Originally Aired: June 13, 1950
Philo Vance #101, "Full Dress Murder Case,"
When Officer Riley and hotel clerk Mr. Gorham discover a body in evening clothes behind some ash cans at midnight, the mystery deepens considerably. The deceased is identified as Boxcar Charlie, a down-and-out derelict who stays at Gorham's cheap hotel whenever he can scrape together a buck for a room. District Attorney Markham arrives on the scene with detective Philo Vance, who examines the stabbed victim and astonishingly claims he already knows where to find a clue to the killer's identity. While Markham remains skeptical about Vance's rapid deductions, the detective sets off to investigate a series of diners around town.
Meanwhile, at one such diner, two criminals named George and Willie discuss their deadly deed. They killed Boxcar Charlie because he walked in at the wrong time and overheard something that threatened their elaborate plans. As they nervously debate whether anyone can trace the murder back to them, Vance methodically works his way through local diners, searching for the particular establishment that holds the key to solving this full-dress murder.