Radio Recap: Murder Clinic

Murder Clinic is a show I had heard of but never actually sat down and listened to. When I finally became curious enough to look into the series I was surprised to learn there were only six episodes still known to exist from its one-year run.

Murder Clinic launched on Mutual in 1942 at the same time as Suspense. In fact, the series somewhat resembles that first year of Suspense, when the series would adapt famous detective stories by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, John Dickson Carr and T. S. Stribling. Perhaps that has something to do with why Murder Clinic only managed to secure one year - Suspense was doing the same thing, but with a bigger budget.

Murder Clinic only suffers a little from its lower budget. For a Mutual series, it's actually pretty well put together with large rotating casts. The gimmick of featuring a different famous detective hero adaptation each week is an interesting one. If only the whole series were still available it would be an interesting tour of what detective fiction of the mid-20th century was like. As it is, here's what remains:

• August 11, 1942: Dr. Henry Poggioli in "The Governor of Cap Haitien" by T. S. Stribling
• August 18, 1942: Max Carrados in "The Holloway Flat Tragedy" by Ernest Bramah
• September 22, 1942: Rosika Storey in "The Scrap of Lace" by Hulbert Footner
• September 29, 1942: Sir Henry M. Merrivale in "Death in the Dressing Room" by John Dickson Carr
• October 6, 1942: Hercule Poirot in "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor" by Agatha Christie
• October 13, 1942: Police Deputy Parr in "Gulf Stream Green" by Frederick Irving Anderson

I've complained a few times on this blog about John Dickson Carr's writing, especially what was presented on Suspense in 1942-1943. To my amazement, I don't hate the surviving Carr episode! Actually, it's a pretty good piece of detective fiction which plays fair with the audience and doesn't talk down to them (usually my problem with Carr). If only his Suspense writing had hit that note!

I also have to single out the Dr. Poggioli story. The Poggioli story "A Passage to Benares" on Suspense was the subject of my most popular blog post on old-time radio. The adaptation of "The Governor of Cap Hatien" is another great Poggioli yarn (also collected in Clues of the Caribees with "A Passage to Benares"). It involves a bit of voodoo and, as per usual, Poggioli makes some brilliant deductions but is a little slow at implementing them!

I should also say that the Poirot adaptation is good; living in a post-David Suchet world it is difficult to accept any other performer in that role, but it's done very well.

If you enjoy detective fiction (especially by any of those six authors), it's definitely of interest to you. More about Murder Clinic can be gleaned from the page at the Digital Deli.