Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's the start of another Superman summer! Our new season of bonus episodes starring the Man of Steel kicks off with a pair of serialized adventures. First, Clark Kent and Lois Lane investigate strange events in a small town in "Pillar of Fire at Graves' End" (originally aired between August 5 and August 9, 1940). Then, Clark joins an expedition to Central America in "The Mayan Treasure" (originally aired between August 12 and August 23, 1940).

In this month's bonus episode, we're headed to the San Francisco waterfront for my five favorite episodes of Pat Novak For Hire. Jack Webb stars as Novak - who makes ends meet by renting boats and taking odd investigative assignments, and who usually lands in hot water with the hard-headed Inspector Hellman of homicide. First, competing clients hire Novak to guard - and stay away from - boxer Rory Malone (originally aired on ABC on March 20, 1949). Then, a woman wants Novak to settle up her brother's debt with a notorious gambler (originally aired on ABC on March 27, 1949) and a priest asks Novak to find an Alcatraz escapee before the police do (originally aired on ABC on April 2, 1949). A scheme to scare a man backfires when a gun with blanks delivers a fatal shot (originally aired on ABC on April 16, 1949) and the search for a dead woman's handbag brings out the worst in several dangerous characters (originally aired on ABC on June 4, 1949).

Doctor, doctor - give me the news. We've got three old time radio mysteries involving physicians - some good, some bad, but all in the middle of crimes that our heroes must solve. First, a doctor drops dead in Danny Clover's office on Broadway is My Beat (originally aired on CBS on August 4, 1949). Next, Charles Russell investigates a doctor who may be criminally negligent in "An Apple a Day Sent the Doctor Away" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on October 15, 1949). Finally, Sgt. Joe Friday's prime suspect has an unshakable alibi from his doctor in "The Big Impossible" from Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on March 15, 1953).

In honor of Vincent Price's birthday on May 27th, we've got the screen legend in three old time radio mysteries. First, he narrates what might have happened to John Wilkes Booth if the assassin escaped death at the hands of the army in The Thirteenth Juror (originally aired on NBC on April 23, 1949). Then, Price discovers a dead man is still alive, and he may kill to keep the secret in "Murder Needs an Artist" from The Philip Morris Playhouse (originally aired on CBS on May 6, 1950). And finally, he's Simon Templar - the Robin Hood of modern crime - in "Cupid and the Corpse" from The Saint, where a dead body derails his date with an old flame (originally aired on NBC on August 27, 1950).

When our radio sleuths check the mailbox this week, they're getting a special delivery of danger! Missing messages, anonymous letters, and mysterious correspondence drive the cases in this week's showcase of old time radio detective dramas. First, Tom Conway is Holmes and Nigel Bruce is Watson in "The Adventure of the Tolling Bell" from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (originally aired on ABC on April 7, 1947). Next, Alan Ladd answers a letter to Box 13 in the syndicated show "Double Trouble." Then, radio's singing sleuth tries to find out who killed the messenger with Dick Powell in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on April 19, 1950). And finally, Bob Bailey is George Valentine, who receives a letter from a woman asking him to catch her killer...but she isn't dead yet in "The White Elephant" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on September 11, 1950).

Climb aboard for three old time radio mysteries set on the train tracks. First, Boston Blackie investigates why a gold train was derailed with nothing stolen. Richard Kollmar stars in the syndicated episode known as "The Derailed Gold Train." Then, Inspector Peter Black is on the lookout for jewel thieves on the train in "Pursuit on the Night Ferry" from Pursuit (originally aired on CBS on November 20, 1951). Finally, Frank Sinatra stars as Rocky Fortune on a cross-country train trip to catch a killer (originally aired on NBC on January 5, 1954).

Louis Vittes wrote episodes of The Wild Wild West and The Invaders, and he penned the classic sci-fi horror picture I Married a Monster from Outer Space. But before that, he wrote adventures of radio sleuths like Simon Templar, Barrie Craig, and the Shadow. We'll hear some of his work, beginning with "Ladies Never Lie...Much" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on January 7, 1951). Then, Dan Duryea stars in "The Willie Baines Case" from The Man from Homicide (originally aired on ABC on August 20, 1951). And we'll hear Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator in "A Very Odd Job" (originally aired on NBC on January 30, 1952).

In this month's bonus episode, I'm sharing my five favorite adventures of radio's singing sleuth - Richard Diamond, Private Detective. Dick Powell stars as the gumshoe who's quick with his fists and usually winds up the week's caper by crooning a tune. First, Diamond investigates a case of blackmail and murder in "The Betty Moran Case" (originally aired on NBC on May 29, 1949). Then, a chance visit to a department store tips Diamond off to a murder plot in "Mrs. Baker - Klepto" (originally aired on NBC on September 3, 1949). Diamond winds up knocked out when he tries to deliver ransom money in "The Martha Campbell Kidnap Case" (originally aired on NBC on July 26, 1950). Jim Backus' tailor shop keeps getting robbed in "The Blue Serge Suit" (originally aired on ABC on February 9, 1951). And finally, Diamond tries to save a man who arranged for his own murder in "The Red Rose" (originally aired on ABC on March 1, 1951).

This week's old time radio mysteries blend comedy with crimesolving. First, Jonathan Latimer's William Crane jumps from the page to the radio in an adaptation of his novel "Lady in the Morgue" from The Mollé Mystery Theatre (AFRS rebroadcast from "Mystery Playhouse"). Then, Albert Dekker and Mike Mazurki star as a pair of con men and reluctant detectives in Johnny Fletcher Mystery. This 1946 audition recording was adapted from Frank Gruber's novel "The Navy Colt." And finally, Nick and Nora Charles hunt for a missing dog in "The Adventure of the Passionate Palooka" from The New Adventures of the Thin Man (originally aired on NBC on July 6, 1948).

Click here to watch Albert Dekker and Mike Mazurki as Johnny Fletcher and Sam Cregg in The French Key.

Ride along with some old time radio police detectives and their real-life counterparts in these mysteries. First, Joe DeSantis is Captain Jim Scott, searching for a missing convict and finding a murder in Under Arrest (originally aired on Mutual on November 7, 1948). Next, Dan Duryea is Lt. Lou Dana - the cop who doesn't like killers - in The Man from Homicide (originally aired on ABC on August 6, 1951). And finally, three retired New York detectives try to solve a fictional crime with a cast of radio actors as suspects and witnesses in "Cops and Robbers" from The CBS Radio Workshop (originally aired on CBS on March 16, 1956).

Scammers and swindlers beware! Magician-turned-detective Mike Trent is on the job to thwart your plans to get some Easy Money. Larry Haines stars as Trent, a sleuth who focuses on the frauds and con artists who steal the money of average folks who can't afford the losses. We'll hear him in three episodes of this mid-50s mystery series: the show's debut (originally aired on NBC on October 3, 1954), "Galloping Ivories" (originally aired on NBC on November 14, 1954), and "The Gem Switch" (originally aired on NBC on December 19, 1954).

No chocolate eggs or bunnies - just a pair of old time radio Easter comedies in this holiday bonus episode. First, Phil's seeing a life-size Easter bunny on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show. Then, a new egg dye leads to colorful confusion for Eve Arden on Our Miss Brooks (originally aired on NBC and CBS on April 9, 1950).

We're celebrating Jack Webb's birthday with three of his old time radio performances. First, he's Jeff Regan, Investigator in "Cain, Abel, and the Santa Maria" (originally aired on CBS on September 11, 1948). Next, he co-stars with Joan Banks in "Danger is a Beautiful Blonde" - another strange story by The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on May 8, 1949). And finally, Webb is Sgt. Joe Friday in his signature role in "The Big Paper" from Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on August 21, 1952).

In this month's bonus episode, I'm serving up my five favorite episodes of The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe - the single season series starring Oscar-nominee Sydney Greenstreet as Rex Stout's gargantuan gourmet, orchid fancier, and brilliant private detective. First, Wolfe is hired to drop a mystery woman as a client by a man who's soon found murdered in "The Case of the Careworn Cuff" (originally aired on NBC on October 20, 1950). Then, a woman is killed in one of New York's fanciest men's clubs in "The Case of the Careless Cleaner" (originally aired on NBC on November 17, 1950). A prizefighter has gone missing in "The Case of the Deadly Sellout" (originally aired on NBC on January 5, 1951) and Wolfe is hired by a man who announces his intentions to commit murder in "The Case of the Calculated Risk" (originally aired on NBC on January 19, 1951). Finally, a woman's plea for help leads Wolfe to a house full of suspects with motives to kill her in "The Case of the Telltale Ribbon" (originally aired on NBC on March 30, 1951).

Hoist the sail for a triple feature of detectives vs. 20th century pirates! First, as secret agent Ken Thurston, Herbert Marshall hunts a gang that's looting relief ships in the Red Sea in The Man Called X (originally aired on CBS on June 19, 1947). Then, Tom Collins stars in the syndicated show "The Case of the Vanishing President" - a story of piracy and a revolution from The Adventures of Frank Race. And finally, Inspector Peter Black is on the river in search of a ship full of modern day pirates in London. Ben Wright stars in "Pursuit of the Thames Pirates" from Pursuit (originally aired on CBS on February 12, 1952).

This week, we've got stories from three of the all-time great mystery writers - literary giants who gave us some of the most famous detectives in fiction. We'll hear adaptations of Raymond Chandler's "Murder in the City Hall" and Agatha Christie's "Witness for the Prosecution" from The Mollé Mystery Theatre (originally aired on NBC on April 5 and May 31, 1946). And in between those shows, we'll hear Orson Welles in Dashiell Hammett's "The Glass Key" presented on The Campbell Playhouse (originally aired on CBS on March 10, 1939).

In honor of the 95th Academy Awards, we'll hear four old time radio detective stars who took home Oscars of their own. First, Rex Harrison stars as a debonair sleuth in "Murder Deep in the Killer's Mind" from The Private Files of Rex Saunders (originally aired on NBC on June 20, 1951). Next, Edmond O'Brien is "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The Malcolm D. Wish, M.D. Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on June 20, 1951). Then, as Defense Attorney, Mercedes McCambridge fights to clear the name of "Client George Baughman" (originally aired on ABC on August 28, 1952). And finally, Frank Sinatra - Ol' Blue Eyes himself - tries to help a woman who fears she's going crazy in "Psychological Murder" from Rocky Fortune (originally aired on NBC on March 16, 1954).

Okay, maybe not everybody loves clowns, but I bet you'll enjoy these three old time radio mysteries featuring the circus' most colorful performers. First, Gregory Hood solves the murder of "The Sad Clown" (originally aired on Mutual on October 7, 1946). Then, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate deadly doings under the big top in "The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger" (originally aired on Mutual on June 20, 1948). And finally, Orson Welles catches up with his old friend - a smuggler, a ladies' man, and a clown - in "The Painted Smile," a syndicated episode from The Lives of Harry Lime.

From 1952 until 1957, fans of Dragnet could catch one episode on radio and a different story on television. The adventures of Sgt. Joe Friday aired concurrently on radio and the small screen for hundreds of shows, and this week we'll hear three radio episodes that were later adapted for TV. We'll hear the show that was adapted as the first episode of the TV series (originally aired on NBC on July 21, 1949), "The Big Lease" (originally aired on NBC on November 1, 1951), and "The Big Show" (originally aired on NBC on April 10, 1952).

Click here to watch "The Human Bomb."

Click here to watch "The Big Lease."

Click here to watch "The Big Show." 

Created by Dashiell Hammett, The Fat Man was one of radio's most popular mystery shows. It was on the verge of spinning off into a series of movies with radio star J. Scott Smart reprising his role of private eye Brad Runyon. But then Hammett ran afoul of the House Un-American Activities Committee and the crimesolving career of the Fat Man came to an end. In this month's bonus episode, I'm sharing my five favorite adventures of Runyon - "the fast-moving criminologist who tips the scales at 237 pounds." We'll start with the show's first episode - "The Nineteenth Pearl" (originally aired on ABC on January 21, 1946). Then, he tries to help a woman who's being pressured back into a life of crime in "The Black Angel" (originally aired on ABC on July 8, 1946). The Fat Man tries to help a friend who witnesses a murder in a neighboring apartment in "A Window for Murder" (originally aired on ABC on October 3, 1947), and Runyon heads to Mexico to solve a case south of the border in "Murder Wins the Draw" (originally aired on ABC on April 1, 1949). Finally, in "The NIghtmare Murder" (originally aired on ABC on January 17, 1951), a man hires Runyon to prove he's guilty of murder.

"America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" is on the case - three of them - in this week's episode. We're celebrating the anniversary of the radio debut of Johnny Dollar with a trio of old time radio mysteries starring "the man with the action-packed expense account." First, Charles Russell is Johnny in "The Case of Barton Drake" (originally aired on CBS on April 22, 1949). Next, we'll hear "The William Post Matter" (originally aired on CBS on September 22, 1953) with John Lund as Dollar. And finally, Mandel Kramer stars in "The Bee or Not to Bee Matter" (originally aired on CBS on October 29, 1961).

With Valetine's Day right around the corner, we're celebrating with three crimesolving couples from the golden age of radio. First, in "A Crime to Fit the Punishment" from The Mollé Mystery Theatre, an amateur sleuth and his girlfriend investigate a strange case of blackmail (AFRS rebroadcast). Next, it's another adventure of the Duke and Duchess from Murder By Experts - the locked room mystery "The Unseeing Witness" (originally aired on Mutual on September 26, 1949). Finally, we'll hear Les Damon and Claudia Morgan as Pat and Jean Abbott - an insurance investigator and his sharp-eyed wife - in "The Fabulous Emerald Necklace" from The Adventures of the Abbotts (AFRS rebroadcast).

This month, Philip Marlowe returns to the big screen with Liam Neeson starring as Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles gumshoe. To celebrate, I've picked three old time radio Marlowe mysteries with the great Gerald Mohr. We'll hear "The Restless Day" (originally aired on CBS on January 8, 1949), "The Headless Peacock" (originally aired on CBS on July 16, 1949), and "The Man on the Roof" (originally aired on CBS on April 4, 1950).

Not all radio detectives were cops or private eyes. There were several reporters who cracked cases while they filed stories and met deadlines, and today we'll hear some of their adventures. First, Casey, Crime Photographer comes to the aid of a man framed for murder in "The Laughing Killer" (originally aired on CBS on May 8, 1947). And on Night Beat, Randy Stone investigates when a Prohibition-era gangster is gunned down after being released from prison in an episode known as "Big John McMasters" (originally aired on NBC on March 4, 1951). But in between those fictional stories, we'll hear the real-life tale of a Nevada reporter who broke a murder case in The Big Story (originally aired on NBC on January 11, 1950).

In this bonus episode, I'm sharing my five favorite detective stories from Suspense. Over its twenty year run, "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" presented many great mysteries, including these five tales adapted from stories by some of crime fiction's best writers and starring some of the genre's most interesting characters. First, Warren William recreates his screen role as The Lone Wolf makes his radio debut. The reformed jewel thief turned detective stars in "Murder Goes for a Swim" (originally aired on CBS on July 20, 1943). Then, an unlikely pair of detectives (Allyn Joslyn and William Bendix) hunts for a stolen necklace in Raymond Chandler's "Pearls are a Nuisance" (originally aired on CBS on April 19, 1945). Dashiell Hammett provides our third tale, as John Payne and Frank McHugh play a small town sheriff and his deputy who catch a wanted man only to have him die in their jail cell in "Two Sharp Knives" (originally aired on CBS on June 7, 1945). Brian Donlevy stars as Duncan McLain, the blind private detective created by Baynard Kendrick in a radio adaptation of Kendrick's novel "Out of Control" (originally aired on CBS on March 28, 1946), a story that finds Kendrick investigating a seemingly impossible murder. And finally, Dana Andrews is a cop out to stop a serial killer who's hungry for publicity in "The Crowd," an adaptation of a story by Ray Bradbury (originally aired on CBS on September 21, 1950).

We're catching a cable car in San Francisco with three old time radio gumshoes who live and work in the city by the bay. First, Candy Matson solves a pair of murders on an army base in "The Fort Ord Story" (originally aired on NBC on September 23, 1949). Next, Sam Spade is hired to protect a man from a vengeful ex-con in "The Champion Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 7, 1949). Finally, Pat Novak tries to pay off a gambling debt and ends up framed for murder in an episode known as "Joe Condano" (originally aired on ABC on March 27, 1949).

It's a mix of winter sports and whodunnit in the Alps with Bob Bailey in a five-part adventure of Johnny Dollar. "The man with the action-packed expense account" heads to Switzerland in pursuit of $100,000 of stolen diamonds, where he hits the slopes and dodges shots, in "The Picture Postcard Matter" (originally aired on CBS between October 1 and October 5, 1956).

Winter is upon us, and this week I've picked three old time radio mysteries set during snowstorms. First up, there's a suspicious suicide at a lodge for Barton Drake to solve in Mystery is My Hobby. Then, Mr. and Mrs. North check in for murder at a hotel during a storm. Barbara Britton and Richard Denning star as Pam and Jerry in "Snowbound" (an AFRS rebroadcast). Finally, Gerald Mohr is Philip Marlowe who takes shelter from a blizzard only to discover he's trapped with the family of a man he killed in "The Grim Echo" (originally aired on CBS on February 14, 1950).

I've got one more episode before I sign off for the year, and for this bonus show I'm sharing my five favorite old time radio mysteries. It's a quintet of Christmas capers that will help to get you in the holiday spirit.  First, Sydney Greenstreet is Nero Wolfe in "The Case of the Slaughtered Santas" (originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1950) and Frank Sinatra is Rocky Fortune in "The Plot to Murder Santa Claus" (originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1953). Then Vincent Price is Simon Templar in "Santa Claus is No Saint," a holiday adventure of the Robin Hood of modern crime (originally aired on NBC on December 24, 1950) and a Sherlock Holmes mystery with John Stanley and Alfred Shirley as Holmes and Watson in "The Adventure of the Christmas Bride" (originally aired on Mutual on December 21, 1947). Finally, Jack Webb is Sgt. Joe Friday in the heartwarming Dragnet case file "The Big Little Jesus" (originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1953).

With Christmas only days away, we're celebrating (and closing out another year of the podcast) with Lionel Barrymore as Ebenezeer Scrooge in an old time radio adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The classic holiday story was presented on The Campbell Playhouse with Orson Welles and an all-star radio cast bringing the tale to life. We'll hear Welles as narrator, Barrymore as Scrooge, and supporting performances from Everett Sloane, George Coulouris, and Frank Readick in this broadcast that originally aired on CBS on December 24, 1939.

Happy Holidays! We're celebrating the season with four old time radio holiday mysteries. Grab an egg nog and a Christmas cookie or two and enjoy these Christmas crime tales. First, Paul Frees plans a perfect murder in "Back for Christmas" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on December 24, 1947). Then, Sgt. Joe Friday searches for a missing woman during the holidays in Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on July 28, 1949). Then, Bob Bailey finds a mystery on Christmas Eve when he tries to do a favor for a soldier in "Christmas Letter" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on December 24, 1951). Finally, Detective Danny Clover is on a holiday hunt for a legendary artifact in Broadway is My Beat (originally aired on CBS on December 22, 1951). Plus - Stan Freberg and Daws Butler star in a holiday Dragnet parody!

Update: After a round of steroids from my doctor, I think this 30+ days of cough is finally behind me.

Old time radio oracles take center stage in this week's mysteries. First, Jeff Regan tries to protect a mind reader who's been marked for death. Jack Webb stars in "The House by the Sea" (originally aired on CBS on November 4, 1948). Then, Randy Stone comes to the aid of a carnival mentalist driven mad by a mysterious question. Frank Lovejoy stars in the Night Beat episode known as "Mentallo, the Mental Marvel" (originally aired on NBC on May 1, 1950). Finally, Ronald Colman stars in one of my favorite Suspense episodes as a nightclub psychic who discovers his act isn't a fake anymore. We'll hear "A Vision of Death" (originally aired on CBS on March 8, 1951).

Sit back and get ready for five reports dictated to Effie Perrine by Sam Spade. Dashiell Hammett's gumshoe was a hit in print and on the big screen in The Maltese Falcon, and when he came to radio in 1946 he soon became one of the most popular characters on radio in the person of actor Howard Duff. The show's combination of hardboiled mystery and tongue in cheek humor helped it stand out from the crowd, and it still holds up today. We'll hear my five favorite Spade episodes - "The Missing Newshawk Caper" (originally aired on CBS on July 18, 1949); "The Critical Author Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 15, 1948); "The Lawless Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 29, 1948); "The Lazarus Caper" (originally aired on CBS on September 12, 1948); and "The Dick Foley Caper" (originally aired on CBS on September 26, 1948). Plus - a one-hour Suspense episode and sequel to The Maltese Falcon - "The Kandy Tooth" (originally aired on CBS on January 10, 1948).

As the long Thanksgiving weekend draws to a close and as folks finish their trips back home, we'll hear three old time radio mysteries set in the car and on the highway. First, Frank Sinatra is behind the wheel of a truck full of nitroglycerin in Rocky Fortune (originally aired on NBC on January 26, 1954). Then, Fibber McGee and Molly leave Wistful Vista for a visit to Suspense where they run afoul of a "Backseat Driver" (originally aired on CBS on February 3, 1949). Finally, we'll hear Casey, Crime Photographer investigate the case of a beautiful and deadly hitch-hiking thief in "Road Angel" (originally aired on CBS on January 13, 1954).

Whether you're shopping for deals or savoring some Turkey Day leftovers, Jack Webb is here to keep you company in this bonus episode. We'll celebrate Black Friday with Joe Friday in four Dragnet radio episodes: "The Big Grandma" (originally aired on NBC on October 15, 1950); "The Big Bungalow" (originally aired on NBC on November 15, 1951); "The Big Informant" (originally aired on NBC on March 22, 1953); and "The Big Bob" (originally aired on NBC on September 1, 1953).

The classic Disney animated films of the 50s and 60s featured some of the great stars of the golden age of radio. Some of the best villains in those pictures were voiced by veterans of Escape, Suspense, Sam Spade, and more. We'll hear a trio of radio mysteries featuring a quartet of Disney actors. First, Hans Conried - Captain Hook of Peter Pan - and Betty Lou Gerson - Cruella de Vil of One Hundred and One Dalmatians - co-star in "The Unfair Lady" from The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (originally aired on CBS on June 4, 1949). Next, Martha Wentworth - Mad Madam Mim from The Sword in the Stone - may be a murderess in "Weak Sister" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on October 14, 1946). Finally, Eleanor Audley - who memorably played both the Evil Stepmother in Cinderella and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty - needs Johnny Dollar's help in "The Doting Dowager Matter" (originally aired on CBS on January 25, 1959).

Note: Intros should be back by next week!

Helen Mack began her career as a child actress in the 1920s and she went on to make appearances in Son of Kong and His Girl Friday. But in the 1940s, she transitioned into a new phase of her career as a producer and director of radio shows. She was behind the scenes of comedies like Meet Corliss Archer and A Date with Judy and she helmed dozens of episodes of Richard Diamond and The Saint - two shows marked by a wry sense of humor mixed in with the mysteries. We'll celebrate Ms. Mack's birthday with some of her work in the world of radio detectives. Dick Powell stars as Richard Diamond in "The Marilyn Connors Case" (originally aired on ABC on January 12, 1951) and "The Man with the Scar" (originally aired on ABC on January 26, 1951). And in between those shows, we'll hear Vincent Price as Simon Templar in "The Bride Who Lost Her Groom" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on February 11, 1951).

Next week: Old time radio mysteries starring the voices of some classic Disney villains!

**Note: No intro today - not sure if I caught something new or if it's the same thing wearing out its welcome, but hopefully back to normal next week!

The contents of museums can solve mysteries of the past, but the halls of artifacts and treasures can also provide great backdrops for whodunits today. We'll hear three radio private eyes on cases that take them through the corridors of museums, beginning with Lon Clark as Nick Carter in "The Museum Tragedy" (originally aired on Mutual on May 27, 1945). Then, Jackson Beck is Philo Vance in the syndicated mystery "The Idol Murder Case." And finally, William Gargan stars in "Murder in Wax" from Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator (originally aired on NBC on November 21, 1951).

Note: No intro this week; I'm hoping that I'll be over my cold in time for next week's show!

With Halloween right around the corner, we're catching up with some of the creepier cases investigated by "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator." Bob Bailey stars as Johnny Dollar in the five-part mystery "The Tears of Night Matter" (originally aired on CBS between May 21 and May 25, 1956) - where Johnny comes to the aid of a wealthy widow convinced that an ancestral curse has doomed her. Then, we'll hear him in "The Ghost to Ghost Matter" (AFRS rebroadcast from May 18, 1958) where he's got an entire haunted town on his hands.

Next week: Three old time radio museum mysteries!

Put out your Jack-o-lantern, grab the candy bowl, and enjoy the Down These Mean Streets Halloween Special! It's a full-sized candy bar of a show with eight old time radio shows - a mix of frights and delights - to get you in the spirit of the season. First, Paul Frees stars in an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on October 22, 1947) and Basil Rathbone drops by The Jack Benny Program for Halloween hijinks (originally aired on NBC on November 2, 1941). A killer stalks the streets of London in "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole," a spine-tingling tale from The Mollé Mystery Theatre (originally aired on NBC on June 21, 1946) and Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of a witch in "The Laughing Lemur of Hightower Heath" (originally aired on Mutual on October 26, 1947). William Bendix visits a haunted house on The Life of Riley (originally aired on ABC on October 29, 1944) and we'll hear an unusual werewolf story on The Stan Freberg Show (originally aired on CBS on October 6, 1957). Finally, we're back in Poe country as The Weird Circle presents "The Cask of Amontillado" and Bud and Lou drop by Bela Lugosi's monstrous mansion on The Abbott and Costello Show (originally aired on ABC on May 5, 1948).

An older and smarter brother, Mycroft Holmes was the only member of Sherlock's family we ever met in Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. He appeared in just two stories, but he's been featured in original Holmes adventures in print and on screen for decades. We'll hear Mycroft in the original adventure "The Great Gandolfo" starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (originally aired on Mutual on October 22, 1945). Then, we'll hear a pair of episodes from a long-running BBC Holmes series starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley as Holmes and Watson. Both of Mycroft's original appearances are adapted for radio in "The Greek Interpreter" (originally aired on April 5, 1960) and "The Bruce-Partington Plans" (originally aired on August 28, 1964).

Click here to read "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter."

Click here to read "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans."

Read along with our heroes this week in three old time radio mysteries where books play a key role in the crimes and their solutions. First, Boston Blackie tries to figure out why readers of a best-selling novel keep winding up dead. Richard Kollmar stars in this syndicated episode known as "Three Wind Blows West Murders." Then, Philip Marlowe believes a murder victim's scrapbook contains the motive for her death and the identity of her killer in "The Big Book" (originally aired on CBS on September 29, 1950). Finally, George Valentine helps a bookstore owner whose shop keeps getting robbed in "The Bookworm Turns" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on December 11, 1950).

Anglophiles rejoice! All of this week's old time radio mysteries star performers from across the pond. Herbert Marshall is secret agent Ken Thurston in an exciting adventure of The Man Called X. Thurston is on the hunt for a missing atomic scientist in this episode that originally aired on NBC on November 3, 1950. Then, Rex Harrison is a debonair gumshoe in "When They Track Down the Human Game" from The Private Files of Rex Saunders (originally aired on NBC on August 1, 1951). Finally, an all-British cast dramatizes a case from the Scotland Yard files in "The Case of the Fatal Bath" from Whitehall 1212 (originally aired on NBC on April 13, 1952).

