Down These Mean Streets (old Time Radio Detectives)

Step right up for three old time radio mysteries set at the carnival. In between the games, rides, and shows, we'll find mayhem and murder on the midway. First, Vincent Price discovers the "buried alive woman" may be in serious trouble in "The Carnival Murder" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on February 4, 1951). Then, as Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Dick Powell is hired to protect a carnival star from a killer in "The Carnival" (originally aired on ABC on March 30, 1951). Finally, DeForest Kelley is a talent agent fascinated by a ventriloquist with a secret in "Flesh Peddler" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on August 4, 1957).

Who's trying to kill a celebrated photographer, and how is he connected to a governor, a gangster, and a ceremony at the frontier monument at Buffalo Hills? It's an adventure that begins in the Daily Planet newsroom and ends with an explosion on the side of a mountain and a last minute rescue. Superman flies into action in this exciting serial that originally aired between May 13 and May 24, 1940.

Three crimesolving couples take the stage this week, beginning with Pam and Jerry North who find a new mystery as soon as they get home from vacation. Joseph Curtin and Alice Frost star in "Wheel of Chance" from Mr. and Mrs. North (originally aired on CBS on June 9, 1953). Next, the Abbotts discover a new mystery on a voyage to London. Les Damon and Claudia Morgan play Pat and Jean in "The Dead-White Lifeboat," an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of The Adventures of the Abbotts. And finally, ex-cop turned private eye Johnny Duke and his wife Susan (aka "Duchess") have a case drop into their laps in the back of a taxi in "Two Can Die as Cheaply as One" - a story from the anthology series Murder by Experts (originally aired on Mutual on April 17, 1950).

Why are so many planes crashing at Bridger Field? It's a story for Clark Kent and a new adventure for the Man of Steel in this week's bonus Superman show! Kent and Jimmy Olsen are on the scene to investigate the series of disasters in these episodes that originally aired between April 29 and May 10, 1940.

It's summertime, but the living isn't easy for these radio detectives. All they want is a little vacation, but murder and mayhem pop up as uninvited guests and turn their getaways into cases. First, George Valentine hooks a corpse instead of a fish in "The Empress of Fish Falls" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on August 22, 1949). Then, Philip Marlowe is roped into solving a murder at a ranch in "The Dude from Manhattan" (originally aired on CBS on July 2, 1949). Finally, Barrie Craig is on a train to the mountains when he meets a beautiful woman and finds a dead body in "Death Buys a Bedroom" (originally aired on NBC on July 27, 1954).

Before he was getting into trouble on the George Reeves TV show, before he starred in his own comic book series - even before he appeared in the comics - Jimmy Olsen made his debut as a character on the Superman radio show.  His first appearance came in the storyline we'll hear today - an adventure that pits Superman against a protection racket shaking down the candy shop owned by Jimmy's mom. These episodes originally aired between April 15 and April 26, 1940).

Even on vacation, Johnny Dollar isn't far from mystery and murder. We'll hear Bob Bailey as "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The LaMarr Matter," a five-part adventure that originally aired on CBS between March 26 and March 30, 1956. Plus, we'll hear him as Johnny Dollar in "The Ideal Vacation Matter" (an AFRS rebroadcast of a show from September 22, 1957). Click here to listen to "The Jolly Roger Fraud," the five-part Johnny Dollar story that leads into "The LaMarr Matter."

Superman returns in this week's bonus episode! A brilliant scientist and explorer has disappeared, and Clark Kent joins the man's daughter as she investigates. The pair travel to the scientist's remote mansion, where they discover a priceless relic and come under attack from a secret society who will kill to get it back in these episodes that aired between April 1 and 12, 1940. Plus, we'll hear a bonus half-hour adventure of Superman - "The Case of Double Trouble" (originally aired on ABC on March 9, 1949).

June has historically meant weddings, and we're celebrating happy couples everywhere with three wedding-themed old time radio mysteries. First, Wally Maher is Michael Shayne who attends a wedding and discovers the father of the bride has been poisoned (originally aired on Mutual on May 14, 1945). Then, Dan Holiday poses for a picture with a woman and finds himself engaged to a $15 million fortune. Alan Ladd stars in "Look Pleasant, Please," a syndicated mystery from Box 13. And finally, Special Agent Jim Taylor (Stacy Harris) leads the hunt for a pair of swindlers running a marriage racket on sailors and soldiers. We'll hear "The Traveling Bride" from This is Your FBI (originally aired on November 9, 1951).

The Wolf and the Yellow Mask are back! The villains Superman battled in his first radio adventures return with a plot to hold an entire town for ransom. Fortunately, Lois Lane and Clark Kent are on the scene to cover the story, and the Man of Steel is on hand to tangle with this dangerous duo once again. This six-episode serial aired between March 18 and March 29, 1940.

