Down These Mean Streets (old Time Radio Detectives)

Frank Lovejoy was one of the busiest actors during the Golden Age of Radio, and we're saluting him this week with an hour of his performances as crimefighters on the air.  First, he's back as Chicago reporter Randy Stone in "The Hunter Becomes the Hunted" from Night Beat, originally aired on NBC on September 11, 1950.  Then, he dons the mask and costume of The Blue Beetle in the 1940 syndicated episode "Murder for Profit."

Celebrate the birthday of actress Mercedes McCambridge with an hour of Defense Attorney.  The Oscar winner stars as crusading lawyer Martha Ellis Bryant, a legal eagle cut from the same cloth as Perry Mason, in "The Case of Joseph Moriano," the series' audition episode from April 1951; and "Client Jimmy Leonard," originally aired on ABC on September 14, 1951.

It's another adventure of Boston Blackie, gentleman thief turned gumshoe.  After Chester Morris' 1944 summer run, Richard Kollmar stepped in and starred as Blackie in nearly 300 syndicated episodes.  As always, Blackie tries to crack the case and remains a thorn in the side of the stubborn Inspector Farraday.  We'll hear "Murder at the Movies," one of Kollmar's syndicated episodes.

Joseph Curtin and Alice Frost star as Mr. and Mrs. North, a pair of amateur married sleuths who can't seem to avoid landing neck-deep in trouble.  Publisher Jerry and his wife Pam stumbled into murder and mayhem for twelve years on radio and a few more on television.  The duo star in "Dead Giveaway," an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of a show originally aired on CBS on February 19, 1952.

Howard Duff stars as Sam Spade in an hour-long episode of "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" - Suspense.  It's "The Kandy Tooth," a story originally presented on The Adventures of Sam Spade and recreated on the anthology thriller series.  This unofficial sequel to The Maltese Falcon with an all-star radio cast originally aired on CBS on January 10, 1948.

Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet recreate their film roles in this radio adaptation of The Maltese Falcon.  John Huston's film of Dashiell Hammett's novel is a classic, and it was translated several times over radio.  Hear Sam Spade's search for the "Black Bird" recreated on Academy Award, originally aired on CBS on July 3, 1946.

This week, we present a tribute to one of the titans of the Golden Age of Radio - William Conrad.  First, Conrad stars in his signature role of Matt Dillon, US Marshal on Gunsmoke.  We'll hear "The Photographer," originally aired on CBS on May 5, 1956.  Then, he fills in for an absent Gerald Mohr on The Adventures of Philip Marlowe in "The Anniversary Gift," originally aired on CBS on April 11, 1950.

Rex Harrison (Professor Henry Higgins himself) stars as a suave private detective in The Private Files of Rex Saunders.  Along with his loyal assistant Alec, Rex Saunders tackles baffling cases with consummate class in this short-lived series.  We'll hear "The Plan in the Killer's Mind," originally aired on NBC on June 6, 1951.

The big screen and best-seller worlds collide this week when Glenn Ford and Erle Stanley Gardner team up to bring you Christopher London.  Ford stars as the globe-trotting private detective created by Gardner, the author behind Perry Mason.  In this short-lived series (curtailed by Ford's success in Hollywood), London takes cases all around the world and finds danger wherever he goes.  We'll hear him in "The Adventure of the Emerald Ring," originally aired on NBC on February 5, 1950.

In January 1946, The Fat Man premiered on ABC.  We're celebrating the anniversary with an hour of J. Scott Smart as Dashiell Hammett's extra large sleuth.  First, it's the series' debut episode, "The 19th Pearl," originally aired on ABC on January 21, 1946).  Then, we'll hear "A Window for Murder" (originally aired on ABC on October 3, 1947).

Dane Clark stars as the titular private eye in Crime and Peter Chambers, a short-lived series drawn from the pages of Henry Kane's novels.  Chambers is a slick private eye solving tough cases in the Big Apple, and he's given voice and style by big screen tough guy Clark.  We'll hear "The Alan Lewis Murder," originally aired on NBC on April 13, 1954.

We kick off 2014 with an hour of "the Robin Hood of modern crime" - The Saint.  Leslie Charteris' debonair detective premiered on American radio on January 6, 1945, and we're celebrating his anniversary with an extra-large episode.  Vincent Price stars as Simon Templar in "Greed Causes Murder" (originally aired on Mutual on August 14, 1949) and "The Case of the Previewed Crime" (originally aired on NBC on July 30, 1950).

"Down These Mean Streets" wraps up 2013 with an hour of holiday adventures from two old time radio detectives.  First, Sydney Greenstreet stars as Nero Wolfe in the Christmas crime drama "The Case of the Slaughtered Santas" (originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1950).  Then, John Stanley as Sherlock Holmes rings in "New Year's Eve Off the Scilly Isles" (originally aired on Mutual on December 28, 1947).

It's off to Egypt for international intrigue and adventure with Rocky Jordan.  Jack Moyles stars as the American ex-pat and nightclub owner who winds up entangled in the shady underworld of Cairo.  It's a combination of The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca.  We'll hear Rocky in "The Map of Murder," originally aired on CBS on July 3, 1949.

Jack Webb blends jazz with downbeat crime drama in Pete Kelly's Blues.  This short-lived series spawned an Academy Award nominated film and a TV show.  Webb stars as Pete Kelly, a cornet player in 1920s Kansas City.  Kelly and his combo play in a speakeasy, and Kelly finds all kinds of trouble in the crowd that comes in for drinks and music.  We'll hear "Zelda," originally aired on NBC on September 5, 1951.

Academy Award winner Edmond O'Brien starred for two years as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and brought a hard-boiled intensity to the role of "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator."  Today, he's remembered fondly as one of the best Johnny Dollars.  Listen along as O'Brien takes the case (but doesn't take any guff!) in "The Barbara James Matter," originally aired on CBS on June 29, 1950.

It's a full serving of Dashiell Hammett's legendary private eye Sam Spade on this week's hour-long episode.  First, Howard Duff is Spade in "The Lazarus Caper," originally aired on CBS on September 12, 1948.  Then (just in time for Thanksgiving), Steven Dunne is Sam in "The Terrified Turkey Caper," originally aired on NBC on November 24, 1950.

Saddle up and head west with Joel McCrea as Ranger Jayce Pearson in Tales of the Texas Rangers.  This mix of Western adventure and police procedural presented dramatized versions of actual cases taken from the Rangers' files.  The result was a frontier-style Dragnet that combined two of radio's most popular genres.  We'll ride with Ranger Pearson in "Hanging by a Thread," originally aired on NBC on November 26, 1950. 

We're saluting Dick Powell for his birthday with an hour of radio mystery starring this crooner turned hardboiled star.  First, Powell stars as "the man with the action packed expense account" in the 1948 audition show for Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.  Then, we'll hear him as Richard Diamond, Private Detective in "Photographer's Card," originally aired on NBC on March 26, 1950.

Jack Webb dons his hardboiled hat again as Jeff Regan, Investigator.  In this short-lived series, Webb stars as Regan, private eye and operative for the penny-pinching Anthony J. Lyon.  We'll hear Webb, with Wilms Herbert as Lyon, in "The Lonesome Lady," originally aired on CBS on July 24, 1948.