Seven Percent Solutions

Oct 20, 2017

On October 20, 1930, Sherlock Holmes arrived on radio, and he would remain on the airwaves for nearly two decades. Holmes of course was already popular from the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and a stage play that toured the country starring William Gillette as the sleuth. But it wasn’t until actress, writer, and producer Edith Meiser persuaded NBC to take a chance on the character’s radio prospects that Holmes made his way into homes throughout the United States. For nearly ten years before Basil Rathbone first donned the deerstalker cap in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes was a mainstay on American radio.

In honor of the anniversary of that first broadcast, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite radio adventures of the master detective of Baker Street. These episodes, a mix of Conan Doyle adaptations and original radio mysteries, will make a fine playlist as you celebrate the on-air career of Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson.

“The Immortal Sherlock Holmes” – Technically not an episode of the Holmes radio series, but I think you’ll forgive my making an exception for Orson Welles. In this episode of The Mercury Theatre On the Air (a show that aired a month before the infamous “War of the Worlds” broadcast), Welles adapts and stars in a radio version of the Gillette play, a story that blends elements of several Holmes stories into one adventure pitting the sleuth against his nemesis Professor Moriarty. Ray Collins, years before he was Lt. Tragg on Perry Mason, narrates as Dr. Watson, and Eustace Wyatt plays Moriarty in this top-notch production from one of radio’s best dramatic anthologies. (Originally aired on CBS on September 25, 1938)

“The Notorious Canary Trainer” – To generations of fans, Basil Rathbone is Sherlock Holmes. Rathbone made an indelible impression as the detective in fourteen films between 1939 and 1946, but he also starred in hundreds of radio episodes alongside Nigel Bruce in The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. These shows, written by Anthony Boucher and Denis Green, are fantastic, and one of the best is this original mystery about a murderer who confesses before he commits suicide, but there is no evidence of a killing beyond two dead canaries found at the scene. (Originally aired on Mutual on April 23, 1945)

“The Second Generation” – One of the most famous stories in the Holmes canon is “A Scandal in Bohemia,” the tale that introduced Irene Adler. Known forever to Holmes as “the woman,” the beautiful and brilliant Adler has appeared in nearly all of the recent Holmes adaptations (the Robert Downey, Jr. films, Elementary, and Sherlock), and subsequent works have explored the exact nature of the relationship between Holmes and his lovely adversary. This Green and Boucher script acts as a sequel to “Bohemia” (a story they adapted on the series one week prior), and it tells of Holmes and Watson’s encounter with Irene’s daughter two decades later. One of the great things about the Green/Boucher run was they explored the entire timeline, with stories set in the early days of the Holmes/Watson partnership, some during the “great hiatus” after Holmes supposed death, and some in Holmes’ later years of semi-retirement as a beekeeper. “The Second Generation” is one of those “Holmes in twilight” stories, and it adds an additional level of emotion to the proceedings. (Originally aired on Mutual on December 17, 1945)

“The Adventure of the Tolling Bell” – After Basil Rathbone left the role of Holmes in 1946, Tom Conway took over as the detective for one radio season. He stars as Holmes in this mystery set in the idyllic English countryside. A vacationing Holmes and Watson (Nigel Bruce) learn of a strange series of deaths in the village when they come to the aid of a young woman. Their investigation leads them to a demented villain’s reign of terror and a showdown in a church bell tower. It’s a classic example of the “small town with a secret” genre, and it proves once again (as Holmes said in “The Copper Beeches”) the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside."  (Originally aired on ABC on April 7, 1947)

“The Case of the Sudden Senility” – Listeners of the podcast will know that my favorite radio Holmes is John Stanley, and my favorite run of episodes is Stanley’s 1947-48 season – a year where he was supported by Alfred Shirley as Watson and performed scripts penned by Edith Meiser. In this Meiser original that serves as an unofficial sequel to Doyle’s “Silver Blaze,” Holmes and Watson investigate when a five year-old horse dies in his stable of old age. The case involves a black cat, a mysterious house, and an appearance from Holmes’ greatest enemy. (Originally aired on Mutual on January 11, 1948)

“The Empty House” – Edith Meiser adapts the story that brought Holmes back from the dead. Watson has been soldiering on after Holmes’ apparent battle to the death with Moriarty, and he’s called in to consult on a baffling locked room murder case. It isn’t long before Holmes reveals his presence (in a wonderful scene that shows off John Stanley’s versatility, he plays an irascible bookworm who harangues Watson about his treatment of books) and explains the connection Watson’s case has to one of Moriarty’s most dangerous associates. (Originally aired on Mutual on April 11, 1948)

“The Final Problem” – This one may have the greatest cast of any Holmes radio adaptation. John Gielgud is the great detective, Ralph Richardson is Dr. Watson, and special guest star Orson Welles is the Napoleon of crime – Professor Moriarty. Edith Meiser never adapted the story where Conan Doyle killed off his hero, but it was used for the 1955 British series from producer Harry Alan Towers. The entire Gielgud/Richardson series is superb, presenting wonderfully faithful adaptations of the original stories, but if you only listen to one episode make sure it’s this one. The showdown between Holmes and Moriarty in the detective’s rooms in Baker Street is a glorious scene played to the hilt by Gielgud and Welles (who may be the only actor who played both Sherlock Holmes and his greatest enemy on radio).

Enjoy! And for more radio Holmes, check out Down These Mean Streets this Sunday for three original adventures starring John Stanley and Alfred Shirley.