Down These Mean Streets (old Time Radio Detectives)

Put out your Jack-o-lantern, grab the candy bowl, and enjoy the Down These Mean Streets Halloween Special! It's a full-sized candy bar of a show with eight old time radio shows - a mix of frights and delights - to get you in the spirit of the season. First, Paul Frees stars in an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on October 22, 1947) and Basil Rathbone drops by The Jack Benny Program for Halloween hijinks (originally aired on NBC on November 2, 1941). A killer stalks the streets of London in "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole," a spine-tingling tale from The Mollé Mystery Theatre (originally aired on NBC on June 21, 1946) and Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of a witch in "The Laughing Lemur of Hightower Heath" (originally aired on Mutual on October 26, 1947). William Bendix visits a haunted house on The Life of Riley (originally aired on ABC on October 29, 1944) and we'll hear an unusual werewolf story on The Stan Freberg Show (originally aired on C

An older and smarter brother, Mycroft Holmes was the only member of Sherlock's family we ever met in Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. He appeared in just two stories, but he's been featured in original Holmes adventures in print and on screen for decades. We'll hear Mycroft in the original adventure "The Great Gandolfo" starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (originally aired on Mutual on October 22, 1945). Then, we'll hear a pair of episodes from a long-running BBC Holmes series starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley as Holmes and Watson. Both of Mycroft's original appearances are adapted for radio in "The Greek Interpreter" (originally aired on April 5, 1960) and "The Bruce-Partington Plans" (originally aired on August 28, 1964). Click here to read "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter." Click here to read "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans."

Read along with our heroes this week in three old time radio mysteries where books play a key role in the crimes and their solutions. First, Boston Blackie tries to figure out why readers of a best-selling novel keep winding up dead. Richard Kollmar stars in this syndicated episode known as "Three Wind Blows West Murders." Then, Philip Marlowe believes a murder victim's scrapbook contains the motive for her death and the identity of her killer in "The Big Book" (originally aired on CBS on September 29, 1950). Finally, George Valentine helps a bookstore owner whose shop keeps getting robbed in "The Bookworm Turns" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on December 11, 1950).

Anglophiles rejoice! All of this week's old time radio mysteries star performers from across the pond. Herbert Marshall is secret agent Ken Thurston in an exciting adventure of The Man Called X. Thurston is on the hunt for a missing atomic scientist in this episode that originally aired on NBC on November 3, 1950. Then, Rex Harrison is a debonair gumshoe in "When They Track Down the Human Game" from The Private Files of Rex Saunders (originally aired on NBC on August 1, 1951). Finally, an all-British cast dramatizes a case from the Scotland Yard files in "The Case of the Fatal Bath" from Whitehall 1212 (originally aired on NBC on April 13, 1952).

Suit up and take the field with old time radio detectives in three football mysteries. First, Randy Stone comes to the aid of an old college football hero who's fallen on hard times (and into debt with gamblers) in Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on June 12, 1950). Then, in Broadway is My Beat, Detective Danny Clover probes the murder of a booster killed after a date with a star college quarterback (AFRS rebroadcast from November 22, 1952). Finally, Frank Sinatra gets pulled into a plan to fix football games in Rocky Fortune (originally aired on NBC on December 2, 1954).

Sixty years ago this month, the Golden Age of Radio signed off as CBS aired the final episodes of Suspense and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar on September 30, 1962. Both shows hung on as TV overtook radio in the late 50s and continued to produce new episodes even as more people across the country were turning on their television sets instead of their radios for dramatic programs. We'll hear Mandel Kramer as "the man with the action-packed expense account" in four of the detective's final radio adventures: "The Skimpy Matter" (originally aired on July 22, 1962); "The Case of Trouble Matter" (originally aired on CBS on August 5, 1962); "The Oldest Gag Matter" (originally aired on CBS on August 12, 1962); and "The No Matter Matter" (originally aired on CBS on September 16, 1962). Click here to listen to Episode 244 - The Final Matters Matter with the final two episodes of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, including the last episode aired on September 30, 1962.

In this bonus show, I've picked my five favorite installments of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, the CBS series that brought Raymond Chandler's private eye to intense radio life with the voice of Gerald Mohr. We'll hear "The Grim Hunters" (originally aired on CBS on March 12, 1949); "The August Lion" (originally aired on CBS on August 6, 1949); "The Glass Donkey" (originally aired on CBS on July 28, 1950); and "The Soft Spot" (originally aired on CBS on September 1, 1950). We'll also hear William Conrad's one and only performance as Philip Marlowe when he pinch-hit for Mohr in "The Anniversary Gift" (originally aired on CBS on April 11, 1950).

All aboard! We're pulling out of the station for three old time radio mysteries set on or around trains. First, as amateur sleuth and Shakespeare doppleganger Leonidas Witherall, Walter Hampden finds a corpse switcheroo on a train to Chicago (originally aired on Mutual on October 8, 1944). Then, Ranger Jayce Pearson investigates a deliberate train derailment. Joel McCrea stars in "Last Stop" from Tales of the Texas Rangers (originally aired on NBC on August 10, 1952). And finally, we board a commuter train but may be riding alongside "The Man Who Murders People" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1960).

Happy Batman Day! Celebrate the Caped Crusader and listen to a complete radio adventure of Superman with Batman fighting alongside the Man of Steel. We'll hear the world's finest heroes, along with Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White in "The Story of the Century" (originally aired on Mutual between April 1st and April 15th, 1946).

Class is in session in these three old time radio mysteries set in and around schools. First, Howard Duff stars as Sam Spade in "The Queen Bee Caper" (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1949). Then, Edmond O'Brien is "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The Story of the Big Red Schoolhouse" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on April 4, 1950). And finally, Vincent Price is The Saint in "Miss Godby's School for Girls" (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1950).

Old time radio's G-men are on the case in three shows starring FBI agents. First, we'll hear "The Crack-Up" from The FBI in Peace and War (originally aired on CBS on September 14, 1950). Then, Stacy Harris stars as Agent Taylor in "The Unhappy Hijacker" from This is Your FBI (originally aired on ABC on July 18, 1947). Finally, Matt Cvetic tries to keep his cover from being blown in I Was a Communist for the FBI. Dana Andrews stars as Cvetic in the syndicated episode "Kangaroo Court."

There's no rest for the weary! Even on vacation, Superman and his friends can't help finding a new adventure. For the final installment in our bonus series, we'll listen as Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen battle smugglers and hunt for a legendary treasure in these episodes that originally aired between July 22 and August 2, 1940.

It's the 500th episode of Down These Mean Streets! To celebrate 500 shows of old time radio mystery, crimesolvers, and crooks, I'm going back to the show that introduced me to the wonderful world of radio drama. We'll hear eight episodes that prove that "the weed of crime bears bitter fruit." Who knows who's starring in these shows? Ha ha ha ha ha ha...

It's the grand opening of Happyland Amusement Park, owned and operated by Lois Lane's friend. But when Lois and Clark Kent arrive to cover the opening, they discover Happyland is under threat from the dastardly owner of a rival carnival who will resort to anything - including murder and sabotage - to run Happyland out of business. It's up to Superman to take flight and save the day before Happyland's thrill rides end in disaster in these episodes that originally aired between July 8 and July 19, 1940.

See you in court for these three old time radio mysteries set in and around the courthouse. First, Mr. District Attorney suspects a fix in "The Case of the Intimidated Jury" (originally aired on NBC on August 23, 1944). Then, Mercedes McCambridge represents a college basketball player accused of murder in Defense Attorney (originally aired on ABC on July 17, 1952). Finally, Les Damon stars as The Falcon in "The Case of the Rich Racketeer," where a gangster is acquitted in court only to wind up murdered (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1950).

Someone's smuggling explosives in porcelain dolls, and it's up to Superman to stop these terrible toymen and their evil schemes! The Man of Steel returns in this story that originally aired between June 24 and July 5, 1940.

Each of these old time radio detectives earned their livings as writers. They only dabbled in crimesolving on the side because it was their hobby or because real-life mysteries provided inspiration for their work. We'll hear Glenn Langan as mystery writer and police consultant Barton Drake in "The Coin Collector Mystery," a syndicated episode from Mystery is My Hobby.  Then, Alan Ladd is Dan Holiday - newspaperman turned novelist and amateur adventurer - in "Hare and Hounds" from Box 13. And we'll close with Frank Lovejoy as Chicago reporter Randy Stone in "The Girl in the Park" from Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on February 27, 1950).

Lois Lane returns! Her uncle is a meterology professor with an uncanny ability to predict the weather. Lois and Clark travel to interview him and discover a gang of robbers, a murdered assistant, and a plan to destroy a mountain. It all adds up to an exciting new adventure for the Man of Steel in these episodes that originally aired between June 9 and June 21, 1940.

Take me out to the ballgame for these three radio mysteries set in and around the ballpark. First, Ellery Queen's plans for a relaxing Sunday afternoon are thwarted when a movie star drops dead in "The Adventure of the Foul Tip" (AFRS rebroadcast; originally aired on NBC on June 13, 1944). Then, Bulldog Drummond tries to save a team after a pitcher dies on the mound in "Death on the Diamond" (originally aired on Mutual on September 17, 1945). Finally, Richard Kollmar investigates the shooting of a player killed sliding into second base in a syndicated adventure of Boston Blackie.

A lost race, an immortal witch doctor, and a polar bear? All in a day's work for Superman! In this week's bonus show, Clark Kent travels to the Arctic to find a missing explorer and the last Daily Planet reporter sent to locate him. We'll hear the full adventure, originally aired between May 27 and June 7, 1940.