In 1926, Agatha Christie published a murder mystery so ingenious that some critics accused her of cheating. Others called it a masterpiece. A century later, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd remains one of the most audacious detective stories ever written.
Then came Orson Welles.
On November 12, 1939, Welles brought Christie’s controversial masterpiece to American radio in a remarkable production of The Campbell Playhouse, playing not one but two leading roles: the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and the seemingly unremarkable Dr. James Sheppard.
And the screenplay? Adapted by Herman J. Mankiewicz, who would soon help write Citizen Kane.
In this episode of Chesterton Radio’s Mystery Theatre Companion, we revisit a landmark in detective fiction and one of the most intriguing broadcasts of radio’s Golden Age.
Was Christie playing fair with her readers? Did Welles’s extraordinary double performance add another layer of deception? And what makes a mystery so good that, even after you know the solution, you want to experience it all over again?
Join us for a fascinating journey through literary controversy, theatrical ingenuity, and the delicious art of fooling an audience.
A word of caution: Our discussion begins without revealing the solution, but later ventures into spoiler territory. Listen for the warning before we uncover the secrets of Roger Ackroyd.
Listen to the original Orson Welles production:
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