Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

The comic strip adventures of Chester Gould's two-fisted super cop Dick Tracy thrilled readers across the country, and the detective soon made the leap to the big screen and to radio. Ned Wever stars as Tracy, a cop equally skilled in the crime lab and on the shooting range, in the serialized adventure "The Black Pearl of Osiris" (originally aired on Mutual between February 8 and February 25, 1938...

After a few weeks of quarantine and social distancing, I could use a few laughs and I bet you could too. So enjoy a midweek comedy break with two of the radio era's funniest shows. Listen as Jack Benny opens a new season of his program (originally aired on NBC on September 29, 1946). Then, as Our Miss Brooks , Eve Arden tries to steer clear of Mr. Conklin's "carelessness code" (originally aired on...

From 1955 until 1960, Bob Bailey starred as Johnny Dollar - "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" - and gave radio one of its all-time great detectives. Bailey first played the gumshoe in a series of five-part nightly serials before the series reverted to a weekly 30 minute format for the rest of its run. We'll hear him in all five installments of "The Plantagenet Matter" (original...

Dana Andrews starred in the sensational spawn of Red Scare paranoia  I Was a Communist for the FBI . Loosely inspired by the real-life exploits of undercover operative Matt Cvetic, the series pit Andrews against dastardly Russian forces working to topple the US of A. We'll hear three of his radio adventures: "A Riot Made to Order," "Hate Song," and "Fifteen Minutes to Murder."

We're back in Los Angeles for the grandfather of all police procedurals -  Dragnet . Jack Webb is Sgt. Joe Friday and Barton Yarborough is Sgt. Ben Romero in two cop dramas on the streets of the City of Angels - "The Big Bomb" (originally aired on NBC on July 13, 1950) and "The Big Couple" (originally aired on February 22, 1951).

Big screen western star Joel McCrea uses old cowboy tricks and modern forensic science to track down crooks in  Tales of the Texas Rangers . The series pulled cases from the files of the legendary lawmen and dramatized the thrilling pursuit of justice all across the Lone Star State. We'll hear McCrea as Ranger Jayce Pearson in "Soft Touch" (originally aired on October 15, 1950) and "Dead Head Frei...

In "A Scandal in Bohemia," Arthur Conan Doyle gave Sherlock Holmes an adversary who matched the Great Detective's cunning - actress, singer, and blackmailer Irene Adler. She became one of the most popular and intriguing characters in the Holmes canon, and she continues to appear in adaptations and derivative works. We'll hear Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson in a radio adaptatio...

Globetrotting and intrigue are all part of a day's work for Frank Race. The OSS spy turned insurance investigator traveled the world and cracked the toughest cases in this syndicated radio detective series. We'll hear Tom Collins and Paul Dubov starring as Race in "The Istanbul Adventure," "The Adventure of the Garrulous Bartender," and "The Adventure of the House Divided."

Celebrate Valentine's Day with two old time radio adventures of George Valentine as he invites clients facing danger to  Let George Do It . Bob Bailey is George with Frances Robinson as his loyal secretary Brooksie in "The Seven Dead Years" (originally aired on the Mutual-Don Lee network on September 25, 1948) and "Mayhem by Experts" (originally aired on the Mutual-Don Lee network on January 31, 1...

With the Academy Awards right around the corner, we've got a bonus episode featuring three radio detectives who took home Oscars. First, Rex Harrison stars in "Worth More Than Its Weight in Murder" from The Private Files of Rex Saunders (originally aired on NBC on July 25, 1951). Then, Frank Sinatra is Rocky Fortune in "The Catskills Cover-up" (originally aired on NBC on February 9, 1954). Finally...

When the Windy City goes to sleep, Randy Stone goes to work. Frank Lovejoy stars as the intrepid reporter in  Night Beat . We'll join him on two nocturnal sojourns as he searches for the right story for his column and for people in need of help. We'll hear "The Night is a Weapon" (originally aired on NBC on February 13, 1950) and "Marty" (originally aired on NBC on July 3, 1950).

In a great American city, Lt. Ben Guthrie and his men patrol the streets and grill the suspects under the cold, glaring lights of The Line-Up . Bill Johnstone stars as Guthrie, with support from Wally Maher and Jack Moyles in one of radio's greatest police dramas. We'll hear "Yudo in Ypsilanti" (originally aired on CBS on January 18, 1951); "The Senile Slugging Case" (originally aired on CBS on Fe...

We're celebrating the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe - the master of the macabre and the father of the modern detective story. Poe's super sleuth C. Auguste Dupin and his methods of solving crimes through logic and observation inspired a genre and directly led to the creation of Sherlock Holmes. We'll hear old time radio adaptations of the three Dupin mysteries: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" from ...

