I have to begin by talking about Anthony Boucher and Denis Green. These two had been the chief writers on Mutual's The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes since 1944, which was sponsored by Petri Wines and starred Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. In the spring of 1946, Rathbone and Bruce bid the Holmes series adeus for good. In their final episode ("The Singular Affair Of The Baconian Cipher"), Gregory Hood dropped in during the outro so that his old friend Dr. Watson could invite listeners to hear his debut episode (television would later codify this sort of spin-off). The Casebook of Gregory Hood was produced as a summer replacement for Sherlock Holmes, which did return in the fall with Boucher and Green still the series' principal writers (but with a new Holmes and Watson).
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, therefore, can be seen as an attempt by Boucher and Green to see if they could succeed without the names of Rathbone, Bruce, Holmes or Watson! The format of the show was very much like Boucher and Green's Sherlock Holmes. Petri Wines pitchman Harry Bartell would venture into the company of Gregory Hood (and/or his lawyer friend Sanderson Taylor) and after some playful banter about Petri Wines, they would tell Bartell the story of one of their adventures.
Although many of the mystery plots presented on Gregory Hood could have been featured on Sherlock Holmes, there are certain differences. The biggest is the setting - not only is it in the USA rather than the UK, but in the specific locale of San Francisco. It seems Boucher lived in San Francisco and he put in a lot of effort to include actual city landmarks and descriptions. Although I've only visited San Francisco once myself, I appreciate all the colourful details the setting adds - too often the radio program version of London can feel like a storybook-land, so the grounded setting sets it apart from Sherlock Holmes.
The lead character, Gregory Hood, was the owner of an export company. Although only an amateur sleuth, many of his cases would begin because Hood was involved in some valuable item which had just arrived in San Francisco. Unlike Holmes, Hood could fall for beautiful women (also, he had a real job). Just as Holmes had Watson, Hood was accompanied by his lawyer, Sanderson Taylor. Taylor's expertise in the law actually was helpful from time to time.
Unlike the Sherlock Holmes stories set in the past, Gregory Hood was set in contemporary times, which also made an impact on the program. During the Petri Wine days, the advertisements with Harry Bartell would sometimes be referenced in the body of the radio play. The lightness of the series can be heard in programs such as "South of the Border", an episode in which Hood is mistaken for a nobleman and caught up in foreign intrigue. At first, the episode sounds like a Prisoner of Zenda rip-off, but in the climax it turns out Hood's entire ordeal was just a practical joke played on him by "the great mystery writer" dubbed "Antonio"! (re: Anthony Boucher). "A fantastic plot. But you can tell Antonio that he overdid it," says Hood.
Initially, Gregory Hood was played by Gale Gordon. Gordon is best known as a comedic actor on programs like Our Miss Brooks but this role actually suited him fairly well - Gregory Hood wasn't stolid and stuffy like Sherlock Holmes, but he was a cultured and urbane man. Gordon had the perfect "cultured" voice that made his character sound very intelligent, but also wry and witty. The first 10 episodes of Gregory Hood still exist and they all star Gordon. For my money, he was the best Gregory Hood.
Elliott Lewis followed Gordon, but I don't find his performance very memorable. Lewis was a terrific actor with a lot of range, but his Gregory Hood doesn't sound much different than a stock character he'd played on Suspense. Five of Elliott Lewis' episodes of Gregory Hood still exist. After Lewis came Jackson Beck. I find Beck was best as a character player, not in a leading role. He tended to appear in shows with lower budgets and certainly, Gregory Hood was not an expensive show; by the time Beck arrived, Boucher and Green were gone. Only one of Jackson Beck's episodes of Gregory Hood still exist.
Sanderson Taylor's role was constantly changed. It was Bill Johnstone in the first episode, which I was pleased to hear, but although Johnstone continued to appear as supporting characters on the program he didn't return as Sanderson. The most prolific Sanderson was Howard McNear, who played opposite Elliott Lewis' Hood.
The best episode of The Casebook of Gregory Hood is almost definitely "The Adventure of the White Masters" (November 5, 1946), in which Hood investigates an American neo-Nazi group. It's sadly still a very timely topic but it's very interesting to hear fiction with neo-Nazis as the villains just a year after World War II! The mystery is a bit obvious but it does play fair with its clues.
I checked out the series because of Anthony Boucher. He was a fun writer, responsible for amusing tales like The Compleat Werewolf. I don't think his radio writing is anywhere near as good as his print but The Casebook of Gregory Hood was quite good fun.
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