Plot Meet Nero Wolfe

at west hills golf club in westchester, e.j. kimball (walter kingsford) , son manuel (russell hardie) welcomed party of elderly professor barstow (boyd irwin sr.) , prospective son-in-law claude roberts (victor jory). barstow sends caddy clubhouse fetch visor, , finds himself without clubs when turn tee off. elder kimball loans driver barstow. after hitting drive, barstow flinches. mosquito bit me hit ball, complains humor. bad, kimball replies sympathetically, taking club barstow , making own drive. foursome sets out on course, barstow stricken , succumbs apparent heart attack.

at new york brownstone of nero wolfe (edward arnold), marie maringola (rita hayworth) offers sedentary detective genius $50 find brother. although expert metal worker, carlo maringola had such trouble finding work in america planned return old country. on eve of departure carlo told sister stay in america after — got job. had arranged celebration carlo never came. disappeared.

wolfe takes maria s case , sends confidential assistant archie goodwin (lionel stander) investigate @ carlo s apartment house. archie returns brownstone evidence suggests carlo never found alive — , death linked death of professor barstow. wolfe theorizes barstow killed specially constructed golf club, 1 converted carlo air rifle propelled poisoned needle midsection when struck ball. theory borne out autopsy of barstow, , discovery of carlo s body.

solving murder of professor barstow far more lucrative endeavor, wolfe pleased learn: $50,000 reward has been offered. interviews barstow s daughter (joan perry), widow (nana bryant) , doctor (frank conroy), little advance investigation.

far more helpful luncheon 4 boys caddied professor barstow s foursome. hearing accounts, wolfe concludes intended murder victim had been e.j. kimball, not barstow.

kimball dismisses notion life in danger until informed car has been wrecked , chauffeur dead — killed fer-de-lance, south american snake poisonous in world. autopsies of professor barstow , carlo maringola reveal poisoned, venom of fer-de-lance. convinced life in deadly peril, kimball pleads wolfe s help.

after e.j. kimball tells him sensational past in south america, wolfe concludes @ least 6 people had reason wish him dead — , barstow family not above suspicion. wolfe assigns archie move in kimball , son, watch on old man. after long game of monopoly on kimballs terrace evening, 3 men rise go in dinner — , shots fired.

the attack causes wolfe summon of principals brownstone. spend night, , stay long necessary. next evening deadly parcel arrives, addressed wolfe. killer has wolfe in sights — , wolfe knows has killer under roof.