Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Latest Episodes:

Episode 479 - Thrice-Told Tale (Broadway is My Beat, Pursuit, & The McCoy) Mar 20, 2022

Show notes

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).

Episode 478 - Spies Like Them (Cloak and Dagger, Silent Men, & Cavalcade of America) Mar 13, 2022

Show notes

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).

Episode 477 - Cowboys and Crime (Gunsmoke, Frontier Town, & Tales of the Texas Rangers) Mar 06, 2022

Show notes

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).

Episode 476 - Dollars to Donuts (Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar) Feb 27, 2022

Show notes

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).

Episode 475 - Girls Just Wanna Solve Crimes (Candy Matson, Phyl Coe Mysteries, & Suspense) Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

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).

Episode 474 - I Mustache You (Hercule Poirot) Feb 13, 2022

Show notes

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.

Episode 473 - Black and White and Read All Over (Casey, Crime Photographer, Night Beat, & Big Story) Feb 06, 2022

Show notes

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).

Episode 472 - Let the Bad Guy Win (Boston Blackie, Lives of Harry Lime, & Screen Director's Playhouse) Jan 30, 2022

Show notes

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).

Episode 471 - Hungry Eyes (Nero Wolfe & The Fat Man) Jan 23, 2022

Show notes

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).

Episode 470 - If You Want It Dunne Right (Sam Spade & Deadline Mystery) Jan 16, 2022

Show notes

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).

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