Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Latest Episodes:

Episode 58 - Married with Murder (Adventures of the Abbotts) May 18, 2014

Show notes

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.

Episode 57 - Sophisticated Sleuthing (Philo Vance) May 11, 2014

Show notes

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.

Episode 56 - Citizen Holmes (Mercury Theatre On the Air) May 04, 2014

Show notes

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.

Episode 55 - Diamond Anniversary (Richard Diamond, Private Detective) Apr 27, 2014

Show notes

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).

Episode 54 - Nick of Time (Nick Carter, Master Detective) Apr 20, 2014

Show notes

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.

Episode 53 - Birds of a Feather (The Falcon) Apr 13, 2014

Show notes

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.

Episode 52 - Weave a Tangled Webb (Dragnet & Pat Novak) Apr 06, 2014

Show notes

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).

Episode 51 - Holy Anniversary, Batman! (Adventures of Superman) Apr 02, 2014

Show notes

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.

Episode 50 - Top Dollar (Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar) Mar 30, 2014

Show notes

Bob Bailey stars as "the man with the action packed expense account" in a complete five-part adventure of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. From 1955 through 1956, Dollar's adventures aired five nights a week over CBS and this run of shows is remembered today as a highlight of the Golden Age of Radio. We'll hear "The Cui Bono Matter," originally aired on CBS between February 13 and February 17, 1956. Plus - find out who won our 50th Episode Contest!

Episode 49 - Perfectly Frank (Night Beat & Blue Beetle) Mar 23, 2014

Show notes

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."

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected