Nostalgic Mystery Radio

Latest Episodes:

Ep.299 Lord Peter Wimsey: Whose Body? Lunch At Lady Swaffham's Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

Ian Carmichael stars as Lord Peter Wimsey in these classic BBC radio dramatisations of Dorothy L Sayers' Golden Age crime novels.

Gentleman detective Lord Peter Wimsey starred in a number of novels and short stories by Dorothy L Sayers. These full-cast adaptations – first broadcast on BBC radio between 1979 and 2010 – are cherished by crime aficionados worldwide.
Whose Body?: The tale that first introduced Lord Peter to the world, and sees him investigating the case of a corpse in a Battersea bathtub and a vanished oil millionaire.
Episodes:

1. The Body in the Bath

2. Disappearance of a Financier

3. Lunch at Lady Swaffham's

4. Shellshock

5. Bunter Brings a Letter

Support the show

Ep.298 Lord Peter Wimsey: Whose Body? Disappearance Of A Financier Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

Ian Carmichael stars as Lord Peter Wimsey in these classic BBC radio dramatisations of Dorothy L Sayers' Golden Age crime novels.

1. The Body in the Bath

2. Disappearance of a Financier

3. Lunch at Lady Swaffham's

4. Shellshock

5. Bunter Brings a Letter

Support the show

Ep.297 Lord Peter Wimsey: Whose Body? The Body In The Bath Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

Ian Carmichael stars as Lord Peter Wimsey in these classic BBC radio dramatisations of Dorothy L Sayers' Golden Age crime novels.

1. The Body in the Bath

2. Disappearance of a Financier

3. Lunch at Lady Swaffham's

4. Shellshock

5. Bunter Brings a Letter

Support the show

Ep.296 Inner Sanctum Mysteries: The Wailing Wall starring Boris Karloff Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Inner Sanctum Mysteries: The anthology series featured stories of mystery, terror and suspense, and its tongue-in-cheek introductions were in sharp contrast to shows like Suspense and The Whistler. The early 1940s programs opened with Raymond Edward Johnson introducing himself as, "Your host, Raymond," in a mocking sardonic voice. A spooky melodramatic organ score (played by Lew White) punctuated Raymond's many morbid jokes and playful puns. Raymond's closing was an elongated "Pleasant dreeeeaams, hmmmmm?" His tongue-in-cheek style and ghoulish relish of his own tales became the standard for many such horror narrators to follow, from fellow radio hosts like Ernest Chappell (on Wyllis Cooper's later series, Quiet, Please) and Maurice Tarplin (on The Mysterious Traveler)
The Wailing Wall: A good story about a man (Boris Karloff) who strangles his wife and is haunted by her moans...for forty years!
Originally aired: November 6th, 1945.

Support the show

Ep.295 Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot: The Halloween Party Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot: the world-renowned, moustachioed Belgian private detective, unsurpassed in his intelligence and understanding of the criminal mind, respected and admired by police forces and heads of state across the globe.
Since his inception over 100 years ago, Poirot has stolen the hearts and minds of audiences from Azerbaijan to Vietnam, and his celebrated cases have been recorded across 33 original novels and over 50 short stories.
Halloween Party: When a young girl is found drowned at a Halloween party after boasting about a murder she had seen, Ariadne Oliver, the famous crime novelist, sends for her old friend Hercule Poirot. But has Poirot one death to investigate--or two?

Support the show

Ep.294 Richard Diamond Private Detective: The Bloody Hat Case Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

Richard Diamond, Private Detective came to NBC in 1949. Diamond was a slick, sophisticated detective, with a sharp tongue for folks who needed it. Diamond enjoyed the detective life, but not as much as entertaining his girl, Helen Asher. After each show, he would croon a number to his Park Avenue sweetheart.
Mr. Powell, a former song and dance man, was perfect for the role. He added an extra dimension to the 40's hokey private eye drama.
Diamond was a rough gumshoe that would often get knocked on the head with a revolver butt or other items. His counterpart on the police force was Lt. Levinson who often accepted Diamond's help reluctantly. Levinson would claim to get stomach trouble whenever Diamond would call him and would take bicarbonate to settle his aching stomach. Although they always seem at odds with each other, Diamond and Levinson were best friends.
The Bloody Hat Case: Bert Kalmus is framed for murder in an early version of a classic scam. Originally aired July 2nd,1949.

Support the show

Ep.293 The Adventures Of Sam Spade: The Red Star Caper Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

The Adventures of Sam Spadewas a suspense/detective radio show starring Howard Duff in the colorful title role along with Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie. It was based on the private detective character created by Dashiell Hammett, well-known from the book and movie The Maltese Falcon. The show ran from 1946 to 1951. Duff was replaced by Steve Dunne in later episodes.
The Red Star Caper: Sam Spade attends a lecture where the speaker ends up shot dead. Originally aired January 12th,1951.

Support the show

Ep.292 Pat Novak For Hire: Fleet Lady Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Pat Novak For Hire: Classic old time radio showing starring Jack Webb (1946, 1949) and Ben Morris (1947-48) as Pat Novak, a street wise guy who rents boats and anything else a good man pays a bad one to do.
Novak is always getting into scrapes when taking on jobs for hire or occasionally as a favor to a friend. When he does, he goes to see "The Only Honest Guy I Know" an ex-Doctor and a boozer named Jocko Madigan (played by Tudor Owens). Novak's nemesis is Lieutenant Hellman of Homicide (played by Raymond Burr and others) who's constantly trying to get Novak sent to the gas chamber.
Fleet Lady: Pat Novak’s hired to find a horse, and he finds the horse and a dead body.
Originally aired March 6th,1949.

Support the show

Ep.291 The New Adventures Of Nero Wolfe: The Case Of The Vanishing Shells Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Nero Wolfe is a fictional character, a brilliant, oversized, eccentric armchair detective created in 1934 by American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe was born in Montenegro and keeps his past murky.
He lives in a luxurious brownstone on West 35th Street in New York City, and he is loath to leave his home for business or anything that would keep him from reading his books, tending his orchids, or eating the gourmet meals prepared by his chef, Fritz Brenner. Archie Goodwin, Wolfe's sharp-witted, dapper young confidential assistant with an eye for attractive women, narrates the cases and does the legwork for the detective genius.
The Case Of The Vanishing Shells: Archie gets Nero Wolfe hired by an actress who is afraid of being cut out of a lead role in a play.
Originally aired February 2nd,1951.

Support the show

Ep.290 The Adventures Of Philip Marlowe: The Bum's Rush Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker's road and those who travel it wind up in the gutter, the prison or the grave.
Philip Marlowe was Los Angeles's toughest detective in the groundbreaking series by Raymond Chandler that helped establish the "hard-boiled" detective subgenre.
The Bum's Rush: Marlowe is hired to find an old geezer, and finds murder instead.
Originally aired September 3rd, 1949.

Support the show

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected