THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF THE POLITICIAN, THE LIGHTHOUSE, AND THE TRAINED CORMORANT THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES W JOHN STANLEY (1947)

🎙️ 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.