Crackling Airwaves Old Time Radio

Sky King was an American radio adventure series that aired from 1946 to 1954. The show starred Earl Nightingale as Schuyler "Sky" King, a heroic rancher and pilot who used his airplane to thwart criminals, rescue people in distress, and solve mysteries. The program was set in the fictional Flying Crown Ranch in Arizona, where Sky lived with his niece, Penny King, and nephew, Clipper. The...

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.

This series began in 1947 as Murder and Mr. Malone on ABC. Mr. Malone “fiction’s most famous criminal lawyer” was originally played by Frank Lovejoy. Mr. Malone solved varied and unique murders every week. The series underwent several name changes to eventually end its run as The Amazing Mr. Malone. Other who played the title role were Gene Raymond, and George Petrie.

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.

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.

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.

Obsession was based on the premise that one's own obsessions can be dark and could lead one to a terrible end. It was produced by C. P. McGregor for WBBM Chicago. It ran from October 1950 to May 1952. Featured stars included Vincent Price, William Gargan, Miriam Hopkins, and Ruth Warrick, among others. The show certainly wasn't up to the standards of mystery dramas like “Suspense,” but it is well...

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.

Sky King was an American radio adventure series that aired from 1946 to 1954. The show starred Earl Nightingale as Schuyler "Sky" King, a heroic rancher and pilot who used his airplane to thwart criminals, rescue people in distress, and solve mysteries. The program was set in the fictional Flying Crown Ranch in Arizona, where Sky lived with his niece, Penny King, and nephew, Clipper. The...

The Adventures of the Abbotts was a revival of the show Abbott Mysteries. The new show aired from 1954 to 1955 on NBC, and starred Les Damon and Claudia Morgan. The earlier program, Abbott Mysteries was a comedy detective show, in the same vein as Mr. and Mrs. North. The show ran from 1945 until 1947 on Mutual. Julie Steven and Charles Webster played the Abbotts, the murder solving married couple...

Damon Runyon Theater was broadcast on radio in the late 1940s. Actor John Brown had the role of Broadway, the narrator, and portrayed a leading character in each episode. Russell Hughes adapted Runyon's stories. The cast included Anne Whitfield as Little Miss Marker, Gerald Mohr as Sorrowful Jones, William Conrad as Dave the Dude. Others included; Joe DuVal, Willard Waterman, Luis Van Rooten,...

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.

Night Editor premiered on station KPO on September 12, 1934 and ran until 1948 and was sponsored by Edwards Coffee. All characters in Night Editor were played by Hal Burdick. The show didn't follow a particular genre, but could include tales of war, adventure, crime, and even ghost stories.

Pursuit was a suspense/detective drama that ran from 1949 to 1952. The show, which ran on CBS, featured Peter Black, a detective with Scotland Yard who relentlessly pursued criminals who faded into the shadows after their crimes. The character Peter Black, was played by three actors over the course of its broadcast life: Ted de Corsia, John Dehner, and Ben Wright, with support from Bill Johnstone,...

Obsession was based on the premise that one's own obsessions can be dark and could lead one to a terrible end. It was produced by C. P. McGregor for WBBM Chicago. It ran from October 1950 to May 1952. Featured stars included Vincent Price, William Gargan, Miriam Hopkins, and Ruth Warrick, among others. The show certainly wasn't up to the standards of mystery dramas like “Suspense,” but it...

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Adventures of Frank Merriwell began as a 15 serial on NBC. It's first incarnation ran from March 26, 1934 to June 22, 1934 and starred Donald Briggs. The show returned to NBC radio on October 5, 1946. This time as a 30 minute show which starred Lawson Zerbe as Merriwell, a crime fighting student of Yale University. Supporting cast includes, Elaine Rostas, Harold Studer, and Patricia Hosley.

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.

Hollywood Mystery Time was a detective melodrama that ran from 1944 to 1945, originally on CBS then on ABC. The main character, Jim Laughton was a Hollywood mystery producer who moonlighted as an amateur sleuth. The cast included Carleton Young, and Gloria Blondell, then Dennis O'Keefe, and Constance Moore.

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.

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.