Whitehall 1212 (1951-1952) was a weekly OTR dramatic murder-crime anthology series written by Wyliss Cooper. Each episode considered a crime from the point of view of the investigating police officers, beginning at the crime scene. Whitehall 1212 is significant because of its connection to Wyllis Cooper, a highly regarded radio writer and director noted for Lights Out (1934) and Quiet, Please! (1947-1948). Whitehall 1212 also took an intellectual approach to solving the mysteries of the crimes, rather than playing up their horrors, it used an all British cast, at Cooper's insistence, and maintained a consistent narrative point of view: that of the police investigating each crime.
Episodes
Totals
Total Episodes: 44
Surviving Episodes: 43 (Episode 02 not available) Inventory of episodes
Exemplary Episodes
The first three surviving and the last three episodes from the Whitehall 1212 series.
The Blitz Murder Case
Episode 01, 18 November 1951
A visit to the Black Museum and an exhibit of teacup fragments. A woman and her companion have been killed with a shotgun.
The Mrs. Noami Fornier Case
Episode 03, 2 December 1951
Mrs. Noami Fornier's body is found in an old trunk at the Charing Cross railroad station baggage claim. Who killed her?
The Murder of Duncan Frazier
Episode 04, 9 December 1951
Sidney Patterson's body has been found in a burning building. But, he was shot in the back! Mr. Patterson then turns out to be Duncan Frazier! The teeth tell the story.
The Case of the Winchester Bottles
Episode 42, 14 September 1952
A "Winchester bottle" is associated with the murder of a four year old girl. A set of mysterious fingerprints on the bottle cannot be identified. Scotland Yard decides to fingerprint the entire town of Blackbourne!
The Case of the Inoperative Wireless
Episode 43, 21 September 1952
A wireless set that was never intended to be operative is involved with the murder of a bartender by strychnine.
The Case of the Electric Torch
Episode 43, 21 September 1952
A drunkard has been killed, by a man in love with his wife. An electric torch makes an excellent weapon.
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Episode Inventory
Totals
Total Episodes: 44
Surviving Episodes: 43 (Episode 02 not available)
The Blitz Murder Case
Episode 01, 18 November 1951
A visit to the "Black Museum" and an exhibit of teacup fragments. A woman and her companion have been killed with a shotgun.
The Show Mission
Episode 02, 25 November 1951, not available
The Mrs. Noami Fornier Case
Episode 03, 2 December 1951
Mrs. Noami Fornier's body is found in an old trunk at the Charing Cross railroad station baggage claim. Who killed her?
The Murder of Duncan Frazier
Episode 04, 9 December 1951
Sidney Patterson's body has been found in a burning building. But, he was shot in the back! Mr. Patterson then turns out to be Duncan Frazier! The teeth tell the story.
The Man Who Murdered His Wife
Episode 05, 16 December 1951
Mrs. Hope Russell's body is found covered with quicklime. She seems to have been murdered by her husband . . . but she was actually killed by the Luftwaffe!
The Heathrow Affair
Episode 06, 23 December 1951
An intelligent criminal plans to rob Heathrow airport of a shipment of gold. Beware the poisoned tea!
Episode pre-empted
30 December 1951
The Murder of Charles Brooks
Episode 07, 6 January 1952
A "Chicago" gangster and his gun moll start a crime wave. A silver cigarette case leads to two murders.
Cashmere Is Murdered
Episode 08, 13 January 1952
A foreigner, Cashmere Casuba, is found shot to death in his car. Albert Stevens, a "copper's nark," is then found drowned and with a bullet through his heart.
The Case of Donald Simms
Episode 09, 20 January 1952
A brass cartridge case from a Browning automatic is the clue to the murder of a woman. Be on the lookout for "Poopsie."
The Murder of Little Philip Avery
Episode 10, 27 January 1952
An eleven-year old schoolboy named Phillip Avery has been murdered. The clues are an oil stained handkerchief and the torn corner of a one pound note.
The Peter Williams Case
Episode 11, 3 February 1952
A woman's murdered body is found, but she seems to be very much alive. Scotland Yard investigates the strange case of Jesse Williams. A killer is caught because of his poor spelling.
The Case of Arthur Freeman
Episode 12, 10 February 1952
A man with a moustache and black raincoat has robbed a jewelry shop and killed a woman while doing it!
The Case of the Late Mrs. Harvey
Episode 13, 17 February 1952
A blood stained pajama top and a suit of men's clothing are the artifacts remaining from the 1910 murder of Dr. Harvey's wife.
The Murder of Peter Amory
Episode 14, 24 February 1952
A blood-rusty knife is the souvenir of the 1922 murder of Peter Amory.
The Murder of Margery Ashley
Episode 15, 2 March 1952
The smudged fingerprint on a plain mirror leads to the apprehension of Marjorie Ashley, who was beaten after she was strangled. Was it Jack The Ripper in 1942?
The Case of Dr. Duncan Allen
Episode 16, 9 March 1952
A bottle of The Glenlivet is part of a case of stolen uranium!
The Case of Thomas Applebee
Episode 17, 16 March 1952
Thomas A'Becket Applebee has been murdered. His Wife Alma is arrested for the crime, but her young lover confesses to the crime.
The Case of the Black Gladstone Bag
Episode 18, 23 March 1952
A black Gladstone bag evidence from a 1924 murder. Stained with blood, the trail leads to a dismal cottage in Eastbourne and a dapper little salesman.
The Murder of a Bloody Belgian
Episode 19, 30 March 1952
A woman's earring earring, a headless woman's body, and a "bloody Belgian butcher" help solve a baffling case.
Episode pre-empted
6 April 1952
The Case of the Fatal Bath
Episode 20, 13 April 1952
A man's wife drowns in the bathtub, just as his previous wife had died, and just like his next wife is about to die!
The Case of Mrs. Minerva Bannerman
Episode 21, 20 April 1952
The handle of a woman's purse leads to the missing Mrs. Minerva Bannerman and a gory bath of acid.
The Case of Francesca Nicholson
Episode 22, 27 April 1952
A blood stained gray shirt leads to a filthy chicken farm and an apparent madman! Where did he bury the body of Francesca Nicholson?
The Case of William George Greenly
Episode 23, 4 May 1952
An auto's running board helps Scotland Yard solve a policeman's murder. William George Greenly was shot through both eyes!
The Case of Margery Tate
Episode 24, 11 May 1952
An artificial pearl helps Scotland Yard catch the murderer of Marjorie Tate, who was beaten to death in a hotel room.
The Case of Sidney Wolfe
Episode 25, 18 May 1952
A set of false teeth and a small bottle of petrol help Scotland Yard solve the murder of Sidney Wolfe's mother.
The Case of Maggie Ralenson
Episode 26, 25 June 1952
A doctor's instrument case and a pair of child's rompers help the Constabulary apprehend the fiend behind the packages of body parts found in Scotland.
The Case of Winfred Hog
Episode 27, 1 June 1952
Miss Winnifred Hogg has died and it appears that her landlord has acted suspiciously. The arsenic-soaked flypaper provides a much-needed clue.
The Case of the Strange Bonfire
Episode 28, 8 June 1952
A hatless man is seen running from a burning car, strangely close to Guy Fawkes' Day. Script available at Quietly Yours website.
The Case of the Homemade Handbag
Episode 29, 15 June 1952
A woman's dead body is found in the countryside, along with a most naive boy scout and photographer of birds. A yellow string reticule (a woman's handbag) provides a clue.
The Murder of Mrs. Ann Battersby
Episode 30, 22 June 1952
A drunkard is killed by a man in love with the alcoholic's wife. An electric torch makes an excellent weapon.
The Case of the Weed Eradication
Episode 31, 29 June 1952
Lots of arsenic has killed Mrs. Mildred Birdsong. A box of poisoned chocolates in Wales, and suspicion falls on an avid gardener who uses arsenic as a weed killer.
The Murder of Mr. Sweet
Episode 32, 6 July 1952
The holes in the body of a corpse look like they were made by bullets. But, in this case, the cause of death is a hammer.
The Case of the Ankush
Episode 33, 13 July 1952
An Indian is murdered at the zoo, with an ankush, an elephant hook.
The Case of the Unidentified Woman
Episode 34, 20 July 1952
A woman is struck by a motorcar. But, she isn't killed; she is seen getting into a green van . . . with a shoe painted on the side.
The Case of the Magenta Blotting Pad
Episode 35, 27 July 1952
A magenta colored blotting paper is involved with a murder in Oxford. A foreign gentleman's poor sister is killed.
The Murder of Nora Brady
Episode 36, 3 August 1952
A Wellington boot is the key to the murder of Nora Brady. This was the only time a person in Britain was tried twice for the same murder.
The Case of the Missing Clarinet
Episode 37, 10 August 1952
A clarinet leads Scotland Yard to the murderer of Rowena Hargate. A bottle of Booth's gin and a knife from a Greek restaurant helps the case.
The Case of Dugel Henry
Episode 38, 17 August 1952
A scarred cigarette case helps Scotland Yard solve the murder of Dugel Henry. A military man claims that a burglar committed the crime.
The Murder of Lady Madge Johnson
Episode 39, 24 August 1952
A blood-stained man's handkerchief helps Scotland Yard solve the murder of the well-known philanthropist, Lady Madge Johnson. Her dead body is found in her hotel room, with a box of currency.
The Case of the Madden Family
Episode 40, 31 August 1952
An inspector's badge is the souvenir of the murder of a child named Damon Madden. Failure to solve the case costs a Scotland Yard inspector his job.
The Case of the Eaton Brothers
Episode 41, 7 September 1952
A woman's body is found in a messy former wine shop. Marlene Corcoran's murderer confesses to a newspaper for five hundred pounds. The confession, however, written on the newspaper's stationery, is useless!
