Nero Wolfe

• Title: A Nero Wolfe Mystery – Christmas Party
• IMDb: link

Today’s Throwback Thursday post takes us back to mid 20th Century New York and the private detective offices located at 454 W. 35th Street. Making terrific use of Francie Swift, who so perfectly fits the role as fatale in the show’s setting, “Christmas Party” is one of my favorite episodes of the series in which Archie (Timothy Hutton) is able to put one over on his boss and Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin) makes an out-of-character mistake that puts them both in the middle of a murder investigation. Invited to a Christmas party by his sometimes dancing partner Margot Dickey (Swift) who plans to use Archie (and the fake marriage licence he was able to procure) as a needed push to get her boss (Robert Bockstael) to marry her, Archie is front-and-center when their host drops dead of poison. So is Nero Wolfe, disguised as the party’s Santa Claus in order to get a good look at the woman Archie has informed his boss he plans to wed.

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• Title: A Nero Wolfe Mystery – Door to Death
• IMDb: link

Today’s Throwback Tuesday post takes us back to mid 20th Century New York and the private detective offices located at 454 W. 35th Street. “Door to Death” is an unusual episode as it features Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin) solving a crime outside of the home he is loathsome to ever leave. In need of a true orchid man, Wolfe and Archie (Timothy Hutton) set out on in the wee hours of the morning in harsh winter weather to secure the employment of Andy Krasicki (Nicholas Campbell) only to discover the gardener has gotten himself wrapped up in murder investigation as he is the prime suspect in the death of the woman he hoped to marry (Kristin Booth). Unwilling to get any assistance Lieutenant Noonan (Beau Starr) or the family whose estate the murder occurred on, Wolfe will go to great lengths to prove Krasicki innocence including sneaking back onto the property later that night with Archie and Sal (Conrad Dunn) and, at gunpoint and under threats of blackmail, forcing the truth out of the reluctant family.

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• Title: A Nero Wolfe Mystery – Disguise for Murder
• IMDb: link

Today’s Throwback Tuesday post takes us back to mid 20th Century New York and the private detective offices located at 454 W. 35th Street. During a reception for showing off his orchids, a potential client is killed in Nero Wolfe‘s (Maury Chaykin) study. A thief tied to an unsolved murder which has baffled the police, Cynthia Brown (Kathryn Zenna) pleads with Archie (Timothy Hutton) to see Wolfe. However, by the time the detective reaches his study the con woman has been strangled by a mystery man in a hat whose path she crossed during the reception. Suspects held for Inspector Kramer (Bill Smitrovich) to question include the dead woman’s brother (Nicholas Campbell), several older couples, and a psychiatrist (Richard Waugh), but the murderer’s identity proves to be none of the men on the guest list leaving the police vexed but Wolfe with a clever idea as how to smoke out the killer (whose identity only he has surmised from Archie’s recounting of his conversation with Cynthia Brown).

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• Title: A Nero Wolfe Mystery – Eeny, Meeny, Murder, Moe
• IMDb: link

Today’s Throwback Tuesday post takes us back to the mid 20th Century New York and the private detective offices located at 454 W. 35th Street. Murder under Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin)’s roof drags the detective into a high profile divorce case which otherwise Wolfe would never have undertaken. When a legal secretary (Christine Brubaker) is strangled in Wolfe’s study, with Wolfe’s own tie, while Archie (Timothy Hutton) attempts futilely to get his boss to leave the plant room to see the woman, Wolfe has no choice but to begin an investigation. Wolfe is then forced to explain to victim’s boss (George Plimpton) that she witnessed a member of the firm meeting with the opposing client Mrs. Rita Ramsey Sorrell (Kari Matchett) in public, a fact which led to her demise under Wolfe’s roof (something he cannot ignore).

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• Title: A Nero Wolfe Mystery – Prisoner’s Base
• IMDb: link

Today’s Throwback Tuesday post takes us back to the mid 20th Century New York and the private detective offices located at 454 W. 35th Street. “Prisoner’s Base” offers an unusual set-up as potential client, and the heir to a large fortune, refuses to give her name and attempts to buy a week under Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin)’s roof. Although Archie (Timothy Hutton) agrees to the absurd arrangement, Wofle cries phooey and prefers to take the money of the woman’s legal guarding offering several thousand dollars for her return. After being ousted from the brownstone (with a generous head start to find a new hiding place), Priscilla Eads (Shauna Black) dies that very night leaving Archie with a bruised ego and Wolfe with no paying client in sight (which doesn’t stop Archie from beginning his own investigation into the murder). Archie’s eventual arrest by an overzelous leaves Wolfe no choice but to take on Archie as a client.

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