The Adventures of Ellery Queen (1950–1956) User Reviews

This is a GOOD Series, OK!!!

[Glen_and_Glenda · 8/10 · 9 June 2009]

This is a good series that aired on the DuMont Television Network, which ceased broadcasting in 1956 because NBC, CBS and Paramount Pictures decided to do a little corporate sabotage. It also aired for a while on the ABC Television Network. This series was a good old-fashioned detective series, with each episode being like a mini B-Movie, which is always a good thing. For the record, I happen to LIKE the use of electric organ music in this series. The acting is good, and set design competent and the scripts very well written. Sadly only a few episodes still exist, probably because DuMont's archive was dumped into Upper New York bay in the 1970's (whose dumb idea was that, anyway?). This series is public domain and can be viewed online.

"I was just riding home in my Kaiser Fraser"!!!

[kidboots · 7/10 · 20 March 2013]

Richard Hart was a promising stage actor who was given an MGM contract with disastrous results. It seemed that whatever movie he was cast in (and he only made 4) flopped and critics dismissed him as an imitation Laurence Olivier. Eager to return to the stage, it appeared that just when he was getting back into the swing of things he died of a heart attack at only 35. Early television drama in New York gave plenty of work to experienced actors and Hart happened to be the first actor to play Ellery Queen on television.

The episode I saw "The Hanging Acrobat" was presented by Kaiser Fraser, a new automobile created after the war that was successful - if only for a few years. To me, obviously not the original music, couldn't you just hear the sponsor reading the titles (in your imagination)!! Ellery pops into a local carnival and into a murder involving a young high wire acrobat, Amy Muller. Of course, everyone's a suspect - Tex, a young roustabout who is very friendly with Amy, the circus owner who has fists like iron, even Louise who is very eager to find the killer. The real killer is flushed out by Queen but not before he spends at least 10 minutes trying to extricate himself from ropes!!

I thought the music was okay, anyway how could you strive for authenticity when Richard Hart had to put in a plug for the sponsor when he was introducing the episode - "I was just riding home in my Kaiser Fraser when I came across the circus"!!!!

Ellery Queen by name only

[jwpeel-1 · 5/10 · 19 September 2009]

Let's first put aside the budgetary restraints of television in its infancy for a moment and focus on story instead. Granted, I have only seen one episode of the 1950s Ellery Queen series. The story itself is more than adequate, but hardly the hero of Frederick Dannay and Manfred Lee's creation, Without the complete cast of characters, and the novelty of letting the viewer decide who the killer was, this is at best a curio of early television before it found its own way. Even the two creators of Ellery Queen and his father the Inspector didn't truly see their creations come to life until the Jim Hutton/David Wayne series of the 1970s. Still, it was interesting to see a curio of the days of TV before I came into the world. And it is fascinating to read about how the demise of Dumont television came about.

Low, LOW Budget early TV

[bux · 2 May 2009]

Yeah, this was REAL low budget stuff. The entire musical score was some apprentice on a Hammond Organ. The sets were made of cardboard and the acting was just as stiff. Watching this gives you a chance to see just how desperate the post-war generation was for at-home entertainment. the best part of the episodes I saw were the Kaiser-Frazier auto commercials. I guess I'll add this so the school-marms at this site will give me credit for 10 lines. Have I made it yet? No, not yet. So let's try a few more words here. There, I think that does it. No? Maybe this will be enough. Good lord, how many more words do these folks want? Someone needs to send them to effective writing classes.