Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

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 the guilty. We'll hear a pair of episodes: "The Case of Dr. Duncan Allen" (originally aired on NBC on March 9, 1952) and "The Case of Maggie Rawlinson" (originally aired on May 25, 1952).

No matter how baffling the crime appears, no matter how stumped the police may be, master detective Philo Vance will unmask the culprit. Jackson Beck - the man whose booming voice introduced Superman to a generation of radio listeners - stars as S.S. Van Dine's brilliant sleuth in three syndicated radio mysteries: "The Movie Murder Case," "The Birdcage Murder Case," and "The Golden Key Murder Case."

Over the course of two radio shows, Brett Halliday's Michael Shayne shifted from a happy-go-lucky gumshoe with a lovely secretary and a good rapport with the cops to a burned-out loner who regularly found himself short on money and up to his neck in trouble. Both were great, and this week we'll hear episodes from both of the shows. First, Wally Maher is Mike, with Cathy Lewis as Phyllis Knight, in "The Body in the Trunk" (originally aired on Mutual on April 23, 1945) and "Murder, RSVP" (originally aired on Mutual on May 28, 1945). Then, Jeff Chandler stars as Shayne in the syndicated mystery "The Case of the Left-Handed Fan."

When people find themselves in trouble, it only makes sense that they'd ask a Saint for help. Vincent Price starred on radio as Leslie Charteris' "Robin Hood of modern crime" and lent an air of sophistication to crimesolving. We'll Simon Templar in a pair of old time radio mysteries: "Tuba or Not Tuba - That Is the Question" (originally aired on NBC on January 21, 1951) and "The Birds and Bees of East Orange" (originally aired on NBC on March 18, 1951).

There was no shortage of private eyes during the Golden Age of Radio, but only one could carry a tune as well as he could crack a case. Dick Powell starred as Richard Diamond, Private Detective - the gumshoe who cracked wise, packed a punch, and crooned a song to his girlfriend every week. We'll hear Powell in three radio mysteries: "The Private Eye Test" (originally aired on NBC on March 19, 1950); "The Hatpin Murder Case" (aka "The Oklahoma Cowboy Murder Case" - originally aired on NBC on September 27, 1950); and "The Red Rose" (originally aired on ABC on March 2, 1951).

It's time to match wits with Ellery Queen! The brilliant amateur sleuth takes a break in the program to give you - and a special guest armchair detective - a chance to solve the crime before he reveals the solution to the mystery. We'll hear three old time radio mysteries starring Sydney Smith as Ellery: "The Adventure of the Vanishing Magician" (originally aired on NBC on November 6, 1943); "The Adventure of Dead Man's Cavern," and "The Adventure of Nick the Knife" (AFRS Rebroadcasts).

There's murder and mystery on the waterfront in San Francisco - "where the best trouble always looks good from the outside" - and Pat Novak is at the center of the storm. Jack Webb stars as the hard-boiled gumshoe in a pair of mysteries: "Find John St. John" (AFRS rebroadcast from May 22, 1949) and "Joe Dineen" (originally aired on ABC on June 19, 1949).

It's time to revisit "the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world" with Detective Danny Clover. Larry Thor stars as the cop with the heart of a poet in Broadway is My Beat - the police procedural drama with lyrical dialogue and Runyonesque characters. We'll hear two of his cases from the Great White Way - "The Joe Gruber Murders" (originally aired on CBS on July 8, 1951) and "The Alice Mayo Murder" (AFRS rebroadcast from May 24, 1952).

Whether he was thwarted by Rocky and Bullwinkle or leading visitors on a tour of the Haunted Mansion, Paul Frees' rich voice has been a part of pop culture for generations. But before all of that, he was a versatile voice actor on radio - one of the era's men of a thousand voices. We'll hear him starring as Jethro Dumont in "The Man Who Never Existed" from The Green Lama (originally aired on CBS on June 5, 1949). Then he's an impressionist roped into a scheme in "Fatal Fraud" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on May 22, 1949).

He dueled on screen with Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, and Danny Kaye, he was twice nominated for Oscars, and for 14 films and hundreds of radio episodes, Basil Rathbone brought Sherlock Holmes to life. We'll celebrate one of the best actors to wear the deerstalker cap with two of his radio mysteries: "Murder Beyond the Mountains" (originally aired on Mutual on January 14, 1946) and "The Waltz of Death" (originally aired on Mutual on April 29, 1946). Plus, Rathbone teams up with Fred Allen to solve a comedy mystery in an episode of The Fred Allen Show (originally aired on NBC on April 11, 1948).

