Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Academy Award, one of the more prestigious Hollywood radio programs, premiered on March 30, 1946. The series presented recreations of films that had been nominated for or won - you guessed it - the Academy Award. 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 in Jezebel, Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, and more.

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.

We've heard a few big screen adaptations from Academy Award on the podcast: "The Maltese Falcon," featuring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet recreating their roles in Dashiell Hammett's detective drama; and a pair from Alfred Hitchcock - "Shadow of a Doubt" with Joseph Cotten in his screen role as "Uncle Charlie" and "Foreign Correspondent," with Cotten filling in for Joel McCrea as an American reporter who uncovers a deadly conspiracy in Europe.

Actor Richard Denning was born March 27, 1914. A handsome leading man, he's best known to old time radio fans for a pair of shows: first, he was George Cooper co-starring with Lucille Ball on My Favorite Husband. Then, he was Jerry North, amateur sleuth and half of Mr. and Mrs. North.

Denning starred in several films in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but his career was put on hiatus for his military service during World War II. Once he came home, it would be almost two years before he was offered additional film work; it was a period when Denning and his family lived in a mobile home. His career slump ended when he was cast opposite Lucille Ball in My Favorite Husband.

The series followed the comedic misadventures of Liz and George Cooper - "two people who live together and like it." Initially the couple's surname was Cugat, but confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat led to the name change by the 26th episode.The show was based on a pair of novels about an upper-class banker and his socialite wife. Soon into the run, to make the characters more accessible, the writers changed the Coopers to an average middle-class couple. Denning had fantastic chemistry with Lucille Ball as the titular "favorite husband" - occasionally an accomplice in his wife's crazy schemes but usually showing up for the aftermath. His quips and romantic banter with Lucy make the Coopers one of the best radio couples.

The series aired on CBS from 1948 to 1951. In 1950, CBS approached Lucille Ball about a television series, but she refused to do a show without her real-life husband Desi Arnaz playing her on-screen spouse. After much negotiation, CBS agreed. The resulting program was I Love Lucy. Many of the My Favorite Husband writers joined the staff of I Love Lucy, and several radio scripts were reworked as TV episodes. Though Richard Denning didn't make the jump to I Love Lucy, his film career had resumed by the late 1940s with appearances in several B-movie detective and sci-fi pictures.

In 1952, Denning took on the role of Jerry North, half of the popular amateur detective duo Mr. and Mrs. North. With Barbara Britton as wife Pam, Denning starred in the television adventures of the couple from 1952 until 1954. The Norths had starred in their own radio series since 1942, but on the radio they were voiced by Alice Frost and Joseph Curtin. The popularity of the TV Norths led Denning and Britton to take over the roles on radio in 1953. Jerry was a New York publisher and Pam was his eagle-eyed wife. Together, the pair had an uncanny knack for landing in the middle of murders, kidnappings, and other crimes. Unfortunately for evildoers, Pam and Jerry were no slouch in the gumshoe game - particularly Pam, who stands out as one of radio's premiere female detectives.

After the TV series ended in 1954, Denning and Britton played the Norths on radio until 1955. In his post-North career, Denning had a major role in the Universal monster classic Creature from the Black Lagoon. He stepped back into the detective game in a single season on NBC as private eye Michael Shayne from 1960 to 1961. By 1968, Richard Denning had mostly retired from show business and was living with his wife in Hawaii. Producer Leonard Freeman offered Denning the role of Governor Paul Jameson in the Jack Lord crime series Hawaii Five-O, a recurring role that kept Denning on TV screens from 1968 until 1980.

Head back to a great American city and the suspects who stand in The Line-Up. Bill Johnstone is Lt. Ben Guthrie in one of radio's best police dramas, with Wally Maher as Sgt. Matt Grebb and Jack Moyles as Sgt. Pete Carger. Each episode opens with the titular line-up, where each week listeners meet "the innocent, the vagrant, the thief, the murderer," We'll hear "The Case of Frankie and Joyce" (originally aired on CBS on January 4, 1951) and "The Modern Sounds Case" (originally aired on CBS on November 19, 1952).

Actor Ed Begley was born March 25, 1901. An Oscar winner for Sweet Bird of Youth, Begley was a mainstay on the big and small screens, with credits including 12 Angry Men, The Fugitive, Billion Dollar Brain, The Wild Wild West, and more. Begley's son, Ed Jr., has continued in the family business.

Old time radio fans may know him best as the irascible but lovable Lt. Walt Levinson on Richard Diamond, Private Detective, where he co-starred opposite Dick Powell from 1949 to 1950. The first (and best, in this writer's opinion) of the actors to play Levinson, Begley had wonderful chemistry with Dick Powell. Levinson clearly loved his old partner, but he could also be easily vexed by Diamond's wordplay and attitude. Elsewhere on the dial, he played another police confidant to a private eye - Lt. O'Hara on The Fat Man - and he starred on radio as Charlie Chan. You can hear one of his adventures as the Honolulu-based detective in Episode 145 of the podcast. Begley turned in supporting roles on The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, The Whistler, Tales of the Texas Rangers, and more.

Actor Jack Kruschen was born March 20, 1922. Born in Winnipeg, Canada, Kruschen was a master of dialects and an incredibly versatile actor. Kruschen was a mainstay on radio: his credits include Dragnet, Gunsmoke, Night Beat, Frontier Gentlemen, Crime Classics, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Suspense, and more. Kruschen was such a ubiquitous presence on radio it would be hard to find a series where he didn't lend his voice. On Broadway is My Beat, he played two recurring characters - the gruff Detective Muggavan and the cynical coroner Dr. Sinsky, sometimes in the same episode.

On the big screen, he picked up an Academy Award nomination for his memorable performance as Dr. Dreyfuss, Jack Lemmon's neighbor, in Billy Wilder's The Apartment. In 1960, Kruschen told the Los Angeles Times "Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon were the best things that ever happened to me. They worked with me, helped me, brought out the ability to use whatever I have learned of my craft."

He could also be seen in Cape Fear, McLintock!, and The War of the Worlds. On television, he appeared on Batman, Columbo, The Odd Couple, and many more. Younger audiences may remember him from his role of the Greek grandfather on Webster. Kruschen was still working well into the 1990s, with his final role coming in 1997's Til There Was You.

Ride with newspaper publisher Britt Reid as he dons a mask to fight crime as The Green Hornet. Wanted by the police as criminals, Reid and his trusted valet Kato wage a war against racketeers and corruption. The radio adventure series spawned movie serials, a TV series, and films and it's slated for another big screen reboot. Robert Hall stars as the Hornet in "George Haven's Secret" (originally aired on ABC on January 22, 1946) and "A Question of Time" (originally aired on ABC on March 2, 1946).

Academy Award winning actress Mercedes McCambridge was born March 16, 1916. Hailed as the world's greatest living radio actress by Orson Welles, McCambridge starred in shows ranging from soap operas to prestigious dramas. She had enjoyed early success on radio on soap operas as well as in supporting roles on Suspense and The Shadow. She worked with Welles on his Mercury Theater broadcasts and later played a small role in his classic film Touch of Evil.

McCambridge was an Oscar winner by the time she starred on radio in Defense Attorney, winning in 1949 for her performance in All the King's Men. She was at the height of her film career when she was cast by producer Don Sharpe in a new series he was developing about a female defense lawyer.

Defense Attorney began as an audition show called The Defense Rests, a script by a female writer, Cameron Blake, with a lead female character (neither was all that common in the Golden Age of Radio). The lead character of Martha Ellis Bryant was a former district attorney who had entered private practice on the other side of the aisle. Marty's boyfriend and occasional legman was newspaper reporter Jud Barnes (played by Howard Culver, who we heard as Ellery Queen n Episode 21), but Marty often tracked down witnesses and did most of the heavy lifting on her cases herself, often at great risk to her life

The series was initially sold to NBC as a summer replacement series, but NBC wanted the show to be produced in New York rather than on the West Coast as a cost-saving measure. Neither McCambridge nor Culver wanted to make the cross-country trek for a summer gig. The producers reworked the show as Defense Attorney and pitched it to ABC, who agreed to produce the show in Hollywood. Defense Attorney premiered on July 6, 1951. The reliable troupe of West Coast radio players filled out supporting roles, including Larry Dobkin, Harry Bartell, Jeanne Bates, and Bill Johnstone. Tony Barrett played multiple characters but was most often heard as Lt. Ed Leebis of the police, who frequently encountered Marty and Jud during their investigations.

