Crackling Airwaves Old Time Radio

Philip H. Lord helped create the show, Mr. District Attorney, which aired on NBC and ABC from 1939 to 1952. Mr. District Attorney cracked down on lawlessness like cons, murders, and kidnapping. The leading role was played by Dwight Weist, Raymond Edward Johnson, Jay Jostlyn, and David Brian. Vicki Viola was his secretary Edith Miller.

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.

In an attempt to compete with the success of Dragnet, The Lineup featured realistic police situations. While the shows were fictional, they seemed realistic. Bill Johnstone played Lt. Ben Guthrie. The Lineup ran from 1950 to 1953 on CBS.

The Molle Mystery Theater was first broadcast on September 7, 1943 on NBC. It featured mystery plays from writers like Edgar Allen Poe to Raymond Chandler, with shocking twists as its trademark. The cast included Bernard Lendrow, Richard Widmark, Frank Lovejoy, and Anne Seymour.

This is Our Enemy was a propaganda show sponsored by the Office of War Information. It was broadcast on Mutual from 1942 to 1943. The show was intended to educate the public on the dangers of fascism. The show was well produced and was an interesting part of history; perhaps eternally relevant.

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.

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.

Counterspy first aired in 1942 on the NBC Blue radio station, and it's final seasons aired on Mutual Radio from 1953 to 1957. The original plots were counter-espionage in nature, while the post war plots involved a fight almost any kind of crime. Cast: Don McLaughlin as David Harding, Mandel Kramer as Peters.

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.

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...

This is Our Enemy was a propaganda show sponsored by the Office of War Information. It was broadcast on Mutual from 1942 to 1943. The show was intended to educate the public on the dangers of fascism. The show was well produced and was an interesting part of history; perhaps eternally relevant.

The Molle Mystery Theater was first broadcast on September 7, 1943 on NBC. It featured mystery plays from writers like Edgar Allen Poe to Raymond Chandler, with shocking twists as its trademark. The cast included Bernard Lendrow, Richard Widmark, Frank Lovejoy, and Anne Seymour.

Our Miss Brooks starred Eve Arden, as a school teacher atMadison High School. The show had a long run from 1948 to 1957 on CBS. The show was a comedy with Miss Brooks exchanging witty banter with other characters in the show, and typically unlucky in love. Other stars were Ann Whitfield, and Jeff Chandler.

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.

Dangerously Yours began its radio run in 1944. The show starred Victor Jory in the leading role. The show featured adventures about espionage, pirates, and romance. The show was sponsored by Vicks nose drops and vapor rubs.

Nightwatch took the listeners for a prowl car ride along with the Culver City, California Police Department. The show was created and hosted by Donn Reid. The host narrated while he rode along with the police on various calls, which could include burglaries, attempted murders, and tracking down escapees. The show was a predecessor to today's “reality” shows, but better. The show ran from 1954...

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.

Strange was a radio show that appeared in the mid 1950's. As the title suggests, the show featured stories that are strange, spooky, and paranormal. Veteran radio actor Lawson Zerbe frequently appeared on the show. The writer, director, and narrator was Walter Gibson.

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.

A 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.

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.

Destination Freedom was created by journalist Richard Durham and originally aired on June 27 1948 on Chicago's WMAQ. The show was unique in that it showcased the African American experience. Durham wrote scripts without compensation with the vision to reverse negative stereotypes African Americans faced.

Adventure Ahead was a 1944 radio show that featured, as the title suggests, adventure stories from great fiction writers. The show was intended to appeal to a juvenile audience, primarily boys. The well produced show aired on NBC and featured shows written by Daniel Defoe, Stephen Vincent Benet, Waldo Fleming among others.