The Adventures of Ellery Queen

''The Adventures of Ellery Queen'' is the title of a radio series and four separate television series made from the 1950s through the 1970s. They were based on the fictional detective and pseudonymous writer Ellery Queen and the cases he solved with his father, Inspector Richard Queen.

Films

*'' The Spanish Cape Mystery'' (1935) Donald Cook as Ellery Queen, Guy Usher as Inspector Queen (based on ''The Spanish Cape Mystery'')
*''The Mandarin Mystery'' (1936) Eddie Quillan as Ellery Queen, Wade Boteler as Inspector Queen (loosely based on ''The Chinese Orange Mystery''); this film is now in the public domain
*''Ellery Queen, Master Detective'' (1940) Ralph Bellamy as Ellery Queen, Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin as Inspector Queen (very loosely based on ''The Door Between'')
*''Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery'' (1941) Ralph Bellamy as Ellery Queen, Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin as Inspector Queen
*''Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime'' (1941) Ralph Bellamy as Ellery Queen, Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin as Inspector Queen (loosely based on ''The Devil To Pay'')
*''Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring'' (1941) Ralph Bellamy as Ellery Queen, Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin as Inspector Queen (loosely based on ''The Dutch Shoe Mystery'')
*''A Close Call for Ellery Queen'' (1942) William Gargan as Ellery Queen, Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin as Inspector Queen
*''A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen'' (1942) William Gargan as Ellery Queen, Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin as Inspector Queen
*''Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen'' (1942) Ralph Bellamy as Ellery Queen, Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin as Inspector Queen
*'' La Décade prodigieuse'' (1971) (English title, ''Ten Days' Wonder'') directed by Claude Chabrol and starring Anthony Perkins, Orson Welles. There is no character named Ellery Queen but Michel Piccoli plays "Paul Regis", the investigator. (Based on ''Ten Days' Wonder'')
*''Haitatsu sarenai santsu no tegami'' (1979) (English title, ''The Three Undelivered Letters'') a Japanese film directed by Yoshitaro Nomura (based on ''Calamity Town'' but apparently not containing Ellery Queen or any detective character)

Radio

With Hugh Marlowe in the title role, Ellery Queen was introduced in '' The Adventures of Ellery Queen'' on CBS Radio on June 18, 1939, running until September 22, 1940. In 1942, the series moved to NBC radio, airing until 1944. From 1945 to 1947, it was heard once again on CBS, returning to NBC in 1947 and then moved to ABC radio (1947–1948). The premise was that a mystery would be dramatized, but then interrupted when a panel of celebrities would attempt to solve it.

During the 1970s, syndicated radio fillers, ''Ellery Queen's Minute Mysteries'', began with an announcer saying, "This is Ellery Queen ..." and then outlining a case in one minute. The radio station encouraged callers to solve the mystery and win a sponsor's prize. Once they had a winner, the solution part of the spot would be played as confirmation.

Television

*The first television series, ''The Adventures of Ellery Queen'', was produced by the DuMont Television Network. It ran on DuMont from October 14, 1950, to December 6, 1951 (50 episodes), then moved to ABC from December 16, 1951, to November 26, 1952 (43 episodes).
*The second series, ''Mystery Is My Business'', ran for 32 episodes and was produced by ITC Entertainment. It ran from 1954 to 1956.
*The third series, ''The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen'', ran for 33 episodes from 1958 to 1959 on NBC.
*The final series, known simply as ''Ellery Queen'', ran from 1975 until 1976 and was a Universal Television production for NBC.

First TV series (DuMont and ABC)

The first series was telecast on the DuMont Television Network from October 19, 1950, to December 6, 1951, and then on ABC from December 16, 1951, to November 26, 1952. This series starred Richard Hart as Ellery Queen in the first season and Lee Bowman in the role in later seasons. (Hart died suddenly of a heart attack in January 1951.) Florenz Ames played Inspector Richard Queen. Irving Pincus did his first work as a producer in two segments of this version of ''Ellery Queen''. Guest stars included Anne Bancroft, John Carradine, and Eva Gabor. The series, produced by Irving and Norman Pincus and directed by Donald Richardson, featured writing by Helene Hanff, later famous as the author of ''84, Charing Cross Road'' (Bancroft later played Hanff in the film version of ''84 Charing Cross Road''.)

The ABC version was sponsored by Bayuk cigars, but that sponsorship ended effective with the November 26, 1952, broadcast.

Episodes

First Season - DuMont Network

# ''The Bad Boy''
# ''The Mad Tea Party''
# ''The Invisible Lover''
# ''The Long Count''
# ''The Three Lame Men''
# ''The Human Weapon''
# ''The Crooked Man''
# ''The Adventure of the Blind Bullet''
# ''Two Pieces of Silver''
# ''The Hanging Acrobat'' ()
# ''The Star of India''
# ''The Adventures of the Survivors' Club''
# ''Prescription For Treason''
# ''The House of Terror''
# ''Murder in Hollywood''
# ''The Adventure of the Man who Killed Cops''
# ''The Hanging Patient''
# ''The Adventure of the Jewel-Handled Knife''
# ''The Case of the Falling Corpse''
# ''The Adventure of the Strange Voyage''
# ''The Madcap Robbery''
# ''The Adventure of the Manhunt''
# ''Murder at the Museum''
# ''The Adventures of the Man who Enjoyed Death''
# ''The Case of the Frightened Lady''
# ''The Baseball Murder Case''
# ''Murder for Twelve Cents''
# ''The Key to Murder''
# ''Death Spins a Wheel''
# ''Dissolve to Death''
# ''The Frame-Up''
# ''The Happiness Club''
# ''The Chinese Mummer Mystery''
# ''Murder in the Zoo''
# ''Death in a Capsule''
# ''The Case of the Upright Man''
# ''The Adventure of the Frightened Child''
# ''The Adventure of the Ballet Murder''

Second Season - DuMont Network

# ''The Adventure of the Twilight Zone''
# ''The Dead Man who Walked''
# ''Murder in the Death House''
# ''The Garden of Death''
# ''The Gridiron Murder''
# ''The Coffee House Murder''
# ''Death in a Ghost Town''
# ''Murder to Music''
# ''The Inside Man''
# ''Pavanne for a Dead Princess''
# ''The Adventure of the Shape-Up''
# ''Death at the Opera''

Second Season - ABC Network

# ''Ticket to Nowhere''
# ''A Christmas Story''
# ''The Long Shot''
# ''The Unhung Jury''
# ''Death In the Sorority House''
# ''The Feminine Touch''
# ''Dance of Death''
# ''One Week to Live''
# ''Mr. Big''
# ''Left-Cross''
# ''The Red Hook Murder''
# ''King Size Death''
# ''The File of Death''
# ''The Bar Peaceful Murder''
# ''Doodle of Death''
# ''The Men Without Faces''
# ''Death of a Wax Doll''
# ''Cat and Mouse''
# ''Coroner's Inquest''
# ''The Not So Private Eye''
# ''Rehearsal for Murder''
# ''Prize Catch''
# ''The Case of the Heartbroken Men''
# ''The Third Room''
# ''The Pool of Death''
# ''Dead Secret''
# ''Case of the Canvas Shroud''
# ''A Frame for a Chair''
# ''The Winner was Death''
# ''Confidential Agent''

Third Season - ABC Network

# ''The Ten Dollar Bill''
# ''The Case of the Wise Man''
# ''Ready For Hanging''
# ''Legacy of Death''
# ''Buck Fever''
# ''Custom Made''
# ''The Case of the Two-Faced Man''
# ''A Touch of Death''
# ''A Close-Up of Murder''
# ''The Destructive Angel''
# ''The High Executioner''
# ''Companion to a Killer''
# ''Double Exposure''

Second TV series

ITC's series ''Mystery Is My Business'' (1954–56) starred Hugh Marlowe as Ellery (reprising his role from the radio series) but returned Florenz Ames to the role of Richard Queen. Guest stars included Elisha Cook Jr., Celia Lovsky

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