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Originally Aired: October 25, 1949
Philo Vance #68, "Deathless Murder Case," a wealthy widow named Mrs. Dorothy Wayne arrives at Philo Vance's office with an extraordinary claim. The widow of millionaire Edward J. Wayne seeks Vance's help regarding a mysterious man named John Bell who insists he can keep her perpetually thirty-one years old - for the price of one hundred thousand dollars. Mrs. Wayne's astonishing assertion is that she has definite proof Bell is over four hundred years old. Meanwhile, a murder occurs when Bell shoots a man named Sam in his antique-filled apartment, claiming the victim's untimely appearance left him no choice.
When Vance investigates Bell at his request, he encounters a charming eccentric surrounded by authentic historical artifacts who claims to have fought alongside Sir Francis Drake against the Spanish Armada in 1588, sailed to Jamestown with Captain John Smith in 1607, attended Pocahontas's wedding, and served with the Marquis de Lafayette in the Revolutionary War. Bell refuses to prove his age, instead challenging Vance to disprove it while promising to sell his life-extension secret to five wealthy women. As Sergeant Heath investigates the unidentified body found in an empty lot and various characters begin circling Bell's scheme, Vance must determine whether he's dealing with an immortal man or an elaborate con artist.
Philo Vance #68, "Deathless Murder Case," a wealthy widow named Mrs. Dorothy Wayne arrives at Philo Vance's office with an extraordinary claim. The widow of millionaire Edward J. Wayne seeks Vance's help regarding a mysterious man named John Bell who insists he can keep her perpetually thirty-one years old - for the price of one hundred thousand dollars. Mrs. Wayne's astonishing assertion is that she has definite proof Bell is over four hundred years old. Meanwhile, a murder occurs when Bell shoots a man named Sam in his antique-filled apartment, claiming the victim's untimely appearance left him no choice.
When Vance investigates Bell at his request, he encounters a charming eccentric surrounded by authentic historical artifacts who claims to have fought alongside Sir Francis Drake against the Spanish Armada in 1588, sailed to Jamestown with Captain John Smith in 1607, attended Pocahontas's wedding, and served with the Marquis de Lafayette in the Revolutionary War. Bell refuses to prove his age, instead challenging Vance to disprove it while promising to sell his life-extension secret to five wealthy women. As Sergeant Heath investigates the unidentified body found in an empty lot and various characters begin circling Bell's scheme, Vance must determine whether he's dealing with an immortal man or an elaborate con artist.