Crackling Airwaves Old Time Radio

Diary of Fate was a mystery/thriller radio show that aired in the late 1940's on the ABC Network. In the show, the character called “Fate,” exposed ne'er-do-wells in a similar fashion as the Whistler or The Mysterious Traveler. They always meet their fate in the end. Herb Lytton played “Fate.”

The character, Jack Casey, AKA “Casey, Crime Photographer,” was created by George Harmon Coxe. The radio show aired from 1943 to 1955 with various incarnations on CBS. In Casey's capacity as a crime photographer, a crime scene snapshot often led Casey to play the amateur detective. The show starred Matt Crowley, Staats Cosworth, and John Gibson, among others.

The radio drama Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar debuted on CBS in 1948 with Dick Powell portraying the titular character. The series followed the thrilling adventures of Johnny Dollar, a freelance insurance investigator whose cases led him into solving a variety of intriguing crimes. Over the years, several actors took on the role, including Charles Russell, Edmond O’Brien, John Lund, Gerald Mohr, Bob...

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered on NBC in 1949. The roll of Richard Diamond, a wise cracking private eye, was played by Dick Powell with his best girl being Helen Asher, played by Virginia Gregg. The show moved to ABC in 1951, then in 1953 it moved to CBS.

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The Crime Club began on Mutual Broadcasting in 1946. The show featured tales of murder and mystery. Many of the episodes were adapted from the publication, “Crime Club,” which was published by Doubleday. The Librarian character was played by Barry Thompson and Raymond E. Johnson. The show ended in 1947, for a total run of 47 episodes.

This is Your FBI aired from 1945 to 1953. The show got the endorsement of J. Edgar Hoover and many times featured crimes that were well known at the time, told from the perspective of the agent working the case. The show featured Frank Lovejoy, William, Conrad, Betty White, and Herb Ellis to name a few.

Night Beat starred Frank Lovejoy as reporter Randy Stone who, in his need to get a story, met people who usually had some problem. Randy Stone got his story, which sometimes helped his new acquaintance and sometimes not. The show aired on NBS from 1950 to 1952. Supporting cast included: Parley Baer, William Conrad, Joan Banks, and Paul Frees, among others.

A master of disguise, Mr. Chameleon changes his appearance every episode to track down the murderer. This rare detective old time radio show featured the winning combination of murder, millionaires, and mayhem. The show starred Karl Swenson as Mr. Chameleon, with support from Frank Butler.

Indictment was a radio drama based on the cases of assistant district attorney Eleazer Lipsky of New York. The show followed the gathering of evidence to ultimately obtain an indictment for dramatic crimes. Indictment ran from 1956 to 1959 on the CBS Network. Nat Polen starred as Edward McCormick, assistant district attorney. Jack Arthur played Tom Russo, McCormick’s assistant.

The Chase is an exciting old time radio series in which every episode contains a chase. It may be an adventure story, a crime story, or even science fiction, but there will always be a chase. Many New York radio actors starred in The Chase, including Joe DeSantis, Mandel Kramer, Donald Buka, Staats Cotsworth, Jan Miner, and Virginia Payne.

Quiet, Please was a fantasy–horror radio drama created and written by Wyllis Cooper, with Ernest Chappell serving as both narrator and principal actor. The series premiered on June 8, 1947 on the Mutual Broadcasting System and later moved to ABC, where it aired until June 25, 1949. Over its run, it produced 106 episodes, most of them original stories. Though it received modest attention during its...

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered on NBC in 1949. The roll of Richard Diamond, a wise cracking private eye, was played by Dick Powell with his best girl being Helen Asher, played by Virginia Gregg. The show moved to ABC in 1951, then in 1953 it moved to CBS.

One of the premier drama programs of the Golden Age of Radio, was subtitled "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" and focused on suspense thriller-type scripts, usually featuring leading Hollywood actors of the era. Approximately 945 episodes were broadcast during its long run, and more than 900 still exist.

Diary of Fate was a mystery/thriller radio show that aired in the late 1940's on the ABC Network. In the show, the character called “Fate,” exposed ne'er-do-wells in a similar fashion as the Whistler or The Mysterious Traveler. They always meet their fate in the end. Herb Lytton played “Fate.”

John Steele, Adventurer was an exciting drama starring Don Douglas. The character of John Steele was a thrill seeker and found adventure while taking on jobs in exotic locations. It first aired on April 29, 1949 on the Mutual Broadcasting Network. Other cast members were John Larkin, Bryna Raeburn, and Jack Edwards.

The Falcon was a hard boiled drama that featured an American agent code named “Falcon,” though later episodes depict the Falcon as an insurance investigator. The show aired on the various networks from 1943 to 1953. The show originally starred Barry Kroeger, followed by James Meighan, Les Tremayne, George Petrie, and Les Damon.

A master of disguise, Mr. Chameleon changes his appearance every episode to track down the murderer. This rare detective old time radio show featured the winning combination of murder, millionaires, and mayhem. The show starred Karl Swenson as Mr. Chameleon, with support from Frank Butler.

The Crime Club began on Mutual Broadcasting in 1946. The show featured tales of murder and mystery. Many of the episodes were adapted from the publication, “Crime Club,” which was published by Doubleday. The Librarian character was played by Barry Thompson and Raymond E. Johnson. The show ended in 1947, for a total run of 47 episodes.

The Man Called X was an espionage radio drama which aired on CBS and NBC from July 10, 1944 to May 20, 1952. Herbert Marshall had played agent Ken Thurston who was called to take on dangerous cases in a variety of exotic locations. The cast included Leon Belasco, Joan Banks, and Peter Leeds.

The radio drama Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar debuted on CBS in 1948 with Dick Powell portraying the titular character. The series followed the thrilling adventures of Johnny Dollar, a freelance insurance investigator whose cases led him into solving a variety of intriguing crimes. Over the years, several actors took on the role, including Charles Russell, Edmond O’Brien, John Lund, Gerald Mohr, Bob...

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered on NBC in 1949. The roll of Richard Diamond, a wise cracking private eye, was played by Dick Powell with his best girl being Helen Asher, played by Virginia Gregg. The show moved to ABC in 1951, then in 1953 it moved to CBS.

The Crime Club began on Mutual Broadcasting in 1946. The show featured tales of murder and mystery. Many of the episodes were adapted from the publication, “Crime Club,” which was published by Doubleday. The Librarian character was played by Barry Thompson and Raymond E. Johnson. The show ended in 1947, for a total run of 47 episodes.

Philo Vance was the fictitious detective created by S. S. Van Dine, which was first published in the mid 1920s. The Radio show starred Jose Ferrer, in the 1945 run, John Emery in the 1946 run, and the final run from 1948 to 1950 starred Jackson Beck, with Joan Alexander as Vance's secretary. George Petrie played the impressionable District Attorney Markham.

The radio drama Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar debuted on CBS in 1948 with Dick Powell portraying the titular character. The series followed the thrilling adventures of Johnny Dollar, a freelance insurance investigator whose cases led him into solving a variety of intriguing crimes. Over the years, several actors took on the role, including Charles Russell, Edmond O’Brien, John Lund, Gerald Mohr, Bob...