The Case of the Winchester Bottles
Episode 42, 14 September 1952
A "Winchester bottle" is associated with the murder of a four year old girl. A set of mysterious fingerprints on the bottle cannot be identified. Scotland Yard decides to fingerprint the entire town of Blackbourne!
The Case of the Inoperative Wireless
Episode 43, 21 September 1952
A wireless set that was never intended to be operative is involved with the murder of a bartender by strychnine.
The Case of the Electric Torch
Episode 44, 28 September 1952
A drunkard has been killed, by a man in love with his wife. An electric torch makes an excellent weapon.
Background
Whitehall 1212 was one of four radio drama series focused on a collection of crime and murder artifacts held at Scotland Yard, London, England. The collection began with The Prisoners Property Act of 1869. This act empowered Scotland Yard to retain or store items of prisoners' property for training purposes. In 1874, The Central Prisoners' Property Store was established to house these exhibits. Commissioner Sir Edmund Henderson, other government dignitaries, and a few newspaper reporters visited the Crime Museum, as it came to be called, at Scotland Yard in 1877. Allegedly, turned away from the visiting party, a reporter from The Observer coined the name, "The Black Museum." The name stuck.
The crime museum was used for training police officers. It was never opened to the public. This sense of mystery, along with the reputation of Scotland Yard, and its growing and meticulously cataloged collection of crime items, provided a source of inspiration for popular crime novels and pulp fiction worldwide. From the 1930s through the 1950s hundreds of Scotland Yard's cases were chronicled worldwide in popular crime novels and pulp fiction, as well as four radio series.
The Secrets of Scotland Yard
The first was Secrets of Scotland Yard, possibly produced by Harry Allen Towers, and distributed by his company, Towers of London. During World War II, Towers repackaged and distributed radio broadcasts via electrical transcriptions (ETs; record albums) to British military forces overseas. After the war, he developed a successful career as an independent radio, television, and film producer in London. Towers saw economic opportunities in a radio series focusing on the largely unknown crime museum collection. A syndicated (commercially sponsored) radio series, he reasoned, could give a hint of these secrets.
The Secrets of Scotland Yard was hosted and narrated by American actor Clive Brook. Percy Hoskins, a crime journalist for London's Daily Express consulted and is credited with writing most of the stories and scripts for the 110 episodes (72 survive). Hoskins later consulted with Wyliss Cooper, who wrote the Whitehall 1212 series for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in the United States (see below).
Distribution of Secrets of Scotland Yard was hampered by the state-owned British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) ban against commercial broadcasts throughout the British Empire. Towers turned to his network of ET pressing operations and broadcast outlets around the world as a way to distribute his program without violating BBC rules.
Episodes of Secrets of Scotland Yard were produced in 1947. As early as December 1948, they were broadcast by Lourenço Marques Radio (LM Radio), a "pirate" radio station located in the Portuguese colony of Mozambique. South Africa was the intended audience, and Secrets of Scotland Yard was introduced to English-speaking listeners over the next two years (if the entire series of 110 episodes was aired). LEARN more at The Definitive Secrets of Scotland Yard website.
The Black Museum
Towers began working on a second radio dramatic series, The Black Museum, in 1948-1949. For this series, Towers contracted Orson Welles, who was in Europe to escape a listless Hollywood career and studio interference. Towers wanted to make radio drama he could sell around the world. So, he contracted American radio actor and director Orson Welles. LEARN more.
The Black Museum directly competed with Tower's Secrets of Scotland Yard which had already covered most of Scotland Yard's most famous cases. This competition required a different approach. Welles' creative and acting abilities, along with dramatizations of morbid and gruesome cases, often told from the criminal's point of view, were designed to produce a sensational appeal for the series. This approach was successful and The Black Museum is much recommended over the competition.
As he had done with Secrets of Scotland Yard, Towers used broadcast outlets around the world as a way to distribute his program without violating BBC rules. Perhaps the earliest broadcast of The Black Museum was by Radio Luxembourg, a "pirate" radio station, beginning in May 1950. This provided exposure for the series in Europe and England.
Whitehall 1212
The third radio dramatic series focusing on The Black Museum was Whitehall 1212, written and directed by Wyllis Oswald Cooper (1899-1955) and broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) 8 November 1951-28 September 1952. Cooper was noted for Lights Out (1934) and Quiet, Please! (1947-1948). Percy Hoskins, a crime journalist for London's Daily Express consulted for the series. Each episode was a dramatization of a Scotland Yard case by an all British cast (at Cooper's insistence) and hosted by Chief Superintendent John Davidson, curator of the Black Museum.
The recurring cast included
Harvey Hayes
Patricia Courtleigh
Horace Braham
Winston Ross
Lester Fletcher
Fabian of The Yard
In 1952(?), episodes of Fabian of The Yard, were offered via South African syndication(?). This was the fourth radio drama series to focus on The Black Museum.