For radio detective fans, it doesn't get much better than Bob Bailey as "the man with the action-packed expense account." In honor of the actor's birthday, we'll hear him in a complete five-part adventure of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: "The Long Shot Matter" (originally aired on CBS between June 25th and June 29th, 1956).

Gerald Mohr lent his voice to hundreds of radio episodes, but he's best remembered today for his run as Philip Marlowe. Mohr's voice was perfect for the hard-boiled narration and rough and tumble action, and his Marlowe stands out as one of the best gumshoes of the era. We'll hear Mohr as Marlowe in "The Last Laugh" (originally aired on CBS on April 2, 1949) and "The Last Wish" (originally aired on CBS on July 19, 1950). We'll also hear him as Archie Goodwin in "The Case of the Vanishing Shells" from The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (originally aired on NBC on February 2, 1951), and as an amorous French teacher in a December 5, 1948 episode of Our Miss Brooks.

Seventy years ago this week, Dragnet made its radio debut and changed the face of crime drama forever. That first episode launched a franchise that stretched into the 21st century and made its creator and star Jack Webb a household name. We'll celebrate the anniversary with four cases pulled from the files of the LAPD: "Homicide" (originally aired on NBC on June 10, 1949); "The Big Fake" (originally aired on NBC on June 1, 1950); "The Big Bible" (AFRS rebroadcast from 9/28/1954); and "The Big No Tooth" (AFRS rebroadcast from 4/5/1955).

We're saluting Dashiell Hammett - born May 27, 1894 - with three old time radio adventures of his famous private eye Sam Spade. Spade's adventures made for one of the best radio detective shows of the era - a hard-boiled mystery that poked gentle fun at the conventions of the genre. Howard Duff stars as the gumshoe in "The Wheel of Life Caper" (originally aired on CBS on July 11, 19498) and "The Battles of Belvedere" (AFRS rebroadcast from May 1, 1949). Then Steven Dunne stars as Spade in "The Spanish Prisoner Caper" (originally aired on NBC on

The ringing of that phone means Mike Waring has to break another date and The Falcon has a new case. The suave private eye solved crimes in print, on the big screen, and for over a decade on radio. Les Damon starred as Waring for several years, including a run when the Falcon got a new client – Uncle Sam and Army intelligence. We'll hear the Falcon solve "The Case of the Sweet Swindle" (originally aired on NBC on June 13, 1951) and "The Case of the Babbling Brooks" (originally aired on NBC on July 3, 1952).

Captain Hugh Drummond comes out of the fog, into the night, and earns his nickname "Bulldog" as he fights evildoers everywhere. The gentleman adventurer of H.C. McNelie's novels came to the big screen with Ronald Colman and Ray Milland logging time as the man of mystery. In 1941, Bulldog Drummond came to radio and continued his battle for justice. We'll hear George Coulouris as Drummond in a September 1941 audition program. Then Ned Wever steps in as the detective in "Death Loops the Loop" (originally aired on Mutual on March 10, 1948).

Orson Welles' radio work is defined by a skirmish between a couple of planets, but there was far more to his career than an invasion from outer space. We'll celebrate the actor, writer, and director's birthday with some of his performances on the air. First, he recreates his Third Man movie role in "Horse Play" from The Lives of Harry Lime. Then, he narrates the bloody history of "The Khaki Handkerchief" from The Black Museum.

What do Philo Vance, George Valentine, Richard Diamond, and John J. Malone have in common? They all romanced – and were frequently assisted by – Frances Robinson. The busy and talented actress was a mainstay on radio crime dramas, and her performances gave us some of the genre's all-time great partners in crime. We'll hear her in "The Elusive Hundred Grand" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on April 18, 1949); "The Pop Skoals Case aka The Blind Man and the Cop Killer" from Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on February 26, 1950), and in "Murder in Mind" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on April 16, 1950).