We're setting sail with three old time radio detectives who find capers on cruise ships. First, Basil Rathbone tries to stop a shipboard poisoner in "Murder by Moonlight" from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (originally aired on Mutual on October 29, 1945). Then, Bob Bailey is undercover as a cruise athletic director to catch some smugglers in "Serenade to the Southern Star" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on June 13, 1949). And finally, Frank Sinatra is Rocky Fortune as he tries to clear his own name and solve "The Shipboard Jewel Robbery" (originally aired on NBC on October 20, 1953).

When Superman saves a woman from a burning building, it's only the start of a new adventure for the Man of Steel. His latest adversaries are a pair of swindlers who will kill to cover up their crimes. Frank Lovejoy makes an appearance in this Superman serial that originally aired between March 4 and 15, 1940.

Philip Marlowe came to radio in his own weekly series seventy-five years ago this month with Oscar-winner Van Heflin starring as Raymond Chandler's private eye. Though his run as Marlowe aired for only 13 weeks, it was a terrific series that featured adaptations of several of Chandler's own Marlowe stories - a rarity for radio detectives pulled from books. We'll celebrate the anniversary with all five of the show's surviving episodes: "Red Wind" (originally aired on NBC on June 17, 1947); "The Daring Young Dame on the Flying Trapeze" (July 1, 1947); "The King in Yellow" (July 8, 1947); "Trouble is My Business" (August 5, 1947); and "Robin and the Hood" (August 19, 1947).

In honor of Superman Day, we're going back to the Man of Steel's first adventure on radio. We'll hear the final hours of the planet Krypton, Superman's arrival on Earth and his assumption of the identity of Clark Kent, and his first battle against evil. Bud Collyer stars as Superman in these shows that originally aired between February 12 and March 1, 1940.

Three old time radio detectives head to the racetrack this week for a trio of mysteries in and out of the stables. First, Ned Wever is Bulldog Drummond in "Death Plays the Races" (originally aired on Mutual on May 20, 1946). Then, as Philo Vance, Jackson Beck solves "The Murdock Murder Case." Finally, Tom Conway is The Saint in "Peter the Great" (originally aired on NBC on June 24, 1951).

It's a birthday celebration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring two of his Sherlock Holmes stories adapted for radio. We'll hear John Stanley as Holmes and Alfred Shirley as Dr. Watson in "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League" (originally aired on Mutual on October 12, 1947) and "The Adventure of the Stolen Naval Treaty" (originally aired on Mutual on November 23, 1947). Plus, we'll hear an adaptation of Doyle's1898 non-Holmes mystery "The Lost Special" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on February 12, 1949). Click here to read "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League." Click here to read "The Adventure of the Stolen Naval Treaty." Click here to read "The Story of the Lost Special."

John Michael Hayes was a two-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter who wrote four films for Alfred Hitchcock. But before that, he was a busy radio writer penning adventures for Johnny Dollar and comedies for Lucille Ball. We'll hear three of Hayes' old time radio scripts: "The Seeing Eye" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on November 12, 1945); "Lady in Distress" from Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on ABC on February 23, 1951); and "The Vendetta Caper" from The Adventures of Sam Spade (originally aired on NBC on March 30, 1951).

There's no case too big for these three radio private eyes. First, Lon Clark is Nick Carter, Master Detective in "The Case of the Priceless Prose" (originally aired on Mutual on December 14, 1947). Then, Dick Powell looks for "The Star of Savoy" as Richard Rogue in Rogue's Gallery (originally aired on NBC on June 23, 1946). Finally, Jeff Chandler is on the job in the Big Easy in "The Case of the Gray-Eyed Blonde," a syndicated mystery from The New Adventures of Michael Shayne.

Our trip to the golden age of radio takes us all around the world this week. First, Jack Moyles hunts a kidnapper in Cairo as Rocky Jordan in "Quest for Tornina" (originally aired on CBS on October 16, 1949). Then, Edmond O'Brien heads to the Phillippines in "The Woodward Manila Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on November 25, 1950). Finally, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall lead an adventure in tropical Havana in "Dead Men Don't Leave Prints" from the syndicated series Bold Venture.

We're going back in time this week for tales of murder and mystery from the 19th and early 20th centuries. First, Crime Classics dramatizes the sensational true story "The Terrible Deed of John White Webster" (originally aired on CBS on July 13, 1953). Then, the Frontier Gentleman plays an infamous game of poker with Wild Bill Hickok in "Aces and Eights" (originally aired on CBS on April 20, 1958). Finally, Fred MacMurray is a Prohibition-era jazz drummer who witnesses a gangland rub-out in "The Windy City Six" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on February 8, 1951).