The Red Box

The Red Box is the fourth Nero Wolfe detective novel by Rex Stout. Prior to its first publication in 1937 by Farrar & Rinehart, Inc., the novel was serialized in five issues of The American Magazine (December 1936 – April 1937). Adapted twice for Italian television, The Red Box is the first Nero Wolfe story to be adapted for the American stage.

Plot introduction

Wolfe and Archie investigate the death of a model who ate a piece of poisoned candy. One of the suspects begs Wolfe to handle his estate and especially the contents of a certain red box. Wolfe is at first concerned about a possible conflict of interest, but feels unable to refuse when the man dies in his office before telling Wolfe where to find the red box. The police naturally think that he told Wolfe somewhat more before dying.

This novel presents the series' first instance of a murder taking place in Wolfe's office.

Plot summary

The novel opens with Nero Wolfe confronted by a client, Llewellyn Frost, who is pressuring him to leave the his home to investigate a crime scene. Frost has hired Wolfe to investigate the death of Molly Lauck, a model who died after eating a poisoned Jordan almond from a box of assorted candies. Frost wants to ensure that his ortho-cousin Helen is freed from the employment of Boyden McNair, the owner of the fashion boutique where Lauck died. Wolfe reluctantly agrees to leave the brownstone after Frost produces a letter signed by the directors of the Metropolitan Orchid Show urging him to do so. Wolfe and Archie subsequently meet and discuss the matter with McNair himself, who is noticeably agitated and distressed by events.

Red box

Red box or redbox may refer to:

Art, entertainment, and media

Other uses

Red box (government)

The term red box informally refers to a ministerial box used by ministers in the British government to carry their documents. Similar in appearance to a briefcase, they are primarily used to hold and transport official departmental papers from place to place.

Ministerial box

The design of ministerial boxes has changed little since the 1860s . The Boxes are manufactured in London by Barrow and Gale. Covered in red-stained rams' leather, they are embossed with the Royal Cypher and ministerial title. The 2–3-kilogram (4–7 lb) boxes are constructed of slow-grown pine, lined with lead and black satin and, unlike a briefcase, the lock is on the bottom, opposite the hinges and the handle, to guarantee that the box is locked before being carried.

The colour red has remained the traditional covering of the boxes. The lead lining, which has been retained in modern boxes, was once meant to ensure that the box sank when thrown overboard in the event of capture. Also bomb-proof, they are designed to survive any catastrophe that may befall their owner.

Red box (phreaking)

A red box is a phreaking device that generates tones to simulate inserting coins in pay phones, thus fooling the system into completing free calls. In the United States, a nickel is represented by one tone, a dime by two, and a quarter by a set of 5 tones. Any device capable of playing back recorded sounds can potentially be used as a red box. Commonly used devices include modified Radio Shack tone dialers, personal MP3 players, and audio-recording greeting cards.

Technical details

United States

The tones are made by playing back 1700 Hz and 2200 Hz tones together. One 66 ms tone represents a nickel. A set of 2 66 ms tones separated by 66 ms intervals represent a dime, and a quarter is represented by a set of 5 33 ms tones with 33 ms pauses.

The system that handles these tones is called the Automated Coin Toll Service, or ACTS. However, since ACTS has been phased out of service in much of the United States, combined with the integration of acoustic filters into many payphone handsets, the practice of red boxing is rarely possible anymore.

The Red

"The Red" is the breakthrough single from the band Chevelle. It is the fifth track and lead single from their major label debut, Wonder What's Next, released in 2002. Former Major League Baseball player Geoff Blum used "The Red" as his intro song when he came up to bat.

The song is about dealing with frustration and anger. Its music video depicts an anger management seminar where vocalist Pete Loeffler ascends a podium and sings the verse lyrics. The video then breaks to Chevelle performing the heavy chorus under red lighting. The agitated seminar participants, which include band members Sam and Joe, begin tossing folding chairs. By the end of the song, it is revealed that the fight happened to be just a dream.

Track listing

Charts

References

External links

The Red (disambiguation)

"The Red" is the breakthrough single from the Chicago-based hard rock band Chevelle. The Red may also refer to:

See also

The Red (film)

The Red is an 8-minute psychological thriller created by Borderline Films (makers of Martha Marcy May Marlene and Simon Killer) and advertising agency SS+K on behalf of SALT, a free resource created by the non-profit American Student Assistance.

The Red is aimed towards making college students and recent graduates aware of their student loans and the inescapable anxiety and dread that it creates. The film is part of a sustained, multi-media campaign created to compel and empower young people to take control of their debt on a practical, day-to-day level.

The Red, distributed to theaters by Hollywood Branding International, premiered on May 2, 2013 in 5 major cities - Boston, MA, Washington, D.C., Chicago, IL, Seattle, WA and Tampa Bay, FL. Entertainment Nation, a division of Hollywood Branding International hosted VIP movie premiere events in conjunction with the theatrical broadcast in each city. The entire film short is now streaming online at FaceTheRed.com.

Cast