Nick Carter was a super sleuth in the pulps and on the big screen before he came to radio in 1943, and he found success on the air as well. Lon Clark starred as Carter – "the most famous of all manhunters" – for twelve years in hundreds of radio mysteries. Hear Nick, along with his friends Patsy Bowen and Sgt. Mathison in "The Double Disguise" (originally aired on Mutual on January 8, 1944) and "The Case of the Candidate's Corpse" (September 26, 1948).

Criminals and spies can run, but they can't hide from the FBI. Stacy Harris stars as Special Agent Jim Taylor in This is Your FBI, the only dramatic radio program endorsed by the Bureau and J. Edgar Hoover. We'll hear a pair of FBI adventures: "The Case of the Curious Coin Collector" (originally aired on ABC on October 4, 1946) and "The Agent Apprentice" (originally aired on ABC on August 11, 1950).

We're celebrating Jack Webb's birthday, but instead of cake we have three old time radio mysteries starring Webb as three hard-boiled sleuths. First, he's Jeff Regan, Investigator in "The Gambler and the Lady" (originally aired on CBS on December 11, 1948). Then Webb stars as Pat Novak for Hire in "Rory Malone" (originally aired on ABC on March 20, 1949). Finally, we'll hear "June Gould" from Pete Kelly's Blues (an AFRS rebroadcast of an episode from NBC on September 19, 1951).

Holy 80th Anniversary, Batman! The Caped Crusader made his first comic book appearance on March 30, 1939, and we're marking the occasion with a complete serialized adventure of Superman co-starring Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder. It's "The Mystery of the Dead Voice," a tale with ties to young Robin's origin, and it originally aired on the Mutual Network between September 25 and October 16, 1946.

When Johnny Dollar itemized his first expense account on February 11, 1949, he was played by actor Charles Russell, and Russell would fill the role for just over one year. Though his tenure was short, Russell's take on the character – glib, sarcastic, and a little unscrupulous – makes him stand out in the fraternity of actors who brought Dollar to radio life. We'll hear him in three episodes: "The Perikoff Policy" (originally aired on CBS on 2/11/1949); "Melanie Carter and the Un-Nice Niece" (originally aired on CBS on November 12, 1949); and "The Animal Show Unscheduled Performances" (originally aired on CBS on December 10, 1949).

When criminals strike in the Lone Star State, they know it won't be long before the Texas Rangers are on their trail. Joel McCrea brought his big screen western star power to radio as Jayce Pearson in Tales of the Texas Rangers. The crime drama presented actual cases from the Rangers' files in a blend of police procedural and western. We'll hear two episodes from the series: "Quicksilver" (originally aired on NBC on August 12, 1950) and "The Trap" (originally aired on NBC on February 25, 1951).

Kathleen Hite started at CBS as a secretary only to become the network's first female staff writer. She would go on to pen hundreds of radio and TV scripts for shows like Gunsmoke, The Whistler, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. We'll hear two of her mysteries from The Adventures of Philip Marlowe: "The Good Neighbor Policy" (originally aired on CBS on July 28, 1951) and "The Young Man's Fancy" (originally aired on CBS on August 18, 1951). Plus we'll hear one of Hite's episodes of Fort Laramie: "The Buffalo Hunters" (originally aired on CBS on September 9, 1956).

"Adventure wanted. Will go anyplace, do anything. Write Box 13." That's the newspaper ad Dan Holiday runs and each week a new letter brings him to the doorstep of danger. Holiday runs the ad to get plots for his mystery novels, but he has to survive each case before he can start writing. Big screen star Alan Ladd puts his film noir bona fides to work as Holiday in two old time radio mysteries: "Mexican Maze" and "House of Darkness."

No matter what old time radio genre you prefer, you've probably heard Virginia Gregg's voice. You've almost certainly heard her as Mrs. Bates in the Psycho films or seen her in one of her many on-screen performances. She was one of radio's most versatile and talented actresses, and in honor of her birthday we'll hear Virginia Gregg in three old time radio shows. First, she plays Helen Asher opposite Dick Powell's Richard Diamond, Private Detective in an episode originally aired on NBC on July 9, 1949. Then, she's Claire Brooks, loyal assistant to George Valentine in "Seed of Destruction" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on August 18, 1952. Finally, she plays a Chinese immigrant won in a poker game in "Gentle Virtue," an episode of Frontier Gentleman from March 30, 1958.

Today in 1945, Superman first encountered the caped crusaders, Batman and Robin. This momentous meeting of heroes didn't take place in a comic book or film serial; it happened on radio on The Adventures of Superman. That first meeting found Superman rescuing an unconscious Robin from a rowboat, a discovery that kicked off a hunt for the missing Batman. The Man of Steel had enjoyed radio success since his debut on the air in 1940, and though the Dark Knight Detective would go on to conquer the big and small screens success on radio eluded him.

The first attempt to bring the Caped Crusader to the air came in 1943. DC Comics, the publisher of Batman comics, was eager to duplicate the success it enjoyed years earlier with Superman. The Man of Steel was the star of his own popular radio series airing on the Mutual Network, and he'd appeared on the big screen in a series of sharply produced animated shorts from Max Fleischer. In 1943, Batman hit the big screen in a 15 chapter Columbia Pictures serial, and he took to the airwaves in an audition program for a Mutual series. The story, titled "The Case of the Drowning Seal," found Batman and Robin pursuing the Nazi agents who murdered Robin's parents. Comic fans may recognize this was a departure from the origin of Robin's sidekick, but these were the years when everyone, from Superman to Sherlock Holmes, joined the fight against Nazis. The introduction for the series set the tone for what was to come:

"You are about to hear the first in a series of programs starring - The Batman! The legendary feats of this 20th century Robin Hood are tales of high adventure and stark mystery. In his ceaseless struggle against the forces of evil and corruption, The Batman has enlisted the aid of no one! He fights alone; his keen brain and athlete's body, combined with the almost unbelievable acrobatic skill, have made the horned black mask and the flapping black cape the symbol of law and decency."

Thrilling stuff, and very true to the way Batman was depicted in the comics of the era. Unfortunately, the program did not make it to series, and "The Case of the Drowning Seal" is lost. Producers moved away from attempts to bring Batman to the air in his own series, but saw an opportunity to pair him up with one of his fellow heroes.

In the early 1940s, Superman and Batman shared comic book covers, but they did not appear in the same stories. Years before they would ever share an adventure in a comic panel or newspaper strip, the heroes would meet and team up on radio. In March 1945, Superman (voiced on radio by Clayton "Bud" Collyer) rescued Robin, and the Dynamic Duo arrived on the air. Over the years on The Adventures of Superman, Batman and Robin would appear, sometimes to join Superman in adventures and other times to give the busy Collyer a chance for a vacation. This was especially true during the story arcs involving Superman's battles against Kryptonite (his greatest weakness, the radioactive fragments of his home planet, were a creation of the radio series). Superman would be "unconscious" with Batman and Robin hunting for their friend; in reality, Collyer was enjoying some time off!

For most of the appearances on Superman, Batman was played by actor Matt Crowley, a veteran of juvenile adventure shows. He was also played on occasion by Stacy Harris, a veteran of Jack Webb's Dragnet who also starred as FBI Special Agent Jim Taylor in This is Your FBI. Robin was played by actor Ronald Liss.

A second attempt was made to bring Batman to radio in 1950, with Ronald Liss again donning the mask and cape of the Boy Wonder. John Emery played Batman in the audition story "The Monster of Dumphrey's Hall." The frame of the show found Batman and Robin presiding over a meeting of the "Batman Mystery Club," a gaggle of tykes who met to hear cases from the Caped Crusader's files. Oddly enough, all of these kids knew Batman's true identity! The plot, which involved an old estate with a possibly haunted room, would be more suitable for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (ironically, Alfred Shirley, himself fresh off a radio run as Watson, appeared in a supporting role!). The episode didn't provide the solution; perhaps producers were confident they'd go to series. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), this dreadful audition didn't go to series.

Just four years after the end of the Golden Age of Radio, Batman would explode in popularity thanks to television. He may have missed his shot at radio stardom, but the pop culture phenomenon that was the Adam West TV series catapulted him into stardom that has never really gone away, and even managed to eclipse the hero who graciously shared the microphone with him in the 1940s.

Broadway is My Beat, the story of Detective Danny Clover and "the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world," premiered on CBS on February 27, 1949. 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.

Admittedly, it got off to an inauspicious start. The series premiered as a competently made police drama with a capable lead performance from 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 things that set Broadway is My Beat apart from the crowd also made it hard to sell to a sponsor. 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.