Suit up and take the field with old time radio detectives in three football mysteries. First, Randy Stone comes to the aid of an old college football hero who's fallen on hard times (and into debt with gamblers) in Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on June 12, 1950). Then, in Broadway is My Beat, Detective Danny Clover probes the murder of a booster killed after a date with a star college quarterback (AFRS rebroadcast from November 22, 1952). Finally, Frank Sinatra gets pulled into a plan to fix football games in Rocky Fortune (originally aired on NBC on December 2, 1954).

Sixty years ago this month, the Golden Age of Radio signed off as CBS aired the final episodes of Suspense and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar on September 30, 1962. Both shows hung on as TV overtook radio in the late 50s and continued to produce new episodes even as more people across the country were turning on their television sets instead of their radios for dramatic programs. We'll hear Mandel Kramer as "the man with the action-packed expense account" in four of the detective's final radio adventures: "The Skimpy Matter" (originally aired on July 22, 1962); "The Case of Trouble Matter" (originally aired on CBS on August 5, 1962); "The Oldest Gag Matter" (originally aired on CBS on August 12, 1962); and "The No Matter Matter" (originally aired on CBS on September 16, 1962).

Click here to listen to Episode 244 - The Final Matters Matter with the final two episodes of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, including the last episode aired on September 30, 1962.

In this bonus show, I've picked my five favorite installments of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, the CBS series that brought Raymond Chandler's private eye to intense radio life with the voice of Gerald Mohr. We'll hear "The Grim Hunters" (originally aired on CBS on March 12, 1949); "The August Lion" (originally aired on CBS on August 6, 1949); "The Glass Donkey" (originally aired on CBS on July 28, 1950); and "The Soft Spot" (originally aired on CBS on September 1, 1950). We'll also hear William Conrad's one and only performance as Philip Marlowe when he pinch-hit for Mohr in "The Anniversary Gift" (originally aired on CBS on April 11, 1950).

All aboard! We're pulling out of the station for three old time radio mysteries set on or around trains. First, as amateur sleuth and Shakespeare doppleganger Leonidas Witherall, Walter Hampden finds a corpse switcheroo on a train to Chicago (originally aired on Mutual on October 8, 1944). Then, Ranger Jayce Pearson investigates a deliberate train derailment. Joel McCrea stars in "Last Stop" from Tales of the Texas Rangers (originally aired on NBC on August 10, 1952). And finally, we board a commuter train but may be riding alongside "The Man Who Murders People" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1960).

Happy Batman Day! Celebrate the Caped Crusader and listen to a complete radio adventure of Superman with Batman fighting alongside the Man of Steel. We'll hear the world's finest heroes, along with Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White in "The Story of the Century" (originally aired on Mutual between April 1st and April 15th, 1946).

Class is in session in these three old time radio mysteries set in and around schools. First, Howard Duff stars as Sam Spade in "The Queen Bee Caper" (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1949). Then, Edmond O'Brien is "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The Story of the Big Red Schoolhouse" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on April 4, 1950). And finally, Vincent Price is The Saint in "Miss Godby's School for Girls" (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1950).

Old time radio's G-men are on the case in three shows starring FBI agents. First, we'll hear "The Crack-Up" from The FBI in Peace and War (originally aired on CBS on September 14, 1950). Then, Stacy Harris stars as Agent Taylor in "The Unhappy Hijacker" from This is Your FBI (originally aired on ABC on July 18, 1947). Finally, Matt Cvetic tries to keep his cover from being blown in I Was a Communist for the FBI. Dana Andrews stars as Cvetic in the syndicated episode "Kangaroo Court."

There's no rest for the weary! Even on vacation, Superman and his friends can't help finding a new adventure. For the final installment in our bonus series, we'll listen as Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen battle smugglers and hunt for a legendary treasure in these episodes that originally aired between July 22 and August 2, 1940.

It's the 500th episode of Down These Mean Streets! To celebrate 500 shows of old time radio mystery, crimesolvers, and crooks, I'm going back to the show that introduced me to the wonderful world of radio drama. We'll hear eight episodes that prove that "the weed of crime bears bitter fruit." Who knows who's starring in these shows? Ha ha ha ha ha ha...

It's the grand opening of Happyland Amusement Park, owned and operated by Lois Lane's friend. But when Lois and Clark Kent arrive to cover the opening, they discover Happyland is under threat from the dastardly owner of a rival carnival who will resort to anything - including murder and sabotage - to run Happyland out of business. It's up to Superman to take flight and save the day before Happyland's thrill rides end in disaster in these episodes that originally aired between July 8 and July 19, 1940.

See you in court for these three old time radio mysteries set in and around the courthouse. First, Mr. District Attorney suspects a fix in "The Case of the Intimidated Jury" (originally aired on NBC on August 23, 1944). Then, Mercedes McCambridge represents a college basketball player accused of murder in Defense Attorney (originally aired on ABC on July 17, 1952). Finally, Les Damon stars as The Falcon in "The Case of the Rich Racketeer," where a gangster is acquitted in court only to wind up murdered (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1950).

Someone's smuggling explosives in porcelain dolls, and it's up to Superman to stop these terrible toymen and their evil schemes! The Man of Steel returns in this story that originally aired between June 24 and July 5, 1940.

Each of these old time radio detectives earned their livings as writers. They only dabbled in crimesolving on the side because it was their hobby or because real-life mysteries provided inspiration for their work. We'll hear Glenn Langan as mystery writer and police consultant Barton Drake in "The Coin Collector Mystery," a syndicated episode from Mystery is My Hobby.  Then, Alan Ladd is Dan Holiday - newspaperman turned novelist and amateur adventurer - in "Hare and Hounds" from Box 13. And we'll close with Frank Lovejoy as Chicago reporter Randy Stone in "The Girl in the Park" from Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on February 27, 1950).

Lois Lane returns! Her uncle is a meterology professor with an uncanny ability to predict the weather. Lois and Clark travel to interview him and discover a gang of robbers, a murdered assistant, and a plan to destroy a mountain. It all adds up to an exciting new adventure for the Man of Steel in these episodes that originally aired between June 9 and June 21, 1940.

Take me out to the ballgame for these three radio mysteries set in and around the ballpark. First, Ellery Queen's plans for a relaxing Sunday afternoon are thwarted when a movie star drops dead in "The Adventure of the Foul Tip" (AFRS rebroadcast; originally aired on NBC on June 13, 1944). Then, Bulldog Drummond tries to save a team after a pitcher dies on the mound in "Death on the Diamond" (originally aired on Mutual on September 17, 1945). Finally, Richard Kollmar investigates the shooting of a player killed sliding into second base in a syndicated adventure of Boston Blackie.

A lost race, an immortal witch doctor, and a polar bear? All in a day's work for Superman! In this week's bonus show, Clark Kent travels to the Arctic to find a missing explorer and the last Daily Planet reporter sent to locate him. We'll hear the full adventure, originally aired between May 27 and June 7, 1940.

Step right up for three old time radio mysteries set at the carnival. In between the games, rides, and shows, we'll find mayhem and murder on the midway. First, Vincent Price discovers the "buried alive woman" may be in serious trouble in "The Carnival Murder" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on February 4, 1951). Then, as Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Dick Powell is hired to protect a carnival star from a killer in "The Carnival" (originally aired on ABC on March 30, 1951). Finally, DeForest Kelley is a talent agent fascinated by a ventriloquist with a secret in "Flesh Peddler" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on August 4, 1957).

Who's trying to kill a celebrated photographer, and how is he connected to a governor, a gangster, and a ceremony at the frontier monument at Buffalo Hills? It's an adventure that begins in the Daily Planet newsroom and ends with an explosion on the side of a mountain and a last minute rescue. Superman flies into action in this exciting serial that originally aired between May 13 and May 24, 1940.

Three crimesolving couples take the stage this week, beginning with Pam and Jerry North who find a new mystery as soon as they get home from vacation. Joseph Curtin and Alice Frost star in "Wheel of Chance" from Mr. and Mrs. North (originally aired on CBS on June 9, 1953). Next, the Abbotts discover a new mystery on a voyage to London. Les Damon and Claudia Morgan play Pat and Jean in "The Dead-White Lifeboat," an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of The Adventures of the Abbotts. And finally, ex-cop turned private eye Johnny Duke and his wife Susan (aka "Duchess") have a case drop into their laps in the back of a taxi in "Two Can Die as Cheaply as One" - a story from the anthology series Murder by Experts (originally aired on Mutual on April 17, 1950).

Why are so many planes crashing at Bridger Field? It's a story for Clark Kent and a new adventure for the Man of Steel in this week's bonus Superman show! Kent and Jimmy Olsen are on the scene to investigate the series of disasters in these episodes that originally aired between April 29 and May 10, 1940.

It's summertime, but the living isn't easy for these radio detectives. All they want is a little vacation, but murder and mayhem pop up as uninvited guests and turn their getaways into cases. First, George Valentine hooks a corpse instead of a fish in "The Empress of Fish Falls" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on August 22, 1949). Then, Philip Marlowe is roped into solving a murder at a ranch in "The Dude from Manhattan" (originally aired on CBS on July 2, 1949). Finally, Barrie Craig is on a train to the mountains when he meets a beautiful woman and finds a dead body in "Death Buys a Bedroom" (originally aired on NBC on July 27, 1954).

Before he was getting into trouble on the George Reeves TV show, before he starred in his own comic book series - even before he appeared in the comics - Jimmy Olsen made his debut as a character on the Superman radio show.  His first appearance came in the storyline we'll hear today - an adventure that pits Superman against a protection racket shaking down the candy shop owned by Jimmy's mom. These episodes originally aired between April 15 and April 26, 1940).

Even on vacation, Johnny Dollar isn't far from mystery and murder. We'll hear Bob Bailey as "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The LaMarr Matter," a five-part adventure that originally aired on CBS between March 26 and March 30, 1956. Plus, we'll hear him as Johnny Dollar in "The Ideal Vacation Matter" (an AFRS rebroadcast of a show from September 22, 1957).

Click here to listen to "The Jolly Roger Fraud," the five-part Johnny Dollar story that leads into "The LaMarr Matter."

Superman returns in this week's bonus episode! A brilliant scientist and explorer has disappeared, and Clark Kent joins the man's daughter as she investigates. The pair travel to the scientist's remote mansion, where they discover a priceless relic and come under attack from a secret society who will kill to get it back in these episodes that aired between April 1 and 12, 1940. Plus, we'll hear a bonus half-hour adventure of Superman - "The Case of Double Trouble" (originally aired on ABC on March 9, 1949).

June has historically meant weddings, and we're celebrating happy couples everywhere with three wedding-themed old time radio mysteries. First, Wally Maher is Michael Shayne who attends a wedding and discovers the father of the bride has been poisoned (originally aired on Mutual on May 14, 1945). Then, Dan Holiday poses for a picture with a woman and finds himself engaged to a $15 million fortune. Alan Ladd stars in "Look Pleasant, Please," a syndicated mystery from Box 13. And finally, Special Agent Jim Taylor (Stacy Harris) leads the hunt for a pair of swindlers running a marriage racket on sailors and soldiers. We'll hear "The Traveling Bride" from This is Your FBI (originally aired on November 9, 1951).

The Wolf and the Yellow Mask are back! The villains Superman battled in his first radio adventures return with a plot to hold an entire town for ransom. Fortunately, Lois Lane and Clark Kent are on the scene to cover the story, and the Man of Steel is on hand to tangle with this dangerous duo once again. This six-episode serial aired between March 18 and March 29, 1940.

We're setting sail with three old time radio detectives who find capers on cruise ships. First, Basil Rathbone tries to stop a shipboard poisoner in "Murder by Moonlight" from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (originally aired on Mutual on October 29, 1945). Then, Bob Bailey is undercover as a cruise athletic director to catch some smugglers in "Serenade to the Southern Star" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on June 13, 1949). And finally, Frank Sinatra is Rocky Fortune as he tries to clear his own name and solve "The Shipboard Jewel Robbery" (originally aired on NBC on October 20, 1953).

When Superman saves a woman from a burning building, it's only the start of a new adventure for the Man of Steel. His latest adversaries are a pair of swindlers who will kill to cover up their crimes. Frank Lovejoy makes an appearance in this Superman serial that originally aired between March 4 and 15, 1940.

Philip Marlowe came to radio in his own weekly series seventy-five years ago this month with Oscar-winner Van Heflin starring as Raymond Chandler's private eye. Though his run as Marlowe aired for only 13 weeks, it was a terrific series that featured adaptations of several of Chandler's own Marlowe stories - a rarity for radio detectives pulled from books. We'll celebrate the anniversary with all five of the show's surviving episodes: "Red Wind" (originally aired on NBC on June 17, 1947); "The Daring Young Dame on the Flying Trapeze" (July 1, 1947); "The King in Yellow" (July 8, 1947); "Trouble is My Business" (August 5, 1947); and "Robin and the Hood" (August 19, 1947).

In honor of Superman Day, we're going back to the Man of Steel's first adventure on radio. We'll hear the final hours of the planet Krypton, Superman's arrival on Earth and his assumption of the identity of Clark Kent, and his first battle against evil. Bud Collyer stars as Superman in these shows that originally aired between February 12 and March 1, 1940.

Three old time radio detectives head to the racetrack this week for a trio of mysteries in and out of the stables. First, Ned Wever is Bulldog Drummond in "Death Plays the Races" (originally aired on Mutual on May 20, 1946). Then, as Philo Vance, Jackson Beck solves "The Murdock Murder Case." Finally, Tom Conway is The Saint in "Peter the Great" (originally aired on NBC on June 24, 1951).

Click here to read "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League."

Click here to read "The Adventure of the Stolen Naval Treaty."

Click here to read "The Story of the Lost Special."

There's no case too big for these three radio private eyes. First, Lon Clark is Nick Carter, Master Detective in "The Case of the Priceless Prose" (originally aired on Mutual on December 14, 1947). Then, Dick Powell looks for "The Star of Savoy" as Richard Rogue in Rogue's Gallery (originally aired on NBC on June 23, 1946). Finally, Jeff Chandler is on the job in the Big Easy in "The Case of the Gray-Eyed Blonde," a syndicated mystery from The New Adventures of Michael Shayne.

Our trip to the golden age of radio takes us all around the world this week. First, Jack Moyles hunts a kidnapper in Cairo as Rocky Jordan in "Quest for Tornina" (originally aired on CBS on October 16, 1949). Then, Edmond O'Brien heads to the Phillippines in "The Woodward Manila Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on November 25, 1950). Finally, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall lead an adventure in tropical Havana in "Dead Men Don't Leave Prints" from the syndicated series Bold Venture.

We're going back in time this week for tales of murder and mystery from the 19th and early 20th centuries. First, Crime Classics dramatizes the sensational true story "The Terrible Deed of John White Webster" (originally aired on CBS on July 13, 1953). Then, the Frontier Gentleman plays an infamous game of poker with Wild Bill Hickok in "Aces and Eights" (originally aired on CBS on April 20, 1958). Finally, Fred MacMurray is a Prohibition-era jazz drummer who witnesses a gangland rub-out in "The Windy City Six" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on February 8, 1951).

For this bonus show, I'm sharing my five favorite old time radio adventures of Simon Templar - "the Robin Hood of modern crime" best known as The Saint. We'll hear Vincent Price as the Saint in "The Sinister Sneeze" (originally aired on NBC on June 11, 1950); "Baseball Murder" (originally aired on NBC on September 3, 1950); "No Hiding Place" (originally aired on NBC on November 19, 1950); and "The Big Swindle" (originally aired on NBC on February 25, 1951). We'll also hear substitute Saint Barry Sullivan in "The Ghost that Giggled" (originally aired on NBC oN September 17, 1950).

Places, please! We've got three old time radio mysteries set onstage, backstage, and in the aisles of the theatre. Actors, playwrights, and critics are all suspects, victims, and killers and it's up to the detectives to figure out whodunnit before the final curtain. We'll hear "Murder Me Twice" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on July 5, 1948); a syndicated Boston Blackie mystery known as "Seven Years Bad Luck for Florence Wells;" and "Curtain Call," another strange story by The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on August 27, 1947).

In honor of Jack Webb's birthday, we'll hear three of the radio and TV legend's old time radio mysteries. First, he stars in a waterfront mystery from Johnny Madero, Pier 23 (originally aired on ABC on June 19, 1947). Then, he's Sgt. Joe Friday on the trail of a killer in "The Big Shirt" from Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on November 30, 1952). Finally, we'll hear a Prohibition-era caper from Pete Kelly's Blues (originally aired on NBC on July 25, 1951).

It's a full fight card with three old time radio mysteries set in and around the boxing ring. First, Frank Lovejoy is Randy Stone, coming to the aid of a fighter pressured to take a dive in Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on August 14, 1950). Then, as Philo Vance, Jackson Beck solves "The Heavyweight Murder Case." Finally, Dick Powell tries to prove a fight manager's suicide was actually a murder in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on August 2, 1950).

It's a triple feature of the same mystery starring three different radio gumshoes. Morton Fine and David Friedkin wrote the story of a killer who taunts police with announcements of his upcoming crimes, and the clever tale comes to life in three similar but different adventures. First, Lt. Danny Clover investigates "The Jane Darnell Murder Case" on Broadway is My Beat (originally aired on CBS on August 11, 1949). Then, in London, Inspector Peter Black stars in "Three for All" from Pursuit (originally aired on CBS on November 10, 1949). Finally, Howard Duff plays L.A. gumshoe Mike McCoy in the audition recording for what would have been The McCoy (recorded on or around April 24, 1951).

Real-life exploits of government agents come to radio life in these three adventures. First, an OSS agent parachutes into Germany in "Direct Line to Bombers" from Cloak and Dagger (originally aired on NBC on June 25, 1950). Then, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. plays a postal inspector investigating a mail bomb in "Death in the Mail" from The Silent Men (originally aired on NBC on November 4, 1951). Finally, Henry Fonda plays an agent hunting for a spy ring operating right here in the US behind illegal radio transmitters in "Spy on the Kilocycles" from The Cavalcade of America (originally aired on NBC on October 8, 1945).

We're heading west this week with three old time radio cowboy crimesolvers. First, William Conrad is US Marshal Matt Dillon in "Chester's Murder" from Gunsmoke (originally aired on CBS on January 15, 1955). Then, Jeff Chandler trades Michael Shayne's fedora for a pair of spurs as western attorney Chad Remington in the syndicated drama Frontier Town. We'll hear him in "The Case of Felipe Gomez." Finally, big screen western star Joel McCrea is Ranger Pearson in "The White Suit" from Tales of the Texas Rangers (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1950).

Click here to listen to Orson Welles as Poirot in "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" from The Campbell Playhouse.

And click here for Maurice Tarplin as Poirot in "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor" from Murder Clinic, plus another Harold Huber Poirot mystery.

Gentleman thieves - both reformed and otherwise - step into the spotlight this week. First, Chester Morris is Boston Blackie - enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend - in "The Missing String of Pearls" (originally aired on NBC on August 11, 1944). Then, Orson Welles reprises his Third Man role in "It's a Knockout" from the syndicated series The Lives of Harry Lime. Finally, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. stars as the legendary thief in Raffles, recreated for the Screen Director's Playhouse (originally aired on NBC on September 14, 1951).

Steve Dunne had big shoes to fill when he was cast as Sam Spade. Dashiell Hammett's private eye had been thrilling listeners since 1946 in weekly adventures starring Howard Duff, but accusations of Communist sympathies cost Duff the gig. Dunne played a younger-sounding, less serious Sam for the final run of episodes. We'll hear two of them - "The Soap Opera Caper" (originally aired on NBC on February 16, 1951) and "The Sinister Siren Caper" (originally aired on NBC on March 16, 1951). Plus, we'll hear him as crime-solving reporter Lucky Larson in Deadline Mystery (originally aired on ABC on August 10, 1947).

The cops of the radio era are on the beat in three old time radio procedural dramas. First, Dan Duryea is the intense, two-fisted Lt. Lou Dana in "The Donald Shelberger Case" from The Man from Homicide (originally aired on ABC on July 9, 1951). Then, we'll hear an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of The Line-Up known as "Gas Station Robberies" starring Bill Johnstone and Wally Maher. Finally, Larry Thor is Detective Danny Clover in "The Dion Hartley Murder Case" from Broadway is My Beat (originally aired on CBS on February 17, 1950).

We're starting 2022 off with Bob Bailey as "the man with the action-packed expense account!" Bailey stars in a five-part adventure of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - "The Chesapeake Fraud Matter" (originally aired on CBS between October 17th and 21st, 1955).

It's a star-studded, super-sized holiday bonus episode to close out 2021! We'll hear Tallulah Bankhead as mistress of ceremonies for the Christmas Eve 1950 broadcast of NBC's The Big Show. Listen as Ms. Bankhead welcomes Ed Wynn, Jimmy Durante, Margaret O'Brien, Bert Lahr, and more.

It's our annual holiday bonanza! We'll hear four old time radio detectives doing some seasonal sleuthing. First, Special Agent Taylor searches for Santa in "The Return of St. Nick" on This is Your FBI (originally aired on ABC on December 24, 1948). Next, George and Brooksie find mystery in the department store in "Follow That Train" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on December 19, 1949). Then, saddle up with Ranger Jayce Pearson in "Christmas Payoff" from Tales of the Texas Rangers (originally aired on NBC on December 23, 1951). Finally, Bob Bailey stars as Johnny Dollar and pens the script for "The Carmen Kringle Matter" (originally aired on CBS on December 22, 1957).

Before he was an Oscar nominee for Broken Arrow, Jeff Chandler was a busy radio actor in supporting and lead roles. He was oblivious to the romantic overtures of Eve Arden on Our Miss Brooks, and he was one of radio's toughest shamuses in The New Adventures of Michael Shayne. We'll hear him in two Shayne syndicated mysteries: "A Problem in Murder" and "The Case of the Purloined Corpse." Then we'll hear Chandler as a detective hunting a killer in the tropics in "Red Wine" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on February 26, 1949).

With Frank Sinatra's birthday right around the corner, it's the perfect time to revisit Rocky Fortune - Ol' Blue Eyes' six-month stint as a radio detective. We'll hear Rocky bounce between jobs and find trouble everywhere he goes in a pair of episodes: "Carnival One Way" (originally aired on NBC on December 8, 1953) and "Too Many Husbands" (originally aired on NBC on February 16, 1954). Plus, he gets a job offer from Jack Benny in an episode of Benny's show (originally aired on NBC on October 8, 1944).

We're saluting John Dehner - the Disney animator and award-winning radio news editor who became one of the radio era's best actors and a great big and small screen character actor from the 50s to the 80s. He found his biggest radio fame in a pair of westerns - Frontier Gentleman and Have Gun - Will Travel - but he was heard all over the dial in everything from Escape to Family Theatre. We'll hear him in the audition recording for The Judge, where he plays a retired judge and unofficial police consultant (recorded March 13, 1952). Then, he's English reporter J.B. Kendall in "Kendall for the Defense" from Frontier Gentleman (originally aired on CBS on April 13, 1958) and the man called Paladin in "The Wager" from Have Gun - Will Travel (originally aired on CBS on July 26, 1959). Finally, Dehner plays an embezzler who may turn to murder in "Rebound" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on June 11, 1950).

Not all radio crimesolvers relied on their fists and .45s. Some solved crimes with charm and their wits, and we'll hear adventures of three of those gentlemen sleuths. First up is Vincent Price as The Saint in "The Case of the Unhappy Homicide" (originally aired on Mutual on November 6, 1949). Then, Ned Wever stars in "Murder in the Ring" from Bulldog Drummond (originally aired on Mutual on October 14, 1946). Finally, it's "Diamonds Can Be Done to Death" from The Private Files of Rex Saunders starring Rex Harrison (originally aired on NBC on May 16, 1951).

It's a birthday party for Dick Powell, but instead of cake we've got four old time radio mysteries starring the singing star turned film noir leading man and radio gumshoe. First, he co-stars with his then-wife Joan Blondell in the comedy-mystery Miss Pinkerton, Inc. (originally aired on CBS on July 12, 1941). Next, Powell is private eye Richard Rogue in Rogue's Gallery. We'll hear "Suspicious Will aka Anson Leeds is Dead" (originally aired on Mutual on January 17, 1946). Then, as Richard Diamond, Private Detective, he solves "The Cover-up Murders aka The Eight O'Clock Killer" (originally aired on CBS on June 7, 1953). Finally, Powell plays "the man with the action-packed expense account" in the 1948 audition recording for Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

Cornell Woolrich's stories of crime inspired dozens of films and radio programs, including Rear Window and nearly three dozen episodes of Suspense. We'll hear a pair of his stories recreated for radio, including an offering from "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." Howard da Silva is a cop and a pre-Dragnet Jack Webb is a criminal in "You Take Ballistics" (originally aired on CBS on March 7, 1947). Then, Ella Raines, Alan Curtis, and Brian Aherne star in "Phantom Lady," a production from The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on March 27, 1944).

Even old time radio detectives faced the supernatural (or seemingly supernatural) once in a while. Today, to celebrate Halloween, we'll hear adventures of three sleuths as they face off against ghosts, curses, and other things that go bump in the night. First, Frank Lovejoy is reporter Randy Stone in "The Black Cat" from Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on November 3, 1950). Then, William Gargan stars as Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator in "Ghost of a Chance" (originally aired on NBC on December 19, 1951). Finally, we'll hear Gerald Mohr in "The Iron Coffin" from The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (originally aired on CBS on July 12, 1950).

Turn down the lights and grab your candy - it's time for the Down These Mean Streets Halloween Special! Join me for a king-sized trick-or-treating trip through the golden age of radio for some comedies and chillers designed to get you in the Halloween spirit. Enjoy Bob Hope recreating his role in The Ghost Breakers as presented on The Screen Directors' Playhouse (originally aired on NBC on April 3, 1949). Then, it's a pair of terrifying tales from Edgar Allan Poe - "The Tell-Tale Heart" from NBC Presents Short Story (1951) and "The Black Cat" from Peter Lorre's Mystery in the Air (originally aired on NBC on September 18, 1947). We'll hear a trio of Halloween comedies from The Jack Benny Program (originally aired on CBS on October 31, 1948), My Favorite Husband (originally aired on CBS on October 28, 1949) and Our Miss Brooks (originally aired on CBS on October 30, 1949). Escape presents an adaptation of The Birds that aired a decade before Hitchcock brought the story to the big screen (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1954). Finally, Ernest Chappell stars in a wry chiller from Wyllis Cooper in "Don't Tell Me About Halloween" from Quiet Please (originally aired on Mutual on October 27, 1947).

Sherlock Holmes started his career as a radio detective on October 20, 1930, and to mark the occasion we'll hear the brilliant sleuth in four old time radio mysteries. Basil Rathbone stars as Holmes (with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson) in "The Strange Case of the Murder in Wax" (originally aired on Mutual on January 7, 1946). Then, Tom Conway steps in as Sherlock in Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Devil's Foot" (originally aired on ABC on January 13, 1947). John Stanley and Alfred Shirley are Holmes and Watson in the original mystery "The Case of the Bleeding Chandelier" (originally aired on Mutual on June 13, 1948). Finally, John Gielgud is Holmes and Ralph Richardson is Watson in "The Second Stain" (a BBC production broadcast on NBC on January 30, 1955).

Hey,  radio fans! It's Jack with a quick message. I've written a Halloween old time radio spoof show, and it's being livestreamed this Saturday, October 23rd at 7:00 pm eastern. We'll have detectives, a spoof of the Lux Radio Theatre, spooky tales from a sinister storyteller, and Orson Welles trying to make up for the War of the Worlds.

If you like the podcasts, I think you'll really dig the show. For tickets and information, visit https://www.ashlandtheatre.org/event/terror-on-the-tracks

Lt. Ben Guthrie led a squad of dedicated detectives on The Line-Up, one of radio's best police procedurals. We'll hear three episodes from the series, beginning with the show's audition program (recorded on May 27, 1950). We'll follow it with "The Check Killer Case" (originally aired on CBS on March 6, 1951) and The Mirthless Moonshiner's Methyl Murders" (originally aired on CBS on March 18, 1952).

Radio sleuthing wasn't always a serious business. Some detectives successfully mixed in comedy with their crimesolving, and we'll hear three examples this week. First, Adolphe Menjou and Verree Teasdale as a husband and wife duo in Deductions Deluxe, an audition recording that aired on Forecast (originally aired on CBS on July 28, 1941). Then, Allyn Joslyn stars as The Amazing Mr. Smith in "The Story of the Hooting Owl" (audition recorded on November 5, 1946). Finally, Lloyd Nolan and Claire Trevor are the operatives of the agency Results, Incorporated. They're on the hunt for a missing mummy in this episode (originally aired on Mutual on December 30, 1944).

When a medical emergency sidelined Herbert Marshall in May 1951, three of his friends and fellow actors stepped in to record three episodes of Marshall's radio espionage drama The Man Called X. Ken Thurston, the titular agent played by Marshall, was "on sick leave," but the forces of evil were fought by three top-notch talents in his absence. We'll hear Van Heflin in "A Man, a Girl, a Plot" (originally aired on NBC May 25, 1951); John Lund in "Stalin Plus Seven" (originally aired on NBC on June 1, 1951); and Joseph Cotten in "The Casbah" (originally aired on NBC on July 6, 1951). 

Even if you don’t know his name, chances are you know William Conrad’s (September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) voice.  You may know it from the jovial narrations of the adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle or the somber voice-over that followed Richard Kimble, The Fugitive.  Maybe you’ll recall his heavyset but still hard-nosed private eye Frank Cannon or the rascally courtroom antics of J.L. “Fatman” McCabe.   Or you may remember him as Matt Dillon, “the first man they look for and the last they want to meet,” on the old time radio classic Gunsmoke.  Audiences had ample opportunities to meet the actor in his five decades in show business.

Conrad was born John William Cann, Jr. in Lexington, Kentucky on September 27, 1920.  He began a career in radio as an announcer and writer for a Los Angeles station before he entered the Air Force in World War II.  Like other radio professionals who were enlisted men, he worked with the Armed Forces Radio Service.  After the war, Conrad was in demand as a supporting radio player.  He could be heard in a variety of roles, with a seemingly endless variety of accents and characterizations, on shows like Escape, Suspense, The Man Called X, and The Adventures of Sam Spade.  Some believed he was heard a little too often, and perceived overexposure almost cost Conrad a shot at what would prove to be his biggest radio role.

Producer-director Norman Macdonnell had been tasked by CBS President William Paley to develop a series that would be a “Philip Marlowe of the Old West.“  Paley was a big fan of Macdonnell’s The Adventures of Philip Marlowe starring Gerald Mohr, and wanted a show with a similar feel.  Up until that point, radio westerns were primarily kids’ stuff.  The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, and others rode the range in what amounted to little more than B-movie entertainment (no knock against those shows; it is thrilling to hear the Ranger and Tonto chase down bandits, but compelling drama it is not).  Just as Jack Webb brought grit and realism to the police drama with Dragnet, Macdonnell and scriptwriter John Meston saw an opportunity to revitalize the western.  When it came time to cast their lead of Matt Dillon, the US Marshal who tried to keep the peace in the “suburb of hell” known as Dodge City, Kansas - Meston pushed hard for William Conrad.  CBS had other ideas.

Conrad recalled years later, “I think when they started casting for it, somebody said, ‘Good Christ, let’s not get Bill Conrad, we’re up to you-know-where with Bill Conrad.’  So they auditioned everybody, and as a last resort they called me.  And I went in and read about two lines…and the next day they called me and said, ‘Okay, you have the job.’”

Gunsmoke premiered on April 26, 1952, with a powerful script involving Matt Dillon facing down a lynch mob.  The episode (listen to it here) erases any doubts as to whether William Conrad was the right choice for the role.  Backing him up every week was one of radio’s strongest regular casts.  Parley Baer was Dillon’s easygoing deputy Chester Proudfoot; Howard McNear was the wry Doc Addams; and Georgia Ellis was Kitty, the saloon owner (and, although it was never explicitly said on the show, prostitute) and Matt’s love interest.  Rounding out the supporting company every week was a repertory company of actors assembled by Macdonnell, including John Dehner, Larry Dobkin, and Harry Bartell.

There were attempts to bring Gunsmoke to TV as early as 1953, and by 1955 CBS was ready to move ahead.  Conrad, Baer, Ellis, and McNear were given token auditions, but none were seriously considered to reprise their roles on the small screen.  Conrad never had a shot due to his growing obesity; the network believed viewers wouldn’t believe the short, heavy actor as the rugged hero, even though he effortlessly sold the role on radio.  Losing the role to James Arness left Conrad embittered.  He’d continue to work in radio until the end of network radio drama in 1962, and he went on to a career off-camera in television.  Conrad directed episodes of Have Gun - Will Travel, 77 Sunset Strip, and even the TV version of Gunsmoke.  He narrated the adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and the exploits of Richard Kimble on all 120 episodes of The Fugitive.

A starring role on the small screen came at last in 1971 when Conrad starred as the titular character in Quinn Martin’s Cannon.  The private eye drama ran for five seasons and earned Conrad two Emmy Award nominations.  As hefty shamus Frank Cannon, Conrad gave TV one of its most memorable detectives, and Cannon’s adventures continue to air today in syndication.  His private eye credentials went back to 1950, when he filled in for an absent Gerald Mohr in the April 11, 1950 episode of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe.

There was an attempt to revive Cannon with a 1980 TV movie, and the following year Conrad played Nero Wolfe in a short-lived series on NBC.  Following a well-received turn as a D.A. opposite Andy Griffith on Matlock, Conrad returned to the small screen in a starring role in 1987 with Jake and the Fatman.  Conrad played J.L. “Fatman” McCabe, a Los Angeles prosecutor who relied on investigator Jake Stiles (Joe Penny) to do his legwork (shades of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin again).  The show ran until 1992.

Conrad passed away February 11, 1994 at the age of 73.  In 1997, he was posthumously inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.  With thousands of performances across dozens of shows, Conrad’s voice will live forever, wherever Rocky and Bullwinkle get into misadventures or whenever Matt Dillon is forced to draw his gun to keep the peace.

Three of radio's best gumshoes are on the case. First, Gerald Mohr stars as Philip Marlowe in "The Panama Hat" (originally aired on CBS on October 10, 1948). Then, Howard Duff is Sam Spade in "The Overjord Caper" (originally aired on CBS on June 5, 1949). Finally, we'll hear Dick Powell in "The Misplaced Laundry Case" from Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on September 6, 1950).

In a belated celebration of Batman Day, we're heading to Metropolis for an old time radio adventure of Superman featuring Batman and Robin! The Dynamic Duo is on hand to help the Man of Steel when Lois Lane is framed for murder in "Dr. Bly's Confidence Gang" (originally aired on Mutual between September 4 and September 21, 1945).

Oscar-winner Edmond O'Brien headlines three old time radio mysteries, including a pair of audition recordings as investigative reporters. First, he's "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The David Rocky Matter" (originally aired on CBS on January 20, 1951). Then, he plays reporter Hank Mitchell in the audition for Night Beat - recorded before Frank Lovejoy won the renamed role of Randy Stone (recorded May 19, 1949). Finally, O'Brien stars as a real Los Angeles reporter who helps to bring down a counterfeiting ring in the audition for The Fourth Estate (recorded June 26, 1946).

Alan Ladd broke out on screen with his performance as a professional killer in This Gun for Hire. He'd go on to find success on screen in noir dramas and westerns and on radio as mystery writer turned amateur sleuth Dan Holiday in Box 13. We'll hear a Lux Radio Theatre recreation of This Gun for Hire (originally aired on CBS on January 25, 1943). Plus, Dan Holiday takes a sea voyage with a killer in "One of These Four" from Box 13.

We're celebrating some of the women detectives of the radio era, including stories inspired by the life and work of a trailblazing woman detective in the New York Police Department. First, Murder Clinic presents an adventure of Madame Rosika Story, the brave, brilliant, and beautiful psychologist and private eye created by Hulbert Footner. We'll hear "The Scrap of Lace" (originally aired on Mutual on September 22, 1942). Then, Policewoman dramatizes the life of Mary Sullivan, the first woman homicide detective in the NYPD. We'll hear "The Case of the Scheming Bridegroom" (originally aired on ABC on June 29, 1947). Finally, Gloria Blondell stars as Holiday Wilde in the audition show for the adventures of a young woman on an international search for her missing father. From 1947, we'll hear "Mr. Fortune and The Court Of Shanghai."

Frederick Ziv was one of the biggest producers of syndicated radio and TV shows in the 1940s and 50s. His programs boasted big name stars, established properties, and great production values, and his companies raked in millions of dollars each year from sales of shows directly to small sponsors and local markets. We'll hear four of his old time radio mystery shows: "The Harry Walker Killing," starring Richard Kollmar as Boston Blackie; Jackson Beck as Philo Vance in "The Poetic Murder Case;" I Was a Communist for the FBI, starring Dana Andrews in "No Second Chance;" and Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in "The Blue Moon," a tale of tropical adventure from Bold Venture.

Not all old time radio crimefighters carried badges - or even private eye licenses. Some wore masks in their crusade against evil, and this week we'll hear three of those heroes who waged their wars on crime in disguise. First, The Green Hornet tracks down a gang of swindlers in "Classified Ad" (originally aired on ABC on March 30, 1946). Then, Frank Lovejoy stars as The Blue Beetle in the comic book hero's syndicated adventure "Blasting the Dynamite Ring." Finally, we meet the beautiful Lady in Blue, a wealthy socialite who dons a costume to fight crime in her customized car. Hmm...that sounds familiar. We'll hear the two surviving episodes of her syndicated series.

Before he was writing episodes of Perry Mason, Columbo, and Murder, She Wrote, Emmy-nominee Jackson Gillis got his start in radio. Gillis penned mysteries for several old time radio sleuths, and we'll hear three of them. First, Jack Webb stars in "The Lady With Too Much Hair" from Jeff Regan, Investigator (originally aired on CBS on November 6, 1948). Then, it's adventure in Egypt with Rocky Jordan in "Passport for Vivi" (originally aired on CBS on March 20, 1949). Finally, we'll hear "Run Until Dead" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on November 14, 1949).

The ninth season of "Down These Mean Streets" kicks off with Bob Bailey as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "the man with the action-packed expense account" in a five-part old time radio mystery. Johnny enters the world of spiritualists and seances in "The Matter of the Medium, Well Done" (originally aired on CBS between May 14 and May 18, 1956).

Dragnet was an immensely popular radio, and later TV, series that entertained millions of Americans each week for over a decade. It was also strictly overseen by LAPD Chief William H. Parker, who made sure the show painted his department in the best light and glossed over its abuses of power. In the wake of calls for police reform and the systemic racism in law enforcement, it can be tough to separate the procedural storytelling elements from its role as propaganda, but we'll try as we listen to three episodes: "The Big Evans" (originally aired on NBC on March 6, 1952); "The Big Bobo" (originally aired on NBC on July 19, 1955); and "The Big Ruling" (originally aired on NBC on September 6, 1955).

William Gargan couldn't cut it as a private detective in real life, but he was terrific at playing a gumshoe on screen and on radio. We'll hear him in three old time radio mysteries. First, he's ex-sailor turned private eye Ross Dolan in I Deal in Crime in "The William A. Davis Case" (originally aired on ABC on April 5, 1946). Then, he's homicide Inspector Burke in the hybrid murder mystery-quiz show Murder Will Out. Four members of the studio audience try to solve "The Case of the Swindled Songwriters" (originally aired on ABC on May 7, 1946).  Finally, Gargan stars as Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator in "The Deadly Fight" (originally aired on NBC on January 23, 1952).

“I don’t mind a reasonable amount of trouble.” (Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon)

Dashiell Hammett wasn’t just a writer of detective fiction; he was a real-life detective who also happened to pen some of the greatest mystery novels of the 20th century. His mind and pen brought readers the rough and tumble Continental Op; the urbane and refined Nick and Nora Charles; and arguably the most famous private eye of them all, Sam Spade. Hammett’s tenure with the Pinkertons (including work on the infamous Fatty Arbuckle case) provided the DNA for Spade, a cynical shamus with his own moral code. He made his debut in 1929’s The Maltese Falcon and while he would appear in another three short stories penned by Hammett, the Falcon and its hunt for a legendary statuette are why Spade is best remembered. Of course, the classic film adaptation by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart as Spade didn’t hurt his reputation.

The success of Bogart’s Maltese Falcon generated new interest in Hammett’s work in the 1940s. As stories were reprinted in hardcover and paperback, Hammett’s agent believed Spade’s exploits would be perfect for radio. By 1946, the wheels were in motion to bring the detective to the airwaves.

The Adventures of Sam Spade was produced and directed by radio veteran William Spier, who also ran the show on CBS’ “outstanding theater of thrills,” Suspense. In fact, the audition program for Spade was a reworked Suspense script from two years earlier that originally starred Keenan Wynn. The scripts for that first season (including the audition) were written by an uncredited Jo Eisinger and Robert Tallman. The scriptwriters received no credit, as producers wanted to maintain the illusion that Hammett himself scripted the series. Hammett’s name was all over the program, but he had no direct involvement in the series. As he said, “My sole duty in regard to these programs is to look in the mail for a check once a week. I don’t even listen to them. If I did, I’d complain about how they were handled, and then I’d fall into the trap of being asked to come down and help.”

ABC picked up The Adventures of Sam Spade for a thirteen-week summer run beginning on July 12, 1946. Actor Lloyd Nolan was set to star as Sam Spade, but a schedule conflict forced him to withdraw from the role at the last minute. (Nolan had just ended a run of B-movies for Fox as hard-boiled private eye Michael Shayne, and he would have made a fine Spade.) Former Armed Forces Radio Service announcer Howard Duff won the role of Spade with his audition, beating out radio veterans like Elliott Lewis. Spier was initially unimpressed with the actor, who was about as far from Bogart’s iconic portrayal as one could get, but Duff had a champion in Spier’s wife, Kay Thompson and she persuaded her husband to give Duff the role.

Duff was ably supported each week by Lurene Tuttle in the role of Spade’s scatterbrained (but always loyal) secretary Effie Perrine, along with some of the best actors working on radio on the West Coast, including William Conrad, Joseph Kearns, Wally Maher, Jeanette Nolan, and John McIntire. Each week, Spade would dictate his case report to Effie for his client’s review. The fourth wall was often broken, with frequent references to the program itself. “Sam” and “Effie” often weighed in on the performances Duff and Tuttle gave in the dramatizations of “their” adventures.

The series received rave notices in its first year, including an Edgar Award for best radio detective series. By September 1946, the show had moved to CBS, where it would remain until 1950. Robert Tallman continued as a writer, and Gil Doud stepped in to replace Jo Eisinger in 1947. With their scripts and Duff’s performance, Sam Spade was one of radio’s most popular shows. The sleuth even held his own against the powerhouse of Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy across the airwaves on NBC.

The show was revived for a twenty four-week run on NBC on November 17, 1950 with Steven Dunne stepping in as Spade. Lurene Tuttle and William Spier returned from the original run, but there was conspicuously no mention of Dashiell Hammett to be found. Dunne was a fine Spade, but Howard Duff had made the role his own. As radio historian John Dunning noted, not even Humphrey Bogart could have succeeded Duff as Spade by 1950.The show kept a loyal following, but CBS grew wary of Hammett’s Communist affiliations (he had joined the Communist Party in the 1930s at the height of the New Deal). After the names of Hammett and Duff turned up in a pamphlet identifying Communists and their sympathizers, the show lost its sponsor (Wildroot Cream Oil) and September 1950 saw Howard Duff’s last performance as Spade.

But before the Red Scare and timid sponsors did the show in, The Adventures of Sam Spade consistently delivered some of the best that radio had to offer. With Duff’s wry performance and the colorful characters invented by Tallman, Eisinger, and Doud, the show still holds up today as exciting mystery drama.

Make some popcorn for a double feature with two classic film noir dramas recreated for radio. First, Robert Ryan, Robert Mitchum, and Robert Young reprise their roles from Crossfire - a murder mystery that shines a spotlight on the horror of anti-Semitism recreated for Suspense (originally aired on CBS on April 10, 1948). Then, John Garfield and Lana Turner recreate their smoldering chemistry in James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice, adapted for The Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on June 16, 1947).

We're saluting the old time radio heroes of the fourth estate - reporters, editors, and photographers who solved the crimes they covered. We'll hear Staats Cotsworth as Casey, Crime Photographer in "Death in Lover's Lane" (originally aired on CBS on August 7, 1947). Then, the staff of the Illustrated Press hunts for a killer in "Death by Plan" from Big Town (originally aired on NBC on November 9, 1948). Frank Lovejoy is Randy Stone in Night Beat and "Wanna Buy a Story?" (originally aired on NBC on September 18, 1950). Finally, Dana Andrews stars in a radio adaptation of Call Northside 777 - the true story of a reporter fighting to clear a wrongfully convicted man - from Hollywood Sound Stage (originally aired on CBS on December 27, 1951).

Six armchair detectives accept the challenge of master of mystery Ellery Queen to solve a baffling mystery before he reveals the solution. Carleton Young and Sydney Smith star as the brilliant amateur sleuth in three old time radio mysteries that present challenges in deduction to the guests in the studio and to you listening at home! We'll hear "The Adventure of the Singing Rat" (originally aired on NBC on January 9, 1943); "The Adventure of the World Series Crime" (originally aired on NBC on September 30, 1943); and "The Scarecrow and the Snowman" (originally aired on NBC on January 20, 1944).

It's back to Baker Street for a belated birthday salute to Basil Rathbone, one of the great Sherlock Holmes stars of the big screen and the airwaves. We'll hear him, alongside Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson - in "The Notorious Canary Trainer" (originally aired on Mutual on April 23, 1945) and "The Case of the Out of Date Murder" (originally aired on Mutual on September 17, 1945). Then, he reunites with Bruce and joins Joan Fontaine in a Screen Guild Theatre production of Suspicion (originally aired on CBS on January 4, 1943).

Gerald Mohr's voice blasted like a .45 automatic when he starred as Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe in one of radio's best hard-boiled detective dramas. But the actor could also be heard as the glib gumshoe Archie Goodwin and an amorous French teacher on Our Miss Brooks. We'll hear Mohr in a pair of Marlowe mysteries: "The Heart of Gold" (originally aired on CBS on October 24, 1948) and "The White Carnation" (originally aired on CBS on September 22, 1950). Plus, he's a murderer hiding out in his hometown in "Warm Reception" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on November 19, 1950).

We're throwing an early birthday party for the great Bob Bailey, a radio legend who starred in a pair of long-running detective dramas. We'll hear him as George Valentine in "The Four-Sided Triangle" (originally aired on Mutual on March 21, 1949) and "Out of Mind" (originally aired on Mutual on May 2, 1949) from Let George Do It. Then, he's Johnny Dollar - "the man with the action-packed expense account" - in "The Markham Matter" (originally aired on CBS on November 18, 1956) and "The Confederate Coinage Matter" (originally aired on CBS on July 28, 1957).

We're celebrating Vincent Price's birthday with three of his radio performances - shows that feature him as both sinner and Saint. First, he stars as Simon Templar in "Marvin Hickerson, Private Eye" (originally aired on NBC on December 3, 1950) and "Next of Kin" (originally aired on CBS on February 18, 1951). Then, he's a murderer haunted by his conscience in "Leona's Room" from The Philip Morris Playhouse (originally aired on CBS on February 25, 1949).

When Dashiell Hammett put pen to paper, he forever changed the genre of detective fiction. He created characters and stories that popularized the hard-boiled school, and those tales still entertain readers today. Hammett's works were adapted for successful films, television shows, and radio dramas. In this birthday salute to the author, we'll hear a pair of radio mysteries starring his master private detective Sam Spade: "The Quarter-Eagle Caper" starring Howard Duff (AFRS rebroadcast from November 28, 1948) and "The Shot in the Dark Caper" with Steve Dunne (originally aired on NBC on February 23, 1951). Plus, we'll hear a Suspense adaptation of Hammett's short story "Two Sharp Knives" (originally aired on CBS on December 22, 1942).

Known to generations of television audiences as Perry Mason, Raymond Burr (May 21, 1917 – September 12, 1993) found some of his earliest successes during the Golden Age of Radio.

In a role far removed from the upstanding defense attorney he played on TV, Burr appeared as the thick-headed Inspector Hellman, a thorn in the side of Jack Webb’s Pat Novak For Hire. It was a performance closer to his screen work; Burr was known as a big screen heavy, and he memorably played the villainous neighbor Lars Thorwald in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Burr also popped up in supporting roles on Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Richard Diamond, The CBS Radio Workshop, and more. But his highest-profile radio work came in Fort Laramie, where he starred as cavalry Captain Lee Quince. Burr’s Quince was a thoughtful, contemplative soldier - one who struggled with the harsh realities of his orders and who often rubbed his superiors the wrong way. He was working on Fort Laramie when he got the audition to play Mason. After he won the role, he arrived at a recording session and told co-stars Harry Bartell and Vic Perrin, "Men, we're all going to be rich!" Many of Burr's radio co-stars and fellow actors appeared on Perry Mason, including his Fort Laramie comrades in arms.

After nine seasons and winning a pair of Emmys for his work as Mason, Raymond Burr embarked on an eight season run as another TV detective - wheelchair-bound Robert T. Ironside in Ironside. Burr returned to his signature role in 1985 for the highly-rated TV movie Perry Mason Returns, and he’d follow it up with 25 more Mason movies (and one Ironside reunion picture) before he passed away from cancer in 1993.

In honor of his birthday, here are some of Raymond Burr's old time radio performances - roles that show off his versatility outside of Perry Mason's courtroom.

"Father Leahy and Joe Feldman" - A priest puts Pat Novak (Jack Webb) on the trail of a man newly escaped from prison, and the search leads to murder on the San Francisco waterfront. Raymond Burr is on hand to menace Novak and muck things up as Inspector Hellman. (4/2/49)

"The Henry J. Unger Matter" - In this Johnny Dollar adventure, the fabulous freelance insurance investigator (Edmond O'Brien) is menaced by the titular Mr. Unger, a convict out of jail and eager for revenge. Raymond Burr plays the calculating villain who successfully gets Dollar on trial for murder! (7/20/50)

"The Hollywood Story" - Richard Diamond (Dick Powell) heads to the West Coast to take on a job for a powerful movie producer (Raymond Burr). The man's young girlfriend has threatened him with blackmail, but soon Diamond finds her dead and spots his client fleeing the scene. (8/23/53)

"Playing Indian" - In the first episode of Fort Laramie, Burr's Captain Quince investigates when settlers are killed in what appears to be an attack by rogue Native Americans. But he soon suspects the culprits are disguising themselves and he sets a trap in a homesteader's cabin. (1/22/56)

"Murder on Mike" - Burr is in full villain mode in this "tale well calculated to keep you in Suspense." He plays a writer of radio murder plays who's sick of the critical notes he receives from his director. Burr decides to stage the man's murder, and he records the entire thing for broadcast. (7/28/57)

Tax Day has come and gone, and hopefully your interactions with the IRS were as smooth and painless as possible. This week, we'll hear some old time radio stars contend with the tax man. First, Fibber McGee gets a jump start on his accounting (originally aired on NBC on January 11, 1944). Then, Lou Costello has to come up with some quick cash to pay his tax bill (originally aired on NBC on March 14, 1946).

On May 16, 1942, radio listeners first heard the haunting tune of The Whistler. The anthology mystery series presented tales of murder narrated by “The Whistler,” an omniscient storyteller who boasted one of radio’s best introductions:

“I am the Whistler, and I know many things for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak.”

Each episode of The Whistler followed a person’s descent into crime as they carried out what they believed to be a perfect murder, only to be undone in the final scene. As the announcers described it, “The Whistler” was “unique among all mystery programs, for even when you know who is guilty you always receive a startling surprise at the final curtain.”

For most of the run, the Whistler was played by Bill Forman, but the storyteller was also voiced by Gale Gordon, Joseph Kearns, and Bill Johnstone. The casts included some of the best stars of West Coast radio, including Kearns, Hans Conried, William Conrad, Gerald Mohr, and Betty Lou Gerson. The radio series spawned a series of Columbia B-movies and ran on the West Coast until 1955.

In honor of its anniversary, here are ten of my favorite strange stories by The Whistler.

Final Return - A woman shapes her blue collar husband into a sharp politician, and he's on the eve of capturing the governor's mansion. But he's fallen in love with another woman. Will his political puppeteer leave the stage gracefully, or will she sacrifice everything to save the career she created? (10/29/45)

Boomerang - This show is unique because the main character is never heard until the very end of the broadcast. Instead, we spend the show in the mind of a housewife who decides to use the panic caused by a serial killer to do away with her husband. Can she frame him as "The Door Bell Killer" and get away with murder? (3/11/46)

Witness at the Fountain - One of the best final twists of the series undoes a murderer's perfect crime in this story starring Howard Duff. Radio's Sam Spade plays a blackmail victim who decides to do away with his tormentor, but he doesn't account for a silent witness. (9/9/46)

Brief Pause for Murder - A long-suffering radio announcer decides to rid himself once and for all of his cheating wife. He concocts a perfect alibi; he'll record himself making his news announcements and play the record while he's committing the crime. What could possibly go wrong? (9/11/49)

The Clever Mr. Farley - Gerald Mohr tries to pull off a con on a train when he meets a beautiful woman with a valuable bracelet. There are more twists and turns in this one than usual, and it all hinges on Mohr's character's pride in being able to read people. (11/27/49)

Return with the Spray - The great Hans Conried plays a man engaged to be married who drunkenly ties the knot with another woman. He tries to kill her, but she survives the attempt and returns with a marriage license and a plan for blackmail. (4/23/50)

Caesar's Wife - Gerald Mohr is back as a paranoid mob boss with a crippling fear. He's a hemophiliac and even the slightest bruise or cut could be fatal. As if that wasn't enough, he suspects his wife is having an affair with a mysterious stranger. (6/4/50)

The Clock on the Tower - A man on death row is slated to meet his fate in a few hours unless his attorney can find a witness who can prove the man's innocence. This is a race against time with a fantastic twist ending. (12/10/50)

His Own Reward - Perhaps the most unusual story presented on "The Whistler," the full details aren't revealed until the very end. It follows a man in dire financial straits who is persuaded to betray his country to a foreign rival for profit. (3/25/51)

A Law of Physics - This twist was so good, it popped up on a 90s Columbo TV movie. An advertising executive plans to bump off a rival, and he uses the brand new device called a car phone to create an alibi. (6/10/51)

On May 16, 1942, listeners heard the first strange story told by The Whistler. The sinister narrator presented tales of men and women plotting and committing murder, only to see their plans undone in a final curtain twist. Bill Forman voices the Whistler in three shows that will keep you guessing: "Boomerang" (originally aired on CBS on March 11, 1946); "The Brass Ring" (originally aired on CBS on September 16, 1946); and "Return with the Spray" (originally aired on CBS on April 23, 1950). Plus, we'll hear Jack Benny present "The Fiddler," his parody of the series (originally aired on NBC on October 20, 1946).

We're spending time with Phil, Alice, Elliott, Julius, and the kids in a pair of shows from one of radio's best sitcoms. First, a new start time for the show causes trouble between Phil and his musicians (originally aired on NBC on September 30, 1951). Then, the kids are pressing Phil for a pool (originally aired on NBC on May 17, 1953).

Without Edith Meiser, Sherlock Holmes might never have found enduring success and popularity in the United States. It was Meiser, a writer and Broadway actress, who persuaded a network and a sponsor that Holmes could be a viable radio property and she singlehandedly wrote his radio adventures for years. Along with faithful adaptations of classic stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Meiser created her own original mysteries. In honor of her birthday, we'll hear three of those original Holmes adventures: "The Case of the Avenging Blade" (originally aired on Mutual on February 1, 1948); "The Adventure of the Sinister Crate of Cabbages" (originally aired on Mutual on May 2, 1948); and "The Complicated Poisoning at Eel Pie Island" (originally aired on Mutual on June 6, 1948).

Orson Welles was already a celebrated theatrical producer, director, and star by the late 1930s. He financed his productions in part from his earnings as a radio character actor. But he became a household name when he stepped into the spotlight - or, to be more precise into the shadows when he was cast as Lamont Cranston, known to the underworld as The Shadow. The success of the series boosted Welles' popularity outside of the world of Broadway, and it helped to launch him into his own radio broadcast (The Mercury Theatre On the Air).

Welles starred as the Shadow for two seasons - one sponsored by Blue Coal from the fall of 1937 until the spring of 1938, and the second syndicated by Goodrich Tires through that summer. For many of those episodes, Welles was joined by actors he'd work with in the theatre and would go on to work with on screen, particularly Agnes Moorehead (as "the lovely Margot Lane") and Ray Collins (as Commissioner Weston, the Shadow's uneasy ally in the police department). Welles left the role after this stint, but despite his short run he may be the actor most associated with the role today.

In later years, The Shadow would evolve (or devolve, depending on your point of view) into more of a traditional detective series where the hero could turn himself invisible. The Welles broadcasts featured complex plots and a Shadow who could not only "cloud men's minds so they cannot see him." This Shadow could manipulate perception, create hallucinations, and he had no compunction about sending villains to their deaths.

In honor of Orson Welles' birthday, here are ten of my favorite episodes from his run as radio's invisible avenger.

The Temple Bells of Neban - Lamont Cranston receives a blast from the past as he investigates a drug ring running rampant in the city. A touring performer was a young girl in the temple where he learned how to cloud men's minds. Not only does she know his secret identity; she has powers of her own, and she wants the Shadow out of the way so she can enjoy the profits of her deadly drug trade. (October 24, 1937)

Circle of Death - A mad bomber stalks the city, detonating explosives in the middle of crowded areas with no trace of how the bombs are delivered. As panic sweeps through town and Commissioner Weston faces pressure to resign, the Shadow sets a daring trap to identify the madman and end his wave of terror. (11/28/37)

The Death Triangle - This one opens on Devil's Island as a whipped prisoner promises revenge on the men who betrayed his attempt to escape. Years later, a celebrated child surgeon (and former political prisoner of the island) has been targeted for death, and he asks the Shadow to save him from a long-simmering vengeance. (12/12/37)

The Poison Death - People all over the city - old and young alike - are succumbing to mysterious poisonings. The police are baffled, and they're shocked when a note signed by the Shadow claims responsibility for the attacks. Lamont and Margot not only have to save the city from a deranged killer; they also need to clear the Shadow's name. (1/30/38)

The Phantom Voice - The Shadow comes to the aid of an upstanding public servant on trial for accepting a bribe. The senator's fate seems certain when filmed evidence is played in court, but Lamont is unconvinced. He's sure a political fixer is behind it, and he discovers the clever plot set up to bring down an innocent man. (2/6/38)

The Silent Avenger - This episode is surprising not only for its subject matter, but for the compassionate view it takes of the people involved. A killer is sentenced to die in the electric chair, and he enlists the aid of his brother - a World War I veteran sniper suffering debilitating PTSD ("shell shock") - to take vengeance on the jury that convicted him. The ace marksman carries out his brother's wishes as the Shadow races to stop him and hopefully get the man the help he desperately needs. (3/13/38)

The White Legion - Orson Welles and co-star Agnes Moorehead make appearances out of character at the end of this episode - the finale of the first season sponsored by Blue Coal. Before we meet the people behind the Shadow and Margot Lane, there's a story of a political mob resorting to kidnapping and murder to advance their agenda in City Hall. (3/20/38)

The Hypnotized Audience - To save his brother from a date with the electric chair, a celebrated dancer hypnotizes a theater of VIPs and abducts the governor. Only Lamont is immune from the effects of the mesmeric trance, and now it's up to the Shadow to save the governor before midnight. This episode and the next two on the list come from the syndicated summer season sponsored by Goodrich Tires. Most of the cast returned, but Agnes Moorehead was replaced by Margot Stevenson - the actress who inspired the name of the Shadow's friend and companion.

Tenor with a Broken Voice - Lamont and Margot investigate a series of fatal "accidents" plaguing an opera house whenever Pagliacci is sung. Is anyone who steps onto the stage doomed, or will the Shadow uncover the secret and save the day?

Murders in Wax - The capture of a notorious criminal is memorialized in wax at a city museum, but a killer is replacing the figures with the corpses of their real-life counterparts one by one. Commissioner Weston is slated as the next victim if the Shadow can't find the ghoulish murderer.

When Jack Benny came down with pneumonia in the spring of 1943 and he had to miss a month of shows, an unlikely guest host stepped in to fill his shoes. For four episodes, Orson Welles poked fun at himself and joined in the jokes with Benny's gang - Mary, Phil, Dennis, Don, and Rochester - and showed off his comedy chops on one of the funniest shows of the era. We'll hear all four of those broadcasts from The Grape Nuts and Grape Nuts Flakes Program (originally aired on NBC on March 14, March 21, March 28, and April 4, 1943).

May the Fourth Be With You!

It's one of the biggest Star Wars days in recent memory, with the success of The Mandalorian and the promise of even more stories from the galaxy on Disney Plus. When this date rolls around each year, I fire up my 4Ks (formerly Blu-rays, formerly DVDs, formerly multiple incarnations on VHS) and I revisit the Star Wars Radio Dramas.

Yes. Star Wars on the radio. As a kid who was both discovering the world of old time radio and a rabid Star Wars fan, these shows were like manna from heaven when I first heard them in 1995. I first learned of them in a retrospective article in the glossy quarterly magazine published by the Lucasfilm Fan Club (I was a card carrying member ), and when they appeared in a catalog close to my birthday, it was the only thing I wanted. My parents got me cassette collections of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, and I couldn’t tell you how many times I ran through those combined 23 episodes through middle and high school.

The radio adaptation of Star Wars aired in between the theatrical releases of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Coming to the airwaves at a time when American radio drama was all but extinct, this joint production of NPR and the BBC dramatized the first film in the Star Wars trilogy as a thirteen-part series. Not only did it feature several cast members recreating their roles - Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO - but it also featured the classic sounds of the film (Chewbaca’s roar, R2-D2′s blips and beeps, the hum of TIE Fighters streaking through space) and John Williams’ fantastic score.

Science fiction author Brian Daley expanded upon the film script - the plot of the movie proper doesn’t kick in until Episode 3 of the radio series. Episode 1 focuses on Luke Skywalker’s life on Tatooine as he watches the stars and dreams of life beyond the farm. Years before scenes were added in the Star Wars Special Edition, Brian Daley added scenes between Luke and his best friend Biggs Darklighter, an Imperial cadet who confides in Luke that he intends to join the rebellion against the Empire. These early scenes give their reunion later in the story more weight as they take part in the mission to destroy the Death Star.

Episode 2 is all about Princess Leia. It establishes her espionage bona fides before she ever comes into possession of the plans for the Death Star. She uses an Imperial officer’s leering advances to her advantage and gets him to reveal the secrets of the Empire’s ultimate weapon.

It isn’t just Luke and Leia who get additional shading. In another move that preceded the Special Edition, Daley adds a scene with Han Solo and a Tatooine mob boss in the hangar of the Millennium Falcon. It isn’t Jabba the Hutt but it plays almost exactly the same - and frankly, it plays better than the scene with a young Harrison Ford and a crudely rendered Jabba. Daley wrote three Han Solo novels, and he plugged in perfectly to the seedier side of the galaxy far, far away.

It’s scenes like these that give the new actors a chance to put their own spin on the characters, an easier task when they don’t have to say the iconic lines of the film. Ann Sachs does a great job as Leia, and Perry King is charmingly roguish as Han Solo. And in a particularly inspired bit of casting, Brock Peters - miles from Tom Robinson - plays the dastardly Darth Vader.

The Empire Strikes Back followed two years later with the whole cast returning plus Billy Dee Williams recreating his screen role of Lando Calrissian and John Lithgow taking the role of Yoda. He’s terrific - Lithgow doesn’t do a straight impression of Frank Oz, but he captures the character and injects him with additional shading.

There’s less original material here - perhaps a testament to the wonderful screenplay penned by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan? - but Brian Daley adds a nice prologue that finds a Rebel convoy cut to shreds by a TIE Fighter ambush. It helps to set the scene for the darker second act of the trilogy. The ten-part series is wonderful, and while some additional “new” scenes might have been nice to include, you really can’t go wrong with the story presented.

Plans for a Return of the Jedi radio drama fell through and the final chapter wasn’t released until 1996, and even then it was produced by Highbridge Audio and not broadcast on NPR. This may adhere the closest to the film story, save for a nice scene where Luke Skywalker constructs his new lightsaber. Most of the cast is back, but Mark Hamill was sadly absent (though he was enjoying a second career as a voice actor - the farm boy from Tatooine was the Clown Prince of Crime in Batman: The Animated Series). Joshua Fardon does a fine job as Luke, but it would have been a treat to hear Hamill revisit his iconic role thirteen years later. John Lithgow comes back as Yoda, and Ed Asner growls his way through a performance as Jabba the Hutt.

This six-part show suffers a bit in comparison to the first two chapters (as does the movie itself), but it’s still engrossing entertainment with all of the music and magic of Star Wars.

I’ve been revisiting the series and it’s as much fun as it was when I first heard it as a kid. The entire trilogy is available in a great CD collection from Higbridge Audio. If you’re a fan of audio drama and/or a Star Wars fan, or if you are looking for a gateway to introduce someone to radio theater, check these shows out and take a trip to a galaxy far, far away.

In the first part of a birthday salute to the great Orson Welles, we'll hear him co-star with My Friend Irma leading lady Marie Wilson in a screwball comedy-murder mystery from The Campbell Playhouse. They star as husband and wife private eyes in "There's Always a Woman" (originally aired on CBS on December 17, 1939). Then, Welles recreates his big screen role of Harry Lime in the continuing adventures of the international rogue of The Third Man. We'll hear "The Professor Regrets," a syndicated episode of The Lives of Harry Lime.

The brilliant comedienne Eve Arden brought wit and charm to the role of Connie Brooks, Madison High School's favorite English teacher. She stood at the center of one of radio's best casts, and her performance makes Our Miss Brooks one of the best sitcoms of the era. In honor of her birthday, we'll hear a pair of episodes - first, there's a cafeteria boycott in the works at Madison (originally aired on CBS on March 13, 1949). Then, Miss Brooks joins her students in a summer job (originally aired on CBS on June 19, 1949).

One of radio’s finest dramas rode into town on April 26, 1952 with the premiere broadcast of Gunsmoke. The series was created at the request of CBS president William Paley who wanted a “Philip Marlowe in the old West.” After the idea kicked around without gaining any traction, producer/director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston developed their idea for a Western made for adults, without the simple “good guys vs. bad guys” feel of The Lone Ranger and other programs. Macdonnell and Meston created Gunsmoke, the story of US Marshal Matt Dillon - “the first man they look for and the last they want to meet.” Dillon wasn’t a white hat hero - he was a man trying to put his violent past behind him as he fought to keep the peace in Dodge City, Kansas.

John Meston’s writing was hailed by producer/director Macdonnell, and Meston would go on to write 183 radio episodes and 196 television episodes of Gunsmoke. Meston was keen to avoid the traits of the stereotypical western hero in his depiction of Dillon, saying “Life and his enemies have left him looking a little beat-up. There’d have to be something wrong with him or he wouldn’t have been hired on as a United States marshal in the heyday of Dodge City, Kansas.”

William Conrad won the role of Dillon, and he gave the character a weary humor but an absolute fury when needed. Supporting Conrad was one of radio’s greatest supporting casts. Parley Baer was Chester Proudfoot, Dillon’s amiable deputy. Howard McNear was “Doc” Adams, the town physician with a ghoulish demeanor (and, as one episode revealed, a past in Richmond, Virginia involving a duel with a romantic rival). Georgia Ellis was Kitty Russell, proprietor of Dodge’s Long Branch Saloon, as well as a friend, confidant, and lover of Matt Dillon. The relationship between Kitty and William Conrad’s Matt Dillon was a key component of the show. Though her true profession was never explicitly stated on the show, in a 1953 interview, producer/director Norman Madconnell said “Kitty is just someone Matt has to visit every once in a while. We never say it, but Kitty is a prostitute, plain and simple.“ But their relationship was more than what it appeared to be. As Ellis herself said "There was no forgiveness to be given because I don’t think Kitty was available to anybody but Matt.”

Supporting roles were filled out by some of the best actors in Hollywood radio, many of whom had worked with Macdonnell in other shows like Escape and Philip Marlowe - John Dehner, Larry Dobkin, Harry Bartell, Vivi Janiss, Jeanette Nolan, and more. The landscape of Dodge City and its saloons and jail cells was created by Ray Kemper. Kemper’s sounds were as essential a part of that program’s success as the acting and the writing. Dodge City came to life with the sounds generated by Kemper and his effects team. To create the sound of a beer being poured at the Long Branch Saloon, a warm can of soda was used. Old microphone cable was twisted together to make the sound of a man mounting his saddle. The sound men are often the unsung heroes of old time radio, and Ray Kemper was one of the finest.

The series presented the grim realities of the west - sickness, death, loneliness - more than any program that came before. Matt Dillon wasn’t an infallible hero; he struggled with doubt and disillusionment, and he didn’t always get his man. the series paved the way for the new genre of mature Westerns on radio, and it spawned a television adaptation that ran for twenty seasons on CBS. The radio cast lobbied to reprise their roles, but the core characters were recast; even Norman Macdonnell was initially passed over for the TV show; he eventually came on board in 1956, and he guided the program to the number one rating from 1957 until 1961. Today, the radio Gunsmoke (which ran from 1952 to 1961) stands as one of the best dramatic programs from the Golden Age of Radio.

On April 24, 1949, radio fans met Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, Private Detective. The only radio gumshoe who wrapped up his case of the week with a song, Diamond was one of the best sleuths to come out of the radio era thanks to scripts from Blake Edwards and the smooth, polished performance of Powell - an actor who could play both comedy and crime drama. We'll hear three episodes of the series: "The John Blackwell Case" (originally aired on NBC on December 17, 1949); "The Martin White Case" (originally aired on NBC on January 22, 1950); and "The Woman-Hating Killer" (originally aired on NBC on April 12, 1950).

On April 24, 1955, X Minus One premiered on NBC and launched a new wave of adult science fiction stories on the air. A continuation of sorts of NBC's earlier sci-fi anthology Dimension X, X Minus One dramatized stories from the giants of the genre along with original radio plays.

The show's first 15 episodes were new productions of shows from Dimension X, but it soon expanded to more stories that had never been aired on radio. A bright spot of late 1950s radio drama, X Minus One aired over 120 episodes until it left radio in 1958.

Here are my five favorite "adventures in which you'll live in a million could-be years on a thousand may-be worlds" from X Minus One.

"Mars is Heaven" - The first astronauts to land on Mars make a remarkable discovery; their dead loved ones are alive and well on the red planet. Is Mars heaven? Ray Bradbury's classic story makes for excellent radio. (5/8/55)

"Cold Equations" - A pilot is faced with a horrible decision when a young woman stows away on his supply ship to make a surprise visit to her husband. It seems like a harmless lark, but the ship only has enough fuel for the pilot and its cargo - not for the extra passenger. (8/25/55)

"Time and Time Again" - A soldier grievously wounded in battle is suddenly transported back to his 13th birthday, but with all of his memories of the devastating war that lies ahead. Can he use his knowledge of the future to save the world? (1/11/56)

"Skulking Permit" - This darkly comedic story is set on a planet awaiting arrival of a representative from Earth. When they learn how violent Earth can be, they decide to introduce crime to their society to make their visitor more at home. (2/15/56)

"A Gun for Dinosaur" - In the future, safaris can bring hunters millions of years into the past to hunt dinosaurs. But one arrogant client puts his guide and the entire hunting party in jeopardy in this precursor to the dino thrills of "Jurassic Park." (3/7/56)

“I was sitting in my office shooting paper clips at a King size horse fly. It was a little sadistic but he was bigger than I was. Well, about the time I had him down on his knees begging for mercy, the door opened…” 

There’s nothing in Dick Powell’s early career to suggest he was destined to play hard-boiled private eyes.  Had his bosses at Warner Brothers had their way, he’d have stayed in the song-and-dance roles on which he built his career.  But thanks to a gamble by a director, Powell kicked off a new chapter to his career and the result were some great radio shows, including one of the medium’s best - Richard Diamond, Private Detective.

Powell got his start in Hollywood in the 30s as a singer in Warner Brothers musicals, including 42nd Street, and On the Avenue.  He was frequently cast in the role of a boyish crooner, even as he approached his 40s.  Despite his success, Powell was eager to expand into other roles.  His efforts were resisted by Warner Brothers, who wanted to keep Powell right where he was, even if he thought it was the wrong place to be.  He pursued the lead role in Double Indemnity, but it ultimately went to another actor pegged in “nice guy” roles - Fred MacMurray.

But later in 1944, RKO and director Edward Dmytryk gave Powell the role he’d been waiting for - Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet, the film adaptation of the Marlowe novel Farewell, My Lovely.  The film was a success, and Powell received rave reviews for his performance.  In a flash, he had shed the crooner image he’d been desperate to shake and he embarked on the next stage of his career.

Powell recreated his role as Marlowe on the June 11, 1945 Lux Radio Theater broadcast of Murder, My Sweet, and he starred as private detective Richard Rogue in Rogue’s Gallery from 1945 to 1946.  While it was a fine series, it failed to stand out from the crowd of hard-boiled private eyes littering the airwaves in the postwar years.  For his next radio effort, Powell wanted to “make something a little bit different of a standard vehicle.”  He recorded an audition show as “the man with the action packed expense account,” Johnny Dollar, but he passed on the series for a show that sprang from the mind of Blake Edwards.  Edwards would later create the outstanding police procedural The Line-Up for radio, develop Peter Gunn for television, and would become a celebrated writer and director of film arguably most famous for the Pink Panther film series with Peter Sellers.

Powell and his producer, Don Sharp, asked Edwards if he had any ideas for a vehicle for Powell.  Edwards said he did (a lie), and went home to write what would become the pilot for Richard Diamond, Private Detective.  In Edwards’ original script, Diamond was a former OSS agent; he would evolve into an ex-cop.  One trait he would retain as the script evolved was that Diamond was as quick with a quip as he was with his fists.  This played to Powell’s natural comedic strengths, and it helped to give the show a unique voice in the sea of detective programs from the era.  Unlike other radio shamuses, Diamond would keep up a friendly relationship with his old colleagues on the force - Lt. Walt Levinson, his former partner; and the oafish Sgt. Otis Ludlum, the long-suffering butt of Diamond’s jokes.  Diamond flirted with every skirt that came through his office door, but he only had eyes for his Park Avenue girlfriend, Helen Asher.  Shows would often close at her apartment, where Diamond would sum up his case and (in a nod to Powell’s old career) Helen might coax him to do a little singing.

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered on NBC on April 24, 1949.  Powell was supported by Virginia Gregg as Helen; Ed Begley as Levinson; and Wilms Herbert doing double duty as Sgt. Otis and as Helen’s butler, Francis.  Joseph Kearns, Peggy Webber, Bill Johnstone, Jack Kruschen, and other West Coast actors filled out the cast.  Later in the show’s run, Frances Robinson would take over the role of Helen, and Ted de Corsia, Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd), and Alan Reed (Fred Flinstone) would rotate in and out as Levinson.

The show ran without a sponsor for the first year before being picked up by the Rexall Drug Company (“Good health to all from Rexall!”) in June 1950.  In January 1951, the show switched networks and picked up Camel cigarettes as its new sponsor.  The show took its final bow on June 27, 1952 (although repeats popped up in the summer of 1953).  Powell pulled the plug on the show as he entered a third phase of his career as a successful director and producer.

It was in this capacity that Powell brought Richard Diamond to television in 1957 for a four-season run starring David Janssen in the title role, minus the crooning of the radio series.  Janssen would later star as Dr. Richard Kimble on The Fugitive.  The Diamond TV show is perhaps best known today for its character of Diamond’s secretary, Sam, who was only shown from the waist down to show off her legs.  The first actress to furnish Sam’s legs was a young Mary Tyler Moore.

In honor of his anniversary, here are ten of my favorite Richard Diamond radio adventures. Sit back and enjoy some sleuthing and singing with Dick Powell and company in these sensational stories.

"The Lillian Baker Case" - This one is a good showcase for Diamond's girlfriend Helen Asher, who gets to take a rare role in the case of the week. At a department store, Helen witnesses an elderly woman shoplifting. It turns out she's a wealthy eccentric, and later that afternoon she dies - allegedly after leaping from her balcony. (9/3/49)

"The Jerome J. Jerome Case" - Joseph Kearns plays the titular eccentric character - a man who claims to be a millionaire, a genius inventor, and a private detective. He wants to partner with Diamond, but as soon as the gumshoe tries to dismiss him it turns out the kook may have information about an actual murder. (9/17/49)

"The Louis Spence Case" - An unusual, but very exciting, episode finds Diamond racing against time to save his old friend Lt. Walt Levinson. A deranged bomber has escaped from prison, and he's taken the lieutenant hostage. Unless the mayor jumps to his death from city hall within the hour, the bomber will blow the precinct - and Walt - to kingdom come. (3/5/50)

"The Statue of Kali" - It's Richard Diamond's version of The Maltese Falcon (complete with Paul Frees doing his best Sydney Greenstreet). An ivory statue is delivered to Diamond by a dying man, and it's being hunted by nefarious characters from all around the world. (4/5/50)

"The Martha Campbell Kidnap Case" - Diamond is hired to deliver the ransom when a wealthy woman is kidnapped, but both he and the lady's nephew are knocked out, the ransom money is taken, and the kidnap victim is killed. Rick has to use some creativity and theatricality to figure out what happened. (7/26/50)

"The Oklahoma Cowboy Murder Case" - Diamond trades the bright lights of the big city for the clear skies of the plains in this episode that was later adapted as an episode of Peter Gunn. Rick heads west to investigate a suspicious death - a wealthy rancher who expired when he fell from his horse. (9/27/50)

"The Cover-Up Murders" - Rick and Walt partner again when a serial killer stalks the city. Part of his MO is to call the police and boast that he'll kill someone that night at eight o'clock. But what appears to be random madness may have a clear motive, and it's up to Diamond to stop the killings before more bodies drop. (11/22/50)

"Blue Serge Suit" - Jim Backus (later Mr. Howell on Gilligan's Island) is Diamond's new client - a tailor whose supply of blue serge is raided and stolen by intruders. When Diamond's own suit is snatched, he's on the trail of a gang of spies. (2/9/51)

"Lady in Distress" - A beautiful woman hires Diamond, and then she drops dead in his office. With nothing to go on - he didn't even know her name - Rick takes the case and tries to learn what had her so scared and what led to her death. It's a story that was recycled quite a few times. Jeff Regan and Johnny Dollar both solved variations of this script, but the Richard Diamond version is my favorite. (2/23/51)

"The Red Rose" - In another story later reworked as a TV episode of Peter Gunn, Diamond is hired to keep a client alive. The man hired a hit man to do away with himself, but he's had a change of heart. Unfortunately, the hit man is a committed professional and he intends to finish the job. (3/2/51)

With the Academy Awards ceremony right around the corner, we'll hear a classic Hollywood comedy recreated for radio. My Man Godfrey picked up six Oscar nominations along with critical acclaim and box office success in 1936. When The Lux Radio Theatre dramatized the film (originally aired on CBS on May 9, 1938), stars William Powell, Carole Lombard, Gail Patrick, and Mischa Auer were joined by David Niven for the story of a bum who becomes a butler overnight and starts a new life with a wealthy family.

We're joining three pairs of husband and wife sleuthing teams as they mix date nights with dead bodies. First, Nick and Nora Charles solve "The Case of the Suspicious Hangover" on The Adventures of the Thin Man (AFRS rebroadcast from October 6, 1944). Then, Pam and Jerry receive an "Invitation to Murder" on Mr. and Mrs. North (AFRS rebroadcast from February 27, 1946). Finally, insurance investigator Pat and wife Jean investigate the mystery behind "The Rickshaw-Red Lipstick" (AFRS rebroadcast from January 30, 1955).

For multiple generations of kids - those who listened on radio and saw the theatrical cartoons and later those who tuned in for the Filmation TV series - Joan Alexander (April 16, 1915 – May 21, 2009) was the voice of Lois Lane. Born April 16, 1915, she was a model and an actress touring with the Yiddish theater before she got into radio. Her birth name was Louise Abrass; she took the first name Joan after big screen star Joan Crawford.

Joan Alexander worked extensively on the air with major roles on several daytime soaps like Lone Journey, Light of the World and This Is Nora Drake. She was in the “girl Friday” business for a pair of radio detectives as Della Street on Perry Mason and Ellen Deering, secretary to Jackson Beck’s Philo Vance. Elsewhere, she could be heard on Dimension X, Crime Club, Barrie Craig, and more.

But it’s the role of Lois Lane, tough, resourceful reporter, for which Joan Alexander is best remembered. She was the third actress to play the role, but she was cast early in the run and made the part her own. Alexander would co-star with Clayton “Bud” Collyer (voice of Clark Kent and Superman) in over 1,600 radio episodes. The two also voiced their characters in the popular (and still riveting, even today) Superman cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios and released theatrically. From 1940 until 1951, Joan Alexander gave voice to one of the most well-known comic book characters of all time, and she helped to cement the character of Lois as a heroine in her own right. Almost every subsequent portrayal of the star reporter owes something to Alexander’s performance.

Bud Collyer loved working with her, telling a reporter that “Joan is one of those rare actresses – especially in radio where you can’t be seen and have to depend entirely on voice – who can go in on something cold and her instincts are so right as an actress that without even a rehearsal or a read-through, she is right.“ The two reunited in 1966 as Lois and Clark in The New Adventures of Superman, an animated Saturday morning series produced by Filmation.

