Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Christmas Bride 12/21/1947

Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are summoned to Pensdragon Castle during the Christmas holidays to ensure Lord Neville's daughter, Lady Ginevra, marries the wealthy Wentworth Trimmingham, as the family estates are mortgaged and face total bankruptcy

Key takeaways

• Lord Neville invites Holmes to Pensdragon Castle because the Neville estates are mortgaged up to the ears and bankruptcy is imminent without Ginevra's wedding to Wentworth Trimmingham.
• Percy Neville, an orphan cousin and next of kin, makes a dramatic entrance through a casement window during the engagement dinner, immediately souring the atmosphere.

Main topics

• Victorian mystery & ghost story tropes
• Family inheritance & financial ruin

Notable quotes

"Ne vile velis. The name Neville means that, you know."

Conclusion

This classic radio adaptation masterfully blends gothic atmosphere with

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) Welcome to Choice Classic Radio, where we bring to you the greatest old-time radio shows. Like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, and thank you for donating at choiceclassicradio.com. Speaker 6 (0:27) of clipper craft clothes for men and 924 leading retail stores from coast to coast present the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Speaker 6 (0:50) The stories are based upon the character of Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is portrayed by John Stanley, Dr. Watson by Alfred Shirley, and the dramatizations are by Edith Pizer. Speaker 6 (1:05) Well, here we are, about to enter Dr. Watson's familiar study. Hello, what's this? We find the good doctor hanging up his Christmas holly. Speaker 8 (1:13) Not forgetting a sprig of mistletoe, Mr. Harris. Hope springs eternal, as they say. But here, help me down from this chair. My old legs aren't as agile as they were in the days when I followed Holmes through the dungeons and up the tall stairs of old Penzdagen Castle. Here Speaker 6 (1:31) we are. Speaker 8 (1:32) Oh, Speaker 6 (1:32) thanks. That sounds suspiciously like the beginning of a Sherlock Holmes yarn, Dr. Watson. It Speaker 8 (1:37) is, Mr. Harris, it is. Holmes always called it the adventure of the Christmas bride. It concerns a ghostly lady in white who was supposed to have disappeared centuries ago. The honor of a noble family and a certain Father Christmas who suddenly sang bass. And now, while I fix us both a yuletide tori, suppose you'll tell our friends and listeners about a gift every man in our audience would welcome from Father Christmas, or as you Americans call him, Santa Claus. Speaker 6 (2:05) With pleasure, Dr. Watson. And not only from Santa Claus. A thrifty man can give himself a worthwhile gift anytime if he insists on clipper craft. For clipper craft clothes, keep on giving for a long, long time. First of all, you've never seen such truly fine clothes at such really low prices. That means you pocket the savings. That's the first gift to yourself. And they also give you superb styling, perfect fit, and long wear. Clipper craft clothes. give you so very much because of the unique Clipper Craft plan, concentrating the buying power of 924 of the nation's leading stores from coast to coast. That means tremendous savings in manufacturing and distribution costs. And yours are the savings this brilliant plan makes possible. Clipper Craft suits are only $40 and $45. Clipper Craft topcoats and overcoats only $40 and sport jackets only $26.50. Clipper craft values are so amazing. We urge you to compare them with clothes selling for many dollars more. Speaker 6 (3:16) about that Christmas bride, Dr. Watson? Speaker 8 (3:18) Her name was Ginevra, and she was the heir and only child of Lord Robert Neville, 10th Earl and 54th Baron Pensdragon of Pensdragon Castle. Yes, I shall never forget my first glimpse of that ancient and somewhat forbidding edifice, the walls gray and bleak without their summer covering of ivy, the towers square and defiant with the red or rouge dragon pennant angrily defying the winter gales. Well, as I was saying, a rather urgent message from Lord Neville on elegant embossed stationery had arrived at 221B Baker Street. Would Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson do him the honor of a visit to Penzdruggan over the Christmas holidays? The visit to include the wedding of his daughter, Lady Ginevra, to the immensely wealthy but slightly middle-aged Wentworth Trimmingham, which was due to occur on the second day of the new year. Speaker 6 (4:12) Now, don't tell me the eminent Mr. Sherlock Holmes was called in to guard the wedding presents, Dr. Watson? Speaker 8 (4:18) Hardly, Mr. Harris. At any rate, the day before Christmas, founders alighting from our train at a small station in the Cumberland Hills, which, as you know, are situated in the north of England. There had been a slight fall of snow. An ancient carriage with red wheels and the Neville arms on the door was drawn up to the station platform, while the anxious face of the Lord of the Manor himself... in top hat and earmuffs, peered through one of the steamy windows. Speaker 2 (4:50) and Dr. Watson. That's right. This way, gentlemen. His Lordship is expecting you in carriage. Speaker 5 (4:54) Quite a fall of snow you've had here. Speaker 2 (4:56) Aye, sir. More are coming. By rights, we should have brought the sleigh. Only his Lordship loaned it to the vicar for tomorrow night. Vicar always plays by the Christmas that they all have Christmas Eve, none of us. Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson, sir. Good afternoon, Speaker 3 (5:10) gentlemen. Good afternoon. Hop in before you freeze to death. Thank you. Are you here, Mr. Holmes? Your friend opposite. And now then, Dennis, back to Pen's Dragon as fast as you can. Aye, my lord. Ah, Mr. Holmes, you are doubtless curious as to why I've invited you and Dr. Watson to share our yuletide celebrations at Penn's Dragon. To be quite honest, Lord Neville, I didn't think it was entirely for the pleasure of our society, Speaker 5 (5:32) although Watson is quite an asset when it comes to carol singing. Oh? Speaker 3 (5:37) Tenor? No, certainly not. Baritone. Oh, that's good. The vicar who leads the Christmas singing is rather proud of his tenor voice, and I may say he's not too fond of competition. Oh. Mr. Holmes, I have invited you to Penn's Dragon to make sure that nothing, nothing occurs to prevent the marriage of my daughter to Mr. Wentworth Trimmingham. Why is that marriage so imperative, Lord Neville? To be brutally frank, Mr. Holmes, the Neville estates are mortgaged up to the ears. If the marriage does not go through on the second of next month, I shall be bankrupt. Totally bankrupt. I see. Has anything occurred, Lord Neville, to make you fear that this marriage may not take place? Well, no. That is nothing definite. Perhaps the Lady Ginevra hasn't been able to hide her distaste for the match. Oh, no, no, no. Nothing like that. Well, I wouldn't say it was a passionate attachment on either side. But they like the same things. She laughs at all his jokes. What? What better foundation could one ask for a marriage, eh, Watson? That's what I should have said. Everything was as smooth as silk until the Dowager Duchess of Tours gave the engagement dinner last month. It was at her suggestion that I sent you the invitation to Pen's Dragon. She's been decidedly edgy ever since Percy returned in the midst of the betrothal dinner two weeks ago. Percy? Yes, Percy is my cousin, although he's only seven years older than Ginevra. He's our next of kin. As a matter of fact, he's an orphan and lived with us at Penn's Dragon until he went off to Canada to seek his fortune two years ago. Speaker 8 (7:04) If anything should happen to your daughter before she produced an heir, would Percy Neville inherit? Speaker 3 (7:10) Yes,