it became a bimonthly but closed shop with but a single issue in February of 1958, ending its 27 issue run. The issue pictured below was its first. Suspense Magazine (1951-52) was an attempt to cash in on the long-running, popular CBS radio program of the same name, and while it offered some big name talent (Ray Bradbury, John Dickson Carr, William Tenn, A. E. van Vogt, Will Jenkins (aka Murray Leinster), and Fritz Leiber, Jr.), it lasted but 4 issues, the one shown below being its first.}

[Left: Black Mask, 5/51 – Center: Smashing Detective, 3/51 – Right: Suspense Magazine, Spring/51]

To view the entire list of weekly Old Time Radio episodes at Tangent Online, click here.