The adventures of  The Saint came to radio seventy-five years ago this month, and we're tipping our hats (and halos) to Simon Templar with a pair of his old time radio adventures. Vincent Price stars as "the Robin Hood of modern crime" in "The Frightened Author" (originally aired on NBC on July 23, 1950) and "Simon Carries the Ivy" (originally aired on NBC on April 1, 1951).

Master detective Ellery Queen returns in a special sixty-minute mystery from  The Ford Theatre . The cast consists of actors who starred in earlier versions of the  Ellery Queen  radio shows: Hugh Marlowe as Ellery, Charlotte Keane as Nikki Porter, Santos Ortega as Inspector Queen, and Ted de Corsia as Sgt. Velie. We'll hear them all in "The Adventure of the Bad Boy" (originally aired on NBC on Ja...

It's time to bid goodbye to 2019 and ring in 2020, and we've got a pair of old time radio New Year's Eve mysteries to close out the year. We'll hear Staats Cotsworth as Casey, Crime Photographer in "Hot New Year's Party" (originally aired on CBS on January 1, 1948). Then, Gerald Mohr and Betty Lou Gerson star in "The First Year" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on December 31, 1947).

Before you set cookies out for Santa, tune in for this bonus episode and a pair of old time radio Christmas comedies. First, Lucille Ball tries to figure out what she's getting under the tree in  My Favorite Husband (originally aired on CBS on December 16, 1949). Then, Eve Arden sends a letter to St. Nick as  Our Miss Brooks (originally aired on CBS on December 18, 1949).

We're decking the halls with Johnny Dollar. Bob Bailey stars as "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" in a five-part Christmas radio mystery. We'll hear the complete adventure of "The Nick Shurn Matter" (originally aired on CBS between December 19th and 23rd, 1955).

In a madcap musical comedy adventure, Bing Crosby is Dick Tracy, Dinah Shore is Tess Trueheart, and Bob Hope is Flat Top in "Dick Tracy in B-Flat." They're just the tip of the iceberg of an incredible cast assembled for the production on  Command Performance - a special series presented for the fighting men and women of the US Armed Forces. This silly song-filled take on Chester Gould's celebrated...

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall's chemistry sizzled on screen, and they brought their star power to radio in their own weekly dramatic series. Set in exotic Havana,  Bold Venture followed Slate Shannon (Bogart) and Sailor Duval (Lauren Bacall) as they found intrigue and adventure on the island and on the high seas. We'll hear a trio of radio episodes: "That Gun Will Kill You," "The Tabard of Piz...

Sydney Greenstreet stars as Nero Wolfe - Rex Stout's eccentric orchid fancier and gourmand who's also a brilliant detective. We'll hear Greenstreet - with Larry Dobkin as loyal assistant Archie Goodwin - in "The Case of the Beautiful Archer" (originally aired on NBC on November 24, 1950) and "The Case of the Girl Who Cried Wolfe" (originally aired on NBC on December 15, 1950).

Here's a side dish of old time radio comedy to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. In this bonus episode, we'll hear Turkey Day comedies starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, and Eve Arden. First, Bud and Lou host a fancy Thanksgiving dinner (originally aired on NBC on November 23, 1944) and then  Our Miss Brooks has a long list of guests and a very small bird to serve (originally aired on CBS on November...

Frank Sinatra takes a break from crooning to solve radio crimes as  Rocky Fortune . Each week, the "footloose and fancy-free young gentleman" takes a new job and finds himself up to his ears in trouble. We'll hear Sinatra in three mysteries: "Double Identity" (originally aired on NBC on October 13, 1953); "The Prize Fight Fix" (originally aired on December 29, 1953); and "Hollywood or Boom" (origi...

When Howard Duff stepped up to the microphone as Sam Spade, he brought the gumshoe to life as a tongue-in-cheek tough guy and delivered one of radio's best performances. We'll hear Duff in two adventures of Spade: "The Calcutta Trunk Caper" and "The Cheesecake Caper" (rebroadcasts from the AFRS). Plus, he plays a man on the wrong side of the law in "Four Hours to Kill" from The Philip Morris Playh...

In honor of Dick Powell's November 14th birthday, we'll hear the crooner turned big screen crimesolver in two old time radio mysteries. First, he's gumshoe Richard Rogue in "Special Added Attraction" from  Rogue's Gallery (originally aired on Mutual on January 31, 1946). Then, Powell stars as  Richard Diamond, Private Detective in "The Jerome J. Jerome Case" (originally aired on NBC on September 1...