Down These Mean Streets (old Time Radio Detectives)

For this bonus show, I'm sharing my five favorite old time radio adventures of Simon Templar - "the Robin Hood of modern crime" best known as The Saint. We'll hear Vincent Price as the Saint in "The Sinister Sneeze" (originally aired on NBC on June 11, 1950); "Baseball Murder" (originally aired on NBC on September 3, 1950); "No Hiding Place" (originally aired on NBC on November 19, 1950); and "The Big Swindle" (originally aired on NBC on February 25, 1951). We'll also hear substitute Saint Barry Sullivan in "The Ghost that Giggled" (originally aired on NBC oN September 17, 1950).

Three hard-boiled gumshoes are on the case in this week's episode. First, Dane Clark stars in Crime and Peter Chambers in an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of a show from April 27, 1954. Then, Frank Graham is Jeff Regan, Investigator in "The Little Man's Lament" (originally aired on CBS on November 9, 1949). Finally, we'll hear Gerald Mohr in "The Heat Wave" from The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (originally aired on CBS on April 16, 1949).

Places, please! We've got three old time radio mysteries set onstage, backstage, and in the aisles of the theatre. Actors, playwrights, and critics are all suspects, victims, and killers and it's up to the detectives to figure out whodunnit before the final curtain. We'll hear "Murder Me Twice" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on July 5, 1948); a syndicated Boston Blackie mystery known as "Seven Years Bad Luck for Florence Wells;" and "Curtain Call," another strange story by The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on August 27, 1947).

In honor of Jack Webb's birthday, we'll hear three of the radio and TV legend's old time radio mysteries. First, he stars in a waterfront mystery from Johnny Madero, Pier 23 (originally aired on ABC on June 19, 1947). Then, he's Sgt. Joe Friday on the trail of a killer in "The Big Shirt" from Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on November 30, 1952). Finally, we'll hear a Prohibition-era caper from Pete Kelly's Blues (originally aired on NBC on July 25, 1951).

It's a full fight card with three old time radio mysteries set in and around the boxing ring. First, Frank Lovejoy is Randy Stone, coming to the aid of a fighter pressured to take a dive in Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on August 14, 1950). Then, as Philo Vance, Jackson Beck solves "The Heavyweight Murder Case." Finally, Dick Powell tries to prove a fight manager's suicide was actually a murder in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on August 2, 1950).

It's a triple feature of the same mystery starring three different radio gumshoes. Morton Fine and David Friedkin wrote the story of a killer who taunts police with announcements of his upcoming crimes, and the clever tale comes to life in three similar but different adventures. First, Lt. Danny Clover investigates "The Jane Darnell Murder Case" on Broadway is My Beat (originally aired on CBS on August 11, 1949). Then, in London, Inspector Peter Black stars in "Three for All" from Pursuit (originally aired on CBS on November 10, 1949). Finally, Howard Duff plays L.A. gumshoe Mike McCoy in the audition recording for what would have been The McCoy (recorded on or around April 24, 1951).

Real-life exploits of government agents come to radio life in these three adventures. First, an OSS agent parachutes into Germany in "Direct Line to Bombers" from Cloak and Dagger (originally aired on NBC on June 25, 1950). Then, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. plays a postal inspector investigating a mail bomb in "Death in the Mail" from The Silent Men (originally aired on NBC on November 4, 1951). Finally, Henry Fonda plays an agent hunting for a spy ring operating right here in the US behind illegal radio transmitters in "Spy on the Kilocycles" from The Cavalcade of America (originally aired on NBC on October 8, 1945).

We're heading west this week with three old time radio cowboy crimesolvers. First, William Conrad is US Marshal Matt Dillon in "Chester's Murder" from Gunsmoke (originally aired on CBS on January 15, 1955). Then, Jeff Chandler trades Michael Shayne's fedora for a pair of spurs as western attorney Chad Remington in the syndicated drama Frontier Town. We'll hear him in "The Case of Felipe Gomez." Finally, big screen western star Joel McCrea is Ranger Pearson in "The White Suit" from Tales of the Texas Rangers (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1950).

We're shining the spotlight on a pair of Johnny Dollar stars who tend to get overlooked in the history of "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator." We'll hear John Lund as Dollar in "The La Tourette Matter" (originally aired on CBS on February 20, 1953) and "The James Forbes Matter" (originally aired on CBS on July 28, 1953). Then, Bob Readick is Johnny in "The Paperback Mystery Matter" (originally aired on CBS on January 7, 1961) and "The Two's a Crowd Matter" (originally aired on CBS on March 26, 1961).

We've got a trio of women solving old time radio crimes in this week's show. First, Natalie Masters is the Golden Gate girl detective Candy Matson in "Valley of the Moon" (originally aired on NBC on December 17, 1949). Then, we'll hear a pair of syndicated episodes of The Phyl Coe Radio Mysteries - a combination mystery and game show - "The Case of the Dead Magician" and "The Case of the Missing Masterpiece." Finally, big screen star Maureen O'Hara is a debutante amateur detective in Cornell Woolrich's "The White Rose Murders" on Suspense (originally aired on CBS on July 6, 1943).

