Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Philip Marlowe made his way from the pen of Raymond Chandler to the big screen and then to radio in some of the best private eye crime drama of the era. In honor of Chandler's birthday, we'll hear his legendary shamus in two radio mysteries voiced by Gerald Mohr. First, Marlowe tackles the case of "The Eager Witness" (originally aired on CBS on August 27, 1949), and then "The Deep Shadow" (originally aired on CBS on March 21, 1950).

Long before Dragnet, Gang Busters brought true crime to radio. Over its two decade run, the series presented stories of dangerous criminals and the determined police officers who brought them to justice. Producer Phillips H. Lord pulled cases from state and local law enforcement agencies and presented them in one of radio's most down to earth crime dramas. Its memorable introduction - with the wail of sirens and a hail of bullets - gave rise to the expression "coming on like Gang Busters." We'll hear "The Case of the Incorrigible Killer," first aired on ABC on October 9, 1948.

William Gargan wasn't a great private eye in real life, but he played a mean one on radio. Years after he supported himself checking credit and shadowing suspects, Gargan starred as several radio detectives including Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator. We'll hear the actor as Craig in "The Lost Lady" (originally aired on NBC on June 14, 1953) and "Ghosts Don't Die in Bed" (originally aired on NBC on September 7, 1954).

Nick and Nora Charles - Dashiell Hammett's husband and wife detective duo from The Thin Man - charmed readers and later moviegoers with their flirtatious and funny approach to cracking a case of murder. In 1941, Nick and Nora moved radio in The Adventures of The Thin Man. This blend of comedic banter and crime-solving was a long-running hit with listeners, and it ran on radio for nearly a decade. We'll hear Les Damon as Nick and Claudia Morgan as Nora in "The Case of the Wandering Corpse," originally aired on CBS on October 10, 1943.

One of radio's men of a thousand voices, Paul Frees was heard all over the dial during the Golden Age of Radio, as Boris Badenov on television, and as the ghostly host at Disney's Haunted Mansion. In honor of this versatile, talented actor's birthday, we'll hear him in two episodes as The Green Lama, the pulp hero who came to the airwaves in his own detective series. Frees stars as the Lama, aka Jethro Dumont, in "The Million Dollar Chopsticks" (originally aired on CBS on June 26, 1949) and "The Adventure of the Perfect Prisoner" (originally aired on CBS on August 21, 1949).

Reformed jewel thief Boston Blackie was a debonair detective in his years on radio. Along with his girlfriend Mary Wesley and sidekick Shorty, Blackie used his underworld know-how to catch more unscrupulous thieves and scoundrels. Racing against Blackie to crack the case first was Inspector Farraday of the police, always unsure of Blackie's conversion to the side of law and order. To celebrate the anniversary of his radio debut, we'll hear him in a pair of radio mysteries: "The Star of the Nile" starring Chester Morris (originally aired on NBC on July 14, 1944), and "Blackie Steals a Necklace for Charity," a syndicated episode starring Richard Kollmar.

When Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar came back to the airwaves in 1955 after a brief hiatus, it was reenergized by a new nightly serialized format and a new star in Bob Bailey. Bailey made the role of "the man with the action-packed expense account" his own in rich, complex scripts that could play out five nights a week in a combined hour of airtime. We'll hear Bailey as Dollar in all five parts of "The Laughing Matter" (first aired on CBS from June 11 to June 15, 1956).

Jack Webb is back as Sgt. Joe Friday in a two-part episode of Dragnet. Join Friday and his partner Frank Smith (Ben Alexander) as they pursue criminals and try and keep the streets of Los Angeles safe in this king-sized story from official police files. We'll hear "The Big Mask" (Part 1 originally aired on NBC on December 28, 1952; Part 2 originally aired on January 4, 1953).

Dashiell Hammett is widely regarded as the father of the hard-boiled school of crime fiction. After his days as a Pinkerton detective, he turned to writing mysteries, and he gave the genre some of its best loved stories, including The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man, and The Dain Curse. In honor of his birthday, we'll hear radio adventures of two of his private eyes - Brad Runyon, aka The Fat Man, in "Murder Plays Hide and Seek" (originally aired on ABC on January 2, 1948); and Sam Spade in "The Lawless Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 29, 1948).

Join Orson Welles as he leads you on a guided tour of The Black Museum, Scotland Yard's mausoleum of murder. In each episode of this syndicated series, Welles tells the story of a seemingly innocuous object that was inexorably tied to a violent crime. Follow the story from the perpetrator's flight from the scene of the crime to the dogged police work of Scotland Yard as they close in on the guilty party. We'll hear Welles narrate the syndicated story "The Telegram."

