THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF THE POLITICIAN, THE LIGHTHOUSE, AND THE TRAINED CORMORANT THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES W JOHN STANLEY (1947)
1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan DoyleShow Notes
🎙️ THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES ⭐ "THE AFFAIR OF THE POLITICIAN" Starring John Stanley as Sherlock Holmes and Alfred Shirley as Dr. Watson Mutual Broadcasting System (New York)
📅 Broadcast Date October 12, 1947 This was the third episode of the newly relaunched Stanley/Shirley season.
✍️ Writer As with most episodes in the 1947–49 run, the script is attributed to the writing rotation of: Dennis Green & Anthony Boucher
(Occasionally) Dennis Green & Leslie Charteris
No surviving documentation credits a specific writer for this episode, but based on era‑wide production records, Green & Boucher are the most likely authors. (This is an inference based on the documented writing teams for the season.)
🎭 Cast John Stanley — Sherlock Holmes
Alfred Shirley — Dr. John H. Watson
Harry Bartell — Announcer
Dean Fosler — Music Director
Supporting cast: rotating New York radio actors (uncredited)
📘 Episode Summary (Show Notes for 1001 Sherlock Holmes) A rising British statesman — respected, influential, and poised for higher office — finds himself entangled in a scandal that threatens to destroy his career. A mysterious letter, a compromising situation, and a sudden disappearance lead the politician to seek the help of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes and Watson quickly discover that: The "scandal" appears manufactured, not accidental
A forged document is circulating among the politician's rivals
A shadowy figure is orchestrating events from behind the scenes
And the politician's closest associates may not be as loyal as they seem
Holmes suspects a political frame‑up, designed to ruin the man's reputation and block a major parliamentary initiative. The clues point toward: A secret meeting in a fog‑shrouded warehouse
A bribery scheme involving a foreign agent
And a carefully timed plot meant to erupt just before a crucial vote
The investigation culminates in a tense confrontation where Holmes exposes the mastermind — a political rival who engineered the entire affair to seize power. The truth clears the politician's name and restores his standing, while Watson provides the moral reflection that closes the episode. This story blends classic Holmesian deduction with the intrigue of post‑war British politics, making it one of the more atmospheric entries in the early Stanley/Shirley run.
📝 Production Notes & Commentary This episode continues the newly retooled New York production style, emphasizing sharper pacing and more theatrical dialogue.
Stanley's Holmes is crisp and authoritative, echoing Rathbone but with a slightly more cerebral tone.
Shirley's Watson is warm, articulate, and less comedic than Nigel Bruce, giving the series a more literary flavor.
The plot reflects the era's fascination with political corruption and espionage, themes common in late‑1940s radio drama.
Strong use of music cues and scene transitions heightens the tension, especially in the warehouse confrontation.
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Arthur Conan Doyle was asked by the Strand Magazine to come up with his 12 favorite Sherlock Holmes adventures as part of a contest held by Stand Magazine in which the readers were asked to list their 12 favorites and the person closest ton Doyle's picks would win an autographed copy of the still-to-be-released 'Casebook of Sherlock Holmes'. That final book contained another group of great Holmes adventures, prompting another journalist to ask Doyle for some additional favorites. ACD added another 7, giving us 19. we begin with The Adventure of Silver Blaze, which didn't make the top 12 because Doyle had been challenged by a reader who believed his theory of the bicycle was "off track"- and it was. But Doyle really was proud of that story and placed in as his #13th favorite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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