Down These Mean Streets (old Time Radio Detectives)

Alan Ladd is back as mystery writer Dan Holiday in Box 13. Holiday's figured out a way to beat writer's block: he runs a classified ad hiring himself out as an adventurer for hire, and he uses his experience as story material. It may wow the publishers, but it means Dan's life is frequently in jeopardy when he answers letters addressed to "Box 13." We'll hear two of his syndicated radio adventures: "Daytime Nightmare" and "Death is No Joke."

Orson Welles reprises his Third Man film role in the prequel radio series The Lives of Harry Lime. His nefarious traits are toned down (somewhat) as we find Lime traveling the world. Harry's still a rogue, but he usually puts his skills to work to thwart more dastardly crooks...even if it's only to line his own pockets. Welles stars in "Ticket to Tangier," an episode he also wrote for the syndicated series.

July 23rd marked the 126th anniversary of Raymond Chandler's birth, and we're saluting the author and his most famous character - private detective Philip Marlowe. Gerald Mohr stars as Marlowe, out to prove again and again that "crime is a sucker's road," in these two old time radio mysteries: "The Dancing Hands" (originally aired on CBS on March 19, 1949) and "The Glass Donkey" (originally aired on CBS on July 28, 1950).

British big screen star Herbert Marshall finds danger at every turn as secret agent Ken Thurston, aka The Man Called X. From 1944 to 1952, Thurston crossed oceans and continents on top secret missions to keep America safe in the perilous years following World War II. We'll hear this debonair man of mystery in "Five Ounces of Treason," originally aired on NBC on January 13, 1951.

"The greatest private detective of them all" hit radio on July 12, 1946 in The Adventures of Sam Spade. In honor of his anniversary, we'll hear Howard Duff as Sam in two of his radio adventures. Listen along as Sam dictates his reports on "The Mad Scientist Caper" (originally aired on CBS on July 25, 1948) and "The Critical Author Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 15, 1948.

Bill Johnstone and Wally Maher are back on the beat in two more episodes of The Line-Up. Join them as they grill suspects and close the book on crime in one of radio's greatest police procedurals. We'll hear "The Mad Bomber," originally aired on CBS on January 11, 1951 and "The Syncopic Sweazy Sweat-Out Case," originally aired on CBS on July 5, 1951.

Paul Frees stars as Jethro Dumont, the wealthy American who studied Buddhism in Tibet and returned to his home country to fight crime as The Green Lama. This short-lived series brought the pulp magazine and comic book hero to radio and found him tackling adventures and mysteries all around the world. We'll hear him in "The Story of the Last Dinosaur," originally aired on CBS on July 3, 1949.

Master detective Ellery Queen made his radio debut seventy-five years ago this month, and we're celebrating with two of the sleuth's on-the-air adventures. First, Sydney Smith is Ellery in "The Adventure of the Message in Red," originally aired on CBS on November 7, 1945. Then, Larry Dobkin stars as Queen in "Number 31," originally aired on NBC on September 7, 1947. Play along with Ellery and his guest armchair detectives and see if you can solve the crime before he reveals the solution!

Basil Rathbone donned the deerstalker cap in fourteen films as Sherlock Holmes and portrayed the legendary detective on radio for seven years. Frustration with typecasting led him to leave Baker Street, but he didn't stay away from the detective world for long. We'll hear him this week as Holmes (with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson) in "The Problem of Thor Bridge," originally aired on Mutual on October 1, 1945. Then, Rathbone plays himself as an amateur detective in the unusual program Tales of Fatima. We'll hear "Time to Kill," originally aired on CBS on May 28, 1949.

Gerald Mohr, one of the greatest actors of the Golden Age of Radio, was born 100 years ago this week. To mark his centennial anniversary, we'll hear Mohr as three different radio detectives. First, he's Archie Goodwin to Sydney Greenstreet's Nero Wolfe in "The Case of the Calculated Risk" (originally aired on NBC on January 19, 1951). Then, it's his 1955 audition recording as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. Finally, he stars as Philip Marlowe in "The August Lion" (originally aired on CBS on August 6, 1949).

Gale Gordon (Principal Conklin of Our Miss Brooks) stars as Gregory Hood, importer and amateur detective, in The Casebook of Gregory Hood. An unofficial detective, Hood seems to find trouble wherever he goes. Bill Johnstone plays attorney Sanderson Taylor, the Dr. Watson to Hood's Sherlock Holmes, in their first radio adventure, "The Case of the Three Silver Pesos," originally aired on Mutual on June 3, 1946.

William Powell and Myrna Loy recreate their film roles of Nick and Nora Charles in this radio adaptation of The Thin Man. Dashiell Hammett's story of the Charles and their search for missing inventor Clyde Wynant was a big screen smash and was presented on the air on the Lux Radio Theatre. We'll hear this hour-long dramatization as it was heard on CBS on June 8, 1936.

Frances Crane's married sleuths Pat and Jean Abbott brought their colorful capers to radio in The Adventures of the Abbotts. Pat is a private eye by trade, but she proves herself a very adept amateur as she joins him on his cases. We'll hear Claudia Morgan and Mandel Kramer as the Abbotts in "The Canary-Blonde Heiress," an Armed Forces Radio Services rebroadcast of an episode aired on NBC on May 15, 1955.

S.S. Van Dine's dapper detective Philo Vance starred in twelve novels and over a dozen films before he came to radio. Played on screen by William Powell and Basil Rathbone among others, Vance was most memorably portrayed on the air by Jackson Beck in a syndicated series. We'll hear him take on "The Thundering Murder Case," one of the syndicated Philo Vance episodes.

Just a month before they terrified the nation with "The War of the Worlds," Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre On the Air presented an adaptation of "Sherlock Holmes," the 1899 play co-written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  The legendary actor/director stars as the legendary detective in this broadcast originally aired on CBS on September 25, 1938.

Sixty-five years ago this week, Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered on NBC, and listeners were introduced to Dick Powell as radio's singing private eye.  To mark the occasion, we'll hear Powell in two radio mysteries: "The Homing Pigeon Case" (originally aired on NBC on October 11, 1950) and "Blue Serge Suit" (originally aired on ABC on February 9, 1951).

Nick Carter is one of the detective world's oldest characters, predating Sherlock Holmes by more than a year.  He thrilled fans in dime novels, pulp magazines, and movies before he came to radio.  Lon Clark starred as the brilliant private eye for twelve years on the air, and we'll hear him in "The Case of Shakespeare's Ghost," originally aired on Mutual on December 30, 1945.

Les Damon stars as Michael Waring, aka The Falcon, a suave private eye who offered "a hand to oppressed men and an eye toward repressed women."  The character was a combination of two other detectives, including the star of a popular B-movie series, and The Falcon proved popular with radio mystery fans during his decade-long run on the air.  We'll hear "The Case of the Flaming Club," originally aired on NBC on May 6, 1951.

In honor of his birthday, "Down These Mean Streets" presents an hour of old time radio crime drama starring the incomparable Jack Webb.  First, he's the no-nonsense Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet in "The Big Elevator" (originally aired on NBC on April 24, 1952).  Then, he's the hard-boiled Pat Novak For Hire in "Agnes Bolton" (an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of a June 5, 1949 ABC episode).

In honor of Batman's 75th anniversary, we present a bonus podcast featuring some of the Caped Crusader's radio adventures.  We'll hear Batman and Robin co-starring on The Adventures of Superman, as they team up with the Man of Steel to save Lois Lane from a murder charge.  It all happens in the thrilling conclusion to "Dr. Bly's Confidence Gang," originally aired on Mutual between September 19 and September 21, 1945.