THE CASE OF THE MISSING HEIRESS STARRING JOHN STANLEY AS SHERLOCK HOLMES
1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan DoyleShow Notes
🎙️ THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES ⭐ "THE CASE OF THE MISSING HEIRESS" Starring John Stanley as Sherlock Holmes and Alfred Shirley as Dr. Watson (Mutual Broadcasting System)
📅 Broadcast Date October 5, 1947 This was Episode #2 of the newly relaunched New York–based Stanley/Shirley era, which began on September 28, 1947.
✍️ Writer The episode is part of the 1947–1949 run, during which scripts were written or adapted by Dennis Green & Anthony Boucher, or Green & Leslie Charteris. Episodes in this era followed the post‑Meiser writing rotation described in the archival notes. (No source provides a writer credit for this specific episode, but based on the documented writing teams for 1943–1950, the script is almost certainly by Green & Boucher — the dominant writers for the Stanley/Shirley seasons. This is an inference based on era-wide documentation.)
🎭 Cast John Stanley — Sherlock Holmes
Alfred Shirley — Dr. John H. Watson
Harry Bartell — Announcer (typical for this period)
Dean Fosler — Music Director (standard for 1947–48 run)
Supporting cast: rotating New York radio actors (not individually credited in available sources)
📘 Episode Summary (Show Notes for 1001 Sherlock Holmes) A young woman of wealth and social prominence — the heiress in question — vanishes under circumstances that suggest far more than a simple disappearance. Her family, terrified of scandal and convinced foul play is involved, turns to Sherlock Holmes for help. Holmes and Watson soon discover: A forged letter implying the heiress left voluntarily
A mysterious suitor whose identity does not withstand scrutiny
A family retainer who knows more than he admits
And a trail of clues leading from London's fashionable drawing rooms to its shadowed back alleys
Holmes quickly senses that the disappearance is staged — but by whom, and for what purpose, becomes the heart of the mystery. As the investigation deepens, Holmes uncovers: A fraudulent inheritance scheme
A hidden criminal partnership
And a dangerous plot to eliminate the heiress permanently once her fortune is secured
The climax features Holmes confronting the conspirators in a tense showdown, revealing the elaborate deception and rescuing the young woman just as the villains prepare to flee England. The episode showcases: Stanley's crisp, Rathbone‑like delivery
Shirley's warm, slightly bemused Watson
And the New York production's signature atmospheric sound design
📝 Production Notes & Commentary This episode marks the second broadcast of the Stanley/Shirley era, which shifted the series from Hollywood to New York and introduced a more polished, theatrical style.
John Stanley's performance is notable for its precise diction and controlled intensity, reflecting his London stage background.
Alfred Shirley's Watson is gentler and more scholarly than Nigel Bruce's, giving the 1947–49 run a distinct tonal identity.
The plot follows the classic "Holmes vs. inheritance fraud" structure, echoing canonical stories such as The Solitary Cyclist and The Priory School, but with original twists typical of the Green/Boucher era.
The episode's pacing is brisk, with strong use of musical stings and scene transitions — hallmarks of the Mutual Broadcasting System's late‑1940s production style.
More from 1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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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1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle SHOW NOTES — "The Case of the Dog Who Changed His Mind" The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Original Broadcast: September 28, 1947 Written by: Anthony Boucher & Denis Green Starring: Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes) and Nigel Bruce (Dr. Watson) In this 1947 radio mystery from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Holmes and Watson are summoned to investigate the strange death of Lady Blenkinsop, an 89‑year‑old woman known for her zest for life and her refusal to surrender to age. Her sudden death — discovered behind a door bolted from the inside — immediately raises suspicion. Suicide is impossible. Murder seems impossible. And yet something is terribly wrong. When the door is broken down, Lady Blenkinsop is found lifeless, slumped near a glass of ancestral wine… and beside her sits Bobo, her spoiled but fiercely devoted little pug. The dog's reaction to the commotion — barking at some people, shrinking from others — catches Holmes's attention. Something about Bobo's behavior is off, and Holmes realizes that the dog's sudden shift in temperament is not just curious… it's the key to the entire locked‑room puzzle. As Holmes studies the crime scene, interviews the household, and observes Bobo's "change of mind," he uncovers a carefully engineered deception involving greed, manipulation, and a murderer who believed the perfect crime could be staged behind a bolted door. But Holmes, as always, sees what others overlook — and the dog who changed his mind becomes the witness who never speaks, yet tells the truth. This episode is a classic example of the Boucher & Green era: clever plotting, sharp dialogue, and the unmistakable chemistry of Rathbone and Bruce at the height of their radio careers.
1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle SHOW NOTES – A Study in Scarlet (Part 2, Chapters 6–7 – Conclusion) In today's episode, we reach the dramatic conclusion of A Study in Scarlet, the very first novel to introduce Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson to the world. These final chapters bring the story full circle, revealing the last pieces of the mystery that began in a deserted Brixton house and ultimately stretched across continents, motives, and years of hidden vengeance. Holmes's deductions are finally laid bare, Watson's narration brings the emotional weight of the case into focus, and we witness the moment when this unlikely pair — a brilliant consulting detective and a war‑wounded doctor — cement the partnership that would define detective fiction for generations. Published in 1887, A Study in Scarlet is the spark that launched the entire Holmes saga, and these closing chapters remind us why the world never looked back. As we wrap up this foundational adventure, we want to take a moment to highlight another epic tale unfolding across the 1001 Stories Network…
1001 SHERLOCK HOLMES STORIES & THE BEST OF SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE SHOW NOTES — A STUDY IN SCARLET (PART 2, CHAPTERS 4–5) In Part 2 of A Study in Scarlet, Conan Doyle shifts the narrative far from Baker Street and deep into the American West, revealing the dramatic backstory behind the murders that Sherlock Holmes has been investigating. These chapters — "A Flight for Life" and "The Avenging Angels" — form the emotional and historical core of the novel, showing how a chain of events set in motion decades earlier finally reaches London with deadly consequences. ⭐ Chapter 4 — "A Flight for Life" This chapter follows John Ferrier and the young girl he rescued, Lucy, as they attempt to escape the tightening grip of the Mormon community that once sheltered them. Their flight across the desert becomes a desperate struggle for survival, with danger closing in from all sides. Conan Doyle paints a vivid picture of frontier hardship, religious extremism, and the courage of two people fighting for freedom against overwhelming odds. ⭐ Chapter 5 — "The Avenging Angels" Here we meet the feared enforcers of the Mormon hierarchy — the "Avenging Angels," a secretive group tasked with carrying out the community's harshest judgments. Their pursuit of Ferrier and Lucy sets the stage for the tragedy that will eventually ripple across continents and decades. These chapters reveal the motivations behind the London murders and the man who has waited a lifetime to settle a terrible score. This section of A Study in Scarlet is one of Conan Doyle's most ambitious narrative detours — a sweeping tale of love, oppression, escape, and vengeance that ultimately explains the mystery Holmes has been unraveling. It's a dramatic, atmospheric piece of storytelling that shows how the past can cast a long shadow over the present.