Step into the shoes of the criminal in The Whistler, one of radio's best mystery anthologies. In tales narrated by the titular sinister storyteller, you'll follow the culprit as they plot and carry out the perfect crime only to be undone by a twist of fate before the curtain comes down. As the Whistler, Bill Forman narrates stories starring two radio detective stars in roles on the opposite side of the law: Howard Duff in "The Witness at the Fountain" (first aired on CBS on September, 9, 1946); and Gerald Mohr as "The Clever Mr. Farley" (first aired on CBS on November 27, 1949).

In 1952, John Lund became radio's third Johnny Dollar, and he starred as "the man with the action-packed expense account" for almost 100 episodes in a two-year run. The big-screen star brought a confident, leading man quality to the role and gave Dollar a hard-boiled but world-weary persona. We'll hear John Lund as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in "The Walter Patterson Matter," originally aired on CBS on December 26, 1952.

We head back to London for another mystery from Scotland Yard and a dangerous, relentless Pursuit. This series let listeners join in on the game of cat and mouse between cop and criminal – "when man hunts man." Ben Wright stars as the dogged Inspector Peter Black, hot on the heels of England's most dastardly criminals. We'll hear him on the job in "Pursuit of the Asiatic Killer," first aired on CBS on March 11, 1952.

Dick Powell lends his pipes to the role of Richard Diamond, radio's singing detective. But don't let his post-crime solving crooning fool you - he can throw a punch and wield a .38 with the best of them. Along the way, he'll flirt with his girlfriend and frustrate the police a few times before the case is wrapped up. We'll hear him star in "The Bloody Hat Case" (first aired on NBC on July 2, 1949) and "The Caspary Case" (first aired on ABC on February 2, 1951).

CBS wanted a "Philip Marlowe of the Old West," and they got that and more in Gunsmoke. One of radio's finest dramas, Gunsmoke helped to usher in the era of the "adult Western" with mature scripts, unflinching realism, and legendary performances from William Conrad and the rest of the cast. For nearly a decade on radio - and twenty years on television - US Marshal Matt Dillon faced down the violence of the West to keep the streets of Dodge City safe. We'll hear Dillon fight for law and order in "Shakespeare," first aired on CBS on August 23, 1952.

In honor of the late Stan Freberg, "Down These Mean Streets" presents a bonus episode showcasing some of the radio work of this legendary comedian. First, he presents "An Analysis of Satire" – featuring several of his signature routines – on The CBS Radio Workshop (originally aired on August 31, 1956). Then, Freberg takes a dramatic starring turn in "Alibi Me" from Suspense (an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of an episode from April 20, 1958).

J. Edgar Hoover's FBI agents captured headlines with their daring pursuits of bank robbers and enemy spies, and their exploits made for thrilling radio adventures. Several radio programs brought the cases of the Bureau to listeners and featured dramatizations of actual FBI case files. We'll hear special agents on the job in "The Traveling Man" from The FBI in Peace and War (originally aired on CBS on June 10, 1953), and "The Hollywood Frame-Up" from This is Your FBI (originally aired on ABC on February 10, 1950).

Before he protected the innocent on Dragnet, Jack Webb made a name for himself in a pair of hard-boiled detective dramas. The characters he played were miles away from the straight arrow Sgt. Joe Friday. They were down-on-their-heels working stiffs out for a buck and usually getting cheated out of it, working their way through cases full of deceitful dames, angry gunsels, and impatient cops. We'll hear Webb as Pat Novak For Hire in "Reuben Calloway's Pictures" (originally aired on ABC on March 13, 1949) and as Jeff Regan, Investigator in "The Man with the Key" (originally aired on CBS on October 2, 1948).

In 1944, Michael Shayne came to radio. Brett Halliday's red-headed shamus had thrilled readers and moviegoers, and Wally Maher was tapped to bring the character to the airwaves. Maher starred as Shayne (with Cathy Lewis as Shayne's secretary Phyllis Knight) for the next three years. Maher's Shayne was cocky and glib, and he liked to use his brains instead of his brawn to crack a case. We'll hear him in "The Return to Huxley College," originally aired on Mutual on November 5, 1946.

The radio success of Mr. and Mrs. North convinced CBS to bring the adventures of the crime-solving couple to television. Richard Denning and Barbara Britton starred as Jerry and Pam and moved to take over the radio roles after a year on the small screen. Denning and Britton continued the program's trademark balance of crime with light comedy simultaneously over radio and on television. We'll hear the Norths in "The Comic," an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of an episode originally aired on CBS on July 7, 1953.

Hercule Poirot, the diminutive, eccentric, and brilliant Belgian detective, has thrilled mystery fans since his first appearances in the novels of Agatha Christie. In 1945, he came to American radio in a series that boasted an introduction by Christie herself. Harold Huber starred as the mustachioed master of deduction in Agatha Christie's Poirot, and he was perfect as the fastidious investigator. We'll hear him in "The Case of the Careless Victim," originally aired on Mutual on February 22, 1945.

We raise a glass to Mickey Spillane, the hard-boiled wordsmith born March 9, 1918. Spillane introduced the world to Mike Hammer, one of fiction's toughest gumshoes, in 1947, and detective fiction was never the same. The unique blend of sex and violence, powered by Spillane's terse prose, enthralled readers and led to adaptations on television, the big screen, and on radio. We'll hear Larry Haines as Mike Hammer in That Hammer Guy in "There's Something About a Dame" (first aired on Mutual on March 31, 1953) and "What You Don't Know About Dames" (first aired on Mutual on April 28, 1953).

Craig Rice's crafty criminal lawyer John J. Malone, a wisecracking counsellor at law, sprang from the pages of mystery novels to radio in The Amazing Mr. Malone. Malone takes tough cases in Chicago, where he does his own leg work to clear his wrongfully accused clients. He's more of a Paul Drake than a Perry Mason in the way he tackles his cases. We'll hear George Petrie star as Malone in "Hard Work Never Killed Anyone," originally aired on NBC on June 1, 1951.

"Down These Mean Streets" marks its one hundredth episode with a king-sized, extra-large podcast starring four old time radio detectives. First, Alan Ladd is Dan Holiday in "Find Me, Find Death" from Box 13. Then, Dick Powell croons his way through a crime as Richard Diamond, Private Detective in "Lady in Distress" (originally aired on ABC on February 23, 1951). Howard Duff bats third as Sam Spade in "The Hot Hundred Grand Caper" (originally aired on CBS on September 19, 1948). Finally, Gerald Mohr is Philip Marlowe in "The Soft Spot" (originally aired on September 1, 1950). All that, plus find out who won our one hundredth episode contest!

For fourteen films and hundreds of radio episodes, Nigel Bruce brought the most famous sidekick in detective fiction to life. As Dr. John H. Watson, Bruce gave an avuncular charm and character to Sherlock Holmes' friend and biographer. We'll hear him co-starring with Basil Rathbone in "The Amateur Mendicant Society" (originally aired on Mutual on April 2, 1945); and with Tom Conway in "The Singular Affair of the Dying Schoolboys" (originally aired on ABC on November 9, 1946).

Charles Russell stars as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in one of the earliest adventures of "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator." Russell, a 20th Century Fox contract player, portrayed Dollar in the show's first year on the air and introduced listeners to a glib, tough gumshoe who was a genius at closing cases and padding his expense account. We'll hear him in "The Robert Perry Case," originally aired on CBS on March 4, 1949.

Sixty-five years ago this week, radio listeners met Randy Stone, the intrepid Chicago reporter of Night Beat. Every night, Randy (played by Frank Lovejoy) wanders the streets of the Windy City in search of stories for his column, and he finds dangerous and desperate people and gets involved in their trials and tribulations. We'll hear "Zero," the show's premiere episode (originally aired on NBC on February 6, 1950); and "Tong War" (originally aired on NBC on April 17, 1950).

By day, Britt Reid is the crusading publisher of the Daily Sentinel newspaper. By night, he dons a mask and continues his battle against crime and corruption as The Green Hornet. Aided by his valet Kato, Reid wages a war against graft, even as the police think he's just as dangerous as the underworld he battles. The Green Hornet was one of radio's most popular masked crime-fighters, and his exploits came to the big and small screens. We'll hear Al Hodge as the Hornet in "The Corpse That Wasn't There," originally aired on the Blue Network on March 7, 1943.

Big screen villain Dan Duryea takes a heroic turn as Lt. Lou Dana, The Man from Homicide. Dana is a hard-boiled cop who shoots straight and throws a mean punch. His outlook on his job is summed up with his mantra: "I don't like killers." This short-lived series blends the two-fisted pulp persona of a private eye with the dogged cops of police procedurals. We'll hear Duryea as Dana in "The Franklin Kelso Case," originally aired on ABC on July 16, 1951.

