Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Latest Episodes:

Episode 275 – Wolfe Whistle (Adventures of Nero Wolfe) Apr 08, 2018

Show notes

Nero Wolfe, Rex Stout's gargantuan gourmet, is back! His career as a radio detective began 75 years ago this month, and we're marking the occasion with two of his on-air adventures. Sydney Greenstreet plays the eccentric sleuth (with Larry Dobkin as loyal legman Archie Goodwin) in "The Case of the Friendly Rabbit" (originally aired on NBC on December 1, 1950). Then, we'll hear an early Wolfe radio adventure – "The Last Laugh Murder Case," broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio Service's Mystery Playhouse.

Episode 274 – Jack Be Nimble (Pat Novak & The Whistler) Apr 02, 2018

Show notes

In honor of his birthday, we'll hear Jack Webb in a pair of old time radio performances - roles that show off a side of the actor/director's persona very different from Sgt. Joe Friday. In "Jack of Clubs" (originally aired on ABC on February 20, 1949), he's waterfront shamus Pat Novak For Hire. Then, he's an unscrupulous private eye who dabbles in crime in "Perfect Alibi" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on June 12, 1949).

Episode 273 - Les is More (The Thin Man, The Falcon, & The Abbotts) Mar 25, 2018

Show notes

During his nearly three decade run on radio, Les Damon starred as several detectives - Dashiell Hammett's Nick Charles, the debonair private eye known as the Falcon, and half of the husband and wife duo the Abbotts. We'll hear Damon as Nick in "The Strange Case of Professor Waigner" from The Adventures of the Thin Man; as Mike Waring - The Falcon - in "The Case of the Big Talker" (originally aired on NBC on April 29, 1951); and as Pat Abbott in "The Case of the Blood-Red Diamond" from Adventures of the Abbotts.

Episode 272 - No Stone Unturned (Amazing Mr. Malone, Escape, & Night Beat) Mar 18, 2018

Show notes

One of the busier actors on radio, Frank Lovejoy starred in everything from soap operas to superhero adventures, from tales of Suspense to the urban newspaper drama Night Beat. We'll hear him in three old time radio shows: as The Amazing Mr. Malone in "Cleanliness is Next to Godliness" (originally aired on ABC on August 28, 1948); in "Danger at Matecumbe" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on March 24, 1950); and finally as Randy Stone in Night Beat in "Old Blind Pop" (originally aired on August 7, 1950).

Episode 271 - Lullaby of Broadway (Broadway is My Beat) Mar 13, 2018

Show notes

It's Broadway - "the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world." Join Detective Danny Clover as he walks the Great White Way in Broadway is My Beat. Larry Thor stars as the sensitive sleuth in "The Max Wendell Murder Case" (an AFRS rebroadcast of a show from April 28, 1950) and in "The Howard Crawford Murder Case" (originally aired on CBS on August 5, 1951).

Episode 270 - An Honor to Be Nominated (Nero Wolfe, Michael Shayne, & Barrie Craig) Mar 04, 2018

Show notes

In a special bonus episode, we'll hear a trio of radio detectives who were nominated for Academy Awards. Though they didn't bring home an Oscar, they still won a place in our hearts for their on-air crime solving prowess. Sydney Greenstreet stars as Nero Wolfe in "Stamped for Murder" (originally aired on October 20, 1950). Then, Jeff Chandler is Michael Shayne in "The Case of the Mail-Order Murders." Finally, William Gargan is Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator in "The Schemers" (originally aired on NBC on April 6, 1954).

Episode 269 - Hammer Time (That Hammer Guy) Mar 04, 2018

Show notes

To celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of master mystery writer Mickey Spillane, we'll hear three radio adventures of his signature shamus - the hard-boiled Mike Hammer. Ted De Corsia stars as Hammer in three episodes from That Hammer Guy: "The Jim Gordon Case," "The More You Kill, the Simpler It Gets" (originally aired on Mutual on April 20, 1954), and "A Dead Dame in Central Park" (originally aired on Mutual on April 27, 1954).

Episode 268 – Hello, Neuman (Rocky Jordan, The Line-Up, & Johnny Dollar) Feb 25, 2018

Show notes

Emmy-nominated writer E. Jack Neuman was one of radio's most prolific mystery scribes. Before he created classic TV shows like Mr. Novak, Neuman penned adventures of Jeff Regan, Richard Diamond, Sam Spade, and many more. In honor of his birthday, we'll hear three of his old time radio mysteries: "Fall Guy" from Rocky Jordan (originally aired on CBS on May 1, 1949); "The LaTourette Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on February 20, 1953); and "The Lugar-Lugging Laddie Case" from The Line-Up (originally aired on CBS on July 8, 1952).

Episode 267 - Worth a Thousand Words (Casey, Crime Photographer) Feb 18, 2018

Show notes

Staats Cotsworth gets the shot - and his man - as Casey, Crime Photographer. Each week, Casey covers the news and makes it as he cracks the case and meets his deadline. We'll hear the crusader with a camera in "Loaded Dice" (originally aired on CBS on September 4, 1947) and "The Tobacco Pouch" (originally aired on CBS on September 18, 1947).

Episode 266 - Holy Roller (The Saint) Feb 11, 2018

Show notes

Heaven help crooks and thieves - The Saint is on the case! Vincent Price stars as Simon Templar, "the Robin Hood of modern crime," in three old time radio mysteries: "The Sinister Sneeze" (originally aired on NBC on June 11, 1950); "The Dame on the Doorstep" (originally aired on NBC on November 12, 1950); and "Formula for Death" (originally aired on NBC on March 25, 1951).

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