Hans Conried gave us one of the all-time great Disney villains as Captain Hook, and he was a memorable menace as Snidely Whiplash. But the greatest showcase for his versatility was radio, where he could play a cavalcade of characters with unique accents and personalities. We'll hear him as Dr. Miller, the long-suffering psychiatrist of Gracie Allen on Maxwell House Coffee Time (originally aired on NBC on December 11, 1947). Then, as Professor Kroptkin on My Friend Irma, he enlists Irma and Jane's help to find him a temporary bride to finalize an adoption (originally aired on CBS on January 13, 1952).

The idea of the gentleman detective conjures up images of smoking jackets and walking sticks: characters like Philo Vance who were as handsome as they were insightful. Captain Hugh Drummond broke that mold. Created by H.C. McNeile, the detective and adventurer is a powerfully built hulk of a man with a face that led to his nickname - “Bulldog.” A veteran of World War I, Drummond was a crack shot, good with his fists, talented at poker, and hungry for thrills and excitement. He became one of the most popular sleuths of early Hollywood and the success he enjoyed led to a stint fighting evildoers on the radio - a stint that began on April 13, 1941.

McNeile introduced Drummond first in a story in The Strand. He later reworked the character for a 1920 novel. Like George Valentine, Drummond found post-war life to be dull and took out an advertisement in search of adventure wherever it could be found. His ad memorably read: “Demobilised [sic] officer, finding peace incredibly tedious, would welcome diversion. Legitimate, if possible; but crime, if of a comparatively humorous description, no objection. Excitement essential.” The ad is answered by a young woman concerned for her father’s safety, and she leads Drummond to a Communist plot to take over England. His client, Phyllis Benton, became Mrs. Drummond, and the mastermind of the plot, Carl Peterson, became Bulldog’s arch nemesis. McNeile went on to write ten Drummond novels, five short stories, and three plays before his death in 1937. McNeile’s friend Gerald Fairlie picked up the mantle and wrote an additional seven Drummond novels between 1937 and 1957. The character proved very popular in England and influential to boot: Ian Fleming stated that James Bond was Bulldog Drummond from the waist up and Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer below.

After two silent films in the early 1920s, Bulldog Drummond was released as a talkie in 1929. Ronald Colman earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Drummond (years before he’d take home an Oscar for A Double Life), and the film was hailed by critics. Colman’s portrayal of Drummond as debonair and dashing eventually supplanted the rougher around the edges character of McNeile’s books; the subsequent films (including a second turn by Colman in 1934) continued the characterization of Drummond as a more sophisticated gentleman adventurer. Ray Milland, another future Oscar-winner, starred in 1937’s Bulldog Drummond Escapes before John Howard made the role his own in seven B-movies for Paramount.

It was the success of the film series that spurred interest in a radio series. Producer Hiram Brown (Inner Sanctum Mysteries, as well as another series about a dapper British sleuth - The Private Files of Rex Saunders) packaged the series. Captain Drummond came to radio in 1941 and was originally played by George Coulouris. Coulouris was a veteran of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre and he’d appeared with Welles in Citizen Kane. He starred as Drummond until March 1942 when he was succeeded by Santos Ortega. Ortega was a busy radio character actor; he played Inspector Queen on Ellery Queen, Commissioner Weston on The Shadow, and was also heard as Charlie Chan and in supporting roles on The Adventures of Superman, usually in villainous roles. Ortega stayed with the series for a year, and his replacement was another actor with a track record at radio crime-solving.

Ned Wever stepped into Bulldog Drummond’s shoes with the March 15, 1943 broadcast and he stayed with the show until 1949. Wever was a regular player on The Adventures of Superman; he played Jor-El in the series’ premiere episode and he appeared as “The Wolf,” the first villain the Man of Steel encountered on radio. Coincidentally, in another early serial, he and fellow radio Bulldog Santos Ortega played crooked mine owners who swindled their investors. Later, he played a Nazi agent (more than slightly inspired by Sydney Greenstreet’s Kasper Gutman) during the program’s memorable “Atom Man” story arc. On the right side of the law, he played Dick Tracy on radio, and his clipped, authoritative delivery was perfect for the dapper British gentleman detective as he’d been reinvented on screen and on the radio.

The McNeile novels had introduced the character of James Denny, Drummond’s wartime batman and landlord of Drummond’s apartment building. Denny made the jump to radio, where he was reworked as Drummond’s valet and sidekick. Everett Sloane (another Mercury Theatre veteran) played Denny for much of the series, alongside Coulouris, Ortega, and Wever. The supporting casts included several great radio actors, including Jackson Beck (Philo Vance) and Mercedes McCambridge (Defense Attorney). In his radio adventures, Bulldog Drummond tackled all manner of crimes - hijackers, atomic spies, gangsters, and killers all went up against the poised captain…and lost.

Despite the character’s popularity at the time (the radio series ran until 1954, with Cedric Hardwicke in the role for the final year), Bulldog Drummond has been left behind by popular culture. Aside from a brief James Bond-inspired revival in the late 1960s, the character remains a war-years relic. It’s too bad; the B-movies (many of them available on public domain collections of mystery films) are enjoyable romps, and the radio series is a good listen. Hopefully you’ll enjoy rediscovering Bulldog Drummond or meeting him for the first time as he steps out of the fog.

“Calling Nick Carter!  Another case for Nick Carter, Master Detective.  Yes, it’s another case for that most famous of all manhunters, the detective whose ability at solving crimes is unequaled in the history of detective fiction - Nick Carter, Master Detective!”

In 1886, readers were introduced to a brilliant detective, a master of both disguise and deduction, who tackled the cases that baffled the police.  Think you know who it is?  If you guessed Sherlock Holmes, you’re a year too early.  Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Holmes adventure was published in 1887, one year after the debut of Nick Carter, a character who went from dime novels to pulp magazines, and then to film and later radio.  Though not as well known today, Nick Carter enjoyed a long career as one of America’s most celebrated detectives, and his run on the air began on April 11, 1943.

Carter’s first adventure was “The Old Detective’s Pupil,” which appeared in the September 18, 1886 issue of Street & Smith’s New York Weekly.  Street & Smith were one of the largest publishers of dime novels in the country; in fact, the plot of the first Nick Carter story was dreamed up by Ormond G. Smith, son of one of the magazine’s founders.  Writer John Russell Coryell wrote the story and two more before he decided there was more money in writing romances.  The character was turned over to writer Frederick Rensselaer Dey, who penned a Carter novel (25,000 words) each week for seventeen years.  Carter became so popular that Street & Smith launched a separate magazine devoted to his exploits.

Nick Carter was a clean-cut, teetotaling, private detective.  He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the world and possessed almost superhuman strength; he could “lift a horse with ease…while a heavy man is seated in the saddle.“  Nick had been groomed for the gumshoe game from birth by his father, a famous detective named “Old Sim” Carter.  Based in a ritzy New York apartment, Nick’s cases would take him all around the world.  And he was famous all over the world, too.  In 1908, the first of three Nick Carter film serials hit French movie screens, with sequels following in 1909 and 1912.

By 1915, the solo Nick Carter magazine had folded, but the character continued to make appearances in Street & Smith’s Detective Story Magazine.  Later, after the company found pulp novel success with the exploits of The Shadow and others, Nick Carter was back in his own pulp magazine.  In 1939, Hollywood came calling (albeit several years after French film producers), and Walter Pidgeon starred as Nick in three movies from MGM.

When the character came to radio in 1943, it was in The Return of Nick Carter.  Those early shows tipped their hat to the character’s pulp origins with subtitled adventures (for example, “Murder in the Crypt…or Nick Carter and the Jackal God”).  Actor Lon Clark, a former opera singer, took the role of Nick and kept it until the series left the air in 1955.  His 12 years as Nick Carter are bested only by Bennett Kipack’s 13 years as Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons.  On radio, Carter was presented in the clean-cut mold from the pulps.  He had a fancy brownstone house with a crime lab and shooting range in the basement where he’d work out cases with his friends and colleagues Patsy Bowen and reporter “Scubby” Wilson.  They’d be called in, sometimes relcutantly, by Sgt. Mathison (affectionately known as “Matty” to Nick) on tough crimes that left the NYPD stumped.

Clark was supported by Helen Choate (a former radio Lois Lane) and later Charlotte Manson as Patsy.  Ed Latimer provided the thick Irish brogue for Matty for much of the series.  Scripts came from Walter B. Gibson, who wrote the pulp novels and fleshed out the history of Carter’s Street & Smith stablemate, The Shadow.  Other writers on the show were Edith Meiser, who contributed scripts for Sherlock Holmes, and sci-fi author Alfred Bester.  Walter Gibson also worked on the series’ short-lived spin-off Chick Carter, Boy Detective (Chick was Nick’s adopted son who followed in the family business).

The show, later retitled Nick Carter, Master Detective, aired on the Mutual Network until September 25, 1955 - outlasting several of the better known gumshoes of the Golden Age of Radio.  When the radio series ended, Carter didn’t hang up his badge and gun.  He was resurrected in the 1960s as a James Bondian secret agent in over 200 Nick Carter - Killmaster novels.  In 1972, Robert Conrad, late of The Wild Wild West, starred as Carter in a turn of the century mystery set in the Victorian Era that would have served as a pilot for a new series.  Unfortunately, this didn’t get picked up, but Nick Carter is still kicking over a century after he first appeared in print.  His mix of brains and derring-do, with a healthy dose of pulp heroics, are well worth rediscovering or enjoying for the first time.

One of radio's best anthologies of adult science fiction, Dimension X presented adaptations of stories from Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and more. We'll hear two tales from the series - each starring a private detective who gets more than he bargained for when he takes on an unusual case. First, it's a hunt for Martians on Earth in Donald Wollheim's "The Embassy' (originally aired on NBC on June 3, 1950). Then, in "Untitled Story" (originally aired on NBC on August 23, 1951), a gumshoe investigates a formula for eternal life. Finally, we'll hear Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell in Dangerous Assignment on a mission to investigate flying saucers and disappearing planes (originally aired on NBC on April 17, 1950).

Some radio detectives originated in the pages of novels and short stories, while others transitioned from the big screen to the airwaves.  In the case of The Falcon, it was a little of each as two different characters were blended into one of radio’s longest-running sleuths. The exploits of the gumshoe first came to radio on April 10, 1943.

The first Falcon was introduced by Drexel Drake in a 1936 novel The Falcon’s Prey.  Drake’s Falcon, featured in multiple novels and stories, was Malcolm Wingate, a shadowy crime-fighter and Robin Hood figure born in America but raised in England.  Aided by an ex-cop nicknamed “Sarge,” the Falcon preyed on evildoers and came to the aid of the oppressed.

Drake’s Falcon predated Gay Stanhorpe Falcon, a freelance adventurer created by Michael Arlen in his 1940 short story “The Gay Falcon.”  It was this Falcon who came to the big screen in 1941 with George Sanders (fresh off a movie run as The Saint) starring as the character.  As if that wasn’t complicated enough, the movie (and its sequels) changed the character’s name to Gay Lawrence, with no explanation of how he earned the name “The Falcon.”  The Falcon of the films began as a replacement for The Saint at RKO, but he evolved into more of a classic private detective.  In fact, his third movie, The Falcon Takes Over (1942), was an adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s Farewell, My Lovely with The Falcon subbing in for Philip Marlowe.  After four movies, Sanders had enough and his real-life brother Tom Conway took over the franchise as “Tom Lawrence” in The Falcon’s Brother, and played the role for eight more movies.

The success of the films led to a radio version in 1943.  The Falcon of the radio was a private eye named Michael Waring, neither the Drake character nor the Arlen character.  The radio series referred to the Falcon’s past in novels and in films, and Drexel Drake was credited as the character’s creator on the air.  Just to add another wrinkle to the genealogy of the character, the Waring Falcon hit the big screen in three films starring John Calvert.

Berry Kroger was the first actor to play Waring on the air, and he was succeeded by James Meighan.  For the bulk of the run, The Falcon was played by Les Tremayne and Les Damon.  The actors shared several roles along with their first name; in addition to The Falcon, they each took a turn starring as Nick Charles in The Adventures of The Thin Man.  George Petrie, who played radio private eye Charlie Wild and District Attorney Markham on Philo Vance, was the last actor to play The Falcon on the air.

Most of the shows began with The Falcon answering a phone call from one of his many lovely female companions.  He’d politely decline their company for the evening before offering a tease of the adventure he was about to undertake.  Like his radio private eye brethren, Waring’s cases were about equally divided between clients seeking his help and the police calling him in on tough-to-crack cases.  In the early 1950s, owing to the popularity of espionage programs, The Falcon became an intelligence agent for the US Government.  His work took him overseas where he battled enemy spies with the same skills he used on gangsters back in the Big Apple.

Despite the long run of the program (The Falcon aired from 1943 until 1954 in multiple runs over NBC and Mutual), only about 100 episodes survive.  Most of them come from the Tremayne/Damon years, so listeners today can hear a mix of Falcon adventures both foreign and domestic.  With his mix of hard-boiled private eye and suave gentleman adventurer, The Falcon is a great character with whom to spend an evening.

“I rarely leave my house. I do like it here. I would be an idiot to leave this chair, made to fit me.” (Rex Stout, Before I Die)

Nero Wolfe made his first appearance in 1934, and his adventures are still being enjoyed nearly eighty years later in books, TV shows, and - beginning on April 10, 1943 - radio dramas.  Not bad for a man who hated leaving his house more than nearly anything in the world.

Wolfe, the eccentric genius who weighs a seventh of a ton, was created by writer Rex Stout.  Stout made a tidy sum inventing a system to track the money school children saved in their accounts, and he used his earnings and royalties to travel the world and embark on a career as a writer.  His first Wolfe novel, Fer-de-Lance, was published in 1934, and Stout would go on to write 33 novels and 39 stories featuring Wolfe until his death in 1975.  Over the course of the novels and stories, Stout fleshed out the character, who enjoyed fine food and good beer, tended to his orchids, and solved mysteries when he had to earn a fee, always with the aid of his assistant (and the narrator of the stories), Archie Goodwin.

Stout’s brilliant stroke was to combine two archetypes of detective fiction into one duo.  Nero Wolfe was a classic refined detective in the mold of Sherlock Holmes, right down to his eccentricities, anti-social personality, and acute agoraphobia.  He could listen to clues as they were presented to him in his drawing room and deduce the solution to a crime without ever leaving the chair especially designed for his massive weight.  At his side was Archie, a more streetwise sleuth in the mold of (though not nearly as hard-boiled) Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe.  Archie carried a gun and had an eye for a blonde like his brethren, but he drank milk instead of bourbon and he had a playful demeanor - particularly with his boss and their frequent foil on the police force, Inspector Cramer.

Wolfe came to the screen in 1934 and 1937, but it would take almost ten years for the character to make his radio debut.  From 1943 to 1944, ABC aired The Adventures of Nero Wolfe which starred J.B. Williams, Santos Ortega, and Luis Van Rooten as Wolfe during various points in the run.  A falling out between ABC and Stout’s representatives prevented the series from continuing, but a new version would premier on the Mutual Network in 1946.  Francis X. Bushman starred as Wolfe, with Elliott Lewis, a veteran radio actor who would soon take the director’s chair on Suspense, as Archie.  

But it is the 1950 NBC series The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe that is most fondly remembered and which came the closest to capturing the essence of Stout’s stories.  First and foremost, they found an actor who could fully embody Wolfe’s larger than life persona - Sydney Greenstreet.

A longtime theater actor, Greenstreet’s big break came as Kasper Gutman (“The Fat Man”) opposite Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon in 1941 at age 62. After receiving an Academy Award nomination for the role, Greenstreet appeared in films like Casablanca, The Mask of Demetrios, and Across the Pacific.  At age 71, he was cast as Wolfe, and his trademark characteristics - arched speech, droll laugh, deliberate intonation - perfectly fit Nero Wolfe’s larger than life personality.

Over the course of the series, no fewer than six actors were heard as Archie Goodwin. Each of the first three episodes featured a different Archie: Wally Maher (October 20); Lamont Johnson (October 27); and Herb Ellis (November 10). Beginning on November 24, actor Larry Dobkin assumed the role.  Dobkin had previously been heard as Louie the cab driver on The Saint and as Detective Lt. Matthews on The Adventures of Philip Marlowe.  After eight episodes, Dobkin left and his old co-star Gerald Mohr voiced Goodwin for the next four episodes. Mohr was on a radio detective roll; he had just wrapped his two-year run as Marlowe and would return for a Marlowe summer series a few months after his gig as Archie came to a close.  Harry Bartell, a veteran of Escape and Dragnet as well as the Petri Wine announcer for The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, stepped into Archie’s shoes for the final ten episodes of the series.

Why so many Archies to one Nero?  There’s no definite answer.  Some have said it was because Greenstreet was difficult to work with; others speculate the revolving door of co-stars was a sign of retooling to see if the ratings would improve.

And while the series was well done, with even Rex Stout praising Greenstreet’s performance (he was less complimentary of the program itself), it did not fare well enough in the ratings to earn a second year.  The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe wrapped up its run on April 27, 1951.  Fortunately for fans, the entire series run are available in great condition.  One can listen to the full run and hear Greenstreet lend his one-of-a-kind voice to Wolfe, and even with so many actors playing Archie Goodwin, none is sub-par.  Each brings his own style to the character while staying true to Stout’s creation.  And backing up Greenstreet and his Goodwins every week are a great cast, including Bill Johnstone as Inspector Cramer, Howard McNear, Betty Lou Gerson, Peter Leeds, and Barney Phillips.

Since the radio era came to an end, Nero Wolfe has continued to entertain fans outside of the books. Several TV shows have aired, including one single-season program starring radio veteran William Conrad as Wolfe and an absolutely delightful but criminally short-lived production on A&E with Timothy Hutton as Archie and Maury Chaykin as Wolfe. And for fans who want more audio adventures of the pair, the CBC mounted an impressive series of adaptations in 1982.

“Adventures in time and space…told in future tense!”

Dimension X, one of radio’s first and best “adult” science fiction programs, premiered on NBC on April 8, 1950. The series presented a mix of original stories as well as adaptations of works by masters of the genre like Robert Heinlein, Kurt Vonnegut, and Ray Bradbury. It was this collection of adaptations that gave Dimension X a boost in credibility with science fiction fans; earlier shows had consisted entirely of original radio plays.

With radio creative talents like George Lefferts and Ernest Kinoy and New York radio actors like Wendell Holmes, Santos Ortega, Arnold Moss, Joe Julian, and Joan Alexander, Dimension X presented high-quality stories that helped to bring science fiction out of the realm of kids’ entertainment, and it helped to pave the way for more sophisticated sci-fi on radio and later television.

Fortunately for fans of these tales of tomorrow, all 50 episodes of Dimension X survive to be enjoyed today. Here are a few of my favorites…

“The Outer Limit” - The one that started it all! This adaptation of Graham Doar’s short story centers on a test pilot who vanishes in his experimental aircraft only to return with a dire warning from beyond the stars. (4/8/1950)

"Knock" - "The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock at the door." With that incredible opening, we're off on Frederic Brown's story of the survivor of an alien apocalypse and his unusual relationship with his otherworldly captors. (5/6/50)

“A Logic Named Joe” - Based on a story by Murray Lennister, this one predates/predicts smartphone technology with “Logics.” These supercomputers can answer any question, but when they start advising on how to get away with murder it falls to one engineer to save the world. (7/1/1950)

“Mars is Heaven” - Ray Bradbury’s classic story was adapted several times for many different radio shows, but the Dimension X version is my favorite. The astronauts on the first mission to Mars are shocked to find the red planet is full of their deceased friends and family members. Is Mars really heaven? (7/7/1950)

“The Martian Chronicles” - More from Ray Bradbury, this collection of vignettes contains comedy, romance, tragedy, and at the end a glimmer of hope as we follow several people who leave Earth behind for life on Mars. (8/18/1950)

“The Roads Must Roll” - This story from Robert Heinlein tells of a future where mechanized roads haul people and goods across the country. When a deadly strike among the engineers threatens to derail the roads and threaten the stability of the nation, it falls to a handful of heroes to keep the roads rolling. (9/1/50)

One of radio's most versatile and in-demand performers, John Brown could be heard in regular roles almost every night of the week through the 40s and 50s. He was Ozzie Nelson's next door neighbor, Dennis Day's boss, and Broadway - narrator of The Damon Runyon Theatre. We'll hear him as Al, the ne'er do well boyfriend of My Friend Irma (originally aired on CBS on May 16, 1947). Then, Brown is Digger O'Dell - "the friendly undertaker" - in The Life of Riley (originally aired on NBC on December 30, 1949).

He's best known for Dragnet and Joe Friday, but there was a lot more to Jack Webb's radio career than the groundbreaking police procedural. We'll hear him in three old time radio mysteries as a trio of down on their luck detectives. First, he's Pat Novak for Hire in "Dixie Gillian" (originally aired on ABC on November 24, 1946). Then, Webb stars in "The Man Who Liked the Mountains" from Jeff Regan, Investigator (originally aired on CBS on August 7, 1948). Finally, it's a tale of jazz and crime in "Gus Trudeau" from Pete Kelly's Blues (originally aired on NBC on July 4, 1951).

Is there anybody who doesn’t know Dragnet?  Even if you don’t know the series or couldn’t pick Sgt. Joe Friday out of a line-up, chances are you know the distinct “dum-da-dum-dum” opening. Like the eerie sounds of the theme to The Twilight Zone, the opening notes of the Dragnet march have become shorthand for someone in trouble about to get busted, or the arrival of an authority figure on the scene. This writer discovered the taut police series in between Get Smart and The Dick Van Dyke Show on Nick at Nite in the early nineties, and it wasn’t until years later that he discovered the radio series. It’s hard for modern audiences to appreciate just how revolutionary Dragnet was when it hit radio. The style it perfected and the approach to docudrama realism it produced can still be seen in TV procedural programs and films today, more than sixty years after it premiered.

But none of it would have been possible without actor, producer, and director Jack Webb. Born April 2, 1920, there was more to the man than Joe Friday’s no-nonsense demeanor. Webb was a talented writer, director, and producer, a music aficionado, and - perhaps least well known - a man with a wicked sense of humor. Along with Rod Serling and Quinn Martin, Webb was arguably one of the biggest creative forces in the Golden Age of Television, and he is undeniably a legend of the Golden Age of Radio.

Webb grew up in Los Angeles. His father left before Webb was born, and Webb was raised by his mother and grandmother. As a boy, Webb grew up with a love of movies and jazz music, the latter cultivated by a jazzman tenant in his mother’s rooming house. 

He enlisted in the Air Force in World War II, but he did not make it through flight training (in his words, he “washed out”).  After his discharge, Webb moved to San Francisco where he got into radio. The lack of announcers due to the war left vacancies on the schedule of ABC’s San Francisco affiliate KGO, and Webb served as an announcer, DJ, and as host of his own comedy show, The Jack Webb Show, a sketch comedy series that poked fun at current events and featured a house band playing Dixieland jazz numbers. His comedy career on the air would be short-lived, as he turned his attention to the crime genre that would come to define his output for the rest of his career.

During his time at KGO, Webb struck up a friendship with writer Richard Breen and the two collaborated on The Jack Webb Show. The two were approached to fill some holes in KGO’s programming schedule, and they created a character who was perfectly suited for Webb’s downbeat, naturalistic style. Novak would be a detective of the hard-boiled school, operating out of an office on the San Francisco waterfront, and he would deliver some of the best dialogue this side of a pulp novel.

Pat Novak For Hire premiered on KGO in 1946 and was a hit almost immediately. The combination of Webb’s voice and Breen’s words was unlike anything radio listeners had heard up until that point. Novak was cynical and world-weary, and he had great reason to be both. He was often double-crossed by his clients; he rarely got the girl; and he was always on the outs with the law, particularly with the block-headed Inspector Hellman.  His only friend (if you could call him that) was Jocko Madigan, an ex-doctor and full-time boozer who could come to Novak’s aid, but not without dropping a ton of unwanted tipsy advice on Novak.

Despite the success, Webb and Breen jumped ship for reasons that have never fully been explained.  ABC soldiered on with Ben Morris stepping in as the new Pat Novak, while Breen and Webb set up shop on Mutual with the very similar program Johnny Madero, Pier 23.  Listeners didn’t take to Morris in the role, and the series signed off in early 1948.  Webb continued in the detective business, and he starred for a season as Jeff Regan, Investigator for CBS before returning to Pat Novak for a national run on ABC in 1949.  It was during this period where Webb was beginning to get the ideas for what would become his signature series and role.

In 1948, Webb played the role of a crime scene technician in He Walked By Night.  During breaks in the filming, he struck up a friendship with the movie’s technical advisor, Sgt. Marty Wynn.  Webb believed there was an opportunity to dramatically depict police work in an authentic manner; most radio shows (including Webb’s own Pat Novak and Jeff Regan usually played cops as incompetent at best and corrupt at worst).  Working with Wynn and other police officers, along with writer James Moser, Webb pitched the concept to NBC.  That series would become Dragnet, and its combination of authentic cases and a “ripped from the headlines” style with Webb’s signature realistic approach made for a series that - once again - was unlike anything radio audiences had heard.

Webb starred as Sgt. Joe Friday, the epitome of a professional policeman, who rotated in and out of different divisions of the LAPD (Homicide, Narcotics, Traffic, etc.).  This allowed Webb and his team to tell a full range of stories, all taken from LAPD files.  Sometimes there was a corpse and the thrill of the hunt of a killer; in other episodes, there were stake-outs and spent shoe leather running down leads.  Through it all, Webb pushed for authenticity: “We try to make cops human beings.  We try to combine the best qualities of the men I’ve seen downtown, incorporate their way of speaking, make a composite.”

Dragnet exploded in popularity not long after it premiered in 1949. A TV version followed in 1951 and a film version hit the big screen in 1954. Perhaps the surest sign of success came in the form of parody when satirist Stan Freberg released his dead-on send-up of the show "St. George and the Dragonet." Webb, who had a better sense of humor than he's given credit for, loved it and allowed the use of the trademark Dragnet theme music.

Even during this time, when he was on Dragnet twice a week on radio and TV, Webb continued to work elsewhere. He created and starred in the short-lived 1951 radio crime drama Pete Kelly’s Blues, a Prohibition-era crime drama centered on a cornet player in a Kansas City speakeasy who frequently rubbed elbows with the city's unsavory elements. The series incorporated his lifelong love of jazz into the mystery stories, and Webb strove for authenticity just as he did on Dragnet. Pete Kelly's cornet - the instrument played on the air by Dick Cathcart - was presented to Webb by a San Francisco fan whose father had played it in Chicago speakeasies during the 1920s.  This blend of music was something new to dramatic radio, and it coincided with the entrance of jazz into the American mainstream.

Big screen success eluded Webb, and after a few misfires at the box office in the late 1950s, he was back in television.  In 1963, he was given the reins of the private eye drama 77 Sunset Strip, which he rebranded in his own style.  The series, which had been one of the more “hip” mystery shows on TV, suffered a ratings hit as a result of the shift and was cancelled. Fortunately for Webb, there was still a demand for his style - and his signature series. He was approached by Universal in 1966 to develop a new Dragnet TV movie. The product was so well received that NBC put a new Dragnet series on the air, with Webb back as Sgt. Joe Friday. It’s this color run of Dragnet (which aired often on Nick at Nite in the early 1990s) with which Webb is most closely associated. It also kicked off the next phase of his career, as a producer of TV content through his Mark VII production company. In addition to Dragnet, Webb produced the squad car-based police drama Adam-12 and the EMT/paramedic series Emergency!, both of which enjoyed long runs in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (His Adam-12 star Martin Milner got one of his first jobs on the radio version of Dragnet, playing one of Joe Friday’s young partners.)