Dana Andrews is undercover for Uncle Sam in I Was a Communist for the FBI. Based on the real-life exploits of Communist infiltrator Matt Cvetic, the syndicated series presented espionage dramas of Reds on the homefront and the efforts of the G-men to thwart their nefarious plans. Cvetic's story was adapted for the big screen in an Oscar-winning film and then on radio in this syndicated drama. We'll hear Matt Cvetic on the case in "Treason Comes in Cans."

Sinners beware - The Saint is on the case! Vincent Price stars as Simon Templar, "the Robin Hood of modern crime" in two radio mysteries. Leslie Charteris' gentleman detective had thrilled fans in print and on the big screen by the time he came to radio in January 1946. We'll hear "The Corpse Said Ouch" (first aired on NBC on August 6, 1950) and "Simon Takes a Curtain Call" (first aired on NBC on January 14, 1951).

It's time to deck the halls with three radio detectives in the "Down These Mean Streets" holiday special. First, Frank Sinatra is Rocky Fortune in "The Plot to Murder Santa Claus" (first aired on NBC on December 22, 1953). Then, Ranger Jayce Pearson (Joel McCrea) finds a "Christmas Present" on Tales of the Texas Rangers (first aired on NBC on December 24, 1950). Finally, Sgt. Joe Friday (Jack Webb) is on the hunt for "The Big Little Jesus" in Dragnet (first aired on NBC on December 22, 1953).

For nearly two decades and in almost 1,700 episodes on radio, kindly old Mr. Keen searched for the missing and pursued the guilty. The grandfatherly gumshoe (played by Bennett Kilpack) and his assistant Mike Clancy (Jim Kelly) are on another adventure of mystery and murder in "The Case of the Absent Minded Professor," first aired on CBS on March 15, 1945.

Sydney Greenstreet settles into the armchair of Nero Wolfe, Rex Stout's gargantuan gourmet and irascible (but brilliant) detective. Wolfe will tackle a case only when his bank account demands it, and even then he farms out the fact-finding to his leg man, Archie Goodwin. Greenstreet stars in two radio mysteries: "The Case of the Impolite Corpse," with Larry Dobkin as Goodwin (originally aired on NBC on December 8, 1950); and "The Case of the Party for Death," featuring Harry Bartell as Archie (originally aired on NBC on February 16, 1951).

Howard Duff was one of radio's brightest stars until the blacklist and "Red scare" paranoia derailed his career. Today, he's fondly remembered as the definitive voice of Sam Spade with the perfect blend of tough guy delivery and wry humor. We'll hear Duff as Spade in "The Death Bed Caper," originally aired on CBS on June 20, 1948. Then, he stars as Mike McCoy, a private eye cut from the Spade cloth in the 1951 audition program for The McCoy.

Just in time for the turkey, we've got Thanksgiving-themed adventures of two old time radio detectives. First, Jack Webb stars as Jeff Regan, Investigator in "The Pilgrim's Progress," first aired on CBS on November 20, 1948. Then, Bob Bailey headlines "Cause for Thanksgiving" from Let George Do It, originally aired on CBS on November 20, 1950.

In 1958, CBS launched a radio version of its hit western television series Have Gun - Will Travel. The radio program was one of the last great dramas of the Golden Age of Radio. John Dehner assumed the role of Paladin, the West Point-educated hired gun, a gunman for hire who would take on dangerous jobs for the right price. This blend of western adventure and private eye mystery was just as engaging as its television brother. We'll hear Paladin in "Strange Vendetta," originally aired on CBS on November 23, 1958.

Damon Runyon remains one of America's unique storytellers. His tales of 1920s New York have a language and style all their own, and his colorful characters include gangsters, gamblers, and average guys down on their luck. Runyon's distinct voice came to radio in The Damon Runyon Theater, a series produced by Alan Ladd. We'll hear John Brown star in "What, No Butler?" from the syndicated series.

Dick Powell transformed his career with his dynamic performance as Philip Marlowe and he left his days as a baby-faced crooner behind. To celebrate his birthday, we'll hear Powell in two of his performances as hard-boiled but glib gumshoes. First he stars as Richard Rogue in "Lady with a Gun" from Rogue's Gallery, originally aired on NBC on June 30, 1946. Then, Powell plays Richard Diamond, Private Detective in "The Martha Campbell Kidnap Case," originally aired on NBC on July 26, 1950.

