form y separately published work icon The Russian Poker Murder single work   radio play   crime  
Note: Probably Ron Ingleby, but unconfirmed.
Issue Details: First known date: 1950... 1950 The Russian Poker Murder
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'RUSSIAN POKER is played by two men with a revolver. A bullet is placed in the gun cylinder, which is twisted. The next step is to cut a pack of cards. The man drawing the higher card gets his choice. Usually he lets the other fellow test the law of averages first.

'When two men, Holden and Pricey quarrelled in a club over a business they agreed to settle their differences, with a side-bet of £25,000 each, by Russian poker. Holden is killed. Price arrested and subsequently released, for it appeared obvious that Holden died of his own hand.

'With a woman’s intuition, Elaine, his daughter, is sure it was murder, and engages Larry Kent, the crime investigator, to prove it.

'It is at first a hopeless task. However, Kent’s enquiries show that as an officer in World War I Price quit after ordering his men to take a certain objective. Kent found out also that Price was a notorious card cheat, and was, as well, very clever at sleight-of-hand tricks, which is, nevertheless, hardly enough to substantiate a murder charge.

'A cleverly planned trap is prepared—as Kent puts it, “a rat-trap, and £50,000 is a lot of cheese.” But before the trap is sprung Elaine and Kent themselves are nearly murdered.'

Source: 'Commercial Radio Plays for Next Week', ABC Weekly, 24 June 1950, p.27.

Production Details

  • Broadcast on 2UE on Wednesday 28 June 1950, from 8:30pm.

    Cast: Ken Wayne (Larry Kent), with Guy Doleman, Madi Hedd, Edward Smith, Jack Raine, Ossie Wenban, and Ben Gabriel.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Sydney, New South Wales,: 2UE , 1950 .
      Series: form y separately published work icon I Hate Crime Larry Kent : I Hate Crime; Rola Show : Larry Kent Ron Ingleby , Sydney : Macquarie Network Radio 2UE Sydney Ltd , Z1750974 1949 series - publisher radio play detective

      'Larry Kent is a crime investigator. As a newspaperman in New York, he becomes interested in crime detection and sets up in business in Australia. He has a nose for danger and a habit of playing hunches. A light touch to offset the serious theme of the plays is his eye for a pretty figure, and a favourite occupation of, as he puts it, "Watching the blondes go by" (Australian Radio Series 1930s - 1970s, p.99)

Last amended 15 Jul 2020 10:37:46
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