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    Arts

    The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas

    Are you ready for a mystery? Get ready to unleash your inner sleuth. Every day Monday-Saturday, we feature a different detective audio drama from the Golden Age of Radio. Our current mystery-solving line-up of radio detectives includes The Adventures of the Falcon, Charlie Chan, Broadway’s My Beat, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, and Dragnet.

    Whether you want to listen to a mystery before going to sleep or enjoy some drama while driving, or just feel nostalgia for old-school radio fiction, we have you covered with six audio dramas every week.

    Podcast Award finalist Host Adam Graham has been your guide through dozens of old-time radio detective series since 2009. He provides insightful commentary and humor after each episode and responds to listener questions and feedback. You can subscribe to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from your favorite podcast app or by visiting our website at http://www.greatdetectives.net.

    We are currently in our fifteenth season of provided suspenseful mystery dramas. Our podcast feed captures the last 1,000 episodes we’ve released including all of seasons thirteen and fourteen, and part of season twelve. We have created two archive feeds: Volume 1, which features our first three seasons and Volume 2, which features seasons four-six, and Volume 3 which will feature Seasons Seven through Nine.

    Our feed includes old time radio recorded in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and also Australia.

    The current actors featured in our old time radio detective podcast include Les Damon, Bob Bailey, Larry Thor, Walter Connolly, and Jack Webb. Other actors featured within the past 1,000 include Alice Frost, Howard Duff, Glenn Langan, Herbert Marshall, Gerald Mohr, Joel McCrea, Les Tremayne, Jackson Beck, Santos Ortega, Ned Wever, Karl Swenson, and more.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © Copyright Adam Graham

    • Apple Podcasts
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    Latest Episodes:
    Counterspy: The High-Class Hijacker (A0130) Oct 10, 2026
    Show notes

    Today's Adventure: When a series of interstate truck hijackings strikes the Midwest, Counterspy chief David Harding takes over the investigation. The stolen goods are disappearing through an operation that appears to have access to the trucks’ security systems, leaving authorities struggling to catch the thieves. Harding deploys miniature cameras, chemical analysis, and a trail of fluorescent oil to track the stolen shipments—but can his team uncover the mastermind before the hijackings escalate?
    Original Radio Broadcast: October 13, 1949
    Originating in New YorkCast:

    • Don McLaughlin as David Harding
    • Mandell Kramer
    • Ken Lynch as Corney
    • Jackson Beck as Fatso
    • Mark B. Loeb as director
    • Palmer Thompson as dramatist
    • Jesse Crawford as musicalist
    • Phillips H. Lord for Pepsi-Cola
    To subscribe to this podcast and, go to https://greatadventures.info/
    Patreon Supporter of the Day: Gretchen — Patreon supporter since September 2017
    Become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
    Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
    Give us a call at 208-991-4783
    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
    Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

    Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Backfire That Backfired Matter (EP5080) Oct 09, 2026
    Show notes

    Today's Mystery: Johnny Dollar is looking forward to making amends with Betty Lewis when an unusual pattern catches his attention: a hot rod races past her home every morning, its engine backfiring at precisely the same spot. When Johnny discovers the car has a phony license plate, he suspects the noise is more than a nuisance. His investigation leads him to a dangerous scheme targeting a former attorney, but can Johnny uncover the plan before the next backfire turns deadly?
    Original Radio Broadcast Date:September 6, 1959
    Originating from Hollywood
    Cast:

    • Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar
    • Virginia Gregg
    • Forrest Lewis
    • Barney Phillips
    • Tom Holland
    Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
    Patreon Supporter of the Day:Don, Michael, Claudia, and Artimo, Patreon Supporter since October 2021.
    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
    Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
    Give us a call at 208-991-4783
    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
    Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives
    Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

    Dragnet: The Big Trio (EP5079) Oct 08, 2026
    Show notes

    Todays Mystery: On the eve of the Fourth of July weekend, Joe Friday and Frank Smith are assigned to Accident Investigation and confront the devastating consequences of reckless driving when a 16-year-old takes his father’s car on a high-speed ride through Los Angeles. As the holiday begins, a succession of traffic calls illustrates how quickly carelessness, alcohol, and poor judgment can turn an ordinary drive into tragedy.
    Original Radio Broadcast Date: July 3, 1952
    Originating from Hollywood
    Cast:

    • Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday
    • Herb Ellis as Frank Smith
    • Vic Perrin
    • Stacy Harris
    • Vic Rodman
    • Jim Moser, writer
    • Walter Schumann, music
    • Technical advice from the office of Chief W.H. Parker
    • Captain Jack Donahoe, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher, technical advisors
    • Hal Gibney, announcer
    Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
    Patreon Supporter of the Day: Splinator, Patreon supporter since August 2024.
    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
    Take the listener survey…http://survey.greatdetectives.net
    Give us a call 208-991-4783
    Become one of our friends on Facebook.
    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
    Follow us on Twitter@radiodetectives
    Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

    Broadway's My Beat: The Robert Turk Murder Case (EP5078) Oct 07, 2026
    Show notes

    Today's Mystery: A strange murder draws Detective Danny Clover to a Manhattan apartment filled with occult symbols, a dead man, and a woman who barely survived the night. What first appears to be a bizarre suicide soon becomes connected to a series of deaths stretching back several years. As Clover follows the trail, he encounters a mysterious woman who claims to possess the power to determine who lives—and who dies.
    Original Radio Broadcast Date: October 18, 1952
    Originated in Hollywood
    Cast:

    • Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover
    • Charles Calvert as Sgt. Gino Tartaglia
    • Jack Kruschen as Sgt. Muggavan
    • Sammy Hill as Maura Spencer
    • Lee Millar
    • Truda Marson
    • Lou Merrill
    • Morton Fine and David Friedkin, writers
    • Elliott Lewis, director
    • Alexander Courage, composer and conductor
    • Bill Anders, announcer

    Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
    Patreon Supporter of the Day: Bruce, Patreon supporter since July 2022
    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
    Take the listener survey�http://survey.greatdetectives.net
    Give us a call 208-991-4783
    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
    Become one of our friends on Facebook.
    Follow us on Twitter@radiodetectives
    Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

    The Big Story: A Search That Saved a Life (EP5077) Oct 06, 2026
    Show notes

    Today's Mystery: A chance encounter in a Chicago courtroom leads reporters Virginia Marmaduke and Joe Kordek into a deeply personal story. A mother is seeking a divorce because she believes her husband is willing to risk their young daughter's life. The reporters soon discover that the child suffers from a serious medical condition and that her parents are bitterly divided over a dangerous decision that could determine her future. When they learn that another child may hold the answer, Virginia and Joe set out to find her—but will they reach her in time?
    Original Radio Broadcast: February 10, 1954
    Originating in New YorkCast:

    • Virginia Marmaduke — M.C. Strickland
    • Joe Kordek — Sid Pohl
    • Mandel Kramer
    • Jan Miner
    • Guy Sorel
    • Madeline Pierce
    • Shirley Hayes
    • Joan Tompkins
    Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
    Patreon Supporter of the Day: Philip, Patreon supporter since December 2019
    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
    Take the listener survey…http://survey.greatdetectives.net
    Give us a call 208-991-4783
    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
    Become one of our friends on Facebook.
    Follow us on Twitter@radiodetectives
    Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

    The Saint: The Chiseling Chimpanzee (EP5076) Oct 05, 2026
    Show notes

    Today's Mystery: Simon Templar becomes involved in a strange murder mystery after meeting a frightened man named Prebble, who believes he may be headed for prison because of a trained chimpanzee named Wenceslaus. When Prebble is murdered and the chimpanzee is subsequently killed, the Saint discovers that the animal may have been involved in the theft of valuable jewels. Simon follows the trail to a group of jewel thieves and must determine who killed Prebble and Wenceslaus—and who has the missing jewels.
    Original Radio Broadcast Date: December 10, 1950
    Originating from Hollywood
    Starred: Vincent Price as Simon Templar
    Cast:

    • Maggie Morley as Lola
    • George Nees as Roland Ames
    • Sheldon Leonard as Max
    • Theodor von Eltz as Haig
    • Jack Moyles as Prebble
    • Jerry Hausner as the Monkey
    Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
    Patreon Supporter of the Day: Todd, Patreon supporter since July 2025
    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net
    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
    Take the listener survey…http://survey.greatdetectives.net
    Give us a call 208-991-4783
    Become one of our friends on Facebook.
    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
    Follow us on Twitter@radiodetectives
    Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