As mystery writer Barton Drake describes it, Mystery is My Hobby. The novelist is tops at dreaming up murder plots, and he's not bad at solving real life crimes, either. Along with Inspector Danton of the police, Drake uses his "book smarts" to catch killers. Glenn Langan stars as Drake in this series that originally aired on Mutual before it was repackaged for syndication. We'll hear the syndicated episode "The John Crain Murder."

Turn down the lights and enjoy a bonus episode just in time for Halloween. Two chilling stories from Suspense, "radio's outstanding theater of thrills," should help to get you in the trick-or-treating spirit. First, Orson Welles' cross-country trip is hindered by "The Hitchhiker," originally aired on CBS on September 2, 1942. Then, Ray Bradbury's eerie story comes to radio life in "Zero Hour," originally aired on April 5, 1955.

Big-screen tough guy Brian Donlevy stars as government agent Steve Mitchell in Dangerous Assignment. Mitchell is dispatched all around the world, and with each stamp of his passport he lands neck-deep in danger. This popular espionage adventure series aired for several years on radio and spawned a television series also starring Donlevy. We'll hear "Find 100,000 Missing Barrels of Oil," originally aired on NBC on May 17, 1950.

On October 20, 1930, Sherlock Holmes made his debut as a radio detective. In honor of his on-the-air anniversary, we'll hear the master sleuth (and his companion Dr. Watson) in two radio mysteries. John Stanley is Holmes and Alfred Shirley is Watson in "The Laughing Lemur of Hightower Heath" (originally aired on Mutual on October 26, 1947) and "The Case of the Sudden Senility" (originally aired on January 11, 1948).

Natalie Masters is back as San Francisco's loveliest private investigator, Candy Matson. One of radio's most famous girl detectives, Candy cracks cases with the best of them. She may flirt rather than fight with her foil on the police department, but Candy is just as sharp and quick with a quip as Spade or Marlowe. We'll hear her in "The Devil in the Deep Freeze" (first aired on NBC on September 30, 1949) and "NC9-8012" (first aired on December 27, 1949).

The police officers of the 21st Precinct keep their slice of New York City safe, and they're overseen in their jobs by Captain Frank Kennelly, "the boss." Everett Sloane stars as Kennelly in one of radio's last great police procedural dramas. Answer the call and ride along with the squad in "The Brother," originally aired on CBS on April 14, 1954.

Conceived as a replacement for Charlie Chan, John P. Marquand's Mr. Moto thrilled readers before jumping to the big screen in a popular series of movies starring Peter Lorre. The adventures of the Japanese secret agent came to radio in 1951 in Mr. I.A. Moto starring James Monks in new international exploits of the diminutive detective. We'll hear Mr. Moto tackle the mystery of "The Crooked Log," first broadcast on NBC on September 30, 1951.

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall bring their white-hot chemistry to radio in Bold Venture. Bogie and Bacall riff on their To Have and Have Not characters as Havana charter boat captain Slate Shannon and his young ward and sidekick "Sailor" Duval. Together, Slate and Sailor flirt, banter, and fight to stay out of trouble in the tropics. However, there's usually a healthy dose of danger coming their way. We'll hear two of their syndicated adventures: "We Want Cary Martin," and "Slate Gets the Hook."

Russian-born British actor Tom Conway thrilled audiences on screen as The Falcon, and his crime-solving career extended to radio as star of two popular radio detective series. In this episode, we'll hear him take center stage as Sherlock Holmes (with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson) in "The Strange Death of Mrs. Abernetty" (originally aired on ABC on November 30, 1946) and as The Saint in "Satan's Angels" (originally aired on July 8, 1951).

Edmond O'Brien is back, bringing his intensity to the action-packed expense account of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. As a birthday tribute to the Oscar winner, we present two episodes from his run as America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. First, it's "The London Matter" (originally aired on CBS on June 22, 1950), and then we'll hear "The Joan Sebastian Matter" (originally aired on October 28, 1950).

Mickey Spillane's hard-boiled private eye Mike Hammer dispensed justice with a blast or two from his .45 in some of the genre's hardest, most violent mysteries. Hammer's adventures sold millions of copies in print and thrilled and titillated audiences in films, on television, and - from 1952 to 1954 - on radio in That Hammer Guy. Larry Haines stars as Mike in "Sophisticated Lady," originally aired on Mutual on April 7, 1953.