- After a wealthy industrialist threatens to disinherit family and staff at a New Year's Eve party, he is soon found murdered in a nearby phone booth by fellow guest Inspector Queen, who calls on son Ellery to help unmask the killer.
- At a New Year's Eve party where Guy Lombardo (as himself, albeit about 30 years older than he would have been at the time), Inspector Queen finds blood on a drawing-room floor outside a phone booth, and a knife wedged in the phone booth's door. When Inspector Queen pulls the knife out and opens the door, a body tumbles out. Inspector Queen then finds the phone itself dangling, picks it up and hears a bewildered stranger on the other end. The dead man, a wealthy industrialist, had telephoned the stranger but couldn't talk because the knife had severed his vocal cords. The industrialist had been unable to crawl out of the booth because the knife jammed it shut. There are a plethora of suspects whom the industrialist had insulted just before his death.—Peter Harris
- It's New Year's Eve and Ellery's father is at a party at a hotel. He is waiting for Ellery who is at home snoozing. Also there is a wealthy man who is accompanied by some members of his family and business associates. It's during the party that he tells them things like that his son's girlfriend is after his money, his nephew is a leech, his partner is a cheat and his secretary is betraying him by leaving him to be with her boyfriend. He then tells them that he's going to cut them out of his will. And to prove he's serious he's going to do it now so he goes to the phone booth to call his lawyer. Inspector Queen goes to the phone booth to call Ellery and finds the man dead stabbed and a knife jammed into the door of the phone booth so that he could not get out. Queen finds the phone off the hook and picks it up and talks to a man who says he got a call but no one spoke. Queen then has the man brought to the hotel. Queen then has everyone in the hotel kept there. Queen starts by talking to the people the victim was with. When the man he called arrives he denies knowing him or anyone he was with. Queen then sends for Ellery who tries to make it there but makes a few stops on the way.—rcs0411@yahoo.com
- At a New Year's Eve party for the up upcoming 1947 at the ballroom of the Hotel Astor, it's 10 pm and almost everyone dances to Guy Lombardo and his ban. Richard is sitting with Velie and his wife Madge, and wondering where Ellery is. Velie offers to call Ellery, and invites Madge to dance with Richard while he's gone. Richard reluctantly does so.
At another table, Lady Daisy Fawley has her photo taken with her fiancée, Lewis Halliday. They toast to the new year, and industrialist Marcus Halliday tells the group that none of them should be happy 1946 is ending. He points out that the supposedly noble-born Daisy is from Soho, and Daisy and Halliday's son Lewis both take offense. Halliday tells Daisy that he knows all there is to know about her. and she was the "beloved" of Bomber Squadron B, and she's a gold digger who has her sights set on his bankroll.
When Lewis objects again, and Halliday's nephew, Paul Quincy, sarcastically suggests that Halliday had Daisy tailed, Halliday notes that all of the attendees--Lewis, Halliday's secretary Emma Zelman, her fiancée Howard Pratt, and his "light-fingered" partner Donald Becker--have reason to fear the new year. Halliday tells the amused Becker that he should think of the gathering as his "last meal", and he plans to make an announcement.
Halliday says that Lewis is lazy and ungrateful, Daisy is a shopworn social climber, Paul steals petty cash from his accounts, Donald is busy collecting down payments on backyard swimming pools, and Emma is abandoning him for a middle-aged milquetoast like Howard. Halliday says that he's eliminating each of them from his will. Paul says that Halliday wants to see them squirm, and he isn't going to write any of them out of his will because then he'd have nobody else to torture with his mind games. Halliday tells them that he's not bluffing, and his attorney will be going to the office on the holiday to rewrite the will.
Halliday walks off, and Emma tells Howard they're leaving. Daisy insists to Lewis that she's not going to let Halliday spoil her New Year's Eve, and invites Lewis to dance. Donald tells Paul that he's going to the bar for a stiff drink, and Paul says that he's going to talk to someone there about a new job.
Ellery is in his office when Velia calls, dozing in his chair. Velie in the hotel phone booth and Ellery doesn't wake up. Halliday walks up and paces irritably, waiting to call his attorney. The sergeant finally gives up and leaves, and Halliday goes into the booth.
Once the music ends, Richard quickly extracts himself from Madge's company and goes back to the table. Velie returns and tells Richard that Ellery isn't answering. The Commissioner comes up and greets Richard, and says that the mayor and some people from the governor's office are coming later. Once the Commissioner leaves, Madge invites Richard to dance with her to the next song. Richard hands her off to Velie and goes to call Ellery.
Going to the phone booth, Richard finds the door jammed. He removes the knife at the bottom jamming it closed using a handkerchief to avoid smudging fingerprints, and opens the door to find Halliday dead. The hotel manager comes up, and Richard identifies and calls for the head of security. A man on the phone, Joseph Kemmelman, calls and Richard takes the receiver and answers. When Richard identifies himself, Kemmelman calls for his wife Ethel, identifies himself to Richard, and asks about Mrs. Anderson, his mother-in-law. Richard has no idea who the woman is, and says that Halliday was calling Kemmelman. Kemmelman has never heard of Halliday, and Richard tells Kemmelman that a police car will pick him up in fifteen minutes.
The hotel manager, Avery Dickson arrives and recognizes Halliday, and introduces himself and the security chief Rawson with him, and Richard has them seal down the hotel. Richard then goes to get Velie, dodging Madge, and tells the sergeant what has happened. The inspector has Velie call the police in, bring in Kemmelman, get Ellery, and take off his party hat.
Velie goes to Ellery's apartment and pounds on the door until Ellery wakes up and answers. The sergeant tells Ellery what happened and that Richard wants him at the Astor to solve Halliday's murder. Ellery tells Velie that he'll meet him at the Astor.
Richard has his men sew the hotel up, and confirms that no one left. Donald comes in and asks what happened, and Richard tells him that Halliday was stabbed to death. Richard has Donald wait with the rest of Halliday's guests, figuring they're all legitimate suspects. Halliday was killed with a steak knife, and one of them is missing from Halliday's table.
Ellery tries and fails to hail a cab.
Diana insists to the others that she didn't kill Halliday, and they end up accusing each other. The police find a shirt stud in the booth, and Richard goes into the ballroom where the suspects are gathered. They insist that they all loved Halliday, and Richard tells them that he found a waiter that will testify Halliday said he would disinherit them all. Richard shows them the shirt stud and confirms that it belongs to Lewis. The inspector tells Lewis that they found the stud in the booth, and Diana says that the stud was missing when they arrived there.
Paul accuses Diana of lying to protect Lewis. Emma says that Lewis and Diana had their photo taken by a cigarette girl right before Halliday went to the booth. They develop the photo and confirm Lewis was missing the stud before Halliday left the table. Daisy tells Richard to buzz off and leaves with Lewis, and Richard notes to himself that the photo only proves that Lewis didn't lose that particular stud.
Ellery finds a cab driver at a diner, eating, his cab parked outside. When the driver tries to ignore Ellery, Ellery sits down with the man and says that he needs a ride to the Astor. The writer explains that he accidentally mailed away his own car keys, and offers a $3.00 tip. The driver cheerfully agrees to take Ellery to the Astor.
The Commissioner tells Richard that people are becoming nervous that they can't leave, but Richard insists that nobody leaves until he narrows down the list of suspects. Velie brings in Kellerman, and Richard takes him to the suspect. Kemmelman explains that he's an undertaker and rarely sees people in party clothes, but tells Richard that he's never seen any of them before.
The taxi is caught in traffic, and the driver mentions that most men would be out dancing with a dame. Ellery gets an idea and tells the driver to pull over at a flower shop. The driver does so, and Ellery has him wait while he goes inside to buy flowers. Ellery flashes a $5.00 to get the owner's attention, and wants to buy a corsage.
Kemmelman tells Richard that he and Ethel were alone at home, the phone rang at 10:15, and he heard Halliday dying but the dying man didn't say anything. Emma and Howard come in, and Emma says that it's time to say the truth.
Ellery returns to the taxi with the corsage, and the traffic clears. He tells the driver to take him to a West End address., and admits he stood his date up.
Emma tells Richard that Lewis was set to inherit $13 million, the bulk of Halliday's estate. Howard says that he didn't want any part of something... then cuts off, says he's feeling sick, and goes to the restroom. Meanwhile, Emma says that Lewis was to inherit the bulk of the estate, making him the likely murderer.
Paul asks Donald what he thinks Emma is telling Richard, and Donald says that he wasn't in the will. When Paul tells Donald that Halliday was going to pull the plug on his swimming pool company, Donald is offended. Lewis breaks them apart and says that they'll get nowhere fighting among themselves.
Emma tells Richard that Lewis screamed at Halliday a few days ago that he'd see his father dead before Lewis let Diana go. Officer McCoy checks Howard in the restroom, and when Richard goes in to find McCoy, he finds Howard with a gun, having handcuffed McCoy to a stall. Howard figures that he'll escape with Richard as a hostage. Velie comes in, distracting Howard, and Richard slams the door into Howard and disarms him.
Back in the ballroom, Howard admits that he tried to run for it but didn't kill Halliday. Howard explains that he's a draft dodger, and Emma didn't know either. Richard asks if Halliday found out, and Richard asks Velie where Ellery is.
The driver takes Ellery to the new address, and Ellery goes to his date Kitty McBride's apartment. She isn't interested in accepting his excuses or his flowers, and complains that how she had a date but he ducked her. Ellery says that Richard wants him to solve a murder, but Kate tells him to figure it out and call her late in 1947, then slams the door in his face.
Back at the taxi, Ellery tells the driver to take him to the Astor.
Paul tells Richard that Donald killed Halliday, and six months ago he talked Halliday into backing his swimming pool company. Richard points out that there was a problem with Paul's accounts at the office, then sends Paul back to the ballroom and asks Velie where Ellery is.
The driver gets a flat, and a police car pulls up and Ellery explains that there's been a murder at the Astor. There's a bulletin out on Ellery, and the police officer gladly gives Ellery a lift. The driver insists on staying with his taxi, and Ellery tips him heavily then leaves in the police car.
The Commissioner introduces a man from the governor's office, Tucker, to Richard, and the man says that he and his wife are due at another club. Richard refuses, and the Commissioner defends Tucker. Tucker admits that he's met Halliday once or twice, and the Commissioner talks to Richard privately. Richard warns that they can't release people because of their connections, and the Commissioner tells Richard to wrap the case up by midnight or he'll let everyone go.
At 11:45, MC Guy Lombardo wishes everyone prosperity and good health. Meanwhile, Ellery arrives and checks in with Richard. Richard explains the situation and notes that Halliday's vocal cords were cut and he couldn't say anything.
Howard complains to Emma, and Daisy, overhearing, says that Howard must have killed Halliday. When Howard points out that he had no motive and Daisy did, Paul sarcastically interjects. Richard and Ellery come in, and Ellery talks to Kemmelman. Ellery compares a list of names to faces, carefully checking the spellings,.
Once he's done, Ellery tells Richard that he has an idea and leads his father into the next room. Once they're alone, he says that he knows who the killer is and it's one of the suspects in the ballroom.
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Ellery points out to the audience that Halliday was trapped in the booth because of the knife jamming the door, and he couldn't speak because his vocal cords were cut. Since calling the police wouldn't have helped, Halliday did the next best thing. He didn't have a pencil or paper, so he left the only clue to his murderer's identity that he could.
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Back in the ballroom, Ellery tells one of the suspects that they're the murderer. He calls Kemmelman's phone number to have him wish Emily a happy New Years. Ellery makes the call, puts Kemmelman on, and he tells his wife that he'll be right back if they leave him. Once Kemmelman hangs up, Ellery dismisses the undertaker. Richard points out that they didn't have Kemmelman's phone number, and Ellery explains that he did what Halliday did earlier. Halliday dialed his killer's name, and the number spelled out Donald's last name.
Donald runs for it, and Velie easily tackles him as it strikes midnight. The suspects wish Ellery a happy New Years and leave, and Richard tells Ellery that he was thinking along the same lines. They share a toast to the New Year, and Ellery admits that it couldn't have been Howard because the letters didn't match up. Kitty comes in, dressed up, and Richard sees her and quickly excuses himself. They wish each other a Happy New Year and kiss.
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of The Adventure of Auld Lang Syne (1975) in Australia?
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