Fairley-bright Caper: The Adventures of Sam Spade (October 31, 1948)

“Fairley-bright Caper” is an episode of The Adventures of Sam Spade, the old-time radio show, first broadcast October 31, 1948. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Detective Sam Spade is hired by Hillary Bright to pose as an uninvited guest at his niece Wilma's engagement party—a Halloween masquerade featuring authentic criminal and character types. When Wilma is found shot dead at the edge of the woods, Spade must untangle a mystery involving a murdered gun, a jewel-embedded bullet, and a killer with a surprising motive tied to the family's finances.

The Fairley estate in California during a Halloween engagement party and the investigation that follows

Characters: Sam Spade, Hillary Bright, Wilma Fairley, Mrs. Fairley (Ophelia), Langdon, Ralph Crann, Chief of Police, the Witch

Listen for: The witch's memorable appearance and dialogue; the clever forensic details involving the jewel bullet and its purpose; Sam Spade's deductions from footprints and burned phone books; the surprising reveal of the killer's identity and motive involving embezzlement and guardianship.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.