The portrayals were given a certain degree of authenticity since Ames was familiar with his role and both Charlotte Keane and Hugh Marlowe had played their role on radio. Furthermore both actors came physically close to the image of the characters described in the books. The production values of this syndicated version were nil and the storylines poor. 32 episodes were filmed. In 1954 actor John Ireland sued the Young and Rubicam Add agency for dropping him for the lead for this series. Ireland eventually received an out-of-court settlement. Supposedly this proofed that actors who were labeled political nonconformist were banned from work.

Viewers and critics weren't mild for this series. As one critic put it: "Apart from that occasional touch and the fact that two of the characters bear the same names, there is no significant resemblance between the original stories and the TV series. They might as well build a situation comedy around the character named Hamlet and sit back and wait for the Shakespeare fans to crowd around." (Bob Blackburn - Ottowa Citizen, June 22. 1956)

Some of the music used was also heard on the TVs-series for The Adventures of Superman.

The title was changed to Mystery Is My Business when rerun in 1956.

In an interview in TV Guide in December 1954, Norman Pincus related "If you think watching 'Ellery' is hard on the nerves, you should try producing it."
Once the show was live. But after a warehouse fire destroyed the scenery and the leading lady lost her voice on the air and an actor walked into the payoff scene in squeaky shoes and the leading man dropped dead - the Pincus boys gave up. "From now on," Norman announced in a small and shaken voice, "we're gonna film this show!" (6)

Television Programs of America’s newest entry in the vidpix sweepstakes (and, incidentally, the first new series it’s bringing out other than the shooting of Edward Arnold as host of the “Your Star Showcase” series) shapes as good standard nighttime programming fare that should have little trouble finding sponsors on a regional and local level. The Ellery Queen tie-in makes the property a familiar one, and it’s well-timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the mysterioso books. A good production job and the multi - faceted cross plugging that it should evoke makes the series a good programming and sponsorship bet. There’s not likely to he anything spectacular about the series. Film caught showed close attention to production details, good acting and direction and a standard story that eschewed violence in favor of the trick solution. Hugh Marlowe and Florenz Ames are well cast as Queen and his inspector father; rest of the cast in segment caught is excellent and if thespian standard is maintained, series should be among the top on that score. Ditto direction of Harold Schuster. If there’s any complaint against the series, it’s going to be that it isn’t different enough from the rest of the mysterioso field. True enough, the type of crime portrayed and type of story line isn’t going to be too different, but the series has two distinct characters in Marlowe and Ames, and they should prove sufficient to give the series a stamp of individuality.  Chan.                                                                                                      (Variety, Wednesday April 21, 1954)

'ELLERY QUEEN' PROMOTION TELEVISION PROGRAMS of America, N. Y., is promoting its Ellery Queen film series by means of Ellery Queen paper-bound fiction books. Sealy Mattress Co., which sponsors the show in Baltimore and Washington, and the Lee Optical Co., advertiser in Dallas, have purchased 11,000 copies of the books for distribution to customers using Sealy's 200 retail outlets and Lee's three stores. Customers may select one of 20 different "Queen" books, which contain a letter inviting the recipient to view the series and giving appropriate information as to time, day and station.
                                             (Broadcasting, November 1. 1954)

The list of episodes with description and the first New York telecast date (followed by the production order §).

"Stranger in the Dark"
10/02/55 (§27)
Other airdates: Dec 11, 1954 and Jan 6. 1955 (9)
based on an episode of ABC's tv-series The Adventures of Ellery Queen "A Touch of Death" 10/22/52
Scripted by Betty Loring &  Jerry Sackheim
Director: Harold Schuster

A blind girl returns to her apartment too late to prevent her  roommate's murder but in time to brush her hand against the fleeing killer's face. Ellery devises a plan to bring the face and the hand together again.

ADVENTURES OF ELLERY QUEEN, "Stranger in the Dark."   WPIX, New York. 1/2 Hour. 9 P.M., EDT, October 2, 1955. On Film. For Carter Drugs.

In the person of Hugh Marlowe, Ellery Queen comes to Television, and is plausible and effective. The subject is entertaining of its detective story genre. The story concerns the blind girl whose roommate is killed by an insane local delivery boy who is "recognized" escaping by the blind girl's hands on his face. His efforts to murder the blind girl are scotched just in time, of course, by Ellery, but it makes for a taut, well-told tale, made more effective by virtue of good performances. Television Productions of America produced.
                             (Motion Picture Daily, October 10, 1955)

"A Letter from the Dead"
01/22/56 (§9)
Other airdates: Mar 28. 1956 (9)

An accountant for a racketeer decides to leave the gang and live on money he would obtain through blackmail. It is a race for time as Ellery Queen, in his attempt to break up the racketeering syndicate, ties to get evidence from the accountant before a violent death protects the criminals from detection.

Last updated December 19. 2023