The series was a hit with the public and especially with lawyers. Mercedes McCambridge was invited to address the annual meeting of the American Bar Association in 1952, and she was honored by the National Association of Women Lawyers. In the episode featured on the podcast this week, she receives the title of "Favorite Dramatic Actress" from the readers of Radio-TV Mirror magazine.

The series came to an end in December 1952. There were attempts to launch a television version, but the pilot episode did not sell. After the series ended, Mercedes McCambridge focused on her film career, eventually picking up another Oscar nomination in 1956 for Giant Throughout her life, she struggled with alcohol and drugs, and she had periods where she did not work at all. She almost missed out on credit for one of her most famous performances voicing the demon in The Exorcist. It took the intervention of the Screen Actors Guild for her to receive the credit. She was an advocate for those fighting addiction in her final years, and she passed away in 2004.

Georgia Ellis was born one hundred years ago today - March 12, 1917. Though she never found big success on the big or small screens, she's a legend of the Golden Age of Radio. Ellis was heard on dozens of shows from The Adventures of Philip Marlowe to Escape to Night Beat and The Whistler, always displaying her versatility in a variety of roles. But even without all of those performances to her credit, Georgia Ellis would be a radio legend thanks to her years as Kitty Russell on Gunsmoke. From 1952 until 1962, she was a member of the core cast of radio's greatest western and one of its best dramas, and Georgia Ellis' performance as the saloon owner who carried a torch for Marshal Matt Dillon was a major part of the show's success.

Before she was introduced as Kitty, Georgia Ellis appeared in the first episode of Gunsmoke as an old girlfriend of Marshal Dillon - a woman who was also the widow of a recently murdered man. She didn't make her first appearance as Kitty until the May 10, 1952 episode. With the August 16 episode, she started receiving equal billing with the three other series leads - William Conrad, Parley Baer, and Howard McNear. She was tied to Gunsmoke before the show ever aired - Georgia Ellis co-starred with William Conrad in "Pagosa," an August 6, 1951 episode of Romance scripted by future Gunsmoke writer John Meston. The story of a new sheriff's arrival in a western town was a sort of test run by Meston for an "adult western" and both Conrad and Ellis played characters similar to those they would later portray in Dodge City.

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."

Like her radio co-stars, Georgia Ellis was given a token audition to reprise her role in the Gunsmoke TV series, but Amanda Blake was cast as Kitty. Georgia Ellis continued on Gunsmoke until the radio series aired its final episode on June 18, 1961.

Private eye Michael Waring – better known as The Falcon – solved crimes for over a decade on radio. A hard-boiled hero, Waring was "always ready with a hand for oppressed men and an eye for oppressed women." The Falcon made his way to radio after success in print and a popular series of B-movies. We'll hear two of the Falcon's adventures: James Meighan stars in "Murder is a Family Affair" (originally aired on Mutual on November 27, 1945); and Les Tremayne is Waring in "Murder is a Knock-Out" (originally aired on network on February 20, 1949).

Born March 6, 1916, Virginia Gregg could play a glamorous Park Avenue socialite, a demure Chinese woman in the old west, and everything in between. One of the most versatile and talented actresses working in radio (and later television), Virginia Gregg was a presence on so many of the wonderful programs of the radio era - a member of that incredible group of west coast radio players who delivered performances that brought characters to vivid life on the air.

She was born in Harrisburg, Illinois, but her family moved to Pasadena, California when she was five. Gregg was bound for a showbusiness career, albeit a musical one - she played the double bass with the Pasadena Symphony and Pops, and before she went into acting she was part of "The Singing Strings," a group whose performances were featured on the CBS and Mutual Networks.

But it was acting where she made her mark. It may be easier to comprise a list of the programs she didn't visit, as it seems Virginia Gregg covered most of the dial during the Golden Age of Radio. She did comedies (The Jack Benny Program), soap operas (One Man's Family), dramas (Dr. Kildare, Lux Radio Theatre), westerns (Gunsmoke, Frontier Gentleman), and detective shows.