With Hercule Poirot back on the big screen in Death on the Nile, we're saluting Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian sleuth with three of his old time radio adventures. Harold Huber stars as the magnificently mustachioed Poirot in "Murder Wears a Mask" (originally aired on Mutual on May 3, 1945); "The Trail Led to Death" (originally aired on Mutual on November 16, 1945); and "The Bride Wore Fright" (originally aired on Mutual on November 30, 1945). Click here to listen to Orson Welles as Poirot in "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" from The Campbell Playhouse. And click here for Maurice Tarplin as Poirot in "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor" from Murder Clinic, plus another Harold Huber Poirot mystery.

We're going to press with three heroic journalists from the radio era. First, we'll hear Casey, Crime Photographer mentor a rising star in "The Camera Bug" (originally aired on CBS on October 16, 1947). Then, Frank Lovejoy is Chicago columnist Randy Stone in Night Beat where he investigates the case of "The Juvenile Gangster" (originally aired on NBC on June 26, 1950). Finally, a real-life journalist and his efforts to clear an innocent man of murder are the subject of "Pillars of Society" on The Big Story (originally aired on NBC on May 5, 1948).

Gentleman thieves - both reformed and otherwise - step into the spotlight this week. First, Chester Morris is Boston Blackie - enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend - in "The Missing String of Pearls" (originally aired on NBC on August 11, 1944). Then, Orson Welles reprises his Third Man role in "It's a Knockout" from the syndicated series The Lives of Harry Lime. Finally, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. stars as the legendary thief in Raffles, recreated for the Screen Director's Playhouse (originally aired on NBC on September 14, 1951).

Our heroes this week have sharp deductive minds to match their physical heft. Criminals may misjudge them by their size, but having some extra pounds doesn't slow them down when it comes to closing cases. We'll hear Sydney Greenstreet as Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe in "The Case of the Midnight Ride" (originally aired on NBC on March 16, 1951) and "The Case of the Lost Heir" (originally aired on April 20, 1951). Then, J. Scott Smart is Brad Runyon - aka The Fat Man - in "The Nightmare Murder" (originally aired on ABC on January 17, 1951).

Steve Dunne had big shoes to fill when he was cast as Sam Spade. Dashiell Hammett's private eye had been thrilling listeners since 1946 in weekly adventures starring Howard Duff, but accusations of Communist sympathies cost Duff the gig. Dunne played a younger-sounding, less serious Sam for the final run of episodes. We'll hear two of them - "The Soap Opera Caper" (originally aired on NBC on February 16, 1951) and "The Sinister Siren Caper" (originally aired on NBC on March 16, 1951). Plus, we'll hear him as crime-solving reporter Lucky Larson in Deadline Mystery (originally aired on ABC on August 10, 1947).

The cops of the radio era are on the beat in three old time radio procedural dramas. First, Dan Duryea is the intense, two-fisted Lt. Lou Dana in "The Donald Shelberger Case" from The Man from Homicide (originally aired on ABC on July 9, 1951). Then, we'll hear an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of The Line-Up known as "Gas Station Robberies" starring Bill Johnstone and Wally Maher. Finally, Larry Thor is Detective Danny Clover in "The Dion Hartley Murder Case" from Broadway is My Beat (originally aired on CBS on February 17, 1950).

We're starting 2022 off with Bob Bailey as "the man with the action-packed expense account!" Bailey stars in a five-part adventure of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - "The Chesapeake Fraud Matter" (originally aired on CBS between October 17th and 21st, 1955).

It's a star-studded, super-sized holiday bonus episode to close out 2021! We'll hear Tallulah Bankhead as mistress of ceremonies for the Christmas Eve 1950 broadcast of NBC's The Big Show. Listen as Ms. Bankhead welcomes Ed Wynn, Jimmy Durante, Margaret O'Brien, Bert Lahr, and more.

It's our annual holiday bonanza! We'll hear four old time radio detectives doing some seasonal sleuthing. First, Special Agent Taylor searches for Santa in "The Return of St. Nick" on This is Your FBI (originally aired on ABC on December 24, 1948). Next, George and Brooksie find mystery in the department store in "Follow That Train" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on December 19, 1949). Then, saddle up with Ranger Jayce Pearson in "Christmas Payoff" from Tales of the Texas Rangers (originally aired on NBC on December 23, 1951). Finally, Bob Bailey stars as Johnny Dollar and pens the script for "The Carmen Kringle Matter" (originally aired on CBS on December 22, 1957).

Before he was an Oscar nominee for Broken Arrow, Jeff Chandler was a busy radio actor in supporting and lead roles. He was oblivious to the romantic overtures of Eve Arden on Our Miss Brooks, and he was one of radio's toughest shamuses in The New Adventures of Michael Shayne. We'll hear him in two Shayne syndicated mysteries: "A Problem in Murder" and "The Case of the Purloined Corpse." Then we'll hear Chandler as a detective hunting a killer in the tropics in "Red Wine" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on February 26, 1949).