    The Landini Murder Mystery Omnibus, Part 1 (Ep5075e) Oct 04, 2026
    Show notes

    In this episode, we begin our journey through the surviving episodes of Charlie Chan’s Landini Murder Case, a 39-part serialized mystery based on Earl Derr Biggers’ final Charlie Chan novel, The Keeper of the Keys. This omnibus brings together the commentary and surviving episodes from the original serial, allowing listeners to experience the story in a much shorter format. Part 1 features Episodes 7 and 8, “The Chinese Suspect” and “A Barking Dog.”
    Originating in Sydney
    Starring: William Rees as Charlie Chan, Rodney Jacobs
    The Chinese Suspect
    Charlie Chan arrives at Pine View to assist wealthy Dudley Ward with a family mystery, but events take a deadly turn when Ellen Landini is found murdered. With everyone ordered to remain at the estate, Chan begins searching for answers among a house full of suspects. Then, in the darkness outside, he spots someone quietly leaving the house—and follows.
    Original Air Date: 1935–1936
    A Barking Dog
    Charlie Chan’s investigation into Ellen Landini’s murder takes a closer look at the servants, the crime scene, and a timeline that doesn’t quite add up. When crucial fingerprints have been wiped away, Chan is left with fewer answers—and one suspect who can’t account for his whereabouts. But is that enough to identify the killer?
    Original Air Date: 1935–1936
    Subscribe to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio at greatdetectives.net or wherever you download your podcasts from.
    Support the show on a one-time basis at Support Great Detectives.
    Take the listener survey at Great Detectives Listener Survey.
    Give us a call at 208-991-4783.
    Follow us on Instagram at Great Detectives on Instagram.
    Follow us on Twitter at @radiodetectives.
    Join us again for another adventure from the Golden Age of Radio.


    Counterspy: The Society Swindler (A0128) Oct 03, 2026
    Show notes

    Today's Adventure: CounterSpy chief David Harding investigates a charity racket operating among wealthy members of East Coast society. When a charity organizer connected to the World Refugee Fund is found to be running a fraudulent scheme, Harding sets a trap to uncover the criminal mastermind behind it. His investigation leads to Alfred Babson, a dangerous society figure whose operation involves threats, murder, and carefully timed plans. Harding must expose the racket before Babson can eliminate those who stand in his way.
    Original Radio Broadcast:October 11, 1949
    Originating in New York
    Cast:

    • Don McLaughlin
    • Mandel Kramer
    • Ken Lynch as Zero
    To subscribe to this podcast and, go to https://greatadventures.info/
    Become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
    Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
    Give us a call at 208-991-4783
    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
    Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

    Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Really Gone Matter (EP5075) Oct 02, 2026
    Show notes

    Today's Mystery: Johnny Dollar is hired by a life insurance company to locate a missing beneficiary named Jonathan Doe, who is set to receive $50,000 from a policy belonging to a recently deceased farmer. The problem is that no one in the area seems to have ever met Jonathan Doe, and even his supposed farm contains few clues that he ever existed. As Johnny investigates, suspicion falls on the farmer’s son, who stands to inherit the money if Doe remains missing. Johnny must uncover the truth behind the mysterious beneficiary and determine why no one seems to know who he really was.
    Original Radio Broadcast Date: August 30, 1959
    Originating from Hollywood
    Cast:

    • Virginia Gregg
    • Lawrence Dobkin
    • Marvin Miller
    • Sam Edwards
    • Judas Matthews
    • Stacey Harris
    • Bart Robinson
    Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
    Patreon Supporter of the Day: Jim, Patreon supporter since May 2020.
    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
    Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
    Give us a call at 208-991-4783
    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
    Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives
    Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

    Dragnet: The Big Roll (EP5074) Oct 01, 2026
    Show notes

    Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate the abduction of an unidentified man from a downtown Los Angeles street. Bloodstains at the scene and an abandoned gray sedan suggest that the victim may have been seriously injured, but there are few clues to his identity or whereabouts. The investigation leads Friday and Smith through a missing car, conflicting stories, and two suspects with criminal records. As the detectives piece together the evidence, they must determine what happened to the missing man and whether he is still alive.
    Original Radio Broadcast Date: June 26, 1952
    Originating from Hollywood
    Starring:

    • Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday
    • Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Frank Smith
    Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
    Patreon Supporter of the Day: Rebecca — Patreon supporter since August 2024
    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
    Take the listener survey…http://survey.greatdetectives.net
    Give us a call 208-991-4783
    Become one of our friends on Facebook.
    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
    Follow us on Twitter@radiodetectives
    Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

    1 2 3 102 Next

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