Radio detective show fans will recognize Virginia Gregg as two of radio's best Girl Fridays. She played Claire "Brooksie" Brooks opposite Bob Bailey in Let George Do It, and Dick Powell crooned to her as Helen Asher in Richard Diamond, Private Detective. In the case of Richard Diamond, her versatility allowed her to double as other characters in the cast. Gregg married frequent Diamond director Jaime del Valle, and the two had three children before they divorced.

She appeared regularly on the 1950s and 1960s TV incarnations of Dragnet as well as the 1954 movie version. No surprise there, as Jack Webb was a huge fan, describing Gregg as "the actress' actress," and she was frequently heard on the Dragnet radio program. She made multiple appearances on Perry Mason opposite her occasional radio co-star Raymond Burr, and she was a regular presence in dozens of classic TV dramas through the 1970s - Mannix, Have Gun - Will Travel, Ironside, The Streets of San Francisco, Rawhide, Cannon (reuniting her with another old time radio vet - William Conrad), and many, many more.

Virginia Gregg worked in films as well, even though she did most of her work on the small screen. Her most famous (albeit off-screen) movie role may have been as the voice of Mrs. Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. It was a role she shared with Paul Jasmin and Jeanette Nolan, another veteran radio player. Gregg was the sole performer for the voice in the sequels Psycho II and Psycho III; the latter would be her final credit before she passed away in 1986.

In a 1959 interview, Virginia Gregg said "I work steadily, but I have no identity." Old time radio fans would say she sold herself short. While she was rarely spotlighted in lead on-screen roles, the versatility she honed as a radio actor earned her a career that spanned five decades.

Frank Chandler learned mystical secrets in India and returned to the west as Chandu the Magician to put his newfound powers to work fighting evil. One of radio's most popular serial adventure characters, Chandu first came to the air in 1932 and returned for a revival in the late 1940s. Aided by his niece and nephew, as well as a cast of mysterious characters, Chandu was a magical menace to evildoers everywhere. We'll hear Tom Collins as Chandu in "The Temple at Karnak," originally aired on Mutual on March 17, 1949.

Head back to Broadway – "the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world" – with Detective Danny Clover. Larry Thor stars as the policeman with the soul of a poet in Broadway is My Beat. From flophouses to mansions, from back alleys to the bright lights of the Great White Way, Clover investigates murder in the city that never sleeps. We'll hear three of his mysteries: "The Robe Sash Strangler Murders" (originally aired on CBS on November 3, 1950); "The Tradewinds Murders" (originally aired on CBS on June 16, 1951); and "The Frankie Crowne Arson Murders" (originally aired on CBS on October 13, 1951).

Big screen stars Lloyd Nolan and Claire Trevor indulge in some comedic crime-solving in Results, Incorporated. Private eyes Johnny Strange and Terry Travers will take on assignments from babysitting to hunting for ghosts in a haunted house. Undaunted, they trade quips as they follow the clues and close their cases. We'll hear "The Last of the Bloody Gillettes," originally aired on Mutual on December 16, 1944.

Got a problem that's too tough to handle on your own? Why not Let George Do It? Before he was "the man with the action-packed expense account," Bob Bailey was George Valentine, the private eye who advertised that "danger is my stock in trade." Aided by his girl Friday Claire Brooks, George found no shortage of people eager to enlist his aid in cases ranging from missing people to murder. We'll hear "The Impatient Redhead" (originally aired on Mutual on September 6, 1948) and "Double Death" (originally aired on Mutual on October 17, 1949).

Criminals beware – Captain Jim Scott won't stop until you're Under Arrest. TV mainstay Joe DeSantis stars as Scott in this police procedural that began as a summer replacement in 1946 but ended its radio run eight years later. We'll hear Captain Scott solve "The Sam Carver Case" (originally aired on Mutual on February 6, 1949).

Reporter Randy Stone makes a nightly trek through the streets of the Windy City in search of stories for his column. This week, we'll join him as he covers the Night Beat. Frank Lovejoy stars as Stone, not a professional detective but a man who nevertheless ends up entangled with cops and crooks as he works to meet his deadlines. We'll hear "The Night Watchman" (originally aired on NBC on May 15, 1950) and "The Doctor's Secret" (originally aired on NBC on August 21, 1950).

"Crime is a sucker's road," Philip Marlowe intoned at the beginning his radio program, "and those who travel it wind up in the gutter, the prison or the grave." It was a two-fisted introduction to one of radio's best detective shows. Gerald Mohr stars as Raymond Chandler's private eye, solving crimes from high society to skid row in Los Angeles, in a pair of radio mysteries. We'll hear "The Pigeon's Blood" (originally aired on CBS on June 11, 1949) and "The Angry Eagle" (originally aired on April 18, 1950).

George Raft made the leap from big screen gangster to radio gumshoe in The Cases of Mr. Ace. Each week, Eddie Ace paid a visit to psychologist Dr. Gayle to recount his latest adventure – adventures the good doctor used as material for her book on criminal psychology. Raft does a good job as a character on the right side of the tracks in this short-lived syndicated series. We'll hear him in "A Man Called Judas," a mystery with a stolen coin and stand-ins for Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet!

Robert Montgomery reprises his screen role of Philip Marlowe from his innovative adaptation of Raymond Chandler's Lady in the Lake. The movie put the audience in Marlowe's shoes, with the camera acting as the detective's eyes, but the story plays better on radio; without the occasionally distracting camera gimmick, listeners can dive into the story as Marlowe hunts for a missing wife. Montgomery is joined by his screen co-stars Audrey Totter and Tom Tully in this Lux Radio Theatre adaptation from CBS on February 9, 1948.

Crime doesn't take a rest during the holidays. Fortunately, radio's best gumshoes are working on Christmas to keep the airwaves safe. In the annual "Down These Mean Streets" holiday special, we'll hear four gumshoes and super sleuths in Christmas capers. First, Les Damon is private eye Mike Waring, aka The Falcon, in "The Case of the Unwelcome Christmas Present" (originally aired on NBC on December 24, 1950). Next, it's "that most famous of all manhunters" – Nick Carter, Master Detective. Lon Clark is Nick in "Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure" (originally aired on Mutual on December 25, 1943). Then, we have a Saint – not Nicholas, but Simon Templar. Vincent Price stars in "Santa Claus is No Saint" (originally aired on NBC on December 24, 1950). Finally, we head to London with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in "The Night Before Christmas" from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (originally aired on Mutual on December 24, 1945).

Private detective Nero Wolfe loves to eat, tend to his orchids, drink beer – almost anything except take on a case. But – usually at the urging of his assistant Archie Goodwin – the mountain of a man solves the most baffling cases all without leaving his home. Sydney Greenstreet stars as Wolfe with Herb Ellis as Archie in "The Case of the Dear Dead Lady" (originally aired on NBC on date) and Harry Bartell as Goodwin in "The Case of the Final Page" (originally aired on NBC on March 23, 1951).

Dana Andrews is undercover for Uncle Sam in I Was a Communist for the FBI. The big screen star plays Matt Cvetic, the real-life infiltrator who reported Communist activities to the bureau in this fictionalized version of his exploits. On radio, Cvetic puts his life on the line to thwart the diabolical plans of American communists. We'll hear the syndicated episodes "Tight Wire" and "No Second Chance."

Ranger Jayce Pearson keeps the Lone Star State safe in Tales of the Texas Rangers. Joel McCrea plays Pearson in this series of true crime stories dramatized from the case files of the legendary lawmen. Whether in a police car or on his trusty horse Charcoal, Ranger Pearson tracks down the worst offenders in Texas. We'll hear "Dead or Alive" (originally aired on NBC on September 9, 1950) and "Room 114" (originally aired on NBC on December 3, 1950).

It's our 200th episode of old time radio cops, private eyes, and crime-solvers, and we're celebrating with one of the era's best actors and characters – Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar. "The man with the action-packed expense account" is on the job in an extra-large, king-sized nine-part mystery. We'll hear America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator in all nine installments of "The Phantom Chase Matter" (originally aired on CBS between October 15 and 26, 1956).

In a special bonus episode, just in time for Thanksgiving, we'll hear ace cameraman Casey, Crime Photographer in a Turkey Day mystery. Can Casey save a reformed safecracker from being coerced into heist and finish in time for dinner with his girl Friday Ann Williams? Find out with Staats Cotsworth as Casey, with Jan Miner as Ann, in "Holiday," originally aired on CBS on November 25, 1948.

Howard Duff made the role of Sam Spade his own, bringing the San Francisco shamus to radio life from 1946 until 1950. With a blend of wry humor and hard-boiled atmosphere, The Adventures of Sam Spade holds up as one of the all-time great radio detective shows, thanks in no small part to the man in the title role. In honor of his birthday, we'll hear Duff as Spade in "The Dry Martini Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 1, 1948) and "The Sugar Kane Caper" (originally aired on CBS on October 3, 1948). We'll also hear him as Captain Philip Kearney in the audition program for the high seas adventure The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen.

We doff our cap to Dick Powell in this birthday celebration of the crooner who reinvented himself as a tough film noir leading man. First, he's private investigator Richard Rogue in "Murder at Minden" from Rogue's Gallery (originally aired on Mutual on January 3, 1946). Then, it's a pair of mysteries starring Powell in his signature radio role as singing gumshoe Richard Diamond, Private Detective: "The Elaine Tanner Case" (originally aired on NBC on February 12, 1950) and "The Carnival Case" (originally aired on NBC on August 16, 1950).

The thrilling and dangerous wartime exploits of the OSS – Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA – were dramatized on radio in Cloak and Dagger. Tales of adventures behind enemy lines in Europe and the Pacific came to life with stories of civilians, soldiers, and spies on daring missions – knowing in advance they may never return alive. We'll hear "Seeds of Doubt," the story of a spy hunt in occupied Paris, originally aired on NBC on September 15, 1950.

London's criminals have nowhere to hide when Scotland Yard Inspector Peter Black begins his relentless Pursuit. The adventures of Black make for exciting listening as he hunts the evildoers who strike, then fade back into the shadows of their own dark world. Ted de Corsia stars as Black in "Pursuit On Lundy Island" (originally aired on CBS on February 7, 1950) and Ben Wright plays the inspector in "Pursuit and the Ladies of Farthing Street" (originally aired on CBS on September 18, 1951).

Just in time for trick-or-treating, we're bound for Transylvania with Orson Welles and The Mercury Theatre On the Air in a special bonus episode. Welles and his talented troupe of radio players present a chilling and atmospheric radio adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Welles plays both Arthur Seward and the titular count in a story that's sure to get you in the Halloween spirit. Featuring supporting performances by Agnes Moorehead, George Coulouris, Ray Collins, and Martin Gabel, Dracula originally aired on CBS on July 11, 1938.

The game is afoot with three old time radio mysteries starring the master detective of Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's immortal character made his debut as a radio sleuth on October 20, 1932, and we're celebrating his anniversary with radio adventures starring three different actors as Holmes. First, Basil Rathbone is Holmes, with Nigel Bruce as Watson, in "The Case of the Limping Ghost" (originally aired on Mutual on September 3, 1945). Next, John Stanley and Alfred Shirley are Holmes and Watson in "The Sussex Vampire" (originally aired on Mutual on December 14, 1947). Finally, John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson star in "The Final Problem" (originally aired on NBC on April 17, 1955), featuring special guest star Orson Welles as Professor Moriarty.

Private detective Michael Shayne came to radio on October 16, 1944 and we're celebrating the anniversary of "the reckless, red-headed Irishman" with two of his radio mysteries. Two of radio's most talented stars – Wally Maher and Cathy Lewis – headline as Shayne and his loyal secretary Phyllis Knight. From 1944 until 1947, the pair starred in stories that blended crime-solving with witty banter. We'll hear "The Murder Trial of Jack Holmes" (originally aired on Mutual on May 21, 1945) and "Dr. Grant's Dilemma" (from August 13, 1945).

William Gargan starred as Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator – "America's number one detective" – from 1951 to 1955. The actor had a long resume of detective roles on the big and small screens, as well as on radio, but his best on-air work may have been as Craig, the New York-based confidential investigator. We'll hear him in a pair of his radio mysteries: "Death of a Private Eye" (originally aired on NBC on January 2, 1952) and "Fog Over Murder" (originally aired on NBC on October 13, 1953).

For the first two and half years of Dragnet, Sgt. Joe Friday was partnered with Ben Romero, an older mentor and family man voiced by radio veteran Barton Yarborough. With his friendly Texas drawl, Yarborough created a memorable character and a good counterpart to Friday's terse, no-nonsense style. We'll hear Yarborough in action as Ben Romero, alongside Jack Webb as Joe Friday, in "The Big Picture" (originally aired on NBC on December 7, 1950) and "The Big In-Laws" (originally aired on NBC on August 23, 1951).

Pam and Jerry North are the happy couple who can't help but find trouble. Whether it's a corpse or a caper, Mr. and Mrs. North will stumble onto the scene and thwart the plans of evildoers everywhere. We'll hear a pair of adventures starring old time radio's most popular husband and wife detective duos. First, Alice Frost is Pam and Joseph Curtin is Jerry in "The Contagious Confession" (originally aired on NBC on September 22, 1943). Then, the Norths are played by Barbara Britton and Richard Denning in "The Diamond Noose" (a broadcast from the Armed Forces Radio Service).

John Huston's classic cinematic adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon comes to radio in this production of The Lux Radio Theatre. Though none of the film's stars appear to recreate their roles, a terrific Hollywood cast is assembled to bring the story to life. Laird Cregar is the Fat Man, Gail Patrick is Brigid O'Shaughnessy, and Edward G. Robinson is Sam Spade – with Cecil B. DeMille as master of ceremonies – in this episode originally aired on CBS on February 8, 1943.

Edmond O'Brien puts the "action" in the "action-packed expense account" of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. The Academy Award-winning actor starred as the freelance insurance investigator from 1950 until 1952. O'Brien's tough style – honed in film noir performances – brought a hard edge to Dollar, a character that had been decidedly lighter in the hands of Charles Russell. His run as Johnny Dollar has cemented Edmond O'Brien as a fan favorite of the many actors to play the gumshoe. We'll hear O'Brien as Dollar in "The Caligio Diamond Matter" (originally aired on CBS on June 8, 1950) and "The Calgary Matter" (originally aired on CBS on July 13, 1950).

Looking for mystery? Just dial YUkon 2-8209 and ask for Candy Matson. The gorgeous San Francisco private eye works out of her Telegraph Hill apartment and finds more than her share of trouble in the city of the Golden Gate. Natalie Masters stars as Candy in "The Cable Car Case" (originally aired on NBC on July 7, 1949) and "The Movie Company" originally aired on NBC on August 29, 1950).

Alan Ladd is Dan Holiday, the mystery writer who plays detective to get story material, in Box 13. The syndicated series found Holiday soliciting danger with an ad offering himself as an adventurer for hire – one who would "go anywhere, do anything." Answering those letters addressed to Box 13 meant Holiday could be volunteering to put a target on his back or to solve an impossible crime. We'll hear Ladd in "Much Too Lucky" and "The Perfect Crime."

After Dick Powell bid farewell to the role of gumshoe Richard Rogue, Barry Sullivan stepped in to fill the detective's shoes. The big screen star played the rakish private eye in a 1947 summer run of Rogue's Gallery and acquitted himself quite well in the lead role. We'll hear Sullivan as Rogue in "Phyllis Adrian is Missing," originally aired on NBC on June 29, 1947.

Master jewel thief turned ace detective, the infamous Boston Blackie is an "enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend." Much to the chagrin of Inspector Faraday, Blackie puts his criminal mind to work for the good guys, nabbing crooks, cons, and thieves with the same sleight of hand and crafty calculations that served him on the wrong side of the law. We'll hear Chester Morris recreate his big screen role of Blackie in "Black Market Blackie," originally aired on NBC on July 21, 1944. Then, Richard Kollmar takes over in the syndicated episode "The Undersea Murder."

For our annual birthday salute to Alfred Hitchcock, we'll hear one of the master of suspense's classic films recreated for radio - Foreign Correspondent, the 1940 spy thriller starring Joel McCrea and Herbert Marshall. The film was dramatized for Academy Award, with Joseph Cotten stepping in for McCrea in an episode that originally aired on CBS on July 24, 1946.

Cue the zither music! Orson Welles is back as Harry Lime, the lovable rogue from The Third Man, in The Lives of Harry Lime. This prequel series follows Lime around the world as he tries to lie, cheat, and steal his way to an easy buck and to stay a step ahead of the police and rival criminals. In the process, he becomes one of radio's most unlikely heroes in this series of international adventures. We'll hear "Clay Pigeon" and "Man of Mystery" from the syndicated program.

Before he gave the world Peter Gunn and Inspector Clouseau, Blake Edwards cut his teeth as a radio writer, penning mysteries for some of the best detectives of the era. Edwards created Richard Diamond, Private Detective and his writing set the tone for radio's singing gumshoe. Equally adept at comedy and drama, Edwards also wrote stories for more serious police procedurals, including The Line-Up. In honor of his birthday, we'll hear some of his radio work. First, it's "The Candy Store Murder" from The Line-Up (originally aired on CBS on November 16, 1950). Then, it's "To Guard a Seal," from Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on February 5, 1950).

When it comes to hard-boiled crime fiction, fewer did wrote it better than Raymond Chandler. One of the titans of the genre, Chandler penned dozens of pulp stories before he introduced his signature character of private eye Philip Marlowe. We'll hear a pair of Marlowe's radio adventures starring Gerald Mohr – "The Baton Sinister" (originally aired on CBS on September 17, 1949) and "The Long Way Home" (originally aired on CBS on August 4, 1951). Then we'll hear "Pearls are a Nuisance," an adaptation of a Chandler short story and originally aired on Suspense (originally aired on CBS on April 19, 1945).

On July 12, 1946, Dashiell Hammett's famous private eye Sam Spade came to radio in what became one of the greatest detective shows of the era. With witty scripts and a dynamic lead performance from Howard Duff, the series thrilled listeners and kept a smile on their faces in a program that stands out from the crowd of hard-boiled gumshoes and cops. In honor of the seventieth anniversary of its radio debut, we'll hear four episodes of The Adventures of Sam Spade. Howard Duff stars in "Sam and Psyche" (originally aired on ABC on August 2, 1946); "The Rushlight Diamond Caper" (originally aired on CBS on July 4, 1948); and "The Dick Foley Caper" (originally aired on CBS on September 26, 1948). We'll also hear Stephen Dunne as Spade in "The Dog Bed Caper" (originally aired on NBC on December 1, 1950).

Staats Cotsworth is on the scene and on the job as Casey, Crime Photographer – ace cameraman and amateur sleuth. Casey gets the pictures of crime stories of the big city and he works to bring the criminals to justice. It's all in a day's work, and he's usually done in time to enjoy a drink at the Blue Note Café with his friends. We'll hear Casey in "The Red Raincoat" (originally aired on CBS on August 29, 1946) and "The Gentle Strangler" (originally aired on CBS on April 24, 1947).

Brilliant, handsome, and foppish, amateur sleuth Philo Vance went through some character makeovers as he jumped from the pages of S.S. Van Dine's detective novels to the big screen and later to radio. Jackson Beck played Vance as a nearly hard-boiled private eye, but his two earliest radio incarnations stuck a bit closer to the character from the source material. We'll hear two of Philo Vance's first on-air adventures. First, John Emery plays Vance in "The Case of the Cellini Cup" (originally aired on NBC on April 29, 1943). Then, Jose Ferrer is Philo in "The Case of the Strange Music" (originally aired on NBC on August 9, 1945).

A gifted mimic and dynamic actor, Jack Moyles was a key component of several classic radio shows. Whether he was in supporting roles or in the lead, Moyles brought an always engaging, entertaining presence to the microphone. In honor of his birthday, we'll salute Mr. Moyles on this week's episode of "Down These Mean Streets." First, we'll hear him as American ex-pat, club owner, and amateur sleuth Rocky Jordan in "The Nile Runs High" (originally aired on CBS on September 18, 1949). Then, Moyles is foreign correspondent O'Hara in "The Judas Face" (originally aired on CBS on July 22, 1951).

To an entire generation of fans, Basil Rathbone was Sherlock Holmes. On the big screen and on radio, Rathbone brought the master detective of Baker Street to life and left a lasting impression on the character. He became closely identified with the role - eventually to the point where he wanted to distance himself from Holmes' deerstalker. We'll hear Rathbone as Holmes in "The Manor House Case" (originally broadcast on Mutual on October 15, 1945) and as himself in the quirky mystery series Tales of Fatima in a story called "A Much Expected Murder" (originally aired on CBS on May 21, 1949).