On its own merits, The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe has a lot going for it, and Rex Stout himself was happy with how it came out. The mysteries are simple, and not exactly easy to follow in some cases - kinda like Stout's original stories, from what I've read so far - although a couple of episodes kept me guessing. The main attraction is the character interaction and snarky banter, which this show will give you in spades. It also benefits from a strong cast, Greenstreet being the standout, of course. Several different actors play the role of Archie Goodwin, and I don't have a favorite among them - they're all good in the role. As a fan of the Shadow radio series, it was cool to hear Bill Johnston, who took over for Orson Welles in the titular role, as a regular cast member. He rotated through various parts throughout the series - sometimes he was Cramer, sometimes the killer, and on one occasion, a terrified witness who may or may not have been intended as a racial stereotype. (You may commence cringing.) Aside from the hokey closing music, the worst thing I can say about The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe is that it didn't last longer. It only aired for a single season of 26 episodes (one of which has been lost). However, given the show's emphasis on character interaction and snark, much like Stout's original stories, they're enjoyable to listen to again even if you remember who the culprit is.
One of the most literal examples of the armchair detective trope comes to life in a classic old time radio series. Nero Wolfe was the brainchild of Indiana-born Rex Stout (1886 - 1975), a teacher's son who was encouraged to read from an early age. After a stint in the United States Navy (including a stint as a yeoman on President Theodore Roosevelt's yacht), Stout worked a series of jobs before trying his hand at writing. Among his early works were not only short stories and poems, but the development of a school banking system that was widely used. Initially writing stories for pay, he took a hiatus until he'd made himself financially comfortable. Unfortunately, after he'd finally decided to take up writing again, most of his savings disappeared during the Great Depression. Still, he continued to make a go at writing, and published his first novel, Like a God, in 1929. Next came The President Vanishes (1934), one of the earliest political thrillers, although published anonymously. Stout had already written his first Nero Wolfe novel, Fer-de-Lance, before he'd written The President Vanishes, but the latter ended up published first. Over the next forty years, Stout would write a total of 33 full-length novels and approximately 40 novellas about Wolfe. Fun fact - in the original Ian Fleming novels, James Bond mentions that he's a fan of the Nero Wolfe books. In fact, it's largely due to that mention that I decided to check out the books for myself, and then the radio series. Like many literary detectives, Wolfe's past is somewhat murky, although a few details came out over the years. Born in Montenegro, Wolfe had an adventurous youth, including a gig as a spy during World War I. These days, Wolfe secludes himself in a luxurious New York brownstone, content to spend his strictly-regimented days eating gourmet meals, drinking beer, reading books, tending to his vast collection of orchids, and physically exerting himself as little as possible. However, to maintain his expensive lifestyle, he reluctantly sells his services as a detective, and his fees are pretty hefty. Wolfe's defining trait as a detective is his ability to piece together a mystery without ever having to leave the comfort of his home - and any time he does have to leave his brownstone is a significant "out of character is serious business" moment. Wolfe and his supporting cast never aged throughout the series, even though each story took place in the year it was written and published, on the grounds of "eh, screw it" on Stout's part. However, solving a case still requires information, from viewing crime scenes to interviewing persons of interest, and that's where Archie Goodwin comes into the picture. As Wolfe's live-in assistant. Goodwin is not only responsible for maintaining Wolfe's financial affairs, but doing all the legwork and collecting facts for Wolfe to piece together. While Wolfe is notoriously dismissive of women, seemingly because of an unpleasant incident in his younger days, Goodwin openly flirts with every pretty woman he comes across. He's also the narrator of both the books and the radio shows, following in the footsteps of Dr. Watson and Captain Hastings. Unlike them, however, Goodwin is more than happy to lob some snark at Wolfe and his methods, often directly to Wolfe's face, and won't hesitate to call him out if his boss's jerkassery crosses a line. Nevertheless, there's a strange but close friendship between the two which many consider the highlight of the series, which emphasized characterization over plot. Internet reviewer Dr. Hermes, who specializes in reviewing pulps and mystery novels, believes the appeal of the Nero Wolfe stories is how Wolfe and Goodwin represent two different generations of literary detectives - Wolfe as the eccentric consulting detective, similar to Holmes and Poirot, while Goodwin has more in common with the likes of Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade. Like other literary detectives, Wolfe made his way to multiple other mediums, with mixed success. In the 1930s, Columbia released Meet Nero Wolfe (1934) and The League of Frightened Men (1937) as B-movies, based on the first two Wolfe books. Fans were disappointed with the results, as was Stout himself, who declined to allow any more Wolfe films after those two. Two radio series preceded the ones I'm reviewing today, the second of which starred Francis X. Bushman as Wolfe. Unfortunately, all but one episode from each series has been lost. A fourth was produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Company in 1982. In 1959, CBS produced a pilot for a planned TV series, which would have co-starred William Shatner as Archie Goodwin, but they ultimately bailed on the project. The most well-known adaptation is most likely the AMC series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001-2002), starring Maury Chaykin and Timothy Hutton as Wolfe and Goodwin. A Nero Wolfe Mystery was not only renowned for its adherence to the original stories, but also its production values and use of a core cast of actors who rotated roles from episode to episode - the actor who played a victim in one episode could be the killer in the next. Despite its rating success and glowing reviews, it was an expensive show to produce and eventually cancelled. I'd be very interested to see a Nero Wolfe series set in modern times - I can only imagine what he'd be like with internet access at his disposal. (Although I can't see him using it for ordering delivery food, given how particular he is about meal preparation.) The star of The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe was Sydney Greenstreet (1879 - 1954), one of classic Hollywood's more recognizable faces and voices. Born in Kent, England, Greenstreet came from a working class background and broke into acting in his late teens to escape the drudgery of his day job managing a brewery. He made his British stage debut as the villain in a theatrical adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story, and he transitioned to the New York stage three years later. Greenstreet worked extensively in the theater in both countries, resisting multiple film offers until he was 61. The Maltese Falcon (1941), starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor, was Greenstreet's first on-screen performance (not to mention John Huston's first time in the director's chair), and it earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Greenstreet's film career was short, ending in 1949, but not before making appearances alongside some of Hollywood's top talent in such notable films as They Died With Their Boots On (1941), Casablanca (1942), and Passage to Marseilles (1944) - a pretty impressive resume. The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe was one of his last acting gigs before his death in 1954. Casablanca (1942) The radio show is pretty simple in its format. Many episodes begin with a phone ringing, with an announcer informing us that "the ringing of that phone means mystery, adventure!" Goodwin picks up the phone, exchanges words with a prospective client, and then the opening music and narration kick in. Each half-hour episode is a standalone, with no prior knowledge of the characters required (although it doesn't hurt). Goodwin does the legwork and the flirting with the ladies, and Wolfe wraps up the entire mystery in less than half an hour - usually in spite of Inspector Cramer, who can either be a help or hindrance, depending on the circumstances. At the end of the episode, Wolfe explains how he has solved the crime, sometimes joking at Goodwin's expense, right before enjoying a bottle of beer with a satisfied sigh. Cue the end music. As an adaptation of Stout's characters, The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe is pretty spot-on, which isn't always guaranteed when it came to radio adaptations. Wolfe's mannerisms, from his dismissive "Pfui" to his few passions, are all retained from the books, the only tweak to his personality being a somewhat sardonic sense of humor and tendency to occasionally snark at Goodwin's expense. Inspector Cramer, Wolfe's rueful ally on the police force, also retains his hostile relationship with Wolfe and Goodwin, the latter's saracsm never failing to rile Cramer up. While Fritz, Wolfe's live-in chef, never makes an appearance in the radio series, he's mentioned occasionally. So if you're familiar with the characters from other mediums, they're easily recognizable here. On its own merits, The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe has a lot going for it, and Rex Stout himself was happy with how it came out. The mysteries are simple, and not exactly easy to follow in some cases - kinda like Stout's original stories, from what I've read so far - although a couple of episodes kept me guessing. The main attraction is the character interaction and snarky banter, which this show will give you in spades. It also benefits from a strong cast, Greenstreet being the standout, of course. Several different actors play the role of Archie Goodwin, and I don't have a favorite among them - they're all good in the role. As a fan of the Shadow radio series, it was cool to hear Bill Johnston, who took over for Orson Welles in the titular role, as a regular cast member. He rotated through various parts throughout the series - sometimes he was Cramer, sometimes the killer, and on one occasion, a terrified witness who may or may not have been intended as a racial stereotype. (You may commence cringing.) Aside from the hokey closing music, the worst thing I can say about The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe is that it didn't last longer. It only aired for a single season of 26 episodes (one of which has been lost). However, given the show's emphasis on character interaction and snark, much like Stout's original stories, they're enjoyable to listen to again even if you remember who the culprit is. Whether you're an old time radio fan or not, The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe is a fun series to listen to and a good way to kill time during, say, a half-hour work commute. The series available for purchase from Radio Spirits, either as CDs you can rip or in .mp3 format that you can download directly from their site. Give it a listen and judge for yourselves.
2 Comments
11/22/2019 05:46:35 am
It was a good full coverage of Wolfe except I was disappointed you didn’t find Wolfe’s obsession with orchids important enough to include.
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Ian Nathaniel Cohen
11/22/2019 08:28:31 am
I'd included it - "These days, Wolfe secludes himself in a luxurious New York brownstone, content to spend his strictly-regimented days eating gourmet meals, drinking beer, reading books, tending to his vast collection of orchids, and physically exerting himself as little as possible."
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