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Ellery Queen
S1.E14
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Adventure of the Eccentric Engineer

  • Episode aired Jan 18, 1976
  • TV-PG
  • 48m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
111
YOUR RATING
Ann Reinking in Ellery Queen (1975)
Ellery Queen: The Adventure Of The Eccentric Engineer
Play trailer1:55
1 Video
45 Photos
CrimeDramaFamily

Famous inventor Lamont Franklin suddenly withdraws from the world and starts holing up in his shed, playing incessantly with his toy trains. So why would someone kill him? A clue at the begi... Read allFamous inventor Lamont Franklin suddenly withdraws from the world and starts holing up in his shed, playing incessantly with his toy trains. So why would someone kill him? A clue at the beginning of the show: before the inventor answers the knock of his killer, he hides some secr... Read allFamous inventor Lamont Franklin suddenly withdraws from the world and starts holing up in his shed, playing incessantly with his toy trains. So why would someone kill him? A clue at the beginning of the show: before the inventor answers the knock of his killer, he hides some secret formulas in a secret - compartment desk drawer.

  • Director
    • Peter H. Hunt
  • Writers
    • Booker Bradshaw
    • Frederic Dannay
    • Manfred Lee
  • Stars
    • Jim Hutton
    • David Wayne
    • Arthur Godfrey
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.3/10
    111
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Peter H. Hunt
    • Writers
      • Booker Bradshaw
      • Frederic Dannay
      • Manfred Lee
    • Stars
      • Jim Hutton
      • David Wayne
      • Arthur Godfrey
    • 4User reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Ellery Queen: The Adventure Of The Eccentric Engineer
    Trailer 1:55
    Watch Ellery Queen: The Adventure Of The Eccentric Engineer

    Photos45

    Jim Hutton and Ann Reinking in Ellery Queen (1975)
    Jim Hutton and Ann Reinking in Ellery Queen (1975)
    David Wayne in Ellery Queen (1975)
    David Hedison in Ellery Queen (1975)
    Ellen Madison in Ellery Queen (1975)
    Ellery Queen (1975)
    Bobby Sherman in Ellery Queen (1975)
    Jim Hutton and Arthur Godfrey in Ellery Queen (1975)
    Jim Hutton and David Hedison in Ellery Queen (1975)
    Ellery Queen (1975)
    Dorothy Malone in Ellery Queen (1975)
    Bobby Sherman in Ellery Queen (1975)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jim Hutton
    Jim Hutton
    • Ellery Queen
    David Wayne
    David Wayne
    • Inspector Richard Queen
    Arthur Godfrey
    Arthur Godfrey
    • Claude Sitwell
    David Hedison
    David Hedison
    • Roger Woods
    Dorothy Malone
    Dorothy Malone
    • Carol Franklin
    Ed McMahon
    Ed McMahon
    • Lamont Franklin
    Bobby Sherman
    Bobby Sherman
    • Doug Carmichael
    Tom Reese
    Tom Reese
    • Sgt. Thomas Velie
    Dick Van Patten
    Dick Van Patten
    • Billy Geeter
    Ann Reinking
    Ann Reinking
    • Lorelie Farnsworth
    Ellen Madison
    Ellen Madison
    • Emily Woods
    Patricia Wilson
    Patricia Wilson
    • Bridget, the maid
    John Fujioka
    John Fujioka
    • Restaurant Manager
    Art Balinger
    Art Balinger
    • Newscaster
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Peter H. Hunt
    • Writers
      • Booker Bradshaw
      • Frederic Dannay
      • Manfred Lee
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Ann Reinking's TV debut.
    • Goofs
      Velie tells Ellery that there's been a murder in Bayside, but later, a newscaster refers to the scene of the crime as being in the Bronx. Bayside is a neighborhood in Queens County (just west of Douglaston, which Ellery visited earlier in the series in The Adventure of the Mad Tea Party).
    • Quotes

      Claude Sitwell: [Inspector Queen has asked Sitwell to identify a card. Sitwell glances at it] Sorry: I can't help you.

      Inspector Richard Queen: Sorry: I don't believe you.

      Claude Sitwell: Inspector, I believe you're calling me a liar.

      Inspector Richard Queen: Maybe just deliberately forgetful.

    User reviews4

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Rather simple, as it turned out
    Ed McMahon get a rare and quite brief appearance as a technical genius and business owner who someone wants dead ... and they make him dead in the first two minutes of the episode.

    From there it becomes a semi-locked room mystery, except it's obvious he must have known and trusted his murderer and let him in. David Hedison and Arthur Godfrey are welcome sightings in the show, and I'd been a Hedison fan since his days on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

    The episode adds an interesting touch in a young lady who's an aspiring author who wants some tips from Elery, who is reticent since he doesn't write romance. However, once she let's her hair down and helps solve the mystery, she becomes a more attractive prospect in a companion. ;-)
    helpful•1
    0
    • VetteRanger
    • Jan 24, 2023

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 18, 1976 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Production companies
      • Fairmont/Foxcroft Productions
      • Universal Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      48 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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