In the early 1980s, Webb was prepping for yet another Dragnet revival, and he tapped Kent McCord of Adam-12 to play Joe Friday’s new partner. Before the series could go into production, Webb passed away at the age of 62 from a heart attack on December 23, 1982. In recognition of his long partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department, the LAPD retired 714, Joe Friday’s badge number. All flags in Los Angeles flew at half-staff in his honor.

One doesn’t need to look far to see Jack Webb’s legacy alive and well today. Reality-based police procedurals cover the prime-time landscape, and the realistic style of acting he helped introduce to the mainstream has influenced generations of writers and actors. He was a tireless professional who worked right up until the end of an unfortunately short life, but his body of work will continue to outlive him and entertain new generations of fans.

Over a long radio career, Paula Winslowe effortlessly moved between dramas, thrillers, mysteries, and comedies. But her signature role came in one of the era's best domestic sitcoms as Peg opposite William Bendix in The Life of Riley. As the Riley family's level-headed matriarch, Winslowe gave radio one of its best female characters and created a funny and loving couple with her co-star. We'll hear a pair of episodes - first, Peg's ex-boyfriend sells Riley a life insurance policy (originally aired on NBC on March 16, 1946). Then, Peg tells son Junior the story of her first date with Riley (originally aired on NBC on November 17, 1950).

Academy Award, one of the more prestigious Hollywood radio programs, premiered on CBS on March 30, 1946. The series presented recreations of films that had been nominated for or won - you guessed it - the Academy Award. The Oscar distinction set it apart from other Hollywood anthologies like The Lux Radio Theatre and Screen Directors Playhouse. Humphrey Bogart, Ginger Rogers, Gregory Peck, and Lana Turner were just some of the stars who appeared at the microphone to recreate their screen roles on the air.

Ultimately, that Oscar-prestige helped to spell a premature end for the series, as the cost for licensing the mentions of the Academy Awards (combined with the big salaries for the Hollywood stars) proved prohibitive for a long run. The program came to an end after only 39 episodes, despite being a hit with audiences.

To celebrate the show's anniversary, here are some of my favorite big screen adaptations from the short run of Academy Award.

"Stagecoach" - Claire Trevor is among the passengers on this eventful trip through the west. John Ford's classic film comes to radio without co-star John Wayne, but it's still a great production following an unlikely band of travelers as they try to survive the elements and an Indian attack en route to safety. (Originally aired on CBS on May 4, 1946)

"The Maltese Falcon" - Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet recreate their roles in this abridged production of the classic film noir drama. Sam Spade is on the hunt for the titular black bird, and he's surrounded by characters who will try to woo him or kill him to steal the prize for themselves. (Originally aired on CBS on July 3, 1946)

"Young Mr. Lincoln" - John Ford's tale of the pre-presidential life of Honest Abe gets the radio treatment with original star Henry Fonda. He's superb as Lincoln as a young attorney trying to clear two men of a murder charge. (Originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1946)

"Foreign Correspondent" - One of several Hitchcock films adapted for the program, this radio play finds Joseph Cotten stepping in for Joel McCrea as a reporter abroad in the earliest days of World War II. He stumbles into an assassination plot and must stay alive to get his story back to his readers in the United States. (Originally aired on CBS on July 24, 1946)

"Shadow of a Doubt" - Alfred Hitchcock's favorite film of all the pictures he directed gets a great radio adaptation with Joseph Cotten back at the microphone. He recreates his role as Uncle Charlie, the lovable relative who comes to town with a cloud of suspicion hanging over his head. His niece and namesake Charlie begins to suspect her beloved uncle may be hiding a murderous secret. (Originally aired on CBS on September 11, 1946)

For much of its history, the US Treasury Department was extensively involved in law enforcement. The Coast Guard, the Bureau of Prohibition, the Secret Service - all were under the umbrella of the Treasury at one point. The exploits of its agents - men and women who battled counterfeiters and other crooks - inspired films, comic books, and radio shows. We'll hear Raymond Edward Johnson and Ralph Bell in "The Case of the Faithful Wife" from Treasury Agent (originally aired on ABC on August 11, 1947). Then, Dennis O'Keefe stars as a two-fisted agent in a pair of episodes from T-Man: "The Case of the Bleeding Gold" (audition recorded on April 29, 1950) and "The Case of the Big Mexican Dope" (originally aired on CBS on July 29, 1950).

We mark the first anniversary of our bonus comedy episodes with the shows that kicked off the series. First, Jack Benny and his gang try and solve a murder with an all-star cast of suspects (including Gene Kelly, Rosalind Russell, and Frank Sinatra) in The Jack Benny Program (originally aired on CBS on January 8, 1950). Then, Eve Arden stars as Our Miss Brooks. She's placed in charge of Madison High School's new student banking system (originally aired on CBS on January 30, 1949).

Before his big screen turns in The Hitchhiker and In a Lonely Place, Frank Lovejoy made a name for himself on radio. His best known role was reporter and amateur sleuth Randy Stone in Night Beat, but before that he could be heard on everything from The Shadow to Suspense in supporting and starring roles. We'll hear him as a tough insurance investigator in Here Comes McBride (originally aired on NBC on May 19, 1949). Then, Lovejoy is a private eye guarding a fabulous emerald in "Figure a Dame" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on December 20, 1949). Finally, he stars in "The Girl from Kansas" from Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on June 5, 1950).

It's a birthday salute to Jerry Lewis with a pair of shows from his radio comedy series with partner Dean Martin. The cool crooner and the goofball with the squeaky voice were a hit on the air, on stage, and on the big screen in the late 40s and early 50s, and we'll hear them welcome some big stars to their microphones. First, Dinah Shore stops by (originally aired on NBC on October 5, 1951), and then Marlene Dietrich visits (originally aired on NBC on March 21, 1952).

We're headed to court for three old time radio mysteries starring crusading counselors at law. First, Mercedes McCambridge finds clues and cross-examines to find the truth in "Client Grady Daniels" from Defense Attorney (originally aired on ABC on August 24, 1951). Then, wily New England lawyer Ephraim Tutt springs from the pages of the Saturday Evening Post in The Amazing Mr. Tutt. Will Wright stars as the attorney in "Advice for a Young Lawyer" (originally aired on CBS on July 5, 1948). Finally, Henry Fonda reprises his role of Honest Abe in a radio recreation of Young Mr. Lincoln from Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1946).

We're back with Stan Freberg and company for more from The Stan Freberg Show, The unique blend of satire and shenanigans was one of the last original comedies of the radio era, and though it was short-lived we can enjoy the entire run today. We'll hear the western psychiatric adventures of "The Lone Analyst" (originally aired on CBS on August 25, 1957) and a saga of the ordeals of ice cream men (originally aired on CBS on September 1, 1957).

Before he won a Tony and an Oscar as Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Rex Harrison had a brief stint as a radio private eye. We'll hear the star of stage and screen as a debonair detective in a pair of episodes from The Private Files of Rex Saunders - "The Most Malignant of Diseases...Namely Murder" (originally aired on NBC on June 27, 1951) and "Until Death Do Us Part" (originally aired on NBC on July 18, 1951). Then, he recreates his big screen role as a British spy out to save a scientist and his daughter from the Nazis in "Night Train" from Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1946).

It's a birthday bash for Lou Costello in this week's bonus comedy show. We'll hear Costello and Bud Abbott trade barbs and backwards logic in a pair of episodes from their long-running radio series. First, Costello wants to join the Merchant Marines (originally aired on NBC on January 25, 1945). Then, Bud and Lou hit the road to hire the Andrews Sisters (originally aired on NBC on April 5, 1945).

It's a trip around the world with three old time radio detectives who walked an international beat. First, Rocky Jordan investigates a killing in Cairo in "The Man With No Name" (originally aired on CBS on October 9, 1949). Then, secret agent Mr. I.A. Moto journeys to Rome in "Escape" (originally aired on NBC on July 22, 1951). Finally, Brian Donlevy stars as Steve Mitchell in Dangerous Assignment on an adventure to Bombay (originally aired on NBC on August 23, 1950).

“Broadway is my beat. From Times Square to Columbus Circle - the gaudiest, the most violent…the lonesomest mile in the world.”

On February 27, 1949, Broadway is My Beat premiered on CBS. Rising above the din of radio mysteries Broadway is My Beat was a New York-set police procedural that followed Detective Danny Clover as he solved crimes along the Great White Way.  Thanks to the expert direction, the sharp writing, and an impressive lead performance, Broadway is My Beat broke the mold of a police drama and holds up today as one of the best shows from the era.

The series premiered in February 1949 on CBS as a competently made police drama with a capable lead performance from stage veteran Anthony Ross as Danny Clover.  It attracted little attention from the public and the series left the air after four months.  Originating from New York for the first go-round, CBS moved production across the country to Los Angeles and engaged a new production team to retool the series.

The reins were turned over to Elliot Lewis, who was about to break out as one of the great radio talents of the era.  Lewis was best known in 1949 as an actor; he starred in the Mutual adventure series Voyage of the Scarlet Queen, and he played Frankie Remley, the dim bulb sidekick of Phil Harris on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show.  He cut his teeth in the Armed Forces Radio Service and learned the ins and outs of radio, from scriptwriting to directing, during World War II.  Lewis wasn’t interested in making just another police drama.  He wanted to make the city of New York as much a character on the show as the cops and the criminals.  To that end, he employed a team of three sound effects artists to create one of radio’s richest soundscapes.  It was rare that the sounds of traffic and the hustle of the city weren’t heard as Danny Clover walked up flights of stairs at apartment houses or ducked into bars still waking up from the previous’ nights revelries.

Lewis added scriptwriting duo Morton Fine and David Friedkin to the Broadway is My Beat team.  This veteran radio duo (who would later create the classic 1960s TV series I Spy) put a spin on Danny Clover that was more in line with Jack Webb’s Joe Friday than brilliant super-cops.  Clover cracked cases through determination and hard work; he was no deductive genius but he wasn’t a dullard either.  In a June 15, 1950 article in The Sherbrooke Telegram, Fine and Friedkin described Danny Clover as “a nice, human guy who is a policeman and who solves crimes by piling human emotion against human emotion.“

But Clover wasn’t going to be the man Fine and Friedkin imagined without the right voice at the microphone.  Fortunately, the right man got the job.  Larry Thor was a CBS announcer (he could be heard introducing Rocky Jordan and other programs) who started acting along with his announcing chores.  He brought a dignity and determination to the work of a policeman, and he delivered the lyrical dialogue of the scripts effortlessly.  Supporting Clover at police headquarters were Charles Calvert as the quirky desk sergeant Gino Tartaglia, and Jack Kruschen as Clover’s sidekick in the field, Detective Muggavan.  Just like Clover, these weren’t the typical radio cops, but they added some color and levity to the downbeat scripts and harsh world of the series.

The combination of rich performances, poetic, complex scripts, and a vivid soundscape created one of radio’s most poignant and memorable police dramas.  For much of the run, the show was sustained by CBS and was used to fill gaps on the network’s lineup.  it moved consistently, which is never the right way to build an audience.  The series left the air in 1953, but one listen to Broadway is My Beat today reveals a show that succeeded in spite of its scheduling woes; it wasn’t just another radio cop show, and it may be a program that plays better to a 21st century audience more accustomed to realism and morally complex plots than some of the white-hat derring do of the Golden Age of Radio.

We'll close out our Black History Month series with music and comedy from Louis Armstrong. Satchmo teams up with Rochester in an episode of The Jack Benny Program (originally aired on NBC on May 9, 1943). Then, he jams on an episode of the Armed Forces Radio Service showcase Jubilee (recorded on May 24, 1943).

Seventy-two years ago this month, "the man with the action-packed expense account" made his two-fisted radio debut. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ran until 1962 and helped to bring down the curtain on the golden age of radio. We'll hear three radio adventures of "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator," each starring a different actor as Dollar. First, Charles Russell stars in "Murder is a Merry-Go-Round" (originally aired on CBS on March 11, 1949). Then, John Lund is Dollar in "The Marigold Matter" (originally aired on CBS on January 23, 1953). Finally, Mandel Kramer plays Johnny in "The Three for One Matter" (originally aired on CBS on October 22, 1961).

Eddie Green's signature radio role was as Eddie, the waiter at Duffy's Tavern. But before he joined the cast of the Ed Gardner comedy series, Green was a successful entertainer on stage and screen. He was an actor, director, and songwriter who reached tremendous heights as an African American performer in the first half of the twentieth century. We'll hear Green in a pair of episodes from Duffy's Tavern (originally aired on NBC on November 9, 1945 and December 28, 1945).

We're saluting some of the women who solved crimes during the radio era. First, we'll Meet Miss Sherlock, a scatterbrained amateur detective (originally aired on CBS on September 12, 1946). Then, comedy star Sara Berner shows off her trademark silliness as she sleuths in Sara's Private Caper (originally aired on NBC on June 15, 1950). And finally, Natalie Masters is on the case as Candy Matson - the gorgeous gumshoe from San Francisco - in "A Symphony of Death" (originally aired on NBC on June 20, 1950).

“It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s SUPERMAN!”

On February 12, 1940, two years after his debut in the pages of Action Comics, Superman took flight on radio.  As he thrilled readers in the comic books and dazzled audiences in movie theaters, the Man of Steel soared on the airwaves, battling the mob, Nazi spies and saboteurs, mad scientists, and aliens from other planets, all while cementing the character’s popularity as an American icon.

In fact, much of Superman’s mythology grew out of his radio adventures and later worked its way into the comic stories.  Plucky cub reporter Jimmy Olsen and blustery newspaper editor Perry White were both original creations for the radio series. Ditto Metropolis Police Inspector Henderson, one of Superman’s allies on the police force. The first meeting of Superman and Batman happened on radio in 1945 (they’d appeared on covers of comics before, but radio featured the first story where the characters teamed up), and Superman had his first encounter with his Achilles’ heel - Kryptonite - not on the pages of the comics, but on the radio series.

The show was a ratings success practically from the start.  Radio veteran Jack Johnstone (who later directed Bob Bailey as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar) directed the early shows, and the series topped the charts among three-day-a-week children’s serials.  The series aired in syndication until March 9, 1942.  Six months later, it returned over the entire Mutual Network in a five-day-a-week series.  Directed by George Lowther and later Allen Ducovny, Superman exploded during the World War II era, as Kryptonite was thrown into the mix in 1943 and Superman and his friends fought Nazis as often as they fought domestic villains.  One of these baddies led to one of the show’s longest and most celebrated storylines when Superman battled a Nazi-engineered, Kryptonite-fueled Atom Man out to avenge the defeat of Germany from October to December 1945.

But it wasn’t all fights with Atom Men and imaginary monsters.  On the air, Superman fought racial intolerance and bigotry, and today the series is as fondly remembered for its social consciousness as much as for its thrilling adventures.  In one memorable arc (the “Unity House” series), Superman defended an interfaith community center from a gang of bigots; in another, he battled the “Clan of the Firey Cross,” a thinly veiled substitute for the Ku Klux Klan.  Despite pressure from some listeners (and a threatened boycott by the KKK itself), Mutual and Kellogg’s, the show’s sponsor, stuck by their program, and the series received seals of approval from the Boys Clubs of America, the Associated Negro Press, and the United Parents Association, among others.

At the center of this series, providing the voice of a man who could change the course of mighty rivers and bend steel in his bare hands, was a busy radio actor who initially didn’t want the gig.  By age 32, Clayton “Bud” Collyer  was appearing on all four major networks over several dozen series.  And while he won the job by creating two distinct voices for Superman and his secret identity of mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, he initially turned down the role.  “The whole idea embarrassed me, so I said no,” he recalled years later.  Collyer would also voice the Man of Steel in the classic cartoons from Max Fleischer, and he returned in 1966 for Filmation’s New Adventures of Superman.  Later, in the years following the Golden Age of Radio, Collyer would find fame as a game show host on television, anchoring shows like Quick as a Flash and To Tell the Truth.  He played Superman in close to 1,700 shows and was the “voice” of the Man of Steel to a generation as much as George Reeves was the “face” on television.

Collyer was backed up by a great cast in the Superman family.  Joan Alexander set the template for Lois Lane - smart, spunky, and willing to jump into the fray as no damsel in distress.  Julian Noa voiced the perpetually frustrated editor Perry White, and Jackie Kelk (Homer on The Aldrich Family) gave the right dose of “gee whiz” enthusiasm to Jimmy Olsen.  But a comic book adventure is lost without a narrator, and for most of its run Superman had a humdinger in Jackson Beck, who famously intoned the legendary introduction that began with “Faster than a speeding bullet!” (Yep, that was coined for the radio series as well.)

Today, the radio adventures of Superman still pack a ton of excitement into every fifteen or thirty minute episode.  Even if you can only see him in the theater of your own mind, Superman rockets through the air when Bud Collyer’s voice drops an octave, that wind machine kicks in, and Jackson Beck’s stentorian boom erupts over the speakers.

Eddie Anderson, the vaudeville star and comedian with a trademark gravelly voice, made his first appearance on The Jack Benny Program in 1937. He'd become an iconic part of the series and a member of Benny's cast on radio and television for nearly 30 years. Anderson was the first African American actor with a regular role on a national radio series, and his character of Rochester Van Jones was one of the most popular on the show. We'll hear him as Sam in the show's production of Casablanca (originally aired on NBC on October 17, 1943). Then, Anderson stars in the audition recordings of what would have been his own comedy series - The Private Life of Rochester Van Jones (recorded May 12, 1950).

In 14 films and hundreds of radio episodes, Nigel Bruce personified Dr. Watson for generations of Sherlock Holmes fans. The actor created a companion for Sherlock Holmes who was avuncular, fiercely loyal, and awestruck at his friend's deductive powers. We'll hear Bruce opposite Basil Rathbone in "The Telltale Pigeon Feathers" (originally aired on Mutual on January 21, 1946) and with Tom Conway in "The Adventure of the Elusive Emerald" (originally aired on ABC on December 14, 1946). Plus, Bruce recreates his role from Suspicion in a production of The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on January 21, 1946).

On February 6, 1950, reporter Randy Stone took his first walk on the Night Beat. Frank Lovejoy starred as Randy, an intrepid newspaperman working at the Chicago Star. Every night, Randy explored the darkened streets of the Windy City in search of stories for his column. Randy Stone was looking for the good and the bad of human nature - anything that would make for a good yarn to follow his byline. Along the way, he usually found trouble among the desperate and the dangerous residents of the city at night.

In each episode of the show, columnist Randy Stone went to work when the sun went down and set off through the city streets in search of stories about people that had fallen through the cracks.  The “human” in human interest stories was of paramount importance to him, and like a knight on a romantic crusade, Stone did his best to help the subjects of his stories and ensure as much of a happy ending as he could for his column.  Randy Stone wasn’t a detective; he wasn’t even an amateur sleuth like Box 13’s Dan Holiday or Casey, Crime Photographer.  But he walked the streets of Chicago after dark and as a sucker for a hard luck story, he frequently found himself in conflict with the mob, gamblers and thieves, con men, and killers.  He could be taken in by a sob story or come around to discover a perceived villain had been wronged as badly as the victim.  He didn’t carry a gun, and he wasn’t a fighter, but he had dogged persistence in chasing down a story to the end.  It was the kind of persistence that was finely honed from walking the streets and wearing out who knows how many pairs of shoes.

On May 19, 1949, an audition program for the series was recorded starring Edmond O’Brien as reporter “Hank Mitchell.”  Directed by Bill Rousseau (director of hard-boiled private eye shows Pat Novak and Michael Shayne), O’Brien’s performance was closer to how he’d sound as Johnny Dollar a year later: tougher, cynical, and harder-edged.  Not a bad performance (in fact, it served him well in the role of “America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator”), but it was a little too tough for what producers were looking for. Night Beat got a second bite at the apple almost a year later.  This time, actor Frank Lovejoy stepped to the microphone as the lead character, rechristened “Randy Stone.”  Where Hank Mitchell was cynical, Randy Stone was a kind of cock-eyed optimist.  Where Mitchell was tough, Stone was compassionate.  Of the voices, Randy Stone’s sounded more like that of a champion for the little guy.  And delivering that winning performance for over 100 episodes was Frank Lovejoy.

Lovejoy had been a radio actor in the 1930s and early 1940s, appearing on Gang Busters and This is Your FBI.  He was the first actor to play the Blue Beetle on radio, and he was frequently heard as a supporting player on Sam Spade, Box 13, and Adventures of Superman; he also took more than a few starring turns on Suspense.  In films, Lovejoy was often a supporting player in everyman roles in films like The Hitch-Hiker, House of Wax, and In a Lonely Place.  This “man of the people” streak to his work served him well as Randy Stone, and Lovejoy delivers one of the best dramatic lead performances from the Golden Age of Radio in Night Beat. It helped that he was given wonderful words to say and characters to say them to with scripts by Larry Marcus, Russell Hughes (main writer for Box 13), and others.

One of the great dramatic shows of the 1950s, Night Beat was anchored by Frank Lovejoy’s performance and strong scripts. Though not strictly a detective program, Night Beat often featured stories of crime and killers, of cops and robbers. Night Beat was a bright spot in the Golden Age of Radio as it gradually gave way to the rise of television.

Here are a few of my favorite episodes of this fantastic series. You can celebrate the anniversary of the show’s premiere and hear what made it such a unique entry in the world of old time radio drama.

“Zero” – In the show’s first episode, Randy Stone stumbles across a young woman on a frantic citywide search for a man about to die because of her clerical error. They hunt high and low through the streets of the Windy City to find the man and to save two lives – the man who mistakenly believes he has a terminal illness and the woman who would never forgive herself if she cost a man his life. (Originally aired on NBC on February 6, 1950)

“I Wish You Were Dead” – Randy is fascinated by a mild-mannered man who claims to have a deadly ability – the power to kill people using only his mind. (Originally aired on NBC on May 22, 1950)

“The Football Player and the Syndicate” – William Conrad guest stars as a college football hero long past his gridiron glory days. Now working as a broken down private investigator and trying to stay a step ahead of his gambling debts, he asks for Randy’s help on a job. If he can find a man for a notorious Chicago political boss, he can make enough money to clear his debts and dig himself out of his hole. (Originally aired on NBC on June 12, 1950)

“The City at Your Fingertips” – On a quiet night, Randy lets his fingers do the walking and dials a random phone number. To his surprise, the woman on the other end of the line begs for help. She’s being held prisoner by a man who may return to kill her at any moment. Can Randy save her life when even she doesn’t know where she’s been trapped? (Originally aired on NBC on July 31, 1950)

In honor of Black History Month, we're saluting African American performers in old time radio comedies. Seven years after she became the first Black performer to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel broke another barrier as the first Black woman to headline a national radio series. McDaniel starred as Beulah in the comedy series about the titular maid and housekeeper. We'll hear her in a pair of Beulah episodes (originally aired on CBS on June 27 and June 28, 1950). Plus, she reprises the role in an episode of Philco Radio Time with Bing Crosby (originally aired on ABC on January 19, 1949).

Frontier Gentleman, the story of an English reporter traveling the wild west, premiered on this day in 1958. Along with Gunsmoke, it's one of the best "adult western" dramas of the radio era. While the entire series (an unfortunately too-short run of 41 episodes) is well worth a listen, here are ten episodes that – if you’re new to the show – are a great place to start.

“Kendall’s Last Stand” – It’s the eve of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and Kendall, a small party of soldiers, and an Indian scout break off from the 7th cavalry under the command of General Custer. But Kendall and company may meet the same fate as Custer and his men after they’re pinned down by a war party. With limited ammunition, Kendall and the scout seek refuge with a brave widow in her cabin, and they face a long night with their adversaries lurking outside. (Originally aired on CBS on February 23, 1958)

“The Powder River Kid” – Kendall comes across an infamous gunfighter and robber, but the man is wounded and succumbing to gangrene. Knowing his time is running out, the man asks Kendall to kill him and collect the reward on his head so his wife can collect the money. This one features a great supporting performance from Larry Dobkin as the Powder River Kid, and the story is a perfect example of the drama that could come from a well-written “adult western.” (Originally aired on CBS on April 6, 1958)

“The Trial” (also known as “Kendall for the Defense”) – J.B. Kendall, reporter, becomes J.B. Kendall, attorney in this humorous story of a murder trial held in a makeshift saloon courtroom. There’s a defendant who refuses to surrender his shootin’ irons, a hostile judge, and a dubious eyewitness that Kendall must overcome to see that justice is served. (Originally aired on CBS on April 13, 1958)

“Aces and Eights” – This is my pick for the best episode of the series. Kendall makes his way to Deadwood just in time to grab a seat at the table for the west’s most infamous game of poker. He meets legends Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, and he gets the chance to see the real people behind the tall tales. If you’ve ever wondered why “aces and eights” is known as a “dead man’s hand,” this story will give you the answer. (Originally aired on CBS on April 20, 1958)

“Random Notes” – Another great episode with several stories in one. Kendall is taking the stagecoach and takes advantage of the time to recount some of the tales that didn’t make it into his regular reports. He’s in the audience for an amateur western production of Othello, he witnesses a duel between two women fighting over the same man, he talks to a condemned killer, and he watches as a Chinese shopkeeper gets the last laugh on a group of men who try to cheat him. (Originally aired on CBS on April 27, 1958)

“School Days” (also known as “Duel for a School Marm”) – Kendall has barely arrived in a town before he’s being pressed into voting for a schoolhouse. The town and its rival city are competing for the attentions of a beautiful young teacher – even though the towns are devoid of children. The teacher doesn’t appreciate the predicament and the fact that the men of the towns are willing to go to war to get their educations. (Originally aired on CBS on June 1, 1958)

“Gambling Lady” – Jeanne Bates gives a great performance and has tremendous chemistry with John Dehner in this story of a new gambling palace run by the mysterious “Madam Verdi.” As Kendall becomes fascinated with this beautiful, independent western woman, her secret (and deadly) past resurfaces with tragic results. Bates would return as Madam Verdi, also known as “Belle Siddons,” in a memorable three-part episode later in the series’ run. (Originally aired on CBS on June 29, 1958)

“Justice of the Peace” – In this powerful episode, Kendall meets one of the few women acting as a justice of the peace on the frontier (voiced brilliantly by Paula Winslowe) and he witnesses firsthand as she stands up to a mob hoping to lynch her prisoner – an Indian accused of murder. (Originally aired on CBS on July 13, 1958)

“Mighty Mouse” and “Mighty Tired” – One of the things that I love about Frontier Gentleman is its continuity. Characters recur, Kendall’s previous adventures are referenced, and sometimes stories stretch across multiple episodes. In this two-parter, a stagecoach carrying Kendall and a miner is robbed. A blustery lawman is on the case, but all he manages to do is let the thieves (later revealed to be Jesse James and his gang) slip through his fingers. In the follow-up story, Kendall and his miner friend get a chance for justice when they spot some of the robbers on a train. (Originally aired on CBS on July 20 and July 27, 1958).

Two-fisted action, tough guy narration, dangerous dames - the hard-boiled detective shows of the golden age of radio had it all. We'll hear three of those gumshoes in radio mysteries. First, Gerald Mohr is Philip Marlowe in "The Lady Killer" (originally aired on CBS on August 20, 1949). Then, Jack Webb stars as Pat Novak For Hire in "Fleet Lady" (originally aired on ABC on March 6, 1949). Finally, William Gargan plays Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator in "Crimson Queen" (originally aired on NBC on January 4, 1953).

It's a belated birthday party for screen legend Cary Grant with a pair of old time radio showcases for his comedic talents. We'll hear him try to dodge a proposal from Gracie's cousin on The Burns and Allen Show (originally aired on NBC on February 13, 1947). Then, Cary Grant is joined by his wife Betsy Drake in the radio spinoff Mr. and Mrs. Blandings, a series that continues the story from Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (originally aired on NBC on March 18, 1951).

When the mail arrives for George Valentine and Dan Holiday, it means mystery and adventure are soon to follow. Both gumshoes find cases in the responses they receive to their newspaper ads offering their help to people in dangerous situations. We'll hear Bob Bailey in "Destination: Dead End" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on February 14, 1949). Then, Alan Ladd stars in a pair of syndicated episodes of Box 13 - "Book of Poems" and "The Great Torino."

Sing, dance, act, and make audiences howl with laughter - Danny Kaye could do it all, and he found a magnificent showcase for many of his talents in his own weekly radio series. The Danny Kaye Show found the star at the top of his game surrounded by an A-list supporting cast of Eve Arden, Lionel Stander, and more. We'll hear the first two episodes of the program (originally aired on CBS on January 6 and January 13, 1945).

Crime used to pay for our old time radio super sleuths this week, but Michael Lanyard (The Lone Wolf) and Boston Blackie left their criminal careers behind and used the tricks of their trade to bring crooks to justice. We'll hear three adventures of these reformed robbers. First, Walter Coy stars as the Lone Wolf in "The Golden Santa" (originally aired on Mutual on January 1, 1949). Then, Richard Kollmar is Boston Blackie in a pair of syndicated shows: "The Stolen Radway's Faust" and "Blackie's Framed for Fur Thefts."

It's a party in this week's bonus comedy episode. We're celebrating the birthday of William Bendix and the anniversary of the debut of his radio sitcom The Life of Riley. Join Chester A. Riley, wife Peg, son Junior, and daughter Babs on misadventures in a pair of shows. First, Riley is excited for a promotion at work - but it isn't his (originally aired on NBC on September 7, 1946). Then, Riley's worried his family forgot his birthday (originally aired on NBC on February 8, 1947).

We're saluting Simon Templar today, and we'll hear three of his radio adventures including the audition recording that kicked off the on-air career of The Saint. Vincent Price is Simon in "The Horrible Hamburger" (originally aired on NBC on September 10, 1950) and Tom Conway plays Templar in "No, My Darling Daughter" (originally aired on NBC on July 15, 1951). Then, Leslie Charteris himself is on hand to introduce "The Miracle Tea Party," an audition recording starring Denis Green as The Saint.

Snow is falling on Wistful Vista in this week's bonus comedy episode. Join Fibber McGee and Molly for a pair of stories about sleds, sleigh rides, and silliness courtesy of the comedic couple and their neighbors. First, Fibber wants to spruce up a childhood toy (originally aired on NBC on February 10, 1948). Then, the whole gang takes a sleigh ride through the snowy streets (originally aired on NBC on January 31, 1950).

The dogged detectives of Scotland Yard are on the case in three old time radio mysteries. First, Orson Welles narrates the story of "The Car Tire" and its brush with murder from The Black Museum. Then, an artificial pearl holds the solution to a murder in "The Case of Marjorie Tate" from Whitehall 1212 (originally aired on NBC on May 11, 1952). Finally, Ben Wright plays Inspector Peter Black in "Pursuit of the Woman in Gray" from Pursuit (AFRS rebroadcast from February 26, 1952).

We sign off for the year with two New Year's comedies from the golden age of radio. First, Alan Young tries to keep the plans for a Rose Bowl parade float a secret (originally aired on NBC on December 27, 1946). Then, Eve Arden's Our Miss Brooks is stuck babysitting on New Year's Eve (originally aired on CBS on January 1, 1950).

Before the world loved Lucy, Lucille Ball starred as a tough noir heroine in The Dark Corner. She played a loyal secretary out to clear the name of her private eye boss. In this Lux Radio Theatre adaptation (originally aired on CBS on November 10, 1947). Lucille Ball reunites with her big screen co-star Mark Stevens in this terrific mystery drama.

Happy Holidays!

As you wait for Santa’s sleigh to touch down on your roof tonight, enjoy these yuletide adventures of some of our favorite old time radio detectives!

“The Night Before Christmas” – A pair of Santas leads Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to a Christmas caper perpetrated by their old enemy Professor Moriarty. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce star in this episode, originally aired on Mutual on December 24, 1945.

“Jack Frost” – Candy Matson (Natalie Master) is on the case when one of Santa’s helpers disappears. The beautiful and brilliant private eye uncovers a holiday murder in this episode originally aired on NBC on December 10, 1949.

“The Department Store Swindle (How I Played Santa Claus and Almost Got Left Holding the Bag” – Charles Russell plays Johnny Dollar in this early adventure of “the man with the action-packed expense account.” Johnny heads to the department store to fight the crowds. But he’s also there to find a gang of thieves that may resort to murder to stay a step ahead of the law in this episode originally aired on CBS on December 24, 1949.

“Santa Claus is No Saint” – Simon Templar puts on padding to play Santa at a charity event, but before he can make merry, he has to solve a murder. Vincent Price is “the Robin Hood of modern crime” in this episode originally aired on NBC on December 20, 1950.

“The Case of the Slaughtered Santas” – Someone is bumping off sidewalk St. Nicks, and one of the scared Santas hires Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin to get him safely home for the holidays. Sydney Greenstreet is Wolfe and Larry Dobkin is Archie in this episode originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1950.

“The Big Little Jesus” – The cops of Dragnet are on the hunt for a figurine of the Christ child stolen from a poor church’s nativity scene. It’s a heartfelt story with a wonderful ending – and a far cry from the other Dragnet holiday episode about the dangers of giving a child a gun for Christmas. Jack Webb is Sgt. Joe Friday and Ben Alexander is Officer Frank Smith in this episode originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1953.

“The Plot to Murder Santa Claus” – Frank Sinatra stars as Rocky Fortune in this tale of holiday homicide. Rocky’s latest job is playing Santa in a crowded department store just before Christmas. He tries to make a little girl’s holiday wish come true (and win over her beautiful older sister in the process), but a gun-toting gang may keep the season from looking bright in this episode originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1953.

Department store sales clerks had a lot to face during the holiday season - crowds of last minute shoppers, long hours, and Jack Benny agonizing over the perfect gift. We'll hear three episodes that find Benny driving clerks up the wall as he struggles to select the right shoelaces, wallets, and golf tees. Listen as Mel Blanc fights to remember the customer is always right in these shows originally aired on NBC on December 8, 1946 and December 19, 1948 and on CBS on December 17, 1950.

Criminals work on Christmas, but fortunately so do the ace crimesolvers of the golden age of radio! Staats Cotsworth stars as newshound and amateur sleuth Casey, Crime Photographer in a pair of holiday mysteries: "Christmas Shopping" (originally aired on CBS on December 19, 1946) and "The Santa Claus of Bum Boulevard" (originally aired on CBS on December 25, 1947). Plus, we'll hear an old time radio recreation of O. Henry's classic story "The Gift of the Magi" from The Coronet Little Show (originally aired on Mutual on December 19, 1943).

Our comedy countdown to Christmas continues with two beloved radio couples and a Hollywood legend pinch hitting for the holidays. First, Jane Wyman steps in for a flu-stricken Gracie Allen in a Christmas night episode of The Burns and Allen Show (originally aired on NBC on December 25, 1947). Then, Fibber paints the McGee's tree white on Fibber McGee and Molly (originally aired on December 18, 1945).

Sydney Greenstreet was 61 years old when he made his screen debut as Kasper Gutman in The Maltese Falcon, and his larger than life villainous performance earned him an Oscar nod and it kicked off a second career in films. Greenstreet appeared in Casablanca, They Died With Their Boots On, and more, and on radio he lent his voice to Rex Stout's gargantuan gourmet Nero Wolfe. We'll hear Greenstreet as Wolfe in "The Case of the Tell-Tale Ribbon" (originally aired on NBC on March 30, 1951). Plus, he joins Fred Allen on a comedic caper through Cairo (AFRS rebroadcast from May 12, 1946) and finally Greenstreet joins Peter Lorre as they recreate their roles from The Mask of Dimitrios in The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on April 16, 1945).

The countdown to Christmas continues with more old time radio holiday comedies. First, Eve Arden hosts a Christmas party with yuletide magic in the air in Our Miss Brooks (originally aired on CBS on December 25, 1949). Then, Lucille Ball rounds up a gang of carolers to take a musical sleigh ride on My Favorite Husband (originally aired on December 23, 1949).

Say the magic word and join three old time radio detectives with something extra up their sleeves. Whether they used supernatural powers or just tricks of the trade, these masters of mystery and magic solved the crime with style. We'll hear an adventure of Chandu the Magician pitting the hero against a master schemer (originally aired on ABC on August 2, 1950). Then, art imitates life in Blackstone, the Magic Detective. We'll hear a pair of syndicated shows inspired by the life of magician Harry Blackstone: "The Coin of Cleopatra" and "The Accusing Corpse." Finally, two magicians - one good, one evil - pit their powers against each other in "The Battle of the Magicians" from Lights Out (originally aired on NBC on July 27, 1946).

With Christmas right around the corner, we're launching a month of holiday comedies from the golden age of radio. First, Bud and Lou trim the tree and get a visit from Santa in The Abbott and Costello Show (originally aired on ABC on December 24, 1947). Then, Phil Harris and Alice Faye enlist an old friend to play St. Nick in The Fitch Bandwagon (originally aired on NBC on December 21, 1947).

Wally Maher and Jeff Chandler starred on radio as red-headed shamus Michael Shayne, and each actor brought his own style to the detective. Maher, along with Cathy Lewis as loyal assistant Phyllis Knight, stars as Shayne in "Behind the Footlights" (originally aired on Mutual on August 27, 1945). Then, Chandler is ultra hard-boiled as Shayne in the syndicated mysteries "The Case of the Carnival Killer" and "The Case of the Eager Victim."

Happy Thanksgiving! In honor of Turkey Day – and to keep you company while you’re in the kitchen or waiting to eat – here are five old time radio mysteries starring some of your favorite sleuths as they mix in solving crimes with their stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Casey, Crime Photographer

All Casey (Staats Cotsworth) wants is to enjoy his Thanksgiving dinner, but before he can eat he’ll have to clear a young ex-con framed for a robbery in “After Turkey, the Bill” (originally aired on CBS on November 27, 1947).

Jeff Regan, Investigator

A turkey shoot turns deadly when a man catches the bullet instead of the bird. Now it’s up to Jeff Regan (Jack Webb) to solve the crime as he contends with some modern-day Mayflower passengers in “The Pilgrim’s Progress” (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1948).

Casey, Crime Photographer

Casey and Ann Williams (Jan Miner) put another Thanksgiving dinner on hold to help a paroled safecracker whose old gang is trying to thwart his attempts to go straight in “Holiday” (originally aired on CBS on November 25, 1948).

Let George Do It

It’s not a happy Thanksgiving for a ten year-old boy who refuses to speak. George Valentine (Bob Bailey) tries to uncover the mystery – and to see if he can coax some words from the boy – in “Cause for Thanksgiving” (originally aired on Mutual on November 20, 1950).

The Adventures of Sam Spade

Normally, the death of a turkey wouldn’t make news on Thanksgiving but Sam Spade’s new client is a human Turkey – Tom Turkey, to be precise. He hires Spade (Steve Dunne) to find out who wants to rub him out in “The Terrified Turkey Caper” (originally aired on NBC on November 24, 1950).

Before you dig in to your Thanksgiving dinner, enjoy a pair of Turkey Day comedies from the golden age of radio. First, My Friend Irma brings a live turkey for dinner (originally aired on CBS on November 15, 1948). Then, in Life with Luigi, J. Carrol Naish's Luigi finds himself without a dinner on the big day (originally aired on CBS on November 22, 1949).

Joshua Sharpe was a rarity in the world of radio private eyes. When he closed up his shop for the day, he headed home to his two kids who he raised as a single dad. His son and daughter gave him the affectionate nickname The Big Guy. Together, they starred in the unique radio detective drama where their family lives occasionally intersected with Sharpe's case of the week. Henry Calvin stars as the Big Guy in three radio mysteries: "The Unheard Voice" (originally aired on NBC on May 7, 1950), "The Case of the Villainous Friend" (originally aired on NBC on August 27, 1950), and "The Case of the Patent Leather Bag" (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1950).

We kick off our Thanksgiving celebration with a pair of old time radio Turkey Day comedies. First, Jack Benny dreams he's the main course on the menu (originally aired on NBC on November 21, 1943). Then, Fibber McGee and Molly plan to dine out for Thanksgiving, but a tax bill casts a cloud over the celebration for Fibber (originally aired on NBC on November 22, 1949).

Our sleuths this week are men of the cloth as well as men of mystery. We'll hear Karl Swenson as G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown in "The Mystified Mind" (originally aired on Mutual on August 13, 1945). Then, a retired priest and a reformed ex-con join forces for justice in The Bishop and the Gargoyle (originally aired on NBC on July 14, 1940).

In honor of Veterans Day, we'll hear a pair of shows produced exclusively for our fighting men and women during World War II. Every week, the biggest names in Hollywood donated their time and talent to Command Performance, a showcase of sketches and songs designed to entertain the troops "till it's over - over there." We'll hear two episodes, both featuring longtime USO performer Bob Hope. First, Hope emcees and Lena Horne sings in a show from July 7, 1942. Then, Bob is joined by Bing Crosby in a show from September 25, 1943.

Dick Powell reinvented himself and embarked on a new phase of his career when he starred as Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet. The noir drama broke Powell out of boyish leading roles in musicals and put him on the path to Rogue's Gallery and Richard Diamond, Private Detective. We'll hear him join co-stars Claire Trevor and Mike Mazurki in a Lux Radio Theatre creation of the film - a production that finds him facing off against future radio Marlowe Gerald Mohr (originally aired on CBS on June 11, 1945).

Americans head to the polls tomorrow after a long and contentious election cycle, and to celebrate the casting of our ballots I've got a pair of old time radio comedies that find our stars exercising their rights. First, Fibber McGee and Molly are poll workers (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1940). Then, as Luigi Basco, J. Carrol Naish's misguided efforts to get out the vote land him in hot water on Life with Luigi (originally aired on CBS on October 31, 1950).

Candy Matson is on the case, so if you're a crook in San Francisco - beware! Natalie Masters stars as the glamorous and gritty private detective, one of the few female gumshoes to headline her own series during the golden age of radio. We'll hear two of Candy's capers: "The Eric Spaulding Concert" (originally aired on NBC on February 7, 1950) and "San Juan Batista" (originally aired on NBC on November 26, 1950).

We wrap up our month of Halloween comedies with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello hosting some of Hollywood's legends of horror. First, Peter Lorre offers Costello a trip to his sanitarium (originally aired on NBC on January 13, 1944). Next, Bud and Lou investigate Bela Lugosi's haunted house (originally aired on ABC on May 5, 1948). Finally, Lon Chaney, Jr. is after Costello's girl (originally aired on ABC on June 2, 1948).

As Halloween approaches, we'll hear Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson face off against supernatural foes - or at least foes who appear to be supernatural. Werewolves, ghosts, vampires - none of them stand a chance against the world's greatest detective. We'll hear Tom Conway as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson in "The Adventure of the Black Angus" (originally aired on ABC on October 19, 1946) and "The Adventure of the Carpathian Horror" (originally aired on ABC on April 14, 1947). Then, John Stanley and Alfred Shirley star in "The Case of the Sanguinary Spectre" (originally aired on Mutual on February 8, 1948) and "The Case of the Everblooming Roses" (originally aired on Mutual on May 16, 1948).

Celebrate Halloween with Jack Benny and his gang - Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Don Wilson, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, and Dennis Day - in a pair of old time radio comedies. First, Jack throws a Halloween party (originally aired on NBC on November 3, 1940). Then, a trick-or-treating prank on guest star Basil Rathbone backfires (originally aired on NBC on November 2, 1941).

Alan Ladd is back as Dan Holiday, writer and solver of mysteries in Box 13. Holiday hires himself out as an adventurer - all to get story ideas - with a tantalizing classified ad offering to "go anyplace, do anything." We'll hear the big screen star in a trio of syndicated old time radio adventures: "Actor's Alibi," "The Dowager and Dan Holiday," and "Last Will and Nursery Rhyme,"

Ghosts, ghouls, and grins are in the air with two more old time radio Halloween comedies. We'll hear William Bendix take a trip to a haunted house on The Life of Riley (originally aired on ABC on October 29, 1944). Then, Dorothy Lamour and Eddie Bracken receive a late night visit from Hollywood horror icon Boris Karloff on The Sealtest Variety Theatre (originally aired on NBC on June 23, 1944).

As he reinvented his career with an Oscar-winning role and a new recording contract, Frank Sinatra came to radio in his own detective drama. Sinatra starred as Rocky Fortune, whose weekly hunt for a new job landed him in cases of robbery, fraud, and even murder. We'll hear the Chairman of the Board in three radio mysteries: "Pint-Sized Payroll Bandit" (originally aired on NBC on October 27, 1953); "The Football Fix" (originally aired on February 2, 1954); and "The Twice-Murdered Man" (originally aired on March 9, 1954).

Our month of Halloween comedy kicks off with Eve Arden and J. Carrol Naish in a pair of trick-or-treating tales to keep you smiling like a jack-o-lantern. First, the Madison High gang is preparing for a Halloween party on Our Miss Brooks (originally aired on CBS on October 30, 1949). Then, Luigi celebrates his first Halloween in the USA in Life with Luigi (originally aired on CBS on October 30, 1951).

Sixty-five years ago, Bob Bailey stepped into the role of "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar relaunched as a nightly serialized series. Those five-part stories rank among the best radio dramas of the era, and Bailey's performance as the ace detective is a big reason for the success of the series. We'll hear him in the complete five-part adventure "The Lorko Diamonds Matter" (originally aired on CBS between November 7th and November 11th, 1955).

Jack Benny's supporting cast was one of the best in radio, so it was no surprise when two of his co-stars launched shows of their own. We'll hear A Day in the Life of Dennis Day, starring the gullible and goofy tenor (originally aired on NBC on April 21, 1948) and The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show with Benny's boisterous bandleader and his actress wife in their domestic misadventures (originally aired on NBC on December 18, 1953).

For over ten years, Joseph Curtin and Alice Frost starred as Mr. and Mrs. North, radio's most popular married crimesolvers. No matter where the amateur sleuths went, they managed to stumble over a corpse and uncover a new crime. We'll hear three of their adventures - all from rebroadcasts on the Armed Forces Radio Service: "Who Killed Mr. Stefano?," "The Charles Wyatt Murder," and "Murder Mismanaged."

We're catching up with radio's funniest couple in a pair of episodes starring George Burns and Gracie Allen. First, Gracie thinks George needs a break from making decisions (originally aired on NBC on February 19, 1948). Then, Gracie suspects George forgot their 15th wedding anniversary (originally aired on NBC on November 11, 1948).

The streets of Cairo are full of intrigue and adventure, and neither is in short supply at the Cafe Tambourine run by Rocky Jordan. Jack Moyles stars as the tough ex-pat club owner who can't help but get tangled up in exotic mysteries. We'll hear "A Stranger to the Desert" (originally aired on CBS on September 4, 1949) and "The Big Heist" (originally aired on November 10, 1949).

Holy Batman Day! We're celebrating the Caped Crusader with a bonus podcast episode starring Batman, Robin, and Superman. The Dynamic Duo co-stars with the Man of Steel in "Batman's Great Mystery," a serialized story from The Adventures of Superman (originally aired on Mutual between February 10 and February 17, 1948). 

In this week's bonus comedy episode, we'll hear more satire and spoofs from The Stan Freberg Show. Freberg and his cast send up politics, music, and more in a pair of shows. Stan welcomes an alien to Earth (originally aired on CBS on August 11, 1957) and he battles a censor with an itchy trigger finger (originally aired on CBS on August 18, 1957).

We're celebrating the birthday of master of mystery Agatha Christie with a pair of old time radio shows. First, her story "Witness for the Prosecution" is adapted for Radio City Playhouse (originally aired on NBC on April 25, 1949). Then, Harold Huber is Christie's Belgian super sleuth Hercule Poirot in "Rendezvous with Death," an original radio mystery (originally aired on Mutual on July 12, 1945).

New movies are headed back to theaters, and while it isn't safe yet to grab a seat in a theater, you can enjoy a double feature of classic films presented by the cast of The Jack Benny Program. First, Ray Milland joins their spoof of "The Lost Weekend" (originally aired on NBC on March 10, 1946). Then, the gang sends up "Sunset Boulevard" (3/25/51).

Detective Danny Clover stands out from the crowd of radio detectives. He was introspective and insightful, and he only drew his gun as a last resort. And as the star of Broadway is My Beat, Larry Thor brought Clover to life and gave us a romantic, but slightly cynical, cop with a worldview that governed how he tackled his cases. We'll hear "The Jane Darnell Murder Case" (originally aired on CBS on August 11, 1949) and "The Lt. Hunt Suicide Case" (originally aired on CBS on February 3, 1950).

School is back in session across the country, and this week we'll head to class at Madison High with Eve Arden in Our Miss Brooks. The faculty and students star in a pair of comedies: first, the school's star basketball player has to pass Connie's exam or he can't play (originally aired on CBS on February 13, 1949). Then, Miss Brooks has to sneak out for traffic court without Mr. Conklin finding out about her case (originally aired on CBS on May 28, 1950).

It's the 400th episode of "Down These Mean Streets!" To celebrate, I'm sharing the first detective shows I heard - the episodes that sparked my love of old time radio mystery drama. Join me for "The Big Scoop Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on November 11, 1956); "The Case of the Careworn Cuff" from The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (originally aired on NBC on October 27, 1950); "Night Tide" from The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (originally aired on CBS on May 21, 1949); "The Death Bed Caper" from The Adventures of Sam Spade (originally aired on CBS on June 20, 1948); "The Louis Spence Case" from Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on March 3, 1950); and "Greed Causes Murder" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on September 14, 1949).

Summer is winding down, and some of radio's comedy couples are planning a getaway! We'll hear Fibber McGee angle for Molly to join him on a two-week fishing trip (originally aired on NBC on June 11, 1946). Then, Phil Harris and Alice Faye try to leave Elliott Lewis at home during their two-month mountain vacation (originally aired on NBC on June 28, 1953).

Willard Waterman may be best known for his long and very funny run on radio as The Great Gildersleeve, but he showed off his serious side on some of the era's best crime dramas. We'll hear him as a detective tracking a killer in the jungle of Borneo in "Red Wine" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on August 11, 1949). Then, he's a murderer plotting the perfect crime in "The New Mrs. Devlin" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on November 6, 1949).

Before he moved to Bedrock and voiced Fred Flintstone, Alan Reed was a busy radio actor. He popped up on The Shadow, Philip Marlowe, and Sam Spade, but he was most frequently heard on comedies. We'll shine the spotlight on Reed for this week's bonus comedy episode in two old time radio sitcoms. First, he's Mr. Clyde, the long-suffering boss of Marie Wilson in My Friend Irma (originally aired on CBS on March 1, 1948). Then, he plays Pasquale, patron and neighbor of J. Carrol Naish's Luigi Basco in Life with Luigi (originally aired on CBS on October 17, 1950).

The man called Paladin - a gentleman gunfighter for hire in the west of 1875 - rode from television to radio in Have Gun - Will Travel. A rare radio spin-off of a TV series, it continued the adventures of the gunman who dressed in black and hired himself out to anyone who could pay his fee - a sort of cowboy private eye. John Dehner stars as Paladin in "Three Bells to Perdido" (originally aired on CBS on January 18, 1959); "The Monster of Moon Ridge" (originally aired on CBS on March 8, 1959); and "The Colonel and the Lady" (originally aired on CBS on April 12, 1959).

We'll hear more of The Stan Freberg Show - one of the most original and inspired comedies the radio era ever produced - in this week's bonus episode. Stan and his cast (June Foray, Peter Leeds, and Daws Butler) send up the Miss Universe pageant, American history, The Lux Radio Theatre, and more in episodes originally aired on CBS on July 28 and August 4, 1957).

Vincent Price returns as "the Robin Hood of modern crime" in two old time radio adventures of The Saint. Simon Templar solves crimes with charm and style with the help (and car) of his loyal cabbie sidekick Louie. We'll hear "The What-Not What Got Hot" (originally aired on NBC on March 4, 1951) and "Fishes Gotta Eat" (originally aired on April 29, 1951).

In this week's bonus comedy show, we celebrate the return of baseball with a pair of shows featuring stars enjoying America's pastime. First, Jack Benny and his gang listen to the World Series (originally aired on October 10, 1948). Then, Eve Arden's Our Miss Brooks tries to come up with money for uniforms for the school's baseball team (originally aired on CBS on March 26, 1950).

The crimes of Jack the Ripper and the mystery of his identity have captivated scholars and readers for over a century, including old time radio writers. We'll hear a pair of shows inspired by the still unsolved crime spree of 19th century London. First, the hunt for the Ripper extends to Chicago in "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper," an Armed Forces Radio Service production from The Mollé Mystery Theatre. Then on Crime Classics, Thomas Hyland tells the story "Good Evening. My Name is Jack the Ripper" (originally aired on CBS on June 30, 1954).

With his booming voice and signature giggle, Harold Peary was an audience favorite during the golden age of radio - first as a foil on Fibber McGee and Molly and later in his own spin-off The Great Gildersleeve. Later, he launched a star vehicle all his own in The Harold Peary Show. We'll hear episodes of both series in this week's bonus comedy episode. First, Gildy is finishing his summer vacation (originally aired on NBC on August 29, 1943). Then, "Honest Harold" falls victim to a con man (originally aired on CBS on October 4, 1950).

Before his award-winning stage and screen turns in My Fair Lady and long before he talked to the animals, Rex Harrison starred as a debonair radio detective in The Private Files of Rex Saunders. Joined by his loyal assistant Alec, Saunders used smarts and a sophisticated flair to solve crimes. We'll hear Rex as Rex in "High Dividends...Or Shallow Graves" (originally aired on NBC on May 30, 1951) and "When Murder Is Along...As a Silent Companion" (originally aired on NBC on July 11, 1951).

Before her landmark sitcom hit the small screen, Lucille Ball was a comedy star on radio. We'll hear the legendary redhead in a guest spot alongside Bud and Lou on The Abbott and Costello Show (originally aired on NBC on November 18, 1943). Then, as Liz Cooper, she takes French lessons in My Favorite Husband (originally aired on CBS on December 9, 1949).

William Gargan played several cops on screen and the radio, but his most famous role may have been Barrie Craig, the sardonic New York shamus who qupped his way through cases for five years on the air. We'll hear Gargan in a pair of mysteries, beginning with "Zero Hour" (originally aired on NBC on February 2, 1954). Then we'll hear "Mid-Summer Lunacy" (originally aired on NBC on August 17, 1954).

For 15 fabulous weeks in 1957, Stan Freberg brought his signature satirical style to radio in one of the last original comedies of the era. Freberg and his immensely talented cast skewered pop culture and presented zany characters that were unlike anything radio had presented before. We'll hear the first two episodes of this too short-lived series, originally aired on CBS on July 14 and July 21, 1957.

Jackson Beck was one of the busiest voice artists of the twentieth century with a career that extended far beyond the Golden Age of Radio. But before he introduced G.I. Joe and pitched Little Caesars, Frosted Flakes, and Battleship on television, Beck starred as dapper detective Philo Vance in a syndicated series. We'll hear Beck in three mysteries: "The Cardinal Murder Case," "The Nightmare Murder Case," and "The Chicken Murder Case."

Comedian Red Skelton is a one-man cast of characters in this week's bonus comedy episode. We'll hear Deadeye, Willie Lump-Lump, Junior "the mean widdle kid," and more in a pair of episodes from The Raleigh Cigarette Program. First, it's a salute to traffic court (originally aired on NBC on April 1, 1947). Then, Deadeye rides again in a show from April 15, 1947.

Chester Morris puts his criminal past to work for the forces of good as Boston Blackie - "enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend." We'll hear the reformed safe cracker turned super sleuth in two old time radio mysteries: "Fifty Hunter Street" (originally aired on NBC on June 30, 1944) and "The Caretaker of the Devon Estate" (originally aired on NBC on July 28, 1944).

Radio characters didn't come daffier than Irma Peterson, the scatterbrained secretary who never met a phrase she couldn't twist. And Irma had one of radio's best straight women in roommate Jane Stacy. Together, they made wonderful radio comedy in My Friend Irma. Marie Wilson and Cathy Lewis star in this week's bonus comedy show; we'll hear a pair of episodes originally aired on CBS on March 15, 1948 and April 19, 1948).

"Adventure wanted." That's how Dan Holiday advertised in Box 13 and he used his exploits to fuel plots for his novels. Alan Ladd stars as Holiday in three syndicated old time radio tales of mystery. We'll hear the show's first episode, along with "The Sad Night" and "Flash of Light."

We're taking a trip to the movies in this week's bonus comedy episode. Cary Grant stars as a boxer prematurely pulled up to Heaven only to return to Earth in a new body in Here Comes Mr. Jordan from The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on January 26, 1942). Grant is joined by big screen cast members Claude Rains, Evelyn Keyes, and James Gleason in this delightful adaptation of the classic romantic comedy fantasy.

As Philip Marlowe, Gerald Mohr patrolled the City of Angels and proved "crime is a sucker's road" in one of radio's best detective shows. We'll hear Mohr as Raymond Chandler's private eye in three radio mysteries: "The Lady in Mink" (originally aired on CBS on April 30, 1949); "The Busy Body" (originally aired on CBS on June 18, 1949); and "The Key Man" (originally aired on CBS on June 25, 1949).

Take a polished emcee, a beautiful singer, and an oddball comedian, throw them together, and add a dollop of Drene Shampoo and you get Drene Time. Don Ameche, Frances Langford, and Danny Thomas headline this mix of comedy and music featuring the sparring spouses John and Blanche Bickerson. In this week's bonus comedy episode, we'll hear this talented trio in two shows (originally aired on NBC on February 23, 1947 and March 2, 1947).

To celebrate Bob Bailey's birthday, we'll hear the actor in four old time radio detective dramas. First, he's George Valentine in a pair of mysteries from Let George Do It: "Murder and One to Go" (originally aired on Mutual on January 3, 1949) and "The Man Under the Elm Trees" (originally aired on Mutual on September 26, 1949). Then, he's "the man with the action-packed expense account" in two shows from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: "The Rasmussen Matter" (originally aired on CBS on December 16, 1956) and "The Killer's Brand Matter" (originally aired on CBS on August 11, 1957).

School is back in session with the faculty and students of Madison High School in Our Miss Brooks. In this week's midweek bonus comedy show, Eve Arden, Gale Gordon, and Jeff Chandler star in two episodes of one of the funniest shows from the golden age of radio. We'll hear Connie Brooks' attempts to become head of the Madison English department (originally aired on CBS on January 23, 1949) and the school's efforts to close down on the hottest day of the year (originally aired on CBS on August 7, 1949).

Comedy star Gale Gordon crosses over to the crimesolving side of the street in The Casebook of Gregory Hood. Join Hood - an importer and amateur detective - as he solves cases in San Francisco with the help of his friend and attorney Sanderson Taylor. Then, the pair relates their adventures to announcer Harry Bartell over a glass of fine Petri Wine. We'll hear "The Derringer Society" (originally aired on Mutual on July 8, 1946) and "South of the Border" (originally aired on Mutual on July 15, 1946).

It's always a safe bet when Groucho Marx is on hand, especially when he's hosting the madcap game show You Bet Your Life. The legendary comedian and rapid-fire ad libber keeps things moving (and audiences laughing) as pairs of contestants wager their way through trivia questions to a grand prize. And there may be a secret word dropped along the way. We'll hear a pair of episodes originally aired on NBC on March 10, 1948 and April 14, 1948.

To celebrate Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday, we'll hear radio adaptations of four Sherlock Holmes short stories, each featuring a different actor as the great detective. First, Basil Rathbone stars in "The Speckled Band" (originally aired on Mutual on November 12, 1945). Next, we'll hear Tom Conway in "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" (originally aired on ABC on February 3, 1947). Then, it's "The Adventure of the Empty House" (originally aired on Mutual on April 11, 1948). Finally, John Gielgud plays Holmes in "The Bruce-Partington Plans."

In this week's bonus comedy episode, Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, and Cecil B. DeMille star as themselves in a delightful comedy mystery from The Lux Radio Theatre. The trio headlines "Seven Keys to Baldpate," the mystery novel turned smash comedy play that was brought to the silver screen several times. This production originally aired on CBS on September 26, 1938.

Sam Spade made a dynamic debut in Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon before lighting up the big screen in John Huston's classic noir drama. In 1946, Spade came to radio in a weekly series of adventures that became a critical and listener favorite. We'll hear Howard Duff in "The Bail Bond Caper" (originally aired on CBS on June 27, 1948) and "The S.Q.P. Caper" (AFRS rebroadcast, originally aired on CBS on November, 1948). Then, Steve Dunne is Spade in "The Sure Thing Caper" (originally aired on NBC on February 9, 1951).

It's a double feature of classic comedy films recreated for radio in this week's bonus episode. Bob Hope reprises his screen roles in two productions from the Screen Directors' Playhouse: "The Ghost Breakers" (originally aired on NBC on April 3, 1949) and "The Paleface" (originally aired on NBC on March 3, 1950).

Jeff Regan wasn't a lone wolf operator like other radio gumshoes; he reported to Anthony J. Lyon, head of the International Detective Bureau. Known throughout the city as "the Lyon's Eye," Regan worked cases sometimes in spite of the penny-pinching interference of his boss. We'll hear Jack Webb as Regan in "The Diamond Quartet" (originally aired on CBS on August 14, 1948) and "The Man Who Came Back" (originally aired on CBS on August 21, 1948). Then Frank Graham stars in "No Sad Clowns for Me" (originally aired on CBS on June 25, 1950).

Spring is in the air on this week's bonus comedy quarantine show. We'll hear an unseasonable prediction of snow on Fibber McGee and Molly (originally aired on NBC on May 11, 1943). Then, Uncle Miltie and his gang present their salute to the season in The Milton Berle Show (originally aired on March 23, 1948).

Thrill to the exploits of America's newspaper reporters in The Big Story with dramas of the hard work of the men and women of the press. The true tales ripped from the pages of America's papers made for compelling - and popular - radio. We'll hear two stories of reporters who double as detectives to get to the bottom of murder cases and - in one instance - clear a wrongfully convicted man. We'll hear "The Deadline Murder" (originally aired on NBC on May 19, 1948) and "The Bitterest Man on the Earth" (originally aired on NBC on June 8, 1949).

With Mother's Day right around the corner, our midweek bonus comedy show features visits from a pair of mothers-in-law much to the chagrin of George Burns and Lucille Ball. First, Gracie's mom comes to town in The Burns and Allen Show (AFRS rebroadcast from May 20, 1948). Then on My Favorite Husband, George's mother's visit stretches on and on...and on (AFRS rebroadcast from March 4, 1949).

Even though he could leap tall buildings in a single bound and bend steel in his bare hands, most of Superman's radio adventures were down to earth. In many shows, the Man of Steel (and his alter ego Clark Kent) battled gangsters and swindlers rather than mad scientists and monsters. We'll hear Clayton "Bud" Collyer as Superman with Joan Alexander as Lois Lane in two thirty-minute mysteries: "One Minute to Death" (originally aired on ABC on November 19, 1949) and "The Diamond of Death" (originally aired on ABC on December 17, 1949).

Two classic comedy pairs headline our midweek bonus episode. First, Bud and Lou perform some of their classic routines in an episode of The Abbott and Costello Show (originally aired on NBC on February 27, 1947). Then, Dean and Jerry welcome guest Henry Fonda to The Martin and Lewis Show (originally aired on NBC on June 5, 1949).

There was no other radio detective like Richard Diamond - a tough, glib ex-cop turned private eye who had a powerful pair of fists and a healthy set of pipes. Dick Powell starred as the singing gumshoe in one of the era's best detective dramas. We'll hear a trio of shows - "The Fred Sears Murder Case" (originally aired on NBC on June 19, 1949); "The Angelino Giuseppe Case" (originally aired on NBC on January 7, 1950); and "The Bald Head Case" (originally aired on NBC on September 20, 1950).

For this week's bonus comedy episode, we'll visit with George Burns and Gracie Allen. The beloved comedy couple kept audiences laughing from the vaudeville stage to their own radio show and on to their long-running TV series. We'll hear Gracie take inspiration from her favorite radio sleuths and play detective (originally aired on NBC on March 6, 1947). Then, Jack Benny stops by to start a musical act with George (originally aired on NBC on January 8, 1948).

Murder and mayhem leap from the printed page to the airwaves in The Crime Club. This anthology show blended adaptations of mystery novels with original radio plays to deliver tales of mystery emceed by the eerie tones of the club's Librarian. We'll hear "Dead Men Control" (originally aired on Mutual on March 20, 1947) and "Death Swims at Midnight" (originally aired on Mutual on August 27, 1947).

Tax Day has been pushed out a few months, but there's no reprieve for the stars of this week's comedy bonus show. We'll hear Milton Berle present a salute to income tax in The Milton Berle Show (originally aired on NBC on March 9, 1948). Then, Jack Benny gets a visit from a pair of inquisitive IRS agents in an AFRS rebroadcast of The Jack Benny Program (original episode aired on CBS on March 16, 1952).

Before she menaced puppies as Cruella de Vil, Betty Lou Gerson was one of radio's busiest character actresses. Her husky voice and powerful characterizations added flair to shows like Suspense, Escape, Johnny Dollar, and Sam Spade. We'll hear her as a murderess trying to stay a step ahead of her conscience in "Beyond Reasonable Doubt" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on July 16, 1947). Then, she co-stars in "The Indian Giver" from The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (originally aired on CBS on August 13, 1949).

With Easter right around the corner, our midweek comedy break finds two of radio's funniest couples preparing for the holiday. First, Fibber McGee and Molly are after a new Easter dress (originally aired on NBC on March 23, 1948). Then, Phil Harris, Alice Faye, and Elliott Lewis as Frankie Remley are going out to eat for Easter in The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show (originally aired on NBC on March 25, 1951).

The citizens of Big Town were protected from mobsters, racketeers, and fraudsters by the crusading staff of the Illustrated Press. Editor Steve Wilson (Edward Pawley) and society reporter Lorelei Kilbourne (Fran Carlon) chased down leads with the help of their colorful crew of friends and sources and shined the light of justice on evildoers. We'll hear three radio mysteries: "Double Murder" (originally aired on NBC on October 12, 1948); "I Remember Murder" (originally aired on NBC on November 30, 1948); and "The Fatal Alibi" (originally aired on NBC on May 3, 1949).

It's another midweek dose of quarantine comedy from the Golden Age of Radio! We'll hear a pair of shows featuring goofs and gags for April Fool's Day. First, the man of a thousand voices headlines his own series in The Mel Blanc Show (originally aired on CBS on April 1, 1947). Then, Lucille Ball plans to fool My Favorite Husband (AFRS rebroadcast from April 1, 1949).

The comic strip adventures of Chester Gould's two-fisted super cop Dick Tracy thrilled readers across the country, and the detective soon made the leap to the big screen and to radio. Ned Wever stars as Tracy, a cop equally skilled in the crime lab and on the shooting range, in the serialized adventure "The Black Pearl of Osiris" (originally aired on Mutual between February 8 and February 25, 1938).

After a few weeks of quarantine and social distancing, I could use a few laughs and I bet you could too. So enjoy a midweek comedy break with two of the radio era's funniest shows. Listen as Jack Benny opens a new season of his program (originally aired on NBC on September 29, 1946). Then, as Our Miss Brooks, Eve Arden tries to steer clear of Mr. Conklin's "carelessness code" (originally aired on CBS on July 17, 1949).

From 1955 until 1960, Bob Bailey starred as Johnny Dollar - "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" - and gave radio one of its all-time great detectives. Bailey first played the gumshoe in a series of five-part nightly serials before the series reverted to a weekly 30 minute format for the rest of its run. We'll hear him in all five installments of "The Plantagenet Matter" (originally aired on CBS on between March 5 and March 9, 1956). Plus, we'll hear a two-part mystery: "The Mason-Dixon Mismatch Matter" (originally aired on CBS on June 9, 1957) and "The Dixon Murder Matter" (originally aired on CBS on June 16, 1957).

Dana Andrews starred in the sensational spawn of Red Scare paranoia I Was a Communist for the FBI. Loosely inspired by the real-life exploits of undercover operative Matt Cvetic, the series pit Andrews against dastardly Russian forces working to topple the US of A. We'll hear three of his radio adventures: "A Riot Made to Order," "Hate Song," and "Fifteen Minutes to Murder."

We're back in Los Angeles for the grandfather of all police procedurals - Dragnet. Jack Webb is Sgt. Joe Friday and Barton Yarborough is Sgt. Ben Romero in two cop dramas on the streets of the City of Angels - "The Big Bomb" (originally aired on NBC on July 13, 1950) and "The Big Couple" (originally aired on February 22, 1951).

Big screen western star Joel McCrea uses old cowboy tricks and modern forensic science to track down crooks in Tales of the Texas Rangers. The series pulled cases from the files of the legendary lawmen and dramatized the thrilling pursuit of justice all across the Lone Star State. We'll hear McCrea as Ranger Jayce Pearson in "Soft Touch" (originally aired on October 15, 1950) and "Dead Head Freight" (originally aired on January 7, 1951).

In "A Scandal in Bohemia," Arthur Conan Doyle gave Sherlock Holmes an adversary who matched the Great Detective's cunning - actress, singer, and blackmailer Irene Adler. She became one of the most popular and intriguing characters in the Holmes canon, and she continues to appear in adaptations and derivative works. We'll hear Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson in a radio adaptation of the classic story (originally aired on Mutual on December 10, 1945) along with a sequel written especially for radio - "The Second Generation" (originally aired on Mutual on December 17, 1945).

Globetrotting and intrigue are all part of a day's work for Frank Race. The OSS spy turned insurance investigator traveled the world and cracked the toughest cases in this syndicated radio detective series. We'll hear Tom Collins and Paul Dubov starring as Race in "The Istanbul Adventure," "The Adventure of the Garrulous Bartender," and "The Adventure of the House Divided."

Celebrate Valentine's Day with two old time radio adventures of George Valentine as he invites clients facing danger to Let George Do It. Bob Bailey is George with Frances Robinson as his loyal secretary Brooksie in "The Seven Dead Years" (originally aired on the Mutual-Don Lee network on September 25, 1948) and "Mayhem by Experts" (originally aired on the Mutual-Don Lee network on January 31, 1949).

With the Academy Awards right around the corner, we've got a bonus episode featuring three radio detectives who took home Oscars. First, Rex Harrison stars in "Worth More Than Its Weight in Murder" from The Private Files of Rex Saunders (originally aired on NBC on July 25, 1951). Then, Frank Sinatra is Rocky Fortune in "The Catskills Cover-up" (originally aired on NBC on February 9, 1954). Finally, Edmond O'Brien stars in "The Jackie Cleaver Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on March 31, 1951).

When the Windy City goes to sleep, Randy Stone goes to work. Frank Lovejoy stars as the intrepid reporter in Night Beat. We'll join him on two nocturnal sojourns as he searches for the right story for his column and for people in need of help. We'll hear "The Night is a Weapon" (originally aired on NBC on February 13, 1950) and "Marty" (originally aired on NBC on July 3, 1950).

In a great American city, Lt. Ben Guthrie and his men patrol the streets and grill the suspects under the cold, glaring lights of The Line-Up. Bill Johnstone stars as Guthrie, with support from Wally Maher and Jack Moyles in one of radio's greatest police dramas. We'll hear "Yudo in Ypsilanti" (originally aired on CBS on January 18, 1951); "The Senile Slugging Case" (originally aired on CBS on February 8, 1951); and "The Fresno Break Case" (originally aired on CBS on September 17, 1952).

We're celebrating the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe - the master of the macabre and the father of the modern detective story. Poe's super sleuth C. Auguste Dupin and his methods of solving crimes through logic and observation inspired a genre and directly led to the creation of Sherlock Holmes. We'll hear old time radio adaptations of the three Dupin mysteries: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" from The Weird Circle; "The Mystery of Marie Roget" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on December 14, 1953); and "The Purloined Letter" from The NBC University Theatre (originally aired on NBC on September 17, 1948).

The adventures of The Saint came to radio seventy-five years ago this month, and we're tipping our hats (and halos) to Simon Templar with a pair of his old time radio adventures. Vincent Price stars as "the Robin Hood of modern crime" in "The Frightened Author" (originally aired on NBC on July 23, 1950) and "Simon Carries the Ivy" (originally aired on NBC on April 1, 1951).

Master detective Ellery Queen returns in a special sixty-minute mystery from The Ford Theatre. The cast consists of actors who starred in earlier versions of the Ellery Queen radio shows: Hugh Marlowe as Ellery, Charlotte Keane as Nikki Porter, Santos Ortega as Inspector Queen, and Ted de Corsia as Sgt. Velie. We'll hear them all in "The Adventure of the Bad Boy" (originally aired on NBC on January 4, 1948).

It's time to bid goodbye to 2019 and ring in 2020, and we've got a pair of old time radio New Year's Eve mysteries to close out the year. We'll hear Staats Cotsworth as Casey, Crime Photographer in "Hot New Year's Party" (originally aired on CBS on January 1, 1948). Then, Gerald Mohr and Betty Lou Gerson star in "The First Year" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on December 31, 1947).

Before you set cookies out for Santa, tune in for this bonus episode and a pair of old time radio Christmas comedies. First, Lucille Ball tries to figure out what she's getting under the tree in My Favorite Husband (originally aired on CBS on December 16, 1949). Then, Eve Arden sends a letter to St. Nick as Our Miss Brooks (originally aired on CBS on December 18, 1949).

We're decking the halls with Johnny Dollar. Bob Bailey stars as "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" in a five-part Christmas radio mystery. We'll hear the complete adventure of "The Nick Shurn Matter" (originally aired on CBS between December 19th and 23rd, 1955).

In a madcap musical comedy adventure, Bing Crosby is Dick Tracy, Dinah Shore is Tess Trueheart, and Bob Hope is Flat Top in "Dick Tracy in B-Flat." They're just the tip of the iceberg of an incredible cast assembled for the production on Command Performance - a special series presented for the fighting men and women of the US Armed Forces. This silly song-filled take on Chester Gould's celebrated super cop was recorded on February 15, 1945.

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall's chemistry sizzled on screen, and they brought their star power to radio in their own weekly dramatic series. Set in exotic Havana, Bold Venture followed Slate Shannon (Bogart) and Sailor Duval (Lauren Bacall) as they found intrigue and adventure on the island and on the high seas. We'll hear a trio of radio episodes: "That Gun Will Kill You," "The Tabard of Pizarro," and "Welcome to Civilization, Deadman."

Sydney Greenstreet stars as Nero Wolfe - Rex Stout's eccentric orchid fancier and gourmand who's also a brilliant detective. We'll hear Greenstreet - with Larry Dobkin as loyal assistant Archie Goodwin - in "The Case of the Beautiful Archer" (originally aired on NBC on November 24, 1950) and "The Case of the Girl Who Cried Wolfe" (originally aired on NBC on December 15, 1950).

Here's a side dish of old time radio comedy to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. In this bonus episode, we'll hear Turkey Day comedies starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, and Eve Arden. First, Bud and Lou host a fancy Thanksgiving dinner (originally aired on NBC on November 23, 1944) and then Our Miss Brooks has a long list of guests and a very small bird to serve (originally aired on CBS on November 27, 1949).

Frank Sinatra takes a break from crooning to solve radio crimes as Rocky Fortune. Each week, the "footloose and fancy-free young gentleman" takes a new job and finds himself up to his ears in trouble. We'll hear Sinatra in three mysteries: "Double Identity" (originally aired on NBC on October 13, 1953); "The Prize Fight Fix" (originally aired on December 29, 1953); and "Hollywood or Boom" (originally aired on NBC on January 26, 1954).

When Howard Duff stepped up to the microphone as Sam Spade, he brought the gumshoe to life as a tongue-in-cheek tough guy and delivered one of radio's best performances. We'll hear Duff in two adventures of Spade: "The Calcutta Trunk Caper" and "The Cheesecake Caper" (rebroadcasts from the AFRS). Plus, he plays a man on the wrong side of the law in "Four Hours to Kill" from The Philip Morris Playhouse (originally aired on CBS on May 13, 1949).

In honor of Dick Powell's November 14th birthday, we'll hear the crooner turned big screen crimesolver in two old time radio mysteries. First, he's gumshoe Richard Rogue in "Special Added Attraction" from Rogue's Gallery (originally aired on Mutual on January 31, 1946). Then, Powell stars as Richard Diamond, Private Detective in "The Jerome J. Jerome Case" (originally aired on NBC on September 17, 1949).

Real-life husband and wife Glenn Langan and Adele Jurgens star as a radio reporter and his secretary - a pair of amateur sleuths in the city of angels - in Stand By For Crime. The syndicated mystery series follows the pair as the probe the cases they cover for the radio news. We'll hear three episodes: "The Luke Larson Murder," "The Kidnapper's New Shoes," and "The Clueless Crime Spree."

For our annual Halloween special, we're spotlighting radio sleuths doing battle with the (seemingly) supernatural. First, it's "The Ghost on Bliss Terrace" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on August 16, 1948) with Bob Bailey and Frances Robinson. Then, Vincent Price is Simon Templar in "The Ghosts Who Came to Dinner" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on April 8, 1951).

The game's afoot as we head back to 221B Baker Street for three old time radio adventures of Sherlock Holmes. John Stanley is the great detective and Alfred Shirley is Dr. Watson in "Professor Moriarty and the Diamond Jubilee" (originally aired on Mutual on December 7, 1947); "The Mazarin Stone" (originally aired on Mutual on January 4, 1948); and "The Adventure of the Wooden Claw" (originally aired on Mutual on February 22, 1948).

Armed with a camera and an insatiable appetite for the truth, Casey, Crime Photographer will get to the bottom of the baffling mysteries he covers for his big city paper. Staats Cotsworth stars as Casey, with Jan Miner as reporter Ann Williams and John Gibson as bantering bartender Ethelbert, in "Self-Made Hero" (originally aired on CBS on July 17, 1947) and "Fog" (originally aired on CBS on March 11, 1948).

It's the 350th episode of Down These Mean Streets, and to mark the occasion I'm celebrating with Gerald Mohr as Raymond Chandler's celebrated shamus Philip Marlowe. One of radio's best actors brings vibrant life to one of literature's greatest detectives in four old time radio mysteries: "Red Wind" (originally aired on CBS on September 26, 1948); "The Black Halo" (originally aired on CBS on January 15, 1949); "The Fatted Calf" (originally aired on CBS on September 24, 1949); and "The Open Window" (originally aired on CBS on October 8, 1949).

If all he did was revive Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Jack Johnstone would still be a radio legend. But the multi-talented Johnstone brought listeners everything from true crime tales to offbeat western adventures. We're saluting the man who wrote scripts for Buck Rogers and Superman and who directed James Stewart in the Hollywood legend's only regular series radio role with a block of his shows. First, he narrates "The Unsolved Murder Of Joseph P. Bohanak" from Somebody Knows (originally aired on CBS on July 28, 1950). Then, he writes, produces, and directs "The Curse of Kamashek Matter," a five-part Johnny Dollar adventure (originally aired between September 3 and September 7, 1956). Finally, Johnstone is in the director's chair for "Report on E.S.P." - an all-star exploration of the psychic world from The CBS Radio Workshop (originally aired on CBS on March 9, 1956).

Travel back in time with Thomas Hyland - connoisseur of crime, student of violence, and teller of murders - in Crime Classics. One of the all-time great radio dramas, Crime Classics was the brainchild of actor, producer, and director Elliott Lewis, and it colorfully dramatized some of history's most notorious murders. Each week, Hyland (played by Lou Merrill) related accounts of Lizzie Borden, Blackbeard, Trotsky, Billy the Kid, and more. We'll hear two tales of historical murder: "The Death of a Picture Hanger" (originally aired on CBS on July 20, 1953) and "Twenty-three Knives Against Caesar" (originally aired on CBS on February 10, 1954).

"Enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend" is how Boston Blackie was introduced to radio listeners, and the former jewel thief turned detective proved week after week that he was always ready to lend a hand to a friend or throw a punch at a criminal. Richard Kollmar stars as the charming rogue who uses all of the tricks of his trade to turn the tables on dangerous crooks in three syndicated old time radio mysteries: "The John Austin Murder," "The Armored Car Murder Case," and "The Bombing of Joe Ingalls."

Travel to Cairo and make sure to grab a drink at the Cafe Tambourine - the nightclub owned and operated by Rocky Jordan. Jack Moyles stars as the expat and adventurer cut from the Casablanca cloth, with Jay Novello as the ever-watchful Captain Sam Sabayya of the Cairo police. We'll hear "Up in Flames" (originally aired on CBS on December 19, 1948) and "Journey to Nashier" (originally aired on CBS on June 26, 1949).

Dan Holiday will beat writer's block even if it kills him. The reporter turned author offers his services as an adventurer for hire, and his only payment is to get fuel for his novels. Alan Ladd stars as Holiday in Box 13, and we'll hear three of his syndicated radio mysteries: "Three to Die," "The Biter Bitten," and "The Clay Pigeon."

Released 70 years ago this week in the UK, The Third Man remains one of the greatest films ever made. It's an engrossing, morally ambiguous noir drama set in the ruins of postwar Vienna and it finds Joseph Cotten's Holly Martins searching for the truth behind the death (and alleged crimes) of his oldest friend. Cotten recreated his role in an adaptation from The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on April 9, 1951) - a broadcast that retained the iconic and instantly recognizable zither score from Anton Karras.

Using stories from the files of Scotland Yard, writer-director Wyllis Cooper crafted an outstanding and authentically British crime drama with Whitehall 1212. Each episode followed the dedicated detectives of Scotland Yard as they tracked down and apprehended t