A Case for Dr Morelle cover art

A Case for Dr Morelle

Thirteen Full-Cast Vintage Crime Dramas

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

A Case for Dr Morelle

By: Ernest Dudley
Narrated by: full cast, Cecil Parker, Sheila Simms
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Thirteen classic crime dramas featuring Dr Morelle - 'the man you love to hate'!

Psychiatrist-Detective Dr Morelle is arrogant, sarcastic and rude - but when it comes to catching criminals, he is unparalleled. Using deduction, psychological profiling and his keen, analytical mind, he solves cases ranging from blackmail to murder, aided by his devoted and long-suffering secretary Miss Frayle.

Over the course of this series, he investigates the unexplained death of a wealthy French baroness, receives a visit from a man tormented by nightmares, probes the authenticity of a fabled gem and helps a young man in distress - and an old man in danger. Whether it's a terror campaign against a bride-to-be, death threats made to a temperamental film star, or a case of deadly experiments and thwarted love, no mystery is too baffling and no villain too cunning for the Harley Street sleuth.

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in 1957, these 13 detective dramas are collected together here for the first time. British film veteran Cecil Parker stars as Dr Morelle, with Sheila Sim as Miss Frayle.

Also included is a bonus documentary programme, The Radio Detectives: A Case for Dr Morelle, in which professor Jeffrey Richards delves into the casebook of the cantankerous criminal psychologist.

Please note: these episodes have been restored from the original 1957 recordings. Due to the vintage nature of these recordings, the sound quality varies.

Alarm Call

Hotel waiter - Sydney Tafler, Mam'selle Rolin - Tonia Bern, Anthony Winter - Hugh Manning, Hotel receptionist - Molly Rankin, Miss Shawcroft - Kathleen Helm. Audio recovered by BBC Radio 4 Extra listener Steve Arnold. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 23rd April 1957.

Confession of Guilt

Inspector Hood - Philip Ray, Paula Webb - Mary Law. Other parts played by Maurice Sweden, Norman Wynne, Hugh Manning, Betty Linton and Alan McClelland. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 30th April 1957.

Threat to Kill

Rosalind Knight - Helen Desmond, Miss Curtis - Cecile Chevreau, Ronnie Cavanagh - John Horsley, Maid - Annette Kelly, Mr Ashton - Norman Wynne, Hal Digby - John Sharplin. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 7th May 1957.

The Sleepwalker

Helen Keen - Moira Lister, Richard Wilson - Hugh Burden, Inspector Hood - Philip Ray. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 14th May 1957.

The Blackmailer

Inspector Hood - Philip Ray, Sir Clifford Forbes - Douglas Young, Lady Forbes - Madeleine Christie, Cynthia Forbes - Ruth Trouncer, Hotel waiter - Haydn Jones, Hotel manager - Humphrey Morton, Lily the maid - Beryl Calder, Matron - Molly Rankin, Harry Fox - Ian Sadler. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 21th May 1957.

Voice in the Night

Miss Nicholson - Hester Paton Brown,, Billy Boy the dog - Percy Edwards, Mr Nicholson - Alan McClelland, Superintendent Denham - Fred Yule, Station Officer - Alan Keith, Julian Smith/Taxi driver - John Baker. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 28th May 1957.

The Will

David Beaumont - David Spenser, Henrietta Vickers - Nan Kenway, Herbert Vickers - Douglas Young, Darryl - Will Leighton. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 4th June 1957.

Act of Violence

Major Penfold - Ralph Truman, Robert Benson - Trevor Martin, Professor Stenberg - Martin Miller, Girl - Louise Gainsborough, Clerk of the Court - Will Leighton. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 11th June 1957.

The Black Ruby

Guy Hampton - Norman Woodland, Sonia Hampton - Virginia Winter, Helen Reynolds - Louise Gainsborough, Bill Reynolds - Richard Bebb, Aubrey Green - Desmond Carrington, Airline captain/various - John Baker. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 18th June 1957.

The Wedding Dress

Audrey Templeton - Sulwen Morgan, Evelyn Lambert - Mary Law, Edna Lambert - Olwen Brookes, Mrs Vezey - Peggy Thorpe-Bates, Commercial Traveller/Ames - Trevor Martin. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 25th June 1957.

The Gambler

Mrs Ludlow - Harriet Johns, Mr Ellis - Desmond Carrington, Felix Grey - Jimmy Lavall, Simmons - Arthur Young, Man - Simon Lack, Girl - Beryl Calder. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 2nd July 1957.

The Poisoned Air

Kurt Emmanuel - David Hurst, Bella Goodwyn - Maureen Riscoe, Mrs Atkins - Elsa Palmer, Hugo Russell - John Horsley, Sgt Hammond - Haydn Jones. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 9th July 1957.

Mr X

Paula Maitland - Lana Morris, Nurse - Maureen Riscoe, Mr X - David Spenser, Mr Maitland - Simon Lack, Matron - Joan Sanderson, Inspector Hood - Fred Yule. First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 16th July 1957. Starring Cecil Parker as Dr Morelle and Sheila Sim as Miss Frayle.

©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Traditional Detectives Funny
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Inspector West: A Classic BBC Radio Crime Collection cover art
The Wilkie Collins BBC Radio Collection cover art
The Chief Inspector Dover Mysteries cover art
The Toff cover art
Dr Gideon Fell: The Complete BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
Thriller Playhouse Box Set cover art
Roy Clarke Classic BBC Radio Thrillers cover art
Hand in Glove: The Casebook of Dr Wallace cover art
Sergeant Cribb cover art
Vogel & Fraser cover art
Detective Galbraith: The King of Diamonds & The Midas Touch cover art
Birkett cover art
Raffles: The Complete Series 1-3 cover art
The Rivals: Tales of Sherlock Holmes’ Rival Detectives cover art
Private Eye Philip Odell: Lady in a Fog & Test Room Eight cover art
Lord Peter Wimsey: BBC Radio Drama Collection Volume 1 cover art

What listeners say about A Case for Dr Morelle

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    15
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening and will do every time I do

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed this title

Good old fashioned BBC at its best ,I always loved Cecil Parkers acting style

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Utterly Charming!

Let yourself be transported back to a quieter, simpler time - when London slept at night, and local bobbies knew your name.

When the BBC occasionally repeat the odd Dr Morrell episode, they criticise and apologise Morrell's sexism and sarcasm, which is crazy. Morrell is of his time - he is not sexist. He treats *everyone* with snobbish disdain. However, as the series progresses, he warms to his PA, and you sense a burgeoning romance. Again, this is handled with charm and subtlety.

Thoroughly recommended!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Very dated

I normally love these old BBC programmes but this set is disappointing.

The characters and scenes are very dated, which is to be expected with a vintage piece but this more so than others of the era.

The main issue, for me, is the the plots. Each episode is a separate story but the denouement is always just magically pronounced by Dr Morelle.

So these are easy listening but not very engaging and very repetitive.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!