Ernest Dudley – författare

In Castlebay, North Wales, Dick Merrill is on trial, accused of murdering his wife by administering a lethal dose of arsenic. Merrill, good-looking and attractive, is fatally in love with Margot Stone, who''s herself already married. Philip Vane, a lawyer whose career was mysteriously ruined, finds himself similarly infatuated with Margot when he becomes personally involved in Merrill''s sensational murder trial. A shadowy figure, Vane''s participation in the trial is twisted and erratic--will the outcome be as unpredictable? A classic thrilling courtroom drama filled with unexpected twists and turns!

Ian Laking is pathologically jealous of his beautiful wife, and obsessed with murder. His only hope lies in being treated by Dr. Morelle, the well-known psychiatrist and criminologist. Laking suspects his business associate, Duke Fenton, of being his wife''s lover, and is plotting his revenge. Dr. Morelle and his secretary, Miss Frayle, become caught up in the ongoing drama of jealousy and revenge. When the plan fatally recoils upon Laking himself, will Dr. Morelle be able to unmask the murderer? Another spellbinding entry in this long-running British classic crime series!

In a wild, bleak corner of the Kent Coast, a derelict harbour rots beneath the tides. Here the "Doll," a film-struck waif, and her lover, ex-movie star Tod Hafferty, play out their final, tragic, ill-fated, real-life roles. Sudden death strikes the players more than once, ultimately involving a member of the local police force. Then, as Dr. Morelle finds himself enmeshed in a network of sex and murder, Miss Frayle''s anticipated quiet weekend results in her being drawn into a climactic twist. Can Dr. Morelle find a way to unmask the real killer? Another startling entry into this long-running British classic crime series!

A pretty girl and a drunken producer are involved in a dramatic motor accident on the road from Lyons to Paris -- a fruitful source for black­mail. The first sinister consequence occurs at a party where, among the actresses and producers, Dr. Morelle is present with his secretary. Miss Frayle. The famous criminologist finds himself plunged into one of the strangest cases of his career as he takes to the airwaves to unmask a murderer before he can kill again! A classic British mystery by the BBC''s "Armchair Detective."

Jimmy Strange is a mysterious young man who turns up when he is least expected. Whenever and wherever there is trouble, he appears from behind some dark corner. No one knows much about him, though he is always a gentleman. He is never short of money, but its source is unknown. One thing is certain -- he isn''t a crook. Yet they say he can break into a house with the best of them...but always in a good cause...

"What type of skulduggery is the Master Mind contemplating this time?" That is the question put to Jimmy Strange by his long-suffering girlfriend, Sandra.

But the answer always depends on which type of criminals Jimmy is pitting his wits against. Whether they are poisoners, gunmen, murderers, drug dealers, or jewel thieves, they are all operating, untouched, outside the law -- until Jimmy enters the scene. And he is not averse to using their own methods against them...

Haughty psychiatrist Dr. Morelle returns in "The Case of the Voice in the Night."

Crime-solving Dr. Morelle finds a new case at a nursing home. A classic British mystery from the author of The Armchair Detective.

Many are the tales of young men lying about their age to join the Army, yet Jack Evans sought far more at the age of just possibly just seventeen to act behind enemy lines as an agent of the Special Operations Executive.Evans had joined the RAF in 1940, despite being well under the legal age, and two years later was recruited into the SOE as a member of the Small Scale Raiding Force. Evans related his experiences with the SOE to author Ernest Dudley in the 1950s, in which he describes his training, including learning how to jump by parachute in preparation for an operation into France though he was withdrawn from the operation when his true age was disclosed. He then joined the SSRF, taking part in a number of raids upon Occupied France.Evans was then transferred to the Brandon Mission in Africa. This involved an eight-man team being parachuted into Tunisia to attack a railway line. In 1943 he was promoted to the rank of captain and parachuted into France, only to be captured by the Germans and imprisoned in Stalag Luft III for the remainder of the war.Evans suffered considerable mental trauma from his time behind enemy lines and his internment at the hands of the Germans and was unable to settle into normal civilian life. His astonishing story, written so soon after the end of the war, was considered in many respects to be ahead of its time.

Many are the tales of young men lying about their age to join the Army, yet Jack Evans sought far more at the age of just possibly just seventeen to act behind enemy lines as an agent of the Special Operations Executive.Evans had joined the RAF in 1940, despite being well under the legal age, and two years later was recruited into the SOE as a member of the Small Scale Raiding Force. Evans related his experiences with the SOE to author Ernest Dudley in the 1950s, in which he describes his training, including learning how to jump by parachute in preparation for an operation into France though he was withdrawn from the operation when his true age was disclosed. He then joined the SSRF, taking part in a number of raids upon Occupied France.Evans was then transferred to the Brandon Mission in Africa. This involved an eight-man team being parachuted into Tunisia to attack a railway line. In 1943 he was promoted to the rank of captain and parachuted into France, only to be captured by the Germans and imprisoned in Stalag Luft III for the remainder of the war.Evans suffered considerable mental trauma from his time behind enemy lines and his internment at the hands of the Germans and was unable to settle into normal civilian life. His astonishing story, written so soon after the end of the war, was considered in many respects to be ahead of its time.

Blurb

Leslie Phillips stars in this eight-part radio comedy thriller

Famous Mayfair hairdresser Hilaire knows all the secrets of feminine beauty. His VIP clients trust him implicitly and take him into their confidence, telling him things they wouldn’t dare tell their husbands or lovers. But unbeknownst to them, he leads a double life as a secret agent, working for London’s top man, Major Selby.

Sent to Hamburg on a mysterious mission to steal an important tape recording from an opera singer’s dressing room, Hilaire soon finds himself in a dangerous predicament. In the course of one eventful evening, he is arrested, confronted by a knife-wielding maniac and beguiled by an attractive blonde. And when the lovely Caresse ends up half-strangled in his sleeping compartment on the Nord Express, he realises his straightforward assignment has just turned deadly.

Who is the would-be killer on the train, and how is he connected to the mysterious ‘Josef’? What is the significance of the red carnation? And what part does Selby’s arch-rival, Lord Dulane, have to play in the affair? Hilaire must comb through the clues and tease out the truth – or it will be a case of hair today, gone tomorrow…

Written by Ernest Dudley, the creator of the popular radio crime series A Case for Dr Morelle, this fast-paced tale of murder, blackmail and wigs stars Leslie Phillips as Hilaire, with Irene Sutcliffe as Caresse and Simon Lack as Selby.

Cast and credits

Written by Ernest Dudley

Produced by Guy Vaesen

Hilaire – Leslie Phillips

Erich/Francois-Jules/Airport officer/Policeman/Newsreader/Detective Sergeant – Ian Thompson

Second detektiv/First night porter/Hotel receptionist – David Brierley

Selby – Simon Lack

Weber/Waiter/Stranger – Leroy Lingwood

Stage doorman/Taxi driver/Sleeping-car atttendant/Airport announcer/Judo instructor/Dining-car attendant/Second night porter – Michael Harbour

Brigit – Hilda Schroder

First detektiv/Barman – John Wyse

Caresse – Irene Sutcliffe

Nicolette – Ann Murray

Agent – James Beattie

Lady Dulane – Carol Marsh

Lord Dulane – Henderson Tate

First detective – Nigel Graham

Second detective – Malcolm Young

Hall porter – Graham Armitage

Driver – Ronald Herdman

Zoe Bellamy – Barbara Mitchell

Hotel detective – Denis McCarthy

Drunk – Ralph Truman

Detective Inspector – Geoffrey Wincott

First broadcast BBC Radio 2, 27 Nov – 21 Dec 1967

© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution

Seven instalments of the classic radio crime drama starring Cecil Parker, plus special documentary feature A Case for Dr Morelle. Dr Morelle uses psychological insight, criminology and dogged persistence to solve cases. Here he must deduce the answers to mysteries including a hotel death, a man tormented by nightmares, and deadly threats made to an elderly spinster. Created by Ernest Dudley as 'the man you love to hate', sarcastic, self-opinionated psychiatrist-sleuth Dr Morelle first appeared on the radio show Monday Night at Eight in 1942. He was one of the most memorable of the British radio detectives and thrilled millions week after week with his unique combination of arrogance and omniscience. First broadcast on BBC radio in 1957, and published here for the very first time, these seven episodes are Alarm Call; Confession of Guilt; Threat to Kill; The Sleepwalker; The Blackmailer; Voice in the Night and The Will. Also included is a 1999 BBC radio documentary, A Case for Dr Morelle, in which cultural historian and mystery aficionado Professor Jeffrey Richards examines the casebook of the Harley Street detective. Classic Radio Crime: presenting vintage detectives for your investigation!